Conquest of the Empire
Conquest of the Empire Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
The object of Conquest of the Empire is to become the new Emperor of Rome by eliminating all other contending Caesars from the game.
A Note to the Reader
For a thorough understanding of the rules of Conquest Of The Empire, we recommend that you read this instruction booklet from cover to cover. If our more impatient readers would like a quicker way into the game, the following sections give a good general description of game play, with examples:
- Section II, "Game Basics"
- Section V, "A Turn Example"
- Section VI, "A Naval Battle"
Strategy
As one of the contending Caesars, your mission is to rally your generals to victory over all other Caesars. To accomplish your goal, your generals must lead their legions (infantry, cavalry, and catapults) into new territories. The reward for conquering a new territory is an increase in funds, which are used in turn to purchase new legion members, galleys (for sea mobility), and cities. If one or more of your legions moves into an enemy-occupied province, you must do battle for control of the province.
Good strategy plays a critical role in the purchase, movement and combat action of your legions. One of the most interesting aspects of game play is unpredictability: every opponent's move affects your planned course of action; every other Caesar is an enemy who must inevitably encroach upon your territory if he or she is to win the game. Be aware of this at all times, or you're likely to be the victim of a sneak attack!
Your most important piece is your Caesar. If you lose it, you're out of the game! Protect it by surrounding it with enough combat units to fend off the eventuality of a concentrated attack by land and/or by sea.
Teamwork — establishing joint plans of action with one or more of your enemy Caesars — is encouraged. In fact, it is often essential when one of the Caesars has become powerful enough to threaten the survival of more than one of its enemies. If your diplomatic skills are effective, you can negotiate a temporary alliance that will protect you until your forces are strong enough to overpower your enemies.
The player who is able to plan and execute the most successful military and economic strategies is certain to be the next Emperor of Rome!
I. Game Parts
- 1 extra large gameboard
- 1 token board
- 1 reference card
- 1 plastic parts tray
- 1 instruction booklet
- 2 dice
- 1 parts bag, containing:
- 6 Caesars (1 each of 6 colors)
- 36 generals (6 of each color)
- 60 infantry (silver)
- 30 cavalry (gold)
- 1 parts bag, containing:
- 36 galleys (6 of each color)
- 20 catapults (gold)
- 30 cities (ivory)
- 16 walls (ivory)
- 20 short roads (ivory)
- 14 long roads (ivory)
- 15 five-talent pieces (silver)
- 30 ten-talent pieces (gold)
The Gameboard
The gameboard shows the Roman Empire as it appeared in the 2nd century A.D. There are two types of territories on the gameboard: land provinces (including islands) and sea zones. Notice that there is a number printed on each land province. This number indicates the amount of tribute (money) the province is worth to the player who owns it. The red 10's indicate Home Provinces: they are Hispania, Italia, Macedonia, Galatia, Numidia, and Egyptus. The black numbers (5 or 10, depending on the province), indicate provinces which are open to conquest at the beginning of the game.
Adjacent Provinces And Sea Zones
Provinces and sea zones on the gameboard are separated from each other by black borders. A province or sea zone bordered by another province or sea zone is considered adjacent to it. Each province or sea zone constitutes one game space. During the game, your playing pieces move into these adjacent game spaces in an attempt to conquer them.
Exceptions: Thracia is not adjacent to Asia; Sicilia is not adjacent to Neapolis; and Baetica is not adjacent to Tingitana. The province of Egyptus is not divided by the Nile River.
On the bottom of the gameboard is the Tribute Scale, which is used to keep track of the tribute (money) each player receives during his or her turn. The Tribute Scale is discussed in detail under "Control Markers."
The Reference Card
A Reference Card is included in the game for your convenience. As you will notice, the Reference Card includes the cost, movement capability, and combat effectiveness of the playing pieces. It also includes important facts to remember about each piece. At the bottom of the Reference Card, the order of play, action sequence, and combat sequence are detailed. All of the information listed on the Reference Card will come in handy during certain portions of your turn.
The Playing Pieces
The playing pieces fall into five separate categories: money, markers, leaders, roads, and combat units. Below is a detailed description of each playing piece and its function.
Money
An important part of your turn is collecting tribute — Roman talents — equal to the value of all provinces and cities you currently control. The tribute you collect directly affects your military strength: with it, you can buy more cities, fortifications, combat units, and galleys. You can also use your tribute for ransom payments if one or more of your generals are captured.
Each province you control during your turn is worth either 5 talents (the smaller silver coins) or 10 talents (the larger gold coins). Cities and fortified cities are worth 5 talents each in tribute.
Control Markers
The round cardboard control markers show a colored symbol on each side. The color of the symbol represents the color Caesar, generals, and galleys a player is using. Control markers are used to indicate that a province has been conquered by a Caesar or general in the event that no leaders or legions are currently occupying the province. A control marker is also used on the Tribute Scale at the bottom of the gameboard, to indicate the amount of tribute each player's provinces and cities are currently worth.
Control markers are moved forward — and backward — on the Tribute Scale throughout the game. Here's how it works: whenever a player conquers one or more provinces during a turn, the control marker is moved forward on the Tribute Scale by the value (the black or red number printed on the province) of the territory annexed. And whenever a player places a city on a conquered province or wins a city in battle, the control marker is moved forward by 5 talents. Conversely, whenever a player loses a province in battle, that player's control marker is moved backward by the total value of the province — or provinces — lost during that turn. And when a player loses or destroys a city, that player's control marker is moved backward by 5 talents for each city lost or destroyed.
Leaders
Caesars, generals, and cities are considered leaders. Leaders must accompany combat units (infantry, cavalry, and catapults) at all times. A Caesar or general must be present in order to move combat units to an adjacent territory. Cities and fortified cities are also considered leaders within a province — but they cannot be moved from one province to another.
Here is a brief description of each of the leaders:
THE CAESAR: Your Caesar is your most important piece. Each player begins the game with one Caesar, and owns only one Caesar throughout the game. Caesars have a movement capability of 2 territories per turn. A Caesar can move by itself or with a legion (a group of combat units); but a Caesar needs a legion to conquer a territory, whether the territory is occupied or not. You can use your Caesar to lead a legion into an adjacent territory, but you cannot use it to attack or defend in battle. If your Caesar is located in a province at war, it CAN be lost in battle — so you must try to avoid involving your Caesar in a combat situation at all times!
THE GENERAL: Like your Caesar, your generals have a movement capability of 2 territories per turn; they can move by themselves, or can lead a legion into an adjacent territory. They cannot conquer occupied or unoccupied territories without legions of combat units. They cannot attack or defend in battle, but they CAN be lost in battle; and like your Caesar, generals cannot be purchased, so they cannot be replaced. Generals captured in battle can either be eliminated from the game or be held for ransom (see WINNING A BATTLE, on page 11).
THE CITY: A city is a leader in the sense that a legion of combat units can be stationed in a province containing a city, whether or not a Caesar or general is present. But a city cannot be moved from one province to another. Cities have a normal (pre-inflationary) cost of 30 talents. Please Note: inflation is discussed under Purchase New Pieces, on page 12. A city can be placed in any land or island province that belongs to you. A province can contain only one city; and once that city has been built, it cannot be moved for any reason.
A city (unfortified) has two advantages. First: ownership of a city, for as long as the player owns the city, contributes 5 talents to the player's total worth as indicated by markers on the Tribute Scale. This means that the player can collect 5 talents per cities owned on each turn. Second: roads can be used to connect cities in adjacent land provinces belonging to a single player. The advantage of building roads is explained in the "Roads" section.
Conquering a province in which a city has been built allows the conqueror to add 5 talents (in addition to the value of the province conquered) to his or her treasury on each turn, for as long as he or she owns the province and city.
THE FORTIFIED CITY: When you buy a city, you can fortify it (build a wall around it) by buying a fortification on that turn, or on any turn afterward, and placing it under the city. Fortified cities have a normal cost of 55 talents; fortification for a previously-built city costs 25 talents.
Like an unfortified city, a fortified city acts as a leader in a province occupied by a legion, in the absence of a Caesar or general. All the rules — and advantages — which apply to a city apply also to a fortified city, with one addition: a fortified city may give the player who owns it a combat advantage. Refer to Section II, "Game Basics," on page 6, for an explanation of the role a fortified city plays in battle.
Roads
Roads serve as connectors between cities or fortified cities in adjacent provinces belonging to a single player. They are free, and can be built between cities during the Place New Pieces portion of any of that player's turns.
Roads are provided in two sizes for convenience of placement. Any number of friendly cities (cities owned by a single player) can be connected by roads. Please Note: roads cannot connect provinces separated by water. The advantage of using roads is that it allows the player who builds them to travel — in one movement — from one city to any other city connected by roads, whether or not the cities on either end of the movement are in adjacent provinces. For example, if a player owns the provinces of Tingitana, Caesariensis and Numidia, that player can travel along the roads from Numidia to Tingitana in one movement. A player may move any distance along the road, then stop at any province connected by cities and roads.
Only the player who owns the cities can travel the roads connecting them. No other player can travel on roads belonging to another player for any reason.
If two or more of your cities are connected by roads and one of the provinces is conquered, then all roads leading to that city from adjacent provinces must be removed from the board.
Combat Units
Combat units (infantry, cavalry, and catapults) are used to attack and defend territories. They must always be accompanied by at least one leader when moving from one territory to another; and they cannot occupy a province without a leader present.
Although galleys are described in this section as combat units, they do not have all the combat characteristics of infantry, cavalry, and catapults. The primary purpose of a galley is to transport legions across sea zones. See Section IV, "Game Play," on page 9, for an explanation of galleys as they relate to legions and combat.
Here is a brief description of each combat unit and its function:
INFANTRY: The infantry units are the silver foot soldiers. They cost 10 talents each (before inflation). Infantry units have a movement capability of 1 territory per turn — that is, they can only be moved to one adjacent territory per turn, unless they move along roads connecting your cities. Infantry units must be accompanied by at least one leader at all times.
CAVALRY: The cavalry units are the gold horse soldiers. Before inflation begins, you can buy cavalry at 25 talents each. Cavalry units have a movement capability of 2 territories per turn (unless traveling along a road). Like infantry, cavalry must always be accompanied by at least one leader.
CATAPULTS: Catapults, which are all gold, can be purchased for 40 talents before inflation. Like infantry units, catapults have a movement capability of 1 territory per turn (unless moving along a road or by galley); but they are more powerful in combat than infantry or cavalry, which explains their higher cost. Refer to Section II, "Game Basics," to find out what role catapults (and all other combat units) play in battle.
GALLEYS: Because galleys have combat capabilities at sea, they are considered combat units. But unlike any of the other combat units, they are not considered legion members. Instead, they are used to carry legions into sea zones, either for naval combat purposes, or to transport legions to the coast of a province.
Galleys can be purchased at a pre-inflationary cost of 25 talents. They have a movement capability of 2 sea zones per turn. A galley can move without a leader, because it is not considered a legion member; but a legion cannot board a galley or be transported by it unless a leader is present. A legion at sea must be aboard a galley. A galley can hold only one legion; if you plan to transport more than one legion during a turn, make sure you have enough galleys to hold them.
II. Game Basics
What's A Legion?
A legion is comprised of at least one leader (Caesar, general or city) and a group of combat units (infantry, cavalry, and catapults). A legion can contain from 1 to 7 combat units, in any combination. For example, a legion could consist only of a Caesar and a catapult; or it could consist of a general, 4 infantry, and 3 cavalry. A legion could also consist of a fortified or unfortified city and from 1 to 7 combat units in any combination; but if the city is the only leader, the legion must remain in the province unless a Caesar or general moves in to lead it out of the province.
Two or more legions can occupy a territory or move to another territory, as long as there is at least one leader for every 7 combat units.
What's Combat Advantage?
Combat advantage is perhaps the most important — and the most fun — aspect of the game. With combat advantage, you could win a battle even though you're outnumbered!
Before you can understand combat advantage, you need to know something about combat. All combat is resolved by die rolling: in turn, each player rolls a die to try to eliminate a combat unit from the opposing player's legion(s). Combat continues until either the attacker decides to retreat, or one of the players eliminates all combat units in the opposing legion(s). For a more detailed explanation of combat rules, see "What Happens During Combat?" on this page.
Here's how combat advantage works:
The units that can give you combat advantage are catapults and fortified cities. If a battle includes either one of these units on the side of the attacker or the defender, it's possible that one of the players will have combat advantage.
Each catapult or fortified city in battle gives its owner a +1 on the die roll in combat. For instance, if the attacker has a catapult going into battle, that counts as a +1; if the attacker has 2 catapults in battle, that's a +2. If the defender has a fortified city (the attacker never will) and 2 catapults, the defender has a +3.
To calculate the combat advantage, each player adds up the number of catapults on his or her side of the battle. If the defender has a fortified city, it counts as an additional +1. The side with the largest total has the combat advantage. To determine the combat advantage number, just subtract the smaller total from the larger one: for example, if Player 1 has 4 catapults (+4) in his or her attacking legion(s) and Player 2 has 2 catapults (+2) in his or her defending legion(s), Player 1 has a combat advantage of +2 (4-2=2). Another example: Player 1 has attacked Player 2 with a legion consisting of 3 catapults (+3). Player 2 must defend with a legion consisting of 3 catapults also; but Player 2 has a fortified city in the defending province, which, added to the catapults, results in a +4. Player 2, then, has a combat advantage of +1 (4-3=1).
Read the next section to find out how combat advantage works in battle.
What Happens During Combat?
Whenever a legion or galley moves into an enemy-occupied province or sea zone, combat results. On land, combat determines which player will control the province and all the advantages that go along with it; at sea, the result of combat is the elimination of a player's legion(s) in that sea zone.
After the combat advantage has been calculated, the attacker begins the battle by declaring the first target (combat unit) he or she is going to try to eliminate from the defender's force. Then the attacker rolls a die.
Every combat unit has a minimum "hit number" (a number on the die roll that will destroy the unit), as indicated on your Reference Chart. If you roll your target's "hit number" or higher, the unit is considered destroyed, and is immediately eliminated from the game. If you miss, the unit remains in combat.
The attacker either hits or misses the first target on the defender's side. The combat advantage is recalculated; then the defender counterattacks by declaring a target on the attacker's side, then rolling a die, and either hitting or missing the declared target.
Combat continues until all combat units on either the attacker's side or the defender's side have been eliminated — or until the attacker retreats from battle.
In a battle where no combat advantage exists (no catapults or fortified cities, or an equal number on both sides), the attacker and the defender each need the same minimum hit number on the die roll to destroy an opposing combat unit. If the attacker or the defender has combat advantage, that player can destroy an opposing combat unit on less than the normally required die roll. The other player involved in the battle still requires the normal hit number on the die roll to destroy an opposing combat unit.
The Combat Chart on page 7 shows the hit numbers required to destroy each combat unit in battles with and without combat advantage. Please note that a combat advantage of +5 or more eliminates the necessity of rolling a die, since any opposing unit can be destroyed on any die roll.
It is possible, during some phases of combat, that a player will have such a large combat advantage that one or more of the opposing units can be eliminated without a die roll. But no matter how large your combat advantage is at the beginning of a battle, you cannot force your enemy to surrender: with each roll of the die, the combat advantage is recalculated, and you may eventually lose some — or all — of your original combat advantage before the battle is over.
Combat Chart
| Infantry | Cavalry Land | Cavalry Sea | Catapult | Galley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Advantage | 4+ | 5+ | 4+ | 6+ | 3+ |
| +1 Advantage | 3+ | 4+ | 3+ | 5+ | 2+ |
| +2 Advantage | 2+ | 3+ | 2+ | 4+ | No roll |
| +3 Advantage | No roll | 2+ | No roll | 3+ | No roll |
| +4 Advantage | No roll | No roll | No roll | 2+ | No roll |
| +5 Advantage | No roll | No roll | No roll | No roll | No roll |
III. Game Setup
- Place the gameboard on a large, flat surface within easy reach of all players.
- Place the parts tray and the reference card in a location easily accessible to all players.
- Carefully remove the cardboard control markers from the token board.
- Open the parts bag, separate the playing pieces by type, and place them (and the control markers) in the parts tray. Recommended placement of parts is shown below.
- Choosing Countries: The six provinces containing red 10's are called Home Provinces. Each player starts the game on one of these spaces.
Depending on the number of players, the starting Home Provinces are listed below.
| 6 Players | 5 Players | 4 Players | 3 Players | 2 Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macedonia | Macedonia | Macedonia | Macedonia | Egyptus |
| Galatia | Galatia | Galatia | Egyptus | Hispania |
| Egyptus | Egyptus | Numidia | Hispania | |
| Numidia | Numidia | Hispania | ||
| Hispania | Hispania | |||
| Italia |
- Choose a color, then take 1 Caesar and 6 generals of that color. Take 4 silver infantry units and 1 fortified city. Place the Caesar, generals, infantry, and fortified city in your Home Province. Each player does the same.
- Take a handful of markers of your color, and place them in front of you. Each player does the same.
- Each player places a marker of his or her color symbol next to the Tribute Scale at the bottom of the gameboard. During the Collect Tribute portion of each player's first turn, the marker will be placed where appropriate on the scale (see "6-Part Action Sequence," on page 9).
IV. Game Play
Order Of Play
Starting with Macedonia, play proceeds clockwise around the Mediterranean. When there are fewer than 6 players, the order of play is still clockwise. Order of play is as follows:
- Macedonia
- Galatia
- Egyptus
- Numidia
- Hispania
- Italia
6-Part Action Sequence
Each player's turn is divided into 6 separate actions, which must occur in the following sequence:
- Movement
- Combat (And Retreat Option)
- Collect Tribute
- Destroy Cities (if desired)
- Purchase New Pieces
- Place New Pieces
Rules of play for each action in the sequence are discussed in detail in the sections to follow.
Action 1: Movement
LAND MOVEMENT: All movement must take place before combat occurs. Legions containing only infantry and/or catapults have a movement capability of 1 territory per turn. The exception is road travel: infantry and catapults can move from province to province along a road connecting 2 or more cities. But the road must be located in the province from which the infantry or catapults start the move — they cannot move into a province where a road begins, then travel on that road in the same turn.
Legions containing a leader and cavalry only, can move 2 territories per turn (or more, if a road is used). Unlike infantry and catapults, cavalry can move to an adjacent territory, then travel along a road — or can move along a road and then move to an adjacent territory.
Legions can be moved only by Caesars or generals. Since both leaders have movement capabilities of 2 territories per turn, the following types of legion movement are possible:
- A Caesar or general may move a legion containing infantry to an adjacent province, leave the infantry there in a city, then move back by itself.
- A Caesar or general may move a legion containing infantry and cavalry to an adjacent province, leave the infantry in a city, then continue on with the cavalry.
- A Caesar or general may transfer its infantry to another general in the same territory; pick up cavalry units from the other general; move 4 provinces along a road located in that territory (1st movement); drop off the cavalry at a city; pick up some catapults and some infantry from that city; and move to an adjacent province to attack (2nd movement).
A Caesar or general cannot capture an enemy territory without a legion, even if the territory is unoccupied. A Caesar or general cannot make its first move into a combat situation, then move again on the same turn.
A legion cannot move after combat unless it is retreating (see "Combat").
After the movement portion of your turn, place one of your control markers on any province you left unoccupied by a Caesar or general. This will ensure that you collect the right amount of tribute on the Collect Tribute part of your turn.
SEA (GALLEY) MOVEMENT: Galleys may make 2 movements per turn. A galley can move by itself (without a leader), as long as there are no combat units aboard; or it can transport a legion. IMPORTANT: a legion cannot move before it boards a galley, or move after it leaves a galley; legions are capable of moving on land or at sea (on a galley), but they cannot do both on the same turn.
All of the following actions use up a galley's 2-movement-per-turn allowance:
- Entering a sea zone from the coast of a province and sailing into an adjacent sea zone (with or without a legion aboard).
- Sailing from one sea zone into an adjacent sea zone, and landing on the coast of a province adjacent to that sea zone (with or without a legion aboard).
- Landing on the coast of a province from an adjacent sea zone, picking up a legion in that province, and setting sail into the same sea zone from which it started.
- Sailing 2 sea zones. If a galley sails 2 sea zones on a turn, it cannot land on a coast on that turn.
A galley that has landed on the coast of a land or island province at the end of its previous turn can set sail from the coast of that province into any sea zone adjacent to that province. For instance, a galley sails from Hispania to Mare Baliaricum to the western coast of Caesariensis. On its next turn, the galley can set sail from the eastern coast of Caesariensis, enter the Mare Numidia, and land on Sicilia. Exceptions: a galley may not land on one coast of Hispania, Italia, or Macedonia, then set sail from the other non-adjacent coast, because the coastlines of these provinces are broken by other provinces.
During one turn, a galley which docks on the coast of a province can only set sail again into the same sea zone from which it came.
A galley cannot move along the coastline to the coast of an adjacent province without entering the water. For example, the galley in the above example could not move from the coast of Caesariensis to the coast of Numidia without first entering the Mare Numidia. A final note on galley movement: you must use a galley to transport a legion from Baetica to Tingitana, from Sardinia to Corsica, and from Thracia to Asia.
Action 2: Combat (And Retreat Option)
Once the movement portion of your turn is complete, you must then resolve any combat situations between your legions and those of the players into whose territories your legions have moved — this includes land and sea territories. Multiple combat situations can be resolved in any order, at the discretion of the attacker.
If your legions did not move into any combat situations during the movement portion of your turn, just ignore this action and proceed to Action 3: Collect Tribute.
Land Combat Sequence
Follow the sequence below to conduct combat on land or island provinces:
- Calculate the COMBAT ADVANTAGE
- Attacker declares target
- Attacker rolls die
- Target removed if hit
- Recalculate the COMBAT ADVANTAGE
- Defender declares target
- Defender rolls die
- Target removed if hit
- Repeat steps 1 through 8 until one of the following happens:
- A. The attacker's force is destroyed: the defender's remaining units hold the territory.
- B. The attacker's force retreats: the defender's remaining units hold the territory.
- C. The defender's force is destroyed: the attacker's remaining units take over the territory.
1. Calculate The Combat Advantage. Before combat begins, calculate the combat advantage as explained in Section II.
2. Attacker Declares Target. Now the attacker decides which defending unit he or she will try to eliminate, and announces it aloud to the other players.
3. Attacker Rolls Die. The attacker rolls one die to try to "hit" the defending unit he or she wants to eliminate. The combat advantage, if any, is figured into the die roll. As shown in the Reference Chart, in a battle with no combat advantage, infantry is eliminated on a roll of 4, 5, or 6; cavalry on a die roll of 5 or 6; and catapults on a die roll of 6. Leaders cannot be eliminated on a die roll; they are captured when all combat units on that side have been destroyed (see WINNING A BATTLE).
4. Target Removed If Hit. If the number rolled on the die (plus any combat advantage) is high enough to hit the declared target, that unit is removed from the board — and from the game!
5. Recalculate The Combat Advantage. If a catapult was eliminated from the defender's side, the combat advantage (if any) must be recalculated before the next phase of combat.
6. Defender Declares Target. Now the defender strikes back! He or she declares the targetted unit on the attacker's side.
7. Defender Rolls Die. The defender rolls one die to try to "hit" the declared target. The combat advantage, if any, is figured into the die roll.
8. Target Removed If Hit. If the number rolled on the die (plus any combat advantage) is high enough to hit the declared target, the unit is removed from the board, and from the game.
9. Repeat Steps 1 Through 8 Until Combat Is Resolved. Combat is resolved when one of the following happens:
A. The Attacking Force Is Destroyed: If all of the attacker's combat units have been eliminated and all that remains is a leader (or leaders), then the defender has won the battle and captured the attacking leader(s).
B. The Attacking Force Retreats: After the defender fires, the attacker may choose to call off the attack and retreat. This may occur after any round of defensive fire. The following rules apply when an attacker retreats:
- The attacker must have at least one combat unit remaining in order to retreat. A lone leader (or leaders) may not retreat, since at that point the battle is over.
- Retreats can only be made to an adjacent province owned by the attacker/retreater. Even if the attack was made by more than one legion arriving from different territories, all remaining combat units and leaders must retreat together to the same province. If there is no place to retreat to, then retreat is impossible.
- Retreats to a sea zone are not allowed; if the attack was made on an island province, or on the coast of a land province from a sea zone only, it must be fought to the bitter end. However, if the attack was made from land and sea, the legion or legions which attacked from the sea zone may retreat on land with the other remaining units. Any attacking galleys left on the coast are destroyed.
C. Defending Force Is Destroyed: If all of the defender's combat units have been eliminated by the attacker, and all that remains is a leader (or leaders), then the attacker has won the battle and captured the province and the defending leader(s).
Naval Combat Sequence
There are two differences between land and naval combat. First, retreats are not allowed in naval combat; naval battles must be fought to the end. Second, galleys cannot be chosen as targets until all combat units on them have been destroyed.
Galleys are often present during land battles, but they cannot attack or defend. If the galley's owner loses the battle, however, the galley is destroyed, and any leaders remaining on the galley are captured. At sea, a galley is capable of attack and defense. It can be destroyed on a die roll of 3, 4, 5, or 6 — but only after all other combat units have been eliminated.
Follow the sequence below when conducting combat in a sea zone:
- Calculate the COMBAT ADVANTAGE
- Attacker declares target
- Attacker rolls die
- Target removed if hit
- Recalculate the COMBAT ADVANTAGE
- Defender declares target
- Defender rolls die
- Target removed if hit
- Repeat steps 1 through 8 until one of the following happens:
- A. Attacking force is destroyed
- B. Defending force is destroyed
Sea battles always involve at least one galley on each side. Remember that galleys cannot be attacked until all combat units aboard have been destroyed. Galleys can attack by themselves, but are relatively easy to destroy: even in an unmodified battle, a galley can be "hit" by a 3, 4, 5, or 6 on the enemy's die roll.
Winning A Battle
After combat has been resolved, only two outcomes are possible: the attacker holds the province or sea zone, or the defender holds it. Unless the attacker retreated from the battle, the winner has at least gained an increase in tribute, or prisoners — or both. The following sections explain exactly what happens when combat is resolved in your favor.
Conquering A Province: When an attack is successful on land, the attacker will conquer a new province. A province owned by another player but left undefended can be conquered automatically when the attacker moves into it.
When you conquer a province, move your control marker forward on the Tribute Scale by the value of the province conquered (either 5 or 10 talents). If there is a city on the province, be sure to add an additional 5 talents.
The loser of the province must move his or her marker backward on the Tribute Scale by the same amount.
If there is a city in the conquered province, it now belongs to you. If there were any galleys left on the coast, they must be destroyed and removed from the board. Please Note: if the Caesar was captured, any galleys previously belonging to the loser of the Caesar belong to you (see "Capturing A Caesar," on this page).
Adjust your marker upward on the Tribute Scale for each province conquered. Be sure you have placed one of your control markers on any province or provinces you might have left unoccupied during the Movement portion of your turn.
Conquering A Home Province: If you conquer an enemy's Home Province, all the conditions for conquering a new province apply, with one addition: you can also take from the loser any leftover tribute he or she has saved from previous turns. The loser now has no Home Province. He or she can continue to play the game, but cannot receive any tribute (or buy any new pieces) unless the Home Province is reconquered.
Capturing A General: In most battles, at least one general will be captured by the winner. If you capture a general, you can do either of the following:
- Eliminate the captured general from the game immediately, or at any time during a later turn.
- Declare the captured general a prisoner and immediately place it on its side in your Home Province. Please Note: if you have lost your Home Province, then place the prisoner(s) with your Caesar.
Prisoners can be exchanged or ransomed by players at any time during either player's turn. When prisoners are exchanged, they are placed in the Home Province of the original owner (if a player's Home Province has been conquered, the general is placed with the player's Caesar).
A ransom payment can be made from a player who has lost a general to the capturer of the general. Once the players agree on a price, the general is released and returned to action (on the ransomer's next turn) to its original Home Province. If the ransomer's Home Province has been conquered, the general must be placed with the Caesar.
Capturing A Caesar: If your Caesar is captured, you are immediately eliminated from the game. Ownership of all your leaders, cities, provinces, galleys, and combat units is immediately transferred to the capturing player.
When you capture an enemy's Caesar, you're entitled to do the following:
- Move your marker forward on the Tribute Scale by the amount of the territory conquered. This includes all provinces and cities previously owned by the loser. The loser takes his or her marker off the Tribute Scale.
- Take any tribute money the loser has collected but not yet spent.
- Collect 100 talents as a bonus.
After you capture an enemy Caesar, the following rules apply:
- You own all of the defeated player's units remaining on the board, and you can use them just as you use your other units.
- You cannot ever build a galley in the color of the captured Caesar, or reactivate a previously destroyed general of that color.
- You cannot use the captured Caesar as a general; keep it on its side as a prisoner in your Home Province.
- You cannot place newly-purchased units in the Home Province of the captured Caesar; new units must still be placed only in your Home Province.
Action 3: Collect Tribute
During the Combat portion of your turn, control markers are moved forward or backward on the Tribute Scale by the value of the provinces and cities (if any) that you have captured and that other players have lost.
In the Collect Tribute portion of your turn, collect the amount of talents that your property is currently worth as indicated by the position of your control marker on the Tribute Scale.
Action 4: Destroy Cities
This is an optional portion of your turn. If you feel that one of your provinces containing a city is soon to be destroyed, you may destroy the city to prevent the capturing player from using it for tribute and defense.
If you decide to destroy a city, the whole city (fortification included) must be removed from the board. A fortification alone cannot be removed. All roads leading to the city from adjacent provinces must also be removed from the board.
When a player destroys a city, that player must immediately move his or her control marker backward by 5 talents on the Tribute Scale.
Action 5: Purchase New Pieces
During this portion of your turn, you may purchase new pieces with any or all of the tribute you have accumulated. The normal (pre-inflationary) cost of each piece is listed on the Reference Card. Please Note: at some point in the game, it may happen that you want to purchase a piece, but there won't be any left in the tray to buy, because they will all be owned by the players. For example, catapults may become very popular combat units and may be bought out fairly early in the game. But as soon as a battle occurs and one or more catapults are lost, the supply will be replenished and catapults will again be available. In the meantime, though, you will not be able to purchase any catapults.
Inflation
To a greater and greater degree, the Roman Empire was plagued by inflation. To simulate the economic realities of that era, the Tribute Scale inflates the price of purchasable playing pieces — twice! First Inflation becomes effective as soon as a player moves his or her control marker past the 100-talent coin displayed on the Tribute Scale. Second Inflation occurs when a player moves his or her control marker past the 200-talent coin displayed on the Tribute Scale.
At some point in the game, a player will reach the 105-talent mark on the Tribute Scale. The 105-talent mark begins the First Inflation cycle. When a player reaches the First Inflation cycle, he or she can buy pieces at the normal price on that turn; but beginning with the next player's turn, all players must pay double the normal price for all purchased pieces.
Second Inflation begins when any player reaches the 205-talent mark on the Tribute Scale. The normal (pre-inflationary) cost of all purchased units triples on the next player's turn.
Please Note: if a player reaches the First Inflation cycle, then is sent back to the pre-inflationary section on the Tribute Scale, First Inflation is still effective for all players. If a player has reached the Second Inflation cycle, then is sent back to First Inflation, Second Inflation remains in effect for all players.
The table below lists the costs of all purchasable units at each cycle of inflation.
| Unit Name | Normal | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| Cavalry | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| Galley | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| Fortification | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| Catapult | 40 | 80 | 120 |
| City | 30 | 60 | 90 |
| Fortified City | 55 | 110 | 165 |
Action 6: Place New Pieces
Once your new pieces have been purchased, you can place them on the board right away. New combat units and galleys must be placed in your Home Province (galleys on any part of the coast of your Home Province). New cities can be placed in any province held by the owner, as long as there is no city on it already. Fortifications can be built onto any unfortified city that the owner controls. And you can take a road from the parts tray during this portion of your turn and build it between any cities (new or previously purchased) you own in adjacent provinces.
V. A Turn Example
The Scene
The Home Province of Italia is about to take its turn. Hispania (to the west) has moved a legion — a general and 2 infantry — into Narbonensis. Macedonia (to the east) has moved a legion — a general, 1 catapult, 2 cavalry and 4 infantry — into Dalmatia. Both provinces are adjacent to Italia, and are threatening it and its Caesar (see Figure 1).
On the province of Italia are the following pieces: the Caesar, 2 generals, the fortified city, 2 catapults, 3 cavalry, and 5 infantry. On the coast is a galley on the Mare Tyrrenum.
Movement
Italia decides to attack both Narbonensis and Dalmatia — an aggressive move, but necessary to protect Italia. Italia forms 2 legions (Figure 1), then moves 1 legion into Narbonensis (Figure 2), and 1 legion into Dalmatia (Figure 4).
The legion moved into Narbonensis consists of: 1 general, 1 cavalry, and 2 infantry. The legion moved into Dalmatia consists of: 1 general, 3 infantry, 2 cavalry, and 2 catapults.
Combat
Italia now has two combat situations to resolve: one in Narbonensis, and one in Dalmatia. The battle in Narbonensis (see Figure 2) is chosen by the attacker (Italia) to be resolved first.
Because there are no catapults or fortified cities in this battle, there is no combat advantage, so the battle begins.
Italia declares the defender's infantry as the first target (no other type of combat unit is on the defender's side). A 4, 5, or 6 is needed to hit it. Italia rolls a "1" — a miss.
The defending Hispanic player declares Italia's cavalry as its first target. A 5 or 6 is needed to hit it. Hispania rolls a "5" — a hit! The cavalry unit is removed from the attacker's side.
It is now Italia's turn to attack again. Because Italia's cavalry was hit, Italia decides to retreat as shown in Figure 3. The remaining attacking units (1 general and 2 infantry) are moved back to the Home Province of Italia. The battle is over.
The remaining combat situation to resolve is in Dalmatia (see Figure 4). The combat sequence is as follows:
1. Calculate The Combat Advantage. Because Italia has 2 catapults and Macedonia has 1, Italia has a combat advantage of +1. This will allow Italia to add 1 to any die roll for as long as the combat advantage is held.
2. Attacker Declares Target. Italia declares the Macedonian catapult. This is good strategy, because if Italia can hit the catapult, then Italia's combat advantage will increase to +2.
3. Attacker Rolls Die. Italia rolls a 5. A 6 is needed to hit a catapult, but Italia has a +1 combat advantage, which makes the 5 a 6. Thus, the Macedonian catapult (shown as Unit A) is destroyed.
4. Target Removed If Hit. The Macedonian catapult is eliminated from battle; it is removed from the gameboard and placed in the parts tray.
5. Recalculate The Combat Advantage. Because the Macedonian catapult has been eliminated from battle, Italia now has a combat advantage of +2.
6. Defender Declares Target. Macedonia declares one of Italia's cavalry units as its first target.
7. Defender Rolls Die. Macedonia needs a 5 or 6 on the die roll to destroy Italia's cavalry unit. Macedonia rolls a 3 — a miss.
8. Target Removed If Hit. Because Macedonia missed its target, Italia's cavalry unit remains in battle.
After this first round of fire, the battle continues as follows:
- Italia declares Macedonia's cavalry, then rolls a 3. The +2 combat advantage is added (3+2=5), and the cavalry unit (shown as Unit B) is eliminated.
- Macedonia declares one of Italia's catapults, then rolls a 6. Italia's catapult (shown as Unit C) is eliminated.
- Since Italia has lost a catapult, the combat advantage is recalculated. Italia's combat advantage has decreased to +1.
- Once again, Italia declares Macedonia's cavalry. Italia then rolls a 3. The combat advantage is added (3+1=4), but the total is not enough to eliminate the target.
- Macedonia counterattacks by declaring Italia's remaining catapult. Macedonia rolls a 6, which eliminates the catapult (shown as Unit D).
- The combat advantage is recalculated. Since no catapults remain on either side, there is no longer any combat advantage.
The battle continues, until finally the Macedonian loses all his infantry and cavalry, at which time his general is captured. The captured general is placed on its side in the Home Province of Italia.
The Macedonian player suggests a prisoner exchange. Italia agrees to a one-for-one even exchange of generals. A general held prisoner in Macedonia is returned to Italia, while Italia returns the recently captured Macedonian general.
The control markers are now adjusted on the Tribute Scale, as follows:
Hispania remains in Narbonensis. Its territory was held, so it loses no tribute. Hispania's control marker does not move up or down on the Tribute Scale.
Macedonia lost control of Dalmatia, a 5-talent province. Its control marker is moved down by 5 on the Tribute Scale.
Italia gained control of Dalmatia in battle. Italia's control marker is moved forward on the Tribute Scale from 35 (where it was before Italia's turn began) to 40.
Collect Tribute
Italia now collects tribute for all provinces and cities owned. Italia's control marker is at 40, so 40 talents are collected in tribute.
Destroy Cities
During this portion of the turn, cities can be destroyed if the owner feels that they are threatened. In this instance (not shown), Italia feels that the province of Neapolis, which contains a city, will soon be attacked and captured by a galley carrying a legion of Numidian combat units. Because Italia does not want Numidia to use the city for tribute and defense when it captures Neapolis, Italia declares the city destroyed, removes it from the board, and moves the control marker of Italia backward by 5 talents on the Tribute Scale.
Purchase New Pieces
Italia decides to purchase a catapult with the 40 talents collected in tribute. A catapult is taken from the parts tray, and the 40 talents are returned to the tray.
Place New Pieces
Italia places its catapult on its Home Province.
Italia's turn is now over.
VI. A Naval Battle
An Egyptian galley is attacked by a Galatian galley in the Mare Alexandria. Each galley holds a legion. The legion aboard the Egyptian galley consists of a general and a cavalry unit; the legion aboard the Galatian galley consists of a general, 3 infantry units, and a catapult.
The Galatian, with its catapult, has a +1 combat advantage. The Egyptian cavalry unit, because it is at sea, can be destroyed on a die roll of 4, 5 or 6.
The Galatian attacks: because the galley cannot be attacked until all combat units aboard have been eliminated, the Galatian declares the cavalry unit as the target. The Galatian rolls a 3, which, added to a +1 combat advantage, becomes 4. The Egyptian cavalry unit is removed from the galley and from the game.
Now the Egyptian galley counterattacks by declaring the Galatian catapult. The Egyptian rolls a 2 — a miss.
The Galatian player now attacks the only target remaining — the galley. Galatia rolls a 2, which totals 3 with the +1 combat advantage added. The Egyptian galley sinks.
The result of this naval combat: the galley is removed from play; the Egyptian general, captured in battle by the Galatian, is held prisoner (placed on its side) in the Home Province of Galatia, rather than eliminated from the game.
Player Alliances
At any point in the game, you can propose an alliance with one or more players. Alliances are usually formed for the purpose of mutual protection from each other or from an enemy Caesar who is becoming powerful enough to threaten the survival of other players.
Player alliances are temporary — only one Caesar can win the game — but they can be useful to a player while he or she builds up forces or plots long-range strategy. The terms of a player alliance can take any form, as long as all players involved in the alliance are in mutual agreement and none of the rules of the game are broken in the process.
How To Win The Game
In Conquest of the Empire, it is not necessary for a player to conquer the entire map, or to eliminate all enemy units on it in order to win the game. The game is officially over when there is only one active Caesar left on the board. However, if it is apparent that a player is going to win, the other players can concede the game to that player by mutual agreement.