Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great is a board wargame first published by Guidon Games in 1971 that simulates the Battle of Arbela in 331 BCE, also known as the Battle of Gaugamela. A revised edition was published by Avalon Hill in 1974. Both editions of the game were notable for having what one critic described as "one of the ugliest maps ever to curse a war game." Background Alexander the Great's victory over Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE gave Alexander control of the western half of the Persian Empire. While Darius retreated to Babylon to regroup, Alexander's Macedonian army went on to conquer the Levant and Egypt. In 331 BCE, the Persians and Macedonians met again at the small village of Gaugamela to determine the fate of the Persian Empire. Description Alexander the Great is a two-player game in which one player controls the Macedonians and the other controls the forces of Persia. Gameplay The game uses die-cut counters and a hex grid map common to wargames of this era. Pieces represent infantry, cavalry, phalanx formations, various ranged weapons troops, chariots, and elephants.