- BGG rating
- 6.9
Salamis
- 2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,882
- BGG rating
- 7.1
War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World
1999
Rules assistance for War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 360 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World is a board game released in 1999 for 1–2 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Richard H. Berg and Mark Herman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Ben Hur: War Galley Scenario
- 1–2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2000
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Quinquereme
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2000
- BGG rating
- 7.6
The Raven: Rome's Secret Weapon
- 1–2 players
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2000
- BGG rating
- 7.9
War Galley: Tarentum and the Battle of Sapriportus, 210 B.C.
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2001
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About the game
(from GMT website): War Galley is the seventh volume in the multi-award winning Great Battles of History (GBoH) series, but the first to venture entirely into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the first historical boardgame published, in two decades, to address galley warfare. As such, GMT's War Galley is almost a complete history for this era of war at sea. What is best about War Galley is how easy it is to play -- the rules are about half the length of the usual GBoH game -- and that means that most battles can be complete in several hours, at the most. The battles themselves, cover all aspects of galley tactics, from the line against line of big ships at Salamis (Cyprus), to the Chase, Turn and Fight of Chios, to the Line Astern vs. Line Abreast at Side, to probably the most unusual of all ancient battles, the Roman arrowhead against the Carthaginian Lines Astern at Drepanum in 249 B.C. War Galley wars and battles covered by the scenarios are: Ionian Revolt- Lade, 494 BC Peloponnesian War- Arginusae, 406 BC The Silician Wars- Catana, 397 BC The First Successor War- Salamis, 306 BC (Cyprus) The First Punic War Ecnomus, 256 BC Drepanum, 249 BC Aegatian Islands, 242 BC The Macedonian Wars- Chios, 201 BC The War with Antiochus Side, 190 BC Myonessus, 190 BC The Civil War Tauris, 47 BC Naulochus, 36 BC Actium, 31 BC
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World supports 1–2 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 War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World is 360 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 War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World for ages 14 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.
War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World 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.
War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Ancient. 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 War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World are: Richard H. Berg and Mark Herman. 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 War Galley: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World 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.