Commands & Colors: Ancients

The Commands & Colors games are relatively simple, two-player wargames. As you'd expect, the players have units (wooden blocks) to manoeuvre on the battlefield (the plain board, laid with hexagonal tiles to show terrain). However, at the heart of the game are players' hands of cards. These provide the players with tactical options while also constraining them – you may have an attacking opportunity on the left flank, but without the right cards, it's wasted.

This may sound artificial, but it is a brilliant way of simulating the way commands go astray, commanders make mistakes and units head in the wrong direction (think Charge of the Light Brigade). Instead of having a God-like oversight of the battlefield, players are reduced to mere mortals, fumbling to get the right forces in the right place at the right time.

The 'Ancient' period covers a lot of history, but the Commands & Colors: Ancients base game concentrates on the Punic wars: Rome versus Carthage (though the pieces can be used to represent other nations' armies). While players have lots of different types of troops to deploy – including Hannibal's famous elephants – key to the game is their leaders. Leading from the front is the name of the game, whether you are Hasdrubal or Scipio.

I really like the way the game captures the flavour of warfare in this period, while remaining accessible to casual players and playing in a sensible length of time. Great stuff!

GMT have now (July 2026) confirmed that an eighth printing is in the works. My estimate is that this will be available early in 2027.

I also stock the CDG Solo System #1 that provides a great way of playing the game solitaire.

For 2 players, aged 12+, playing time 60 minutes

Commands & Colors: Ancients was designed by Richard Borg and is published by GMT.

Find out more:
    Commands & Colors: Ancients on BoardGameGeek