Alexander The Great

Learn About the Game Alexander The Great

You know that moment when you dive into a game and suddenly you’re staring down the length of a Macedonian phalanx, imagining yourself standing beside Alexander as he sizes up the Persian line? That’s exactly what Alexander The Great delivers. It’s a classic hex‐and‐counter wargame where each little cardboard soldier represents whole units maneuvering across an epic battlefield. You get just enough historical flavor—leadership ratings, morale checks, phalanx bonuses—to feel the weight of Alexander’s bold charge without drowning in endless pages of rules.

The mechanics are straightforward, surprisingly elegant for a war simulation. Turns alternate between players moving units, launching attacks, and reacting to enemy advances. Combat is resolved with a simple die roll modified by odds ratios you can eyeball on the combat results table. Cavalry get a boost if they hit the flank, infantry hold steady in formation, and if your morale flags, those harder‐fought battles can quickly dissolve into a rout. It’s not about micromanaging ammo or supply lines—although there’s a little supply‐chain flavor—but rather about timing your key assaults and making the most of your generals.

After a few plays, you start to recognize patterns: how Alexander’s heavy phalanx can pin down the foe, how Persian cavalry try to outflank, and how a well‐timed retreat can save you from utter disaster. Games can run an hour or two, so it’s a perfect session opener or closer with fellow history buffs. And even though it skews toward the Western Classical period, you’ll catch yourself replaying the “what if” scenarios—maybe you push harder on one flank, maybe you gamble on an early cavalry charge. By the time you pack it away, you’re not just marking off victory points; you’re replaying moments of ancient strategy and feeling every triumph or setback as if you’d been there in the dust beside him.