He that wounded her hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead.
It’s time to go way back to the Punic Wars, as I unbox a copy of Hannibal and Hamilcar (20th anniversary edition) by Phalanx Games.
It first came out in 1996 (published by Avalon Hill), then there was a new version in 2007 by Valley Games, and now we have what must be the definitive, 20th anniversary, edition by Phalanx Games. Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage has not only been completely and carefully updated, but it includes the companion game Hamilcar, which has a naval focus.
There’s enough here to keep any dedicated ancients boardgamer as happy as a Roman on a straight road for many conquests to come. The graphic design is impeccable, and some impressive miniatures for your generals are included. It’s immediately obvious how much love and dedication has gone into this edition of this card-driven classic wargame. Maybe now I’ll finally get around to playing the game! I’m really looking forward to marching my elephants over the Alps (though in reality, tragically, only one survived the war).
It might take me a little while to revamp my rules summary for this edition, but in the meantime you can check out the summary for the last edition here.
Love the production-values on this. It’s little touches like those notches in the cardboard that shows real attention to detail and that’s always a good sign. Hope it plays as good as it looks.
Well the game has stood the test of time, so I think it should. I’ll report back when I’ve finally got it on the table.