Alexander the Great

About this board game

Alexander the Great is a two-player wargame that recreates the climactic Battle of Gaugamela in 331 B.C., with an approximate playing time of 120 minutes. Released in 1971, it places one player in the role of Alexander the Great and the other as King Darius III.

The game depicts the Macedonian army clashing with the Persian Host on a dedicated 22×28-inch map board. Its medium-complexity rules use hex-based movement, giving the battle a clear positional structure as both sides maneuver their forces across the plain of Gaugamela.

Each turn follows a defined sequence of movement, defensive fire, and melee. The armies include several distinct unit types:

• Basic infantry
• Phalanxes
• Cavalry
• Chariots
• Elephants

Combat is resolved with a dice roll cross-referenced on a probability table. A sliding morale track determines which table is used for combat resolution, adding a changing morale factor to the battle system.

The complete game includes a map board, 108 die-cut counters, a Combat Results Table, and a 24-page rulebook. The components support a focused recreation of the historic confrontation between Macedonian and Persian forces.

With an Avalon Hill Complexity Rating of 5, Alexander the Great presents the Battle of Gaugamela through a structured combination of movement, unit types, defensive fire, melee, dice-based combat, and morale-based resolution.