Burning Rome: Rome's Nightmare

Burning Rome: Rome's Nightmare Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

4 Army Sheets (double-sided)
2 Battlefields (double-sided)
10 Soldier Tokens
6 Disc Tokens
4 Factions each with 54 cards.

The Factions in Burning Rome are as seen below, left to right: Rome, Carthage, Celtiberia and Gaetuli.

How To Win

Burning Rome is a tactical card game about ancient battles, where you try to deploy your army in a manner that will allow you to defeat your enemy's army and win the game.

The goal of a battle is to either:

Destroy the enemy army by reducing its Army Strength to 0.

Rout the enemy army by bringing its Command Points below 0.

You achieve this goal by playing units and tactics on the battlefield, that inflicts damage on the enemy's Army Strength (AS) or removes the enemy's Command Points (CP), like seen on the card to the right and the setup on page 5.

Your First Army

In order to battle, you need to build an army.

Armies consist of a deck of cards, an amount of Army Strength (AS) and Command Points (CP).

A Roman Army

G. Publius Cornelius Scipio
U. 1 x Velites
U. 2 x Hastati
U. 3 x Principes
U. 2 x Triarii
U. 2 x Equites
T. Fire Pigs
T. Triplex Acies
A. Samnite Peltasts
A. Rhodian Slingers

Cards: 15 (total points: 27) AS: 15 CP: 8 Total points: 50

A Carthaginian Army

G. Hannibal Barca
U. 2 x Libyan Javelinmen
U. 2 x Balearic Slingers
U. 2 x Libyan Infantry
U. 1 x Libyan Hoplites
U. 1 x Carthaginian Hoplites
U. 2 x African War Elephants
T. Hidden Army
T. Narrow Ambush
A. Garamantian Skirmishers

Cards: 14 (total points: 28) AS: 12 CP: 10 Total points: 50

Rules for Army Building

If you're comfortable with deck building, you can also build your own deck using the following rules.

You have 50 points to build your army for. These points can be spent on AS, CP + the total CP cost of all cards in your army deck. You must spend precisely 50 points.
You must include exactly 1 General.
Your army deck must consist of at least 12 cards.

Cards

Each faction has a total of 54 cards: 7 Generals, 31 Units, 10 Tactics and 6 Auxiliaries.

It's important that you familiarize yourself with the layout of the four stats: Attack, Defense, Skirmish and Siege, as they are critical to the utility of your Units.

Generals, Units and Auxiliaries all share the same layout as the example card (Medium Melee Infantry, Hastati). Only Tactics differ by not having the four main stats.

Remember to also pay attention to a Unit's type, Command Point (CP) cost and its ability.

The card layout is labelled as follows:

Unit type
Attack value
Skirmish value
Defense value
Siege value
Command Point cost
Ability
Faction & Unit name

Abilities

Every Unit and Tactic has one or more abilities, and there are currently four types of abilities from which you can create combos and game winning moves.

Ongoing (hourglass icon) This ability is ongoing as long as the Unit is on the battlefield and the ability is visible.

When played (play icon) The ability is executed once the card is played on the battlefield (except if played underneath a General).

Activate (lightning icon) This ability can be activated once per turn, if the Unit is on the battlefield and the ability visible. Once activated place a disc on the Unit to illustrated that it's exhausted and its abilities can't be used any more this turn (if supported, you can remove the disc, but the unit stays exhausted until next turn).

Retreat (flag icon) The ability is executed when a Unit leaves the battlefield. It may be returned to the player's hand or discarded to the bottom of the army deck, both instances count as a retreat.

Tactics

Tactics are played next to the battlefield. Once resolved they are discarded back in the bottom of the army deck.

Game Setup

Place a battlefield in the middle of the table (choose any side).
Place an army sheet for each player.
- Players may choose the side of the army sheet that suits them the best (counting down left or right).
- Make sure that there's enough room to place cards between the battlefield and the army sheets.
Place 2 soldier tokens on each of the players' army sheet, to indicate the amount of Army Strength and Command Points their armies start out with (see page 6 for your first army).
Place 1 soldier token on the battlefield on "Attacker Turn 1".

Going First

To decide who will be the attacker (the one going first) and who will be the defender, both players shuffle their army decks and reveal the top card. The player with the highest attack value decides who will go first (in case of a tie, you keep drawing).

Once resolved:

Both players reshuffle their army deck and place it next to their Army Sheet.
The attacker removes 1 CP from their army.
The attacker draws 4 cards. The defender draws 5 cards.
Both players may choose 1 card to discard to the bottom of their army deck to draw a new card.

At The Start Of Your Turn

Execute any ongoing abilities that say: "At the start of your turn".
Remove any discs on exhausted units.

Next, you choose between:

Draw 1 card from your army deck.

Gain 2 CP (Command Points).

Playing Cards

Once you've completed the start of your turn, you may play as many or few cards as you want, as long as you can pay the CP cost. You can't play a card if the cost brings the army's CP count below 0.

How To Play Cards

Pay the CP cost of the card by moving the token on the CP track.
Place the card in any of the columns (flank or center). Tactics are placed anywhere next to the battlefield.
If the card has a when played ability, you must execute the action, unless you can't (e.g. lack of cards).

Units On Top Of Each Other

Units may also be played on top of each other, to support the column by increasing attack and/or defense.

You can play a maximum of 3 units on top of each other in each column.
The general is the only unit that can be fourth in a column.

When you play a unit on top of/supporting another unit, you automatically block out ongoing and activate abilities, plus you block out the skirmish value, siege value and CP cost of the supported card. These values can no longer be interacted with, as you can only interact with visible numbers.

At The End Of Your Turn

Once you've declared that you won't play any more cards, you resolve the end of your turn.

Execute any ongoing ability that says "At the end of your turn (before attack)".
Resolve your attack.
Execute any ongoing ability that says "At the end of your turn (after attack)".
You end your turn by moving the soldier token in the middle of the battlefield one spot.

Resolving Your Attack

All your columns attack your opponent's columns, one at a time. However, columns that were established this turn doesn't attack.

Attack: Take the attack value of all front and middle units and add the skirmish value of the rear unit.
Defense: Take the defense value of the opponent's front and middle units and add the siege value of the rear unit.
Damage: If the total attack in a column exceeds the total defense, the opponent receives the difference as damage to their AS, which is then adjusted accordingly.

Generals

When you support a unit, the new unit is always played on top of the already placed unit, unless that unit is a General. The General will always float on top of its column, meaning you'd put a played unit underneath the General instead of on top.

This allows the General to block out harmful when played abilities, as they won't take effect when blocked out immediately (however the same goes for positive abilities).

In the example below, the General blocks out the African War Elephant's when played ability, which would otherwise cost you 1 more CP or 3 damage to your AS.

Ability Timing & Strengths

When abilities conflict, use the following list to determine which one rules, going from strongest to weakest:

ongoing (enemy's > yours)
when played (enemy's > yours)
activate (enemy's > yours)
retreat (enemy's > yours)

This means an ongoing ability can rule out a when played ability, and an enemy ability can rule out your own ability.

Should two of your own abilities tie (e.g. two ongoing abilities after attack), you decide the order of execution.

Example 1: Not Here. You won't be able to play your free missile units in the column with the Phoenician Heavy Horses.

Example 2: Including Self. Since the when played ability is executed once the card has been placed, it'll often include itself. In this example however, the ability won't trigger.

Example 3: Global Effects. When effects refer to "all", it means all units on the whole battlefield.

Ongoing abilities are stackable, so in this example, if you play 2 Velites, all enemy beasts will have -4 defense. However, values and/or costs can never go below 0.

Example 4: Zero vs Plus. Whenever you have a "play for free" and a "+X", you count the "for free" as reducing the original cost with the original amount, adding the "+X". So in these examples the cost would be 1 CP.

Example 5: Interrupt & Complete. When you utilize abilities that let you do several things, you execute them in the written order, one by one. So if you have 4 AS left and play Julius Caesar, utilizing his when played ability to play the Etruscan Levies, you'll end up with 10 AS.

Remember as mentioned in example 2, that Julius Caesar is counted in this condition as well.

Example 6: No Ongoing Chain. While some when played abilities let you create elaborate chains, you can't do the same with ongoing abilities.

If you play a Numidian Noble Infantry by utilizing another Numidian Noble Infantry's ongoing ability, you won't be able to activate the new one, as the phase of its activation is already happening.

Bonusses & Penalties

Units may have bonusses or penalties when fighting other units (column vs column). You'll have to look for the opponent's unit types when calculating total attack and defense values in a column.

"vs", "or", "and"

A bonus/penalty adds to or detracts from a column's overall attack or defense based on what unit types the unit with the ability is facing.

"or" means the bonus/penalty will take effect when facing one or the other of a certain unit type. Where "and" means it'll take effect on both instances.

Bonuses and penalties are only added one time, and not "per unit they face" (e.g. facing 3 spear units in the column won't give you 3 times the benefit).

Example 7: Bonusses. The African Pikemen adds 2 defense to its column. Had it been an Elite Melee Cavalry, the African Pikemen would add 1 defense to its column.

Example 8: Bonusses. The African Pikemen adds 2 defense to its column.

Example 9: Penalties. The Libyan Peltasts subtracts 1 attack from its column.

After Turn 6

If you get to turn 6 during a Quick Battle, you just continue on turn 1.

The amount of turns are only relevant in some Ancient Battles.

Period I, II and III

All units have a period marking in the bottom. This will become relevant in the future campaign expansion.

Supply Line

The supply line written on number 15 to 20 on the Army Sheet will become relevant in the future campaign expansion. It has no influence on battles or army building here.

Quick Battle Variants

Once you've learned the basics of the game, you can easily start experimenting with other variable rules.

Changing the Values: Allow the players to use fewer or more points when building their army (e.g. 30 or 60 points).
Auxiliary for Hire: Auxiliaries aren't available for the deck building part.

Collect all Auxiliaries from the two fighting factions, shuffle them and place them face down as a shared second deck.

Both players draw 1 card from this deck at the start of their turn, no matter what else they choose.

Players can have no other interaction with this deck.
Mix & Match: Each player combines two factions when constructing their army deck (e.g. Rome and Celtiberia vs Carthage and Gaetuli).

Players must have at least 4 cards from each faction (other limits still apply).
Cost of Victory: Before starting a battle, each player may chose up to 3 specific cards from their deck, that they want in their starting hand of 4 or 5 cards.

Each player must pay 1, 2 and 3 CP for each respective card the player wants to keep (e.g. 2 cards = 3 CP).

Tournament Variants

Specific rules for tournaments might be released separately to encourage new decks or play styles.

Deck Suggestions

Find inspiration for new decks on www.suntzugames.com/burning-rome.

Rome

G. Quintus Fabius Maximus
U. 1 x Evocati Cohort
U. 2 x Legionary Cohort
U. 2 x Eagle Cohort
U. 1 x Socii Extraordinarii
T. Marius' Mules
T. Eagle Standard
T. Infantry Push
T. Testudo
A. Corsica Pirates

Cards: 12 (total points: 30) AS: 10 CP: 10 Total points: 50

Carthage

G. Hamilcar Barca
U. 2 x Libyan Javelinmen
U. 2 x Libyan Infantry
U. 2 x Carthaginian Hoplites
U. 1 x Sacred Band
U. 1 x Carthaginian War Elephants
U. 2 x Carthaginian Noble Cavalry
T. Adaptive Strategy
T. Fake Retreat
T. General's Gambit

Cards: 14 (total points: 26) AS: 15 CP: 9 Total points: 50

Celtiberia

G. Punicus
U. 3 x Iberian Slingers
U. 2 x Cantabrian Cavalry
U. 2 x Iberian Scutarii
T. Hide
T. Guerilla Warfare
T. Auxiliary Infiltration
A. Edetani Veterans
A. Arevaci Tribesmen

Cards: 13 (total points: 24) AS: 18 CP: 8 Total points: 50

Gaetuli

G. Jugurtha
U. 3 x Garamantian Javelinmen
U. 1 x African War Chariots
U. 2 x African Pikemen
U. 1 x Numidian Skirmishers
U. 1 x Numidian Noble Cavalry
T. Chariot Deployment
T. Stealing Supply
T. Screen Movement
T. Copying Tactics
T. Assaulting All Sides
A. Masaesylian Archers

Cards: 15 (total points: 28) AS: 13 CP: 9 Total points: 50

Terms

"And": Ability applies to more than one thing (e.g. unit type).
"AS": Army Strength.
"CP": Command Points.
"Discard": Put a card back in the bottom of the army deck.
"Draw": You always draw from the top of your army deck.
"Exhausted": When a unit has utilized its activate ability.
"Move": Take a unit from any place/column and move to the back of another column (the General's rule still applies).
"Or": If an ability applies to one or the other (e.g. unit types).
"Return": Take a card back on your hand.
"Supporting": When a unit is placed on top of another unit.
"Unit in play": Refers to a unit on the battlefield.

Ability Types

(strength scale, top to bottom)

Ongoing (hourglass icon): This ability is ongoing as long as the unit is on the battlefield and visible.
When played (play icon): The ability is executed once the card is played on the battlefield (unless if played underneath a General).
Activate (lightning icon): This ability can be activated once per turn, if the unit is on the battlefield and the ability visible. Place disc to indicate its ability/abilities are unavailable for the rest of the turn.
Retreat (flag icon): The ability is executed when a unit leaves the battlefield.