- BGG rank
- BGG #11,946
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VII Legio
- 3–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1982
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,693
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe
1982
Rules assistance for The Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–6 players
- 120–180 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for The Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe is a board game released in 1982 for 4–6 players, 120–180 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Marco Donadoni and its main mechanics are Area Movement and Alliances.
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About the game
Players represent the powers of the XVth century: Holy Roman Emperor, Ottoman Turk Sultan, Pope, King of Spain, King of France and the head of the famous Medici family of Florence. The board is hexagonal with each player having a path by which his pawns can visit his direct left and right neighbors. In addition, each side has a direct path to the center of the board. Players other than the direct neighbors could only be reached by traveling through the neighbors or the center. Included in the game are 6 domestic army pawns for each player, 36 mercenary pawns, 12 ambassador cards, 6 lady cards, 50 coins and 2 dice. At the beginning, each player receives the 6 domestic army pawns, 1 lady, 2 ambassadors and 3 coins. Combats are resolved without random chance by simple calculation of the difference between the number of pawns. Income is provided to the player on the basis of the number of spaces occupied by a single domestic pawn. Each player may offer alliance to any player and if accepted, ambassadors are exchanged. Alliance permits joint attacks and unlike some other games, alliances are law: allies absolutely cannot attack one another.
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- International Team (I)
Questions and answers
The Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe supports 4–6 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe is 120–180 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe for ages 13 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe belongs to these categories: Economic, Negotiation, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Area Movement and Alliances. 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe are: Marco Donadoni. 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 Game of Medici: Arms, Loves and Betrayals in XVth Century Europe 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.