Tyrant is a tactical simulation of combat between the armies of Carthage and Syracuse, from 480-276 B.C. To play Tyrant, you will need the game Great Battles of Alexander Deluxe for maps, basic rules, and some counters. Tyrant can also be played with the Simple Great Battles of History Rules.

Long before Hannibal Barca led the armed forces of Carthage into a titanic struggle with Rome, Carthage had vied for centuries with the Greek city-state of Syracuse for supremacy in the Western Meditteranean. Tyrant includes twelve of the most decisive battles in the recurring wars that pitted Carthage against the Greeks of Syracuse. The armies of Syracuse were similar to the contemporary hoplite armies of the mainland Greek city-states, but with better cavalry and a strong mercenary corps of both Greek and Western barbarian units. Carthage relied on North African tribal levies augmented with barbarian mercenaries from all over the Western Mediterranean. In Sicily, Carthaginian armies were usually supported by allied and mercenary Greek units.

Although Syracuse was generally more successful in open field battles, Carthage had superior wealth, political stability, and naval power. The continued warfare remained balanced over time, yielding no decisive advantage to either side. The more than two centuries long struggle never came to a definite conclusion as "new kid on the block" Rome would emerge in the First Punic War to steal the prize.