Hannibal

Mark Boone came over for my first game of Hannibal. I played the Carthaginians, which is a bit of a challenge; I've heard that Avalon Hill, back in the day, said it would take 6-8 games for the Carthaginian to figure out the winning strategies. I can tell you a couple of things to avoid, though. Don't get too close to Rome early in the game, while the Romans still have all their allies; and don't get caught in Cisalpine Gaul with a big Roman army in front of you, the Alps behind you, and nowhere to retreat to. I'm usually quite aggressive but I think as Hannibal, you can't just charge into Italy and attack; you have to take your time and use the event cards to get control of provinces while you build up your army. The combat system is a bit odd but the strategic game is simple to learn but fraught with tough choices, which makes it enjoyable.