
- BGG rank
- BGG #257
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Commands & Colors: Ancients
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2006

Rules assistance for The Battle of Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Battle of Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC is an expansion for SPQR released in 2008 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Dan Fournie and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
Eleven years have passed since the outbreak of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Both sides have become exhausted after long years of battling and campaigning across the Mediterranean Theater. From Spain, Hasdrubal Barca marches toward Italy to join his brother Hannibal. Together they seek to bring this long, hard conflict to an end. Rome is aware of the overall Carthaginian plan and therefore strengthens its legions. If, after so many years of war, Rome has been unable to defeat Hannibal, what will happen when a new member of the "Lion's Brood" reinforces his brother in Italy? The result of the Second Punic War, possibly control of the Western Mediterranean,is at stake. - 3-page historical background article (pp. 11-13 within C3i #21 magazine, 2008). - Scenario set-up instructions (pp. 14-15 within C3i #21 magazine, 2008). - 2 new leaders counters (from the publisher) SPQR module from C3i Magazine #21, 2008.
The Battle of Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC is 240 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC belongs to these categories: Wargame, Ancient, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC are: Dan Fournie. 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 Grumentum, the Italian Campaign, 207 BC as an expansion for SPQR. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need SPQR to use it. Check that your edition of SPQR is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.