Alexander the Great (1971)

Macedonians vs. Persians in the climactic battle at Gaugamela.

Alexander The Great is a medium complexity wargame recreating an ancient battle on the plain of Gaugamela in 331 B.C. Players take on the roles of Alexander the Great and King Darius III as the Macedonian army clashes with the Persian Host.

Movement is hex based. Unit types include basic infantry, phalanxes, cavalry, chariots and elephants. The turn sequence is movement, defensive fire and melee. Combat is a dice roll cross-referenced on a probability table. A sliding morale track determines which table will be used for combat resolution.

The game consists of a 22" x 28" map board, a sheet of 108 die cut counters, playing aids and a 24-page rulebook.

Avalon Hill Complexity Rating - 5

from "The Avalon Hill General Index and Company History, 1952-1980"

Alexander the Great (1974) Revised 1975, Revised 1976
Prior existing published design redesigned by Avalon Hill
Designed by Gary Gygax
Development by Don Greenwood

Richard Hamblen was responsible for the rulebook revisions which greatly clarified missile fire. In the initial edition the counters were blank on one side due to the economic restrictions imposed on a game then available only for mail order sale. Randall Reed did the mapboard.

Magazine References:

The GENERAL Index Article List:

• The GENERAL Vol.14,No.2
  • Series Replay - Alexander the Great Richard Plock, Robert Livermore, Richard Hamblen

• The GENERAL Vol.18,No.1
  • Alexander the Great – “Darius the Great? - How to Beat Alexander the Great on the Plains of Gaugamela” (Strategy) Antonio Santosuosso

• The GENERAL Vol.19,No.4
  • Alexander the Great – “Ramses II - A Variant for Alexander the Great” (Variant) Arnold Blumberg

Panzerfaust Article List:

• Number 55 Sep-Oct '72
  • Phalanx / Alexander the Great - "Design Analysis: Phalanx & Alexander" (Review), Harold Totten
  • Phalanx / Alexander the Great - "A Second Opinion Game Review: Alexander the Great & Phalanx" (Review), Lawrence Schmidt
• Number 59 Jul-Aug '73
  • Alexander the Great - "Afterthoughts on Alexander" (Design Notes), Gary Gygax