
- BGG rank
- BGG #510
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage
- 2 players
- 150 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1996

Rules assistance for The God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 60–480 minutes per game, and ages 16 and up. It was designed by Julien Bonnard and its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Campaign / Battle Card Driven.
The God Kings is a new wargame covering the ancient wars of the Near East, from the 15th to the 13th century BC. Players control the armies of Egypt (New Kingdom), the Hittites, Mitanni (a Hurrian kingdom), and the Babylonian Kassites. The resurgent Assyria also makes an appearance in the game. The God Kings is a card-driven game, a system modeled on Mark Simonitch's Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage. Each kingdom and its army is led by its King, and there are many Kings included; some great and some not so great... Ramesses II, The Pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut, Thutmosis III (the Napoleon of antiquity), Amenhotep IV (better known as Akhenaten), and of course Tutankhamun all appear for Egypt's greater Glory! Discover also Suppiluliuma, greatest of the Hittite kings, terror of his enemies, and Muwatalli II who would face and defeat the Egyptians at Kadesh. The object of the game is to establish the greatest Empire of the time, dominating provinces that will pay the Empire Tribute and provide you with timber, while defeating the armies of your neighbors and the Barbarians that always seem to appear at the worst possible times. The game is playable by 2 to 4 players, with numerous scenarios; playing time ranges from 15 minutes (Battle of Kadesh) up to six hours for the complete campaign. —description from the publisher
The God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC is 60–480 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC for ages 16 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC has a complexity rating of 2.9 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC belongs to these categories: Wargame and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Campaign / Battle Card Driven. 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC are: Julien Bonnard. 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 God Kings: Warfare at the Dawn of Civilization, 1500 – 1260BC 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.