Hoplite is a game of tactics for 2 players, using 18 identical cards as battle units.
Defend, Attack, and Capture the enemy’s units to gain dominance over the battlefield!
Button Shy 18 Card Challenge – Top 3 finalist
2 Players
15 minutes
Recommended ages 8+
Each player controls a phalanx of hoplite soldiers.
Your objective is to kill or capture enemy soldiers until your opponent is unable to make a move.
The cards are laid out on the table in a ‘basketweave’ pattern, each representing a soldier on the battlefield. Soldiers move by rotating on a corner that is touching an adjacent card; either rotating 90 degrees to touch another card, or if it is on a corner, rotating 180 degrees to align to the new edge. Each player makes two moves on their turn, which can be to move two soldiers, or the same soldier twice.
Soldiers have three possible effects when aligned against an enemy card in certain orientations:
- Attack: remove the enemy from play
- Defend: block an Attack
- Capture: flip an enemy card over so that it joins your side
By attacking and removing soldiers from play, and capturing enemy cards, you can gain a dominant position and isolate your opponent’s cards so that they are unable to move. When they have no possible moves to make, you have won the battle!
Rules:
Print and play files (blue side and red side; print 2 sets for 18 cards):
