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Beachhead: A Game of Island Invasions in the South Pacific 1942-1944
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The Beastlord
1979
Rules assistance for The Beastlord
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
Rules assistant for The Beastlord
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Beastlord is a board game released in 1979 for 2–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael J. Matheny and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment.
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About the game
A fantasy wargame, The Beastlord involves hidden movement (using dummy counters), magic, spies, ambushes, goblins, elves and monsters of all sorts. The map shows the entire valley where the action takes place at the "strategic" level, and close-up tactical maps used to resolve the specific encounters (somewhat like Titan's main map and battle lands). The players pursue different victory point schedules, drawn from a set of cards --so you're never quite sure what the other players are after, this time. Best bet is to wipe them all out.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Yaquinto
Questions and answers
The Beastlord supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Beastlord 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 Beastlord 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 Beastlord has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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 Beastlord belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Wargame. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 Beastlord are: Michael J. Matheny. 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 Beastlord 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.