Hannibal & Hamilcar: Price of Failure

About this expansion

Hannibal & Hamilcar: Price of Failure is a two-player expansion for the Hamilcar Rome vs Carthage game, with an approximate play time of 240 minutes. It adds a new Roman leader, a leader card, and two strategy cards inspired by ancient religious rituals and military disasters.

The expansion introduces Publius Claudius Pulcher, the Roman consul associated with the Battle of Drepana in 249 BC. According to the historical account behind the expansion, sacred chickens refused to eat before the battle, and Claudius threw them into the sea, declaring that if they did not wish to eat, they could drink. Rome then suffered a devastating defeat in which 93 ships and their crews were lost.

These events are represented through two new strategic options:

• Bad Omen: Played before a battle, it decreases Rome’s General Battle Rating by 1. The effect can be cancelled by an immediate Attrition Roll.
• Price of Failure: Played after a victorious battle, it forces the opposing player to either immediately remove their commanding General from the map or remove a number of PCs equal to that General’s Battle Rating.

The cards draw on stories of leaders who ignored rituals or suffered severe consequences after defeat, including Caius Flaminius, Hannibal Gisgo, and Hamilcar. In the historical background, defeated Carthaginian leaders were removed from command, while Claudius faced charges and was never again offered an office.

With its focus on omens, command, attrition, and the consequences of failure, Hannibal & Hamilcar: Price of Failure adds a distinctive layer of historical atmosphere to the Rome versus Carthage conflict.