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- BGG #14,459
- BGG rating
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Manassas
- 2–4 players
- 240 min
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- 1980
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- BGG #17,617
- BGG rating
- 6.4
The Battle of the Alma
1978
Rules assistance for The Battle of the Alma
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for The Battle of the Alma
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Battle of the Alma is a board game released in 1978 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Following the French and British landings in the Crimean peninsula, the allied march South to seize the Russian naval base at Sebastopol. General Mentschikov's Russian army met them on the banks of the Alma River for the first major battle of the Crimean War - September 20, 1854. "The Battle of the Alma" covers the first major battle of the Crimean War. It is part of GDW's Series 120 games, a line of introductory wargames spanning various historical eras. The games in the series had 120 counters and were supposed to be playable in 120 minutes or less, hence the name. Republished in Command Magazine Japan #38, along with 1940.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
The Battle of the Alma 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 the Alma is 120 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 the Alma 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 the Alma has a complexity rating of 2.3 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 the Alma belongs to these categories: Wargame and Post-Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. 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 the Alma are: Frank Chadwick. 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 the Alma 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.