Hannibal: The Second Punic War (1991)

"Hannibal: The Second Punic War", is a two-player wargame that covers the conflict between Carthage and Rome, during the period of 218 to 195 B.C..

The Carthaginians, under the military leadership of their general, Hannibal, marched into Italy and won several battle. The Romans, meanwhile, built up their strength and eventually counterattacked, leading to a Roman victory.

The game shows the difference between the two military systems, the Carthaginians start out with better leaders, but the Romans have a greater population to build armies from. The game map represents countries of the Western Mediterranean area in which the war actually took place.

Each turn represents one year. During each turn, there is in sequence a Diplomacy Segment, a Carthaginian turn and a Roman turn. Basic and Advanced Rules allow customization of gameplay. Strategic movement is performed on the map. When armies engage each other, they are transferred to a Battleboard, which allows for army field positioning and tactical combat. Amphibious Assaults, Recruiting and Promotion on the March, Siege Assault, Naval Combat and Interception, and Neutrals are all part of the basic rules. Tactical Superiority, Roman Battlefield relief, Supply and Attrition, Land Units in naval combat, Limited Intelligence, Blockade, and special rules for Syracuse are Advanced rules.

Originally published by Decision Games (I) in Strategy & Tactics magazine #141.

Game Scale:
Turn: 1 year
Map: Point-to-Point
Units: 1,500 to 10,000 men, 25-50 warships

Game Inventory:
One 22 x 34" full color mapsheet
One dual-side printed countersheet (200 1/2" counters)
One 20-page Hannibal: The Second Punic War rules booklet

Complexity: Medium
Solitaire Suitability: Medium
Players: 1 or more
Playing Time: 3-5 Hours

Players will have to provide one 6-sided die