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- BGG #1,866
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- 7.1
Monkey Palace
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- 5.4
Spider Wars
1988
Rules assistance for Spider Wars
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for Spider Wars
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Spider Wars is a board game released in 1988 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up.
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About the game
This abstract game cleverly exploits its theme of warring spiders to introduce children to thinking games. The board represents a web with two nests at opposite ends, and stands up between the players. Each player uses his side of the board to move his spiders on (three small ones and a large one). Each spider has two long flexible legs with which it steps over the web; each leg ends in a peg which fits into holes in the web. The catch is that if you insert your peg in a hole occupied by an opponent's spider, it pushes his peg out. A spider hanging by only one leg is a "dangler" and is in danger of being pushed off the web altogether (and out of the game) should the opponent push its other leg out. Re-attaching a dangler uses up one's entire turn. The object of the game is either to eliminate all of the opponent's spiders or put a leg in his nest. On your turn, you move two different legs, belonging to the same or two different spiders. The small spiders' leg span confines them to adjacent holes. The big spider, the Daddy Long Leg, has a greater span and can use holes two spaces apart. A move consist of detaching a leg, pivoting around the other, and plugging the free leg back in.
Editions
- Spider WarsENMilton Bradley1989
- Spider WarsENMilton Bradley1988
- SquilibryITMB Giochi1989
- SpinnentaktikDEMB Spiele1989
- Guerra Das AranhasEstrela
- Guerra Das AranhasEstrela
- Combat d'AraignéesFRMB Jeux
- TelarañaESMB Juegos
Categories
Publishers
- Estrela
- MB Juegos
- Milton Bradley
- MB Giochi
- MB Spiele
- MB Jeux
Questions and answers
Spider Wars supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Spider Wars is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Spider Wars for ages 7 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Spider Wars has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Spider Wars belongs to these categories: Animals, Children's Game, and Abstract Strategy. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Spider Wars and want something comparable for your next game night.
The catalogue lists Spider Wars as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.