
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,459
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Manassas
- 2–4 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1980

1984
Rules assistance for The Battle of Five Armies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Battle of Five Armies is a board game released in 1984 for 2 players, 150 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rick Britton and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Chit-Pull System.
One player takes the Free Peoples side (elves, dwarves, men and eagles), the other controls the goblins. If you have played any hex-based wargame, this will appear quite familiar. The board is hex based, each counter represents a troop of warriors or a single leader. Each counter is rated for movement, combat ability and archery ability.
The Battle of Five Armies 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 The Battle of Five Armies is 150 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 The Battle of Five Armies for ages 12 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.
The Battle of Five Armies has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
The Battle of Five Armies belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Chit-Pull System. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Battle of Five Armies are: Rick Britton. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Battle of Five Armies 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.