Imperium Romanum II
Imperium Romanum II Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Components
- 3. General Rules
- 4. Game Sequence
- 5. Powers, Provinces and Units
- 6. Taxation and Talents
- 7. Roman Mobilization
- 8. Recruiting by Accrual
- 9. Seasons
- 10. Naval Operations
- 11. Cultivation and Roads
- 12. Land Movement
- 13. Supply
- 14. Land Combat
- 15. Seasoning Units
- 16. Cities
- 17. Siege
- 18. Leaders
- 19. Morale
- 20. Power Dissolution
- 21. Fortifications
- 22. Corn & Imperial Capitals
- 23. Inactive Powers
- 24. Plunder
- 25. Winning the Game
- Special Rules
- 26. Civilized Recruitment
- 27. Pirates & Rhodus
- 28. Roman Civil Wars
- 29. Militia
- 30. Limitanei
- 31. Legion Reform
- 32. Overruns
- 33. Corn Under Byzantium
- 34. Fleet Conversion
- 35. Training
- 36. Roman Archers
- 37. Neutral Minor Powers
- 38. Special Leader Rules
- Optional Rules
- 39. Random Events
- 40. Optional Combat Rules
- 41. Optional City Rules
- 42. Conquest of Cityless Provinces
- 43. Divine Intervention
- 44. Treasure Cities
1. Introduction
Imperium Romanum II is a military, political, and economic game simulating the numerous wars which beset the Roman Empire, from its foundation in the chaos of the civil wars of the first century B.C. to its destruction some 600 years later.
Thirty-five scenarios are included, ranging from the Mithradatic wars (88 B.C.) to the attempted reconquest of the western empire by Justinian and Belisarius (A.D. 540). Between two and six may play, depending on the scenario chosen. The game also lends itself well to solitaire play.
2. Components
2.1 List
(component list omitted from this transcription's source document)
2.2 The Game-Map
(2.21) Imperium Romanum II contains two maps, one depicts most of the Mediterranean basin, the other the Middle East. Before playing the game, lay them out adjacent to each other, overlapping them slightly to mate the terrain and hex grid. The larger map is called the west map and the smaller the east map.
(2.22) Imperium Romanum II covers a period of seven centuries; although physical geography did not change greatly in that time, population distribution did. Many of the cities printed on the game-map existed for only part of the period.
(2.23) Thirty-five scenarios are provided with the game (see 2.4). Each scenario covers one of the great Roman wars. Before setting up the game, the players must decide which scenario they wish to play.
- The scenario instructions indicate the period in which the scenario takes place. There are six periods, numbered from 1 to 6. For the sake of historical information, the periods are:
Period 1 (88 B.C. to 51 B.C.); Period 2 (50 B.C. to A.D. 50)
Period 3 (A.D. 51 to A.D. 255); Period 4 (A.D. 256 to A.D. 300)
Period 5 (A.D. 301 to A.D. 385); Period 6 (A.D. 386 to A.D. 550)
(2.24) A Period Display is printed on the east map. It is a hexagon: each of its sides is numbered, from 1 to 6. At the beginning of the game, take the arrow marker and place it on the Display pointing toward the hexside printed with the period's number.
(2.25) Cities are represented on the game-map as squares or circles. If a city hex contains one or more spikes radiating from the center of the hex, the city is transient and does not exist in all scenarios. If a spike radiates in the same direction that the arrow counter on the Period Display points, the city exists in the current scenario. If there is no spike pointing in that direction, the city does not exist.
(2.26) Some cities only exist for part of a period.
-
If one spike is a stub, the city exists from the beginning of the period until the end of the scenario whose number is printed in the city hex.
-
If one spike is a short arrow, the city exists from the beginning of the scenario whose number is printed in the hex to the end of the period.
(2.27) A city with no spikes exists in all periods.
(2.28) Cities whose names are printed in CAPITALS are provincial capitals (see 5.42).
(2.29) Ports are represented on the game-map by anchor symbols. Ports in transient city hexes exist only when the city exists. Ports in non-city hexes always exist.
2.3 The Rules
You will need to read sections 1 through 25 before beginning to play. Depending on the scenario chosen, you may also be required to read some or all of sections 26 through 38. Sections 39 through 44 are optional rules; you may use any or all of these, as you see fit. Optional rules increase complexity and playing time.
2.4 The Scenario Book
After reading the rules, refer to the scenario book and select one of the scenarios listed. It will tell you how to set up the counters and record sheets for that scenario.
2.5 The Counters
(2.51) Most counters represent military units and leaders; some are used for other purposes. The front of each military unit represents the unit as a veteran; when the unit is unseasoned, its back (reduced strength) side is used. Different leaders are printed on the front and back of leader counters.
2.6 Game Scale
(2.61) The map is drawn at a scale of 1:5,000,000. Each hex is approximately 50 miles across, although this varies slightly with latitude.
(2.62) Each game-turn represents one month of real time.
(2.63) Each legion represents 4000 legionaries; combat strength variations between legions reflect qualitatively superior and inferior legions, not a change in the number of men. The 16-9, 20-9 and 20-8 units are equivalent in size to legions, but represent non-Roman civilized troops (the first two), and barbarians (the last). The 30-16 cavalry units represent 1000 armored and mounted men. The 6-16 and (6)-16 units each represent 500 mounted men. The 4-12 and (4)-12 units represent 1200 auxiliaries. The 0-4 baggage trains represent 200-300 ox-drawn wagons. The 18-30 war fleets equal some 50-70 ships of varying sizes and types. Each leader counter represents an individual with his staff.
3. General Rules
These general rules take precedence over all other rules in the game.
3.1 Rounding Fractions
All fractions are rounded down, unless otherwise noted. For example, when a 15-combat strength unit has its strength halved, it is reduced to a combat strength of 7.
3.2 Exact Positions
Some hexes contain small portions of land separated by water - different islands, opposite sides of a strait, etc. When a unit is placed in such a hex, position it within the hex so that it is clear which part of the hex it occupies. A land unit may not cross straits simply because the straits are wholly contained within the same hex; nor may a unit on one island attack a unit on another simply because both islands are in the same hex.
You will note that some hexes contain islands of different terrain types; this is purposeful and intended. A unit is considered to occupy the terrain of the island on which it is located.
Similarly, if a hex contains two bodies of water separated by land, a naval unit cannot move from one body to the other and must be positioned on the game-map to indicate its actual location.
3.3 Resolution of Disputes
While every effort has been made to write these rules as clearly and concisely as possible, disputes may arise during play. If the players cannot agree on a rule's meaning, they have several choices:
-
Send us a letter and wait several weeks for a response.
-
Arm yourselves and settle your dispute like noble Romans. Caveat: West End Games assumes no liability for death or injury resulting from this practice.
-
Roll a die and accept the result in the spirit of an appeal to the deities, who could certainly intervene if they considered your argument a valid one.
3.4 Limited Intelligence
No player may look through a stack of another player's units, unless both players have units in the same hex. Normally, you may only examine the top counter in each stack. This applies to units in command boxes also (see 18.2).
4. Game Sequence
Imperium Romanum II is played in game-turns representing 30 days each. For simplicity, a game turn is sometimes called a month. Each game turn is divided into player-turns and phases, which are described below.
A Year Track, a Month Track, and a Phase Track are printed on the east map. A marker is provided for each. Together, the three markers are used to record the phase, game-turn and game year being played.
The order in which major powers are listed in the scenario description is the order in which their player-turns occur, i.e., the player who controls the first major power has the first player-turn, etc. The current player is often called the phasing player.
Each year of twelve months is divided into quarters. Every three months, during the Taxation and Mobilization Phases, all players collect taxes and recruit new units.
Taxation and Mobilization Phase (March, June, September and December only): The players collect taxes; minor powers accrue replacement points. Then, powers may build combat units and baggage trains.
Optional Random Events Phase (March, June, September and December only): Each player rolls two dice and refers to the Random Events Table; the effects of random events are resolved.
Diplomacy Phase: Players may declare alliances and lend or give money to one another. Players check to determine whether any foreign powers or barbarians are activated. On April and November game-turns, players check to determine whether winter or summer prevails. Players determine the "farthest powers" for active neutral Powers.
First Player-Turn:
-
Naval Operations Phase: The first player moves his naval units. Other players' naval units may attempt interception. Naval combat is resolved.
-
Land Movement Phase: The first player moves his land units. Other players' land units may attempt interception.
-
Supply Phase: The players check supply for phasing units and intercepting units and eliminate out-of-supply units.
-
Land Combat Phase: Land Combat is resolved.
-
Siege Resolution Phase: The phasing player rolls on the Siege Table for each city he is besieging.
Second and Subsequent Player-Turns: The second player follows the same steps outlined in "First Player-Turn" above; then the third, fourth, etc., players (if any) do so as well. After the last player-turn, the month marker is moved into the next box on its track.
5. Powers, Provinces and Units
5.1 Powers
(5.11) A power is a Roman faction at war with others, or a state outside the Roman polity, or a group of barbarians or other military force. Each player controls at least one power; some may control several. Certain powers may be neutral, that is, not directly controlled by any player. Normally, each player controls one major power and may control several minor powers; sometimes, however, a player is assigned more than one major power. The scenario description defines the powers used in that scenario.
Important: When a player controls more than one major power, each major power has its own player-turn.
(5.12) Each power can control units and provinces. A player may not transfer provinces or units between his powers. Each power has its own morale level.
(5.13) Powers can be major or minor, Roman, civilized non-Roman or barbarian.
(5.14) Only major powers collect taxes; minor powers do not. Each major power has a treasury level.
(5.15) Only Roman powers have Imperators. Non-Roman and barbarian powers have a Rex (king), or no supreme leader (see 18.4).
5.2 Minor Powers
(5.21) Minor powers can be client states or neutral; active or inactive.
(5.22) Active client states: The client state is completely controlled by one of the major powers. Units of the major power and of its other client states may move through the client state with impunity. The major power's player moves the client state's units, uses them to attack, may stack them with units of his major power, etc. However, he may not tax the client state, nor may he mobilize units of other powers in the client state's provinces. Only the client state may build units in provinces it controls.
Minor powers never have their own player turns. The controlling player of a client state moves and takes other actions with its units during the player-turn of the major power which controls it.
(5.23) Inactive client states: The state is controlled by one of the players; he may move his units through the state's provinces. However, the client state's units may not move or initiate combat, nor does the client state accrue replacement points, until the client state is activated, after which it follows the rules of 5.22.
(5.24) Inactive neutrals: None of the power's units move or attack, nor may it accrue replacement points. If any other power's units enter the neutral's provinces, it is activated (see 23) and follows the rules of 5.25.
(5.25) Active neutrals: Active neutral powers are controlled by the "farthest power" rule:
Farthest Power Rule
- The controlling player is the one whose closest province or combat unit is farthest from any of the neutral's provinces or units. All distances are measured in hexes. If two or more players' units are equally far from the power, each should roll a die; the high roller controls the power.
Example: Gallaecia is a neutral power. Player A's closest unit is in Aquitania; player B's closest province is Cisalpina. Player B controls Gallaecia.
- When determining the farthest power, ignore the presence of provinces and units controlled by other neutral powers.
Example: Player A is the farthest power from both the Franks and the Burgundians. He controls them both; the fact that the Franks and the Burgundians have units close to each other does not prevent Player A from controlling them both.
-
The controller of a neutral power moves its units, makes its attacks, etc., during his own player-turn. However, he does not treat it like a client state: his other powers' units may not combine in an attack with the neutrals', may not stack with neutral units, etc.
-
During each Diplomacy Phase, the players should redetermine the "farthest power"; thus, a player may lose control of a neutral if he gains provinces or moves units closer to it.
(5.26) If a scenario description does not specifically assign a province to one of the powers, the province is an inactive neutral power in its own right. This has no effect on play unless the province is invaded (see 23).
5.3 The Power Form
On the last page of this book you will find a record sheet. It is divided into the Power Form and the Mobilization Form. The Power Form is used to record powers' provinces, morale, and treasury; the Mobilization Form records a player's mobilization of units (see 7.3). Players are free to make photocopies of the record sheet, or to copy it by hand.
(5.32) At the beginning of the game, each player should fill out a record sheet. First, he should write the names of the powers he controls in the spaces provided. Then, he should enter each power's starting morale and provinces.
-
He should also enter the tax values of each province controlled by his major power(s), the powers' treasury levels and their tax bases. All of these are listed in the scenario description.
-
He should also enter the replacement rate for each of his minor powers.
-
All data should be entered in pencil, since much will be changed during the game.
(5.33) The player should also enter mobilization data on the Mobilization Form (see 7.3).
(5.34) Whenever a power loses or gains morale points, the player should record the change by striking out the old morale level on his power record and writing in the new morale.
-
Whenever a power gains or loses talents, the player should similarly modify its treasury level.
-
Whenever a power loses a province, the player should erase it from his power record (subtracting the province's tax value from the tax base if lost by a major power).
-
Whenever a power gains a province, the player should enter the province on his power form, adding its tax value to the power's tax base if appropriate.
5.4 Provinces
(5.41) The scenario description indicates what provinces each power controls at the beginning of the game.
(5.42) A power retains control of a province as long as no enemy units have captured the province's capital city.
-
Capital cities' names are printed in capitals on the game-map.
-
An "enemy unit" is one controlled by another player. Exception: When two players are allied, their units are not "enemy" to each other.
(5.43) A power conquers a province if:
a) it captures the province's capital city and
b) it has captured at least half of the other cities in the province (see 16.11).
Example: It is Period 3. The capital of Italia is Roma; Italia contains 9 other cities. To gain control of Italia a power must capture Roma and at least 5 of the other cities in Italia.
-
Note that it is possible for no power to control a province if one power has captured its capital but not half its cities.
-
If two or more powers together meet the requirements for conquest, and they are controlled by the same player, the province has been conquered. In this case, the player decides which of his powers gains control of the province.
-
When some cities of a province are owned by one player and others by different players, they may find it helpful to use the "Control" markers provided with the game to record city ownership.
(5.44) Only the owner of a province may tax it or recruit units there. If no player owns a province, none may do so.
(5.45) A province which contains no cities cannot be conquered. However, it can be subdued.
- A power has subdued a province if it contains no enemy units, and the province contains at least two of the subduing power's heavy infantry or heavy cavalry units.
Exception: Germania Magna must contain six heavy units to be subdued.
-
No power may raise or rebuild units in a subdued province.
-
A province remains subdued until a) it no longer contains two of the subduer's heavy units, or b) it is entered by any of the owning power's units. When it is no longer subdued, units can be raised in the province.
-
For victory purposes, subdual is considered equivalent to conquest.
(5.46) In a few cases, the capital of a province is a transient city (see Thracia for an example).
-
If, in a particular scenario, such a province contains no cities, it follows the rules of 5.45.
-
If it contains any cities but the capital does not exist in the scenario, a player must control all cities to control the province.
5.5 Units
(5.51) There are ten differently colored sets of units in Imperium Romanum II. The colors are purple, red, green, blue, yellow, orange, brown, tan, black and gray.
(5.52) The scenario description indicates which colors are used by which powers. Usually, one color is used for each power.
-
A power may only recruit units of its color.
-
The countermix is a restriction on the players. For example, if all the 4-12 light infantry units in the purple mix are on the game-map, the purple player may not recruit any more light infantry units.
(5.53) If a scenario assigns a power two or more different colors, it may recruit units of all of its colors.
(5.54) When a unit is eliminated in play, the power may rebuild it on some future turn. Eliminated units are not permanently out of play.
(5.55) Sometimes a major power and a minor one share a color. In this case, when some of the minor power's units are eliminated, the major power may not rebuild those units. They remain available for reconstruction by the minor power only.
5.6 Record Sheet
(see back of rules book)
5.7 Alliances
(5.71) During the Diplomacy Phase, any group of players may declare that they are allied. Alliances last for one game-turn only. An alliance can, of course, be renewed each turn during the Diplomacy Phase with the consent of all parties.
(5.72) Allied players move in the same player turn. Determine which alliance-member's player turn would normally occur last; the alliance player-turn occurs at this time.
(5.73) Allied players' units may stack with each other, benefit by each other's leaders in combat and force march, engage in combat together against common enemies, accept siege in each other's cities, transport land units, draw supply through each others' ports or baggage trains, etc. When a player moves units through an ally's inactive client state, the client state is not activated.
(5.74) Allied units may not attack one another nor capture or plunder provinces or cities belonging to allies.
(5.75) Allied players may not lend or give each other provinces, units, fortifications, supply points or cities. They may lend or give talents.
(5.76) If one player's land units end a turn embarked on an ally's fleets, and the alliance is not renewed on the following game-turn, the fleets are destroyed.
- If they were in a coastal hex, the land units are placed in the hex and may not move that turn; if in a deep sea hex, the land units are eliminated as well.
6. Taxation and Talents
6.1 Taxation
(6.11) Each province has a tax value. Tax values change from scenario to scenario. Each scenario lists the tax values of the major powers' initial provinces; the tax values of other provinces can be found on the Tax Value Chart (6.3). Any province not listed on the chart has a tax value of zero.
(6.12) Taxation and Mobilization Phases occur every third game-turn, during the months of March, June, September and December.
-
Each player should keep a running total of the tax values of the provinces his major power controls in the total tax value space on his record sheet.
-
During each Taxation and Mobilization Phase, the player should add his tax base to his major power's treasury level.
6.2 Treasuries
(6.21) A power's treasury level is the number of talents it possesses. Talents are spent to mobilize units, on donatives, etc. Each power's initial treasury is listed in the scenario description. Players record their power's treasuries on the Power Record (see 5.34).
(6.22) Minor powers never acquire or spend any talents. They never have treasury levels.
(6.23) Powers may exchange talents during the Diplomacy Phase. Any major power may give talents to any other major power (including one controlled by the same player).
6.3 Tax Value Chart
(see chart booklet)
7. Roman Mobilization
7.1 The Three Ways of Recruiting Units
(7.11) During the Taxation and Mobilization Phase, the players may recruit new units and place them on the game-map.
(7.12) Each power recruits units in a particular way. There are three possible methods of recruitment: Roman mobilization (section 7 of the rules), civilized recruitment, or accrual (section 8).
(7.13) Unless otherwise indicated by a scenario description, major powers use Roman mobilization and minor powers use accrual.
7.2 Mobilization Areas
(7.21) For mobilization purposes, the board is divided into mobilization areas. A mobilization area is a province or group of provinces, as defined by the Mobilization Charts (see 7.9).
(7.22) There is a limit to the number of units which can be raised in a mobilization area each year. These limits are found on the Mobilization Charts. A different chart is provided for each period.
(7.23) Along the top of the Mobilization Chart is a list of unit types; along the left-hand side is a list of mobilization areas. The table indicates how many units of each type can be raised in each area.
(7.24) If a province is not part of any mobilization area, one 4-12 light infantry unit may be mobilized in that province each year. When a player mobilizes a unit in an unlisted province, he should note that he has done so on his form.
7.3 The Mobilization Form
(7.31) At the beginning of the game, each player should fill out a Mobilization Form for each of his major powers. He finds the Mobilization Chart for the period of the scenario and copies the "unit types" and "unit costs" lines of the chart onto the top two lines of his Mobilization Form.
Note: On some charts, unit costs depend on the scenario. For example, the Period 2 Mobilization Chart (7.92) has two sets of unit costs; one for use with scenarios 4 and 5, the other for use with scenarios 6 through 8. The player should copy whichever set of costs applies to his scenario.
(7.32) In the left-hand column of the form, the player lists mobilization areas. If he owns any province within a mobilization area, he should copy that area's line of the Mobilization Chart onto his Mobilization Form.
7.4 Purchasing Units
(7.41) Buying units costs talents. The Mobilization Chart lists costs.
(7.42) When a power builds a unit, the cost is deducted from the power's treasury. The owning player takes the unit from the counter-mix and places it on the map.
A power may not build a unit if it has insufficient funds to do so. There is no "deficit financing."
Important: Mobilizing units in June, September or December costs double the normal cost. Only in March are costs undoubled.
Exception: The above rule does not apply in the first Joint Mobilization Phase of a game. That is, if the first Joint Mobilization Phase falls on June, September or December, unit costs are not doubled in that phase.
(7.43) A power can only build units in provinces it controls which contain at least one of its leaders.
-
Having a leader in one province of a mobilization area does not permit a player to build units in other provinces of the same area.
-
When a power builds a unit in a province, the player must place it in an unbesieged city in the province. He is not required to place it in the same city as the leader.
(7.44) A maximum of two units may be placed in each city in a Mobilization Phase.
(7.45) Whenever a unit is built, it is placed on the game-map with the unseasoned (lower strength) side face-up (see 15).
Example: When a player mobilizes a 20-10 legion, he places it on the game-map with the "10-10" side face-up.
7.5 Mobilization Limits
(7.51) Each player must record the units he raises on his Mobilization Form by entering a tick-mark on the Form in pencil under the unit type, on the line of the mobilization area in which the unit is raised.
If a player raises a unit in a mobilization area which he shares with another player, he must announce that he is raising the unit. All players who own provinces in the mobilization area must enter tick-marks on their Forms; when one player raises a unit in an area, he depletes the area's pool of available units for everyone else as well as for himself.
(7.52) When an area's mobilization limit for the units of one type has been reached, no more units of that type can be raised in the area.
The limits apply for one year. At the end of each December game-turn, the players should erase all tick-marks from their Mobilization Forms.
Example: In Period I, no more than three 20-10 legions can be raised in Italia.
(7.53) When a mobilization area contains provinces owned by different powers, a problem can arise when more than one power tries to raise units in the area.
-
If the units the players wish to build do not exceed the area's limit, no problem arises.
-
If they do, the area's mobilization pool is divided as equally as possible among the players. Any "extra" units are allocated by die-roll.
Example: One player controls Tarraconensis; another controls Baetica; and a third controls Lusitania. All three provinces are part of the Hispania mobilization area, from which four 4-12 light infantry units can be raised. Each of the three players wishes to raise three 4-12's. Obviously, nine 4-12's cannot be raised. Dividing the pool as evenly as possible means each player can raise one unit; this leaves one "extra" 4-12. Each of the three players rolls a die; the high roller may raise the last 4-12.
7.6 Counter-Mix Limits
(7.61) A player may always substitute a unit of inferior quality for one of superior quality when raising units. The substituted unit must be of the same type, i.e., bear the same symbol.
-
Thus, a player may raise a 16-10 and charge it against an area's 20-10 mobilization limit.
-
However, he could not raise a 16-9, because 16-9's are civilized non-Roman units, not legion units - they are printed with different symbols.
(7.62) Each unit has a combat efficiency rating (CER) - A (best), B, or C (worst). The CER of a power's units is indicated by the scenario description (see 14.5). Often, unit colors are used to indicate CERs; for example, a player might control purple and red units, with the purple units being CER A and the red ones CER B.
-
Each mobilization area also has a CER, which is listed on the Mobilization Chart (see 7.9). Units raised from an area have the area's CER.
-
Only units of an appropriate color (that is, CER) can be raised in an area.
Exception: A player can raise CER B units in a CER A area, because this is substituting an inferior unit for a superior unit (see 7.61).
7.7 Baggage Trains
(7.71) There are no mobilization area limits for baggage trains. However, no power may have more baggage trains than it has leaders. (This may require removing baggage trains when a leader dies.) In addition, there are only 15 baggage trains in the countermix; no more than 15 baggage trains may be in play at any time.
(7.72) The cost of raising a baggage train is listed at the bottom of the Mobilization Chart.
(7.73) The rules of 7.4 apply to purchasing baggage trains (except for 7.45, baggage trains do not require seasoning).
(7.74) All newly built baggage trains are placed with the "depleted" side face-up (see 13.4).
7.8 Fleets
(7.81) The back of each fleet counter does not represent it while "unseasoned". Fleets are never unseasoned or veteran. The 18-30 side represents one fleet; the 36-30 side represents two fleets. If two of a power's fleets are in the same hex at any time, the player may remove one fleet and flip the other fleet counter to its higher strength (36-30) side.
(7.82) Building a fleet takes three months. When a player pays the cost of building a fleet, he should note (on the back of his record sheet) the port hex in which he is building it. Then, he should place the fleet counter on the Month Track, on the next month in which Taxation and Mobilization occurs.
The rules of 7.4 apply to building fleets, except for 7.45 (fleets do not require seasoning).
Example: The player builds a fleet in March; he places the fleet counter in the June box.
(7.83) During the next Taxation and Mobilization Phase, the player removes his fleet from the Month Track, and places it in the port he noted on paper.
(7.84) If a port where a fleet is being built is captured before the fleet is placed on the game-map, the new owner of the port may capture the fleet. If he has any unused fleet counters, he removes the fleet from the Month Track and replaces it with one of his own. He may place it in the port during the next Taxation and Mobilization Phase. If the capturing power has no fleet counters, the fleet is removed from the Month Track; it has been destroyed.
A player may voluntarily destroy any fleet he is building during his own Movement Phase (presumably to prevent capture). The fleet is removed from the Month Track and returned to the game-box.
(7.85) No more than two fleets may begin construction in a single port each Mobilization Phase.
(7.86) There are maximum mobilization levels for fleets, just as for other units. Building a fleet cuts into the man-power pool available for legions in addition to that for fleets; when a player builds a fleet, he must make a tick-mark on his Mobilization Form under the "18-30" column, and also under the "16-10" or "20-10" column (his choice). If the legion mobilization limit has been reached, no new fleets may begin construction.
7.9 Mobilization Charts
(see chart booklet)
8. Recruiting by Accrual
(8.1) Minor powers do not mobilize units. They ignore the Mobilization Chart and do not pay talents to build units. A minor power cannot build new units; it can only replace units it loses during the game.
Whenever a minor power loses units, its owner should place them to the side of the game-map. Those units are eligible for reconstruction.
(8.2) Each minor power has a replacement rate, which is indicated by the scenario description or found on the Inactive Power Table (23.4). The replacement rate is the number of replacement points the power accrues each Taxation and Mobilization Phase. Accumulated points are recorded on the Power Form.
If none of a minor power's units have been eliminated, it cannot accrue replacement points; any points it earns are lost. Only when units are eligible for reconstruction may points be accumulated.
(8.3) During each Taxation and Mobilization Phase, minor powers may use replacement points to rebuild units.
Buying a unit costs as many replacement points as the unit's "stacking value" (see 13.2).
(8.4) When a minor power buys a unit, the owner places it in any unbesieged city in a province which the power controlled at the beginning of the game and which it still controls. No more than two units may be placed per city; fleets are delayed three months, as usual.
-
A minor power is not required to have a leader in a province to build there.
-
Rebuilt units are placed unseasoned-side faceup (see 7.45).
(8.5) If a minor power controlled no provinces with cities at the beginning of the game, it may rebuild units anywhere in its initial province(s) (except hexes containing enemy units).
(8.6) If a minor power controls no provinces at all, or if all provinces have been subdued (see 5.45), it may not rebuild units or accumulate replacement points.
(8.7) Minor powers may rebuild eliminated baggage trains but may not purchase new baggage trains.
9. Seasons
(9.1) There are two seasons in Imperium Romanum II: winter and summer.
(9.2) On the Month Track, winter months are tinted blue and summer months yellow. April and November are exceptions. During the April Diplomacy Phase, one player should roll a die: on a roll of 1-4, April is a summer month; on a 5-6, it is a winter month. Similarly, a die is rolled in November: on a 1-4, it is a winter month, and on a 5-6, it is summer.
(9.3) In certain provinces it is always summer, regardless of what the Month Track says. These provinces contain a small sun symbol (see game map).
Note: During winter months, all sea hexes are in winter for naval movement and attrition purposes, even those adjacent to summer provinces.
(9.4) The season affects movement costs, naval movement, and foraging; see 10.3, 12.12 and 13.3.
(9.5) On the first month of summer (whether that is April or May), all rivers flood (including those in permanent summer provinces). This affects movement costs; see 12.13.
Exception: The Nile (Nilus) always floods in August and September (only).
10. Naval Operations
10.1 Sequencing
(10.11) During his Naval Operations Phase, the phasing player may move any or all of his fleets. Land units and leaders may be embarked, carried by fleets, and disembarked.
(10.12) Other players may attempt to intercept moving fleets with their own fleets. If interception occurs, naval combat is immediately resolved.
(10.13) If a force is not intercepted, it may attack a force of enemy fleets during its movement.
10.2 Naval Movement
(10.21) Each fleet has a movement allowance of 30. Each time it enters a sea hex it expends some number of movement points. It may not spend more than 30 movement points in the course of movement.
(10.22) The cost of entering a hex depends on whether it is a shallow sea or deep sea hex, and on the season. Movement costs are found on the Terrain and Seasonal Effects Chart (see game map).
(10.23) Movement point costs are doubled outside of the Mediterranean Sea. The Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) is not considered part of the Mediterranean.
(10.24) Fleets may not enter all-land hexes or cross all-land hexsides, nor may they move along rivers. In addition, fleets may not violate the laws of common sense (e.g. move from 5022W to 5121W to 5222W).
(10.25) A fleet which ends its move in a port hex is considered to occupy the port, unless the port is enemy-controlled. There is no extra cost to enter a port.
(10.26) A fleet which begins its movement at sea must end movement in a friendly port. Thus, fleets can only remain at sea every other turn. A fleet which fails to meet this restriction is eliminated.
10.3 Winter
(10.31) Naval movement costs are higher in the winter (see the Terrain and Seasonal Effects Chart, game-map).
(10.32) Naval movement during winter is extremely risky. After a player finishes moving a fleet during winter, he must refer to the Naval Attrition Table (10.35). He finds the number of movement points spent by the fleet along the left-hand side of the table; the naval attrition value is found on the right-hand side. Roll a die. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the naval attrition value, the fleet is eliminated. A higher roll means the fleet is safe.
(10.33) The player may roll once for an entire stack of fleets, or separately for each fleet in the stack, as he wishes.
(10.34) If a fleet carrying land units is eliminated, so are the land units. If part of a stack of fleets carrying land units is eliminated, land units may have to be eliminated so that the remaining fleets can carry the remaining land units (see below).
10.35 Naval Attrition Table
(see chart booklet)
10.4 Carrying Units
(10.41) A fleet may pick up land units at any point during its movement. Embarking land units in a friendly port hex costs the fleet 2 movement points; embarking in a coastal hex costs 6 points.
(10.42) Each 18-30 fleet can carry 4 stacking points of land units (see 13.2). A 36-30 unit, which represents two fleets, can therefore carry 8 stacking points.
-
A 30-16 heavy cavalry unit is worth 8 stacking points. It can be carried by two 18-30 fleets moving together.
-
Leaders have no stacking points and are carried "for free."
(10.43) A fleet may disembark land units in:
-
any friendly port at a cost of 2 movement points.
-
any non-port hex in a friendly province - that is, a province controlled by the carrying power or a client state - at a cost of 6 movement points.
(10.44) Units can be disembarked into friendly ports under siege, unless at least one enemy fleet is part of the besieging force (see 17.2). Units can be disembarked in a port in an enemy or neutral province, as long as the port is itself friendly.
(10.45) If a fleet carrying land units expends 10 or fewer movement points while embarking, carrying and disembarking those land units, the land units may move, using their full movement allowance, during the subsequent Land Movement Phase. If the fleet spends 11 or more movement points with the land units, they may not move during the Land Movement Phase.
(10.46) A fleet is never required to disembark its land units; they may remain loaded on the fleet as long as the player desires.
- Players should designate which units are loaded on a fleet by placing them under the fleet counter. Units in the same hex as fleets but not loaded on them should be placed on top of the fleet counters.
(10.47) Embarkation and disembarkation costs are not doubled outside the Mediterranean.
10.5 Amphibious Invasion
(10.51) Under some circumstances, a fleet may disembark land units into an enemy or neutral coastal hex. Doing so is called amphibious invasion.
(10.52) Only fleets stacked with +2 or +3 leaders may amphibiously invade.
(10.53) Amphibious invasion costs 6 movement points, whether or not the invaded hex contains a port. Only leaders and infantry units can be disembarked during an amphibious invasion; baggage trains and cavalry must remain aboard fleets.
(10.54) Land units which amphibiously invade may not move by land during the same game turn (Exception: 12.2).
(10.55) An amphibious invasion may be made into a hex containing enemy units, fortifications or an enemy city or non-city port. When this happens, the invading land units must attack the enemy units, fortification, city or port during the Land Combat Phase of the same game-turn. The combat strength of the invading units is halved in that attack, in addition to whatever other modifications are called for.
(10.56) If a hex contains enemy fleets, it may not be amphibiously invaded.
However, a player might attack the enemy fleets in naval combat; if he eliminated the enemy fleets or forced them to leave the hex, amphibious invasion could then occur.
Exception: Amphibious invasion can be made into a hex containing enemy fleets, if the fleets are under siege.
10.6 Naval Interception
(10.61) Fleets controlled by non-phasing players may attempt to intercept moving fleets.
(10.62) Whenever a fleet moves to a hex within six movement points of an enemy fleet, the enemy player may attempt interception. The phasing player should pause during movement to ensure that other players have ample time to announce interception attempts.
Each fleet may only attempt interception once per player-turn.
(10.63) Fleets in deep sea hexes can never be intercepted.
(10.64) Only fleets in friendly, unbesieged ports may attempt interception.
(10.65) When a force attempts interception, count the number of movement points between the intercepting force and the moving fleet. The intercepting player rolls a die; if the number rolled is greater than or equal to the distance in movement points, interception occurs.
Example: A fleet attempts interception at a distance of 4 movement points. The player must roll 4, 5 or 6 to intercept successfully. If he waited for the enemy fleet to enter a hex 3 movement points away, he would succeed on a roll of 3, 4, 5 or 6.
(10.66) The intercepting player may roll once for his entire stack, or separately for each fleet in the stack, as he wishes.
(10.67) If interception is successful, place the intercepting fleets in the hex where interception takes place. Naval combat immediately occurs; the intercepting player is the attacker.
Note: Naval combat is resolved before attrition during winter. However, intercepting units are subject to naval attrition, just like moving units.
(10.68) If a player attempts interception with fleets from different hexes, all interception attempts are resolved before naval combat occurs. However, if two non-phasing players wish to intercept the same moving fleet, the interception and combat of the first player who declares interception is resolved before the second player may attempt interception.
(10.69) If no interception occurs, the moving force may continue to move.
10.7 Naval Combat
(10.71) Naval combat occurs upon interception. In addition, when the phasing player moves fleets into a hex containing enemy fleets, he may, at his option, temporarily interrupt his movement to attack those fleets.
-
When interception occurs, the intercepting player is the attacker.
-
Otherwise, the phasing player is the attacker.
(10.72) All fleets in a hex must participate when naval combat occurs there; no units may be withheld from the combat.
(10.73) When naval combat occurs, each player must calculate his total naval combat strength. To do this:
-
Add up the combat strengths of all friendly fleets in the hex.
-
Add to this the combat strengths of all light and missile infantry carried by friendly fleets.
-
Add one-half the combat strength of all heavy infantry carried.
-
Cavalry units do not contribute their combat strength to the total.
(10.74) The players now compare the attacker's combat strength to the defenders as a ratio. This ratio is rounded down, in the defender's favor, to one of the ratios found along the top of the Naval Combat Results Table (10.8).
Example: Pompey's total naval combat strength is 132; Caesar's is 90. Pompey would need 135 to obtain a 3-2 ratio over Caesar (90 divided by 2 is 45; 45 times 3 is 135). He does not quite have this strength, so the ratio is rounded down to 54, the next lowest ratio on the table.
(10.75) The attacker rolls a die. He may add the leadership value of any one of his leaders who is in the hex. The leadership value of one defending leader is subtracted from the die-roll. The die roll may also be modified by the powers' morale levels (see 19) and CERs (see 14.5).
Each player chooses which of his leaders is used if more than one is present. If no leader is present, leaders do not affect the die-roll.
(10.76) The players refer to the Naval Combat Results Table, and find the calculated ratio along the top of the table and the modified die-roll along the left-hand side. They cross-reference to find a result.
Results consist of two numbers separated by slashes. The first number applies to the attacker; the second to the defender. A dash (-) means the player suffers no loss.
(10.77) A result of "1" means the player loses one-fourth of his fleets; a "2" means he loses one-half; a "3" means he loses three-fourths; and a "4" means he loses them all. Round losses down, except that a player must always lose at least one fleet if he receives any numbered result.
-
Count each 36-30 as two fleets.
-
A player may satisfy a one fleet loss by flipping a 36-30 over to its 18-30 side.
(10.78) If a player's fleets are carrying land units, after suffering losses he must check to make sure the remaining fleets can carry all the land units. If they cannot (see 10.42), the excess land units are eliminated.
(10.79) After naval combat is over, the losing force (the one which lost the largest number of fleets) is immediately placed in the nearest friendly port. If both lost an equal number of fleets, both have lost.
-
If the nearest friendly port is more than 10 movement points away, the losing force does not move and instead loses 1 additional fleet.
-
If the phasing force wins, it may continue moving. It may not, however, initiate naval combat again this phase.
-
The victor gains morale points; see 19.17.
10.8 Naval Combat Results Table
(see chart booklet)
11. Cultivation and Roads
11.1 Roads
(11.11) The Romans built their famed roads through some, but not all, provinces on the game-map. Many roads were built over the Roman era, and some fell into disrepair upon Imperial retreat. To reflect this, each province is said to have roads or to have no roads. Whether or not a province has roads depends on the scenario and is determined by the Province Status Maps (see 11.3 below).
(11.12) The land movement cost to enter hexes in provinces without roads is higher than in provinces with roads (see 12.12).
(11.13) The cost of crossing a river also varies with road status. A river along the border between a province with roads and one without is considered to be in the province with roads.
11.2 Cultivation
(11.21) Some but not all provinces on the game map are heavily settled and produce a substantial agricultural surplus. These are cultivated provinces; less civilized areas are wild provinces. The cultivation status of a province changes as it is civilized or reverts to barbarianism and is found on the Province Status Maps (see 11.3).
(11.22) The number of units which can forage in a hex depends on the province's cultivation status (see 13.32).
11.3 Province Status Maps
(see last pages of rule book)
(11.31) There are eight Province Status Maps provided with the game. They are printed on the last few pages of the rules book.
(11.32) Each Province Status Map is a copy of the game-map, much reduced in size. The provinces on each map are tinted to indicate which have roads and which do not; which are cultivated and which wild.
(11.33) Along the top of each map is an indication of which scenarios it covers. When you begin to play, find the map which covers your scenario, and refer to it during play.
11.4 Sketch Map
(see center of rule book)
A somewhat larger sketch map, showing province boundaries and other useful information, is printed at the center of the rule book. West End Games grants permission to photocopy the sketch map. You may find it helpful to record province ownership, tax values, or other information.
12. Land Movement
12.1 Movement Costs
(12.11) Each land unit and leader has a movement allowance (see 2.52). Each time a unit enters a hex it spends movement points. A unit's movement allowance is the number of movement points it may spend in the course of each game turn.
(12.12) The movement point cost to enter a hex depends on the terrain in the hex, whether or not the province in which the hex is located has roads, and the season. The Terrain and Seasonal Effects Chart (see game-map) lists movement costs.
Example: The cost to enter a forest hex in a province with roads during winter is 2 movement points.
(12.13) If a land unit enters a hex by crossing a river or narrow seas hexside, the cost of entering the hex is increased by the river or narrow sea's cost (see the chart).
When a land unit crosses a river during flood (see 9.5), it is subject to an additional penalty. First, calculate the cost of entering the hex normally, including the regular river cost. Then, double this number; the result is the cost of entering the hex.
(12.14) A unit which begins movement adjacent to a hex which it does not have enough movement points to enter may enter the hex anyway at the cost of all its movement points. (Units may not cross impassable terrain using this rule.)
(12.15) If land units move into a hex containing unbesieged enemy units (whether land or naval), they must stop moving and may move no further. They can freely move through hexes containing enemy units under siege.
12.2 Interception
Land interception uses essentially the same rules as naval interception, with the following modifications.
(12.21) Non-phasing leaders (only) can attempt interception. If a leader's attempt is successful, he and the units with which he is stacked are placed in the hex where interception takes place.
-
The leader's owning player decides which units go with the leader. Not all units stacked with him need do so; the player is free to leave any or all behind.
-
Units not stacked with leaders cannot intercept.
(12.22) A leader may not attempt interception if he is besieged or in a hex containing enemy units.
-
A stack may never be intercepted in a desert hex.
-
Each leader may only attempt interception once per player-turn.
(12.23) A non-phasing leader may only attempt interception if there is a path between his hex and the moving stack's hex which is no more than three hexes in length and which is free of enemy units. The path cannot be traced through impassable terrain (i.e., mountain or all-sea hexsides).
(12.24) When a leader attempts interception, count the number of movement points between the leader's hex and the target hex. Double this number. Roll a die and add the leader's value to the roll. If the modified roll is greater than or equal to the calculated number, interception occurs. Otherwise, interception fails.
Example: The distance between the interceptor and the moving unit is 3 movement points; the intercepting leader's value is +2. Three doubled is 6; the modified roll must be 6 or more. The player rolls a 5; adding the leader value of +2 produces a modified roll of 7, so interception takes place.
(12.25) If a leader stacked with cavalry units attempts interception, the player may, before rolling, declare that only the cavalry units will be used to intercept. In this case, the intercepting player may add 3 to the die-roll.
(12.26) If a leader wishes to bring a baggage train along when he intercepts, subtract 3 from the die-roll.
(12.27) Land combat does not occur immediately upon interception; instead, the players wait until the Land Combat Phase to resolve combat. The phasing player may move additional units into the hex, and the non-phasing player may have other leaders attempt interception in the hex. The intercepting player is still considered the attacker when combat is eventually resolved.
(12.28) If one non-phasing player's units have intercepted a moving stack, another non-phasing player's units may not intercept that stack. A player may not intercept a moving stack which currently occupies a hex containing units of a third player. Different players' interception attempts are resolved in the order in which they are declared.
(12.29) Intercepted units must stop moving, and may move no farther in the same Movement Phase.
12.3 Force March
(12.31) If a leader begins a Movement Phase stacked with land units and remains with those units throughout their movement, the stack may force march.
(12.32) When a stack force marches, the movement allowance of each non-cavalry unit in the stack is increased by one plus the leader's leadership value.
(12.33) After the stack finishes moving, the owning player must roll a die. If the roll is greater than one plus the leader's value, one force marching unit is eliminated. The owning player decides which to remove.
(12.34) Example: A leader's value is +2. He force-marches with a stack of 16-10 legions; they may expend a total of 13 movement points (movement allowance plus leader value plus one). Unless the leader's player rolls a 3 or less on one die, one of the units is eliminated.
13. Supply
During the Supply Phase, the phasing player checks to make sure that all of his units are in supply. Any units out of supply are eliminated. Units can be supplied by ports, baggage trains, and foraging.
Any units which intercept during an enemy player-turn must check for supply during the Supply Phase of that player-turn. This is the only time that non-phasing units must check supply.
13.1 Supply Through Ports
(13.11) A port can provide supply to a power's units if:
-
it is controlled by the power, a client state, or an ally; and
-
it is unbesieged; and
-
it is in a friendly province, or there is at least one friendly port in a friendly province adjacent to the same sea.
(13.12) For the purposes of this rule, there are six seas in the game: the Atlantic (Oceani Atlanticus, Germanicus and Sarmaticus); Pontus Euxinus; Sinus Arabicus; Sinus Persicus; the Western Mediterranean; and the Eastern Mediterranean. The line of shallow sea hexes between Africa Proconsularis, Sicilia and Italia is the border between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Thus, for example, a port in Sicilia can be used to provide supply to a unit in any province bordering the Eastern or Western Med.
(13.13) If a port can provide supply, any unit in the port hex or within 4 movement points is in supply.
13.2 Stacking Points
(13.21) Each unit has some number of stacking points. Stacking points affect naval transport (see 10.42), baggage train supply (see 13.43) and foraging (see 13.3).
(13.22) Stacking points are summarized on the Forage Chart (13.7). However, two simple rules allow you to calculate a unit's stacking value:
-
Heavy units have 4 stacking points
-
Light units have 1 stacking point
-
Cavalry doubles.
This means that a legion's stacking value is 4; heavy cavalry is 8; missile infantry is 1; light cavalry is 2; etc.
(13.23) For supply purposes, fleets and baggage trains each have 4 stacking points. Baggage trains must be supplied like any other unit.
13.3 Foraging
(13.31) Any unit which can forage is in supply. Each hex has a forage capacity. If a hex contains more stacking points than its forage capacity, the excess stacking points are out of supply unless supplied by baggage train (or by port).
(13.32) When a stack of units forages, refer to the Forage Chart (13.7). Find the season and province status (cultivated or wild) along the top and the terrain the stack occupies along the side; cross-reference to yield the forage capacity.
(13.33) If the hex contains a friendly unbesieged city, add the city forage value to the terrain value to determine the hex's total forage value.
If a city is under siege (see 17) the units under siege use only the city's forage value; the besieging units use only the terrain forage value.
Example: The forage value of a clear terrain hex in summer in a cultivated province is 24; the value of a city is 8. The hex's total forage value is 32. Only 8 stacking points of units under siege could forage; 24 stacking points of besieging units could do so.
(13.34) If a stack contains more stacking points than can forage, and the remaining units cannot be supplied by a port or baggage train, the owning player decides which units will forage and which will be eliminated.
13.4 Baggage Trains
(13.41) Each baggage train can carry up to three supply points. When a baggage train is built, it is placed on the game-map with the "depleted" side face up. When it carries one supply point, it is flipped to its undepleted side; when it carries two points, a supply marker showing the half-filled supply symbol is placed under the baggage train counter; when it carries three points, the supply marker is flipped to its filled side.
(13.42) Each turn that a baggage train occupies a friendly unbesieged city and neither moves nor expends supply points, it automatically gains one supply point. Baggage trains which move or expend points to supply units do not gain supply. A baggage train gains no points if it is already carrying three.
-
If none of a power's provinces contain cities, it may replenish baggage train supplies in any hex in a province it owned at the beginning of a game (Exception: 5.45).
-
Supply points are gained during the Supply Phase.
(13.43) If a baggage train occupies a hex containing friendly units during the Supply Phase, it may supply those units.
-
Expending one supply point supplies 32 stacking points of units (see 13.2); if more than 32 stacking points are present, more than one supply point can be expended.
-
If more than one baggage train is present, all may expend supply points.
-
Any units not supplied by baggage trains may forage. Some units in a hex can forage and others be supplied by baggage trains.
(13.44) If units attack an enemy baggage train in a hex which contains no enemy units, fortifications or cities, they capture the baggage train and all supply points it carries. If the captor prefers, the baggage train may be eliminated.
(13.45) During his own Supply Phase, a player may voluntarily remove any of his own baggage trains from play. Any supply points carried by the baggage train may be used to supply units on the same game-turn. In addition, the baggage train itself is considered to be a supply point; removing even a depleted baggage train allows a player to supply 32 stacking points.
13.5 Supply in Sieges
(13.51) Units in a port city under siege can draw supply from the port unless the besieging force includes at least one fleet.
Other friendly units outside the city may not draw supply from the port. Only the besieged units may do so.
(13.52) Otherwise the besieged units must forage in the city or be supplied by baggage trains.
(13.53) If a player has units inside a besieged city, and also units outside the city in the same hex, the units inside the city may not use the baggage trains of those outside, and vice versa. In addition, the units in the city may only forage from the city itself, and those outside may only forage from the hex.
(13.54) Units in besieged cities are subject to siege attrition; see 17.3.
13.6 Fleets
(13.61) Fleets and units embarked on them are always in supply, except when in besieged cities.
(13.62) A fleet in a besieged city must draw supply like any other unit. For supply purposes, it is considered to have a stacking value of 4.
13.7 Forage Chart
(see chart booklet)
14. Land Combat
14.1 When Land Combat Occurs
(14.11) During his Land Combat Phase, any of the phasing player's units in enemy-occupied hexes can make attacks. No unit is required to attack (Exceptions: 14.13, 14.14 and 10.55).
The phasing player is considered the attacker and the owner of the enemy units the defender (Exception: 14.13).
(14.12) Any of the phasing player's units in a hex containing an enemy city may attack the city. If a hex contains both enemy units and an enemy city, the attack is made against both the units and city together.
(14.13) If any non-phasing units intercepted phasing units during the Land Movement Phase, an attack automatically occurs in the hex where interception took place.
-
The non-phasing units' player is the attacker, and the phasing player the defender in that hex.
-
The non-phasing player is required to make an attack in that hex; interception automatically results in an attack.
-
The phasing player cannot declare an attack in a hex where interception took place.
(14.14) If phasing units entered an enemy occupied hex by crossing a narrow seas hexside or by amphibious invasion (see 10.55), they are required to attack and their combat strength is halved (see 14.42).
(14.15) All attacks resulting from interception are resolved before attacks declared by the phasing player. Interception attacks are resolved in the order in which interception took place. The phasing player may then resolve his attacks in any order he chooses.
(14.16) When an attack is declared, one of three things happens:
-
The defender retreats before combat; or
-
combat is resolved; or
-
the defending units are besieged.
14.2 Retreat Before Combat
(14.21) The defender may choose to retreat before combat, unless:
-
The attacker's force contains at least twice as many combat strength points of cavalry as the defending force. If it does, the defender may not retreat before combat.
-
Units under siege may not retreat before combat.
(14.22) The defender is never required to retreat before combat.
(14.23) If the defender chooses to retreat, he moves all the defending units to an adjacent hex. Units may not be retreated:
-
into a hex containing enemy land units whose total combat strength is at least one-fourth that of the retreating units.
-
across a river, narrow sea, all-sea or mountain hexside.
(14.24) Units may not retreat across a hexside if enemy units crossed that hexside to enter the combat hex, and the combat strength of the entering force was at least one-fourth that of the retreating force.
Example: A force of 44 combat strength points occupies a hex. An enemy force of 80 strength points enters from the north, and another of 10 from the south. One-fourth of 44 is 11, so the defending units can retreat south, but not north.
(14.25) All units must retreat into the same hex; a stack may not be split up during retreat (Exception: 14.72).
(14.26) When units retreat before combat, the owning power loses 5 morale points (see 19.15).
14.3 Entering Siege
(14.31) When an attack occurs in a hex containing a city owned by the defender, his units may accept siege in the city.
(14.32) When units accept siege, place a "Siege" marker on top of them. Units under siege are subject to the rules of section 17.
(14.33) If all units accept siege, the attacker must make a decision - he may besiege the city, in which case no combat takes place; or he may assault the city.
(14.34) If the attacker assaults the city, combat is resolved just as it would normally be, except that the combat strength of all units which accepted siege is doubled.
-
In deforested provinces, their strength is tripled; see 16.2.
-
When barbarians or Parthians assault a city, the defender's combat strength is always tripled, even in forested provinces. (Neither barbarians nor the Parthians had adequate siege technology.)
Note: "Parthians" are not the same as "Persians"; this rule does not apply to Persians. (Check the scenario description to make sure which power is in play.)
(14.35) If the defending player wishes, some of his units may accept siege, and others either retreat before combat or engage in combat.
- When this happens, the attacker can either attack the units outside the city alone or attack them and assault the city at the same time. If he assaults the city, the combat strength of the units which accepted siege is doubled (or tripled) and added to the (unmodified) combat strength of the units which did not.
14.4 Resolving Combat
(14.41) Even if an attack is declared, combat does not occur if:
-
the defender retreats before combat, or
-
all defending units accept siege, and the attacker decides not to assault the city.
(14.42) When combat occurs, each player must total his units' combat strengths. No units can be withheld (Exception: 14.35).
-
The combat strength of defending units under siege is doubled or tripled (see 14.34).
-
The combat strength of any attacking unit which entered the hex by crossing a river or narrow seas hexside, or by amphibious invasion is halved.
Exception: If the unit crossed a river hexside during flood (see 9.5), its strength is reduced to one-third its normal value.
- If the hex contains a city, port or fortification owned by the defender, its combat strength is added to the defending total (see 16.1).
(14.43) The players compare the attacker's combat strength to the defender's as a ratio. This ratio is rounded down, in the defender's favor, to one of those found along the top of the Land Combat Results Table (14.9). (See 10.74 for an example of combat ratio calculation.)
(14.44) The attacker rolls a die. The leadership value of one attacking leader is added to the die roll; the value of one defending leader is subtracted. The die-roll may also be modified by the powers' morale levels (see 19.3) and CER (see 14.5).
- Each player chooses which of his leaders is used if more than one is present. If no leaders are present, leaders do not affect the die-roll.
(14.45) If combat takes place in a rough or marsh hex, 1 is subtracted from the die-roll.
(14.46) The players refer to the Land Combat Results Table and find the calculated ratio along the top of the table and the modified die-roll along the left-hand side. They cross-reference to find a result.
- Combat results are described in 14.6.
14.5 Combat Efficiency Rating
(14.51) Each unit has a combat efficiency rating (CER for short) from A (best) to C (worst). Scenario descriptions assign initial CERs. Units mobilized during a game have the same CER as the area from which they are raised (see 7.62).
(14.52) When combat occurs, the attacker and defender compare their CERs using the Combat Efficiency Chart (14.8). The attacker's CER is found along the left-hand side of the chart, and the defender's along the top. The two are cross-referenced to produce a number. This number is added to the die-roll on the Land Combat Results Table (see 14.44). (Remember that adding a negative number is a subtraction.)
(14.53) Often a stack will contain units of different CERs. To determine the stack's effective CER for combat purposes, use the CER which contributes a majority of the stack's total strength.
If no one CER has a majority, the stack is CER B.
Example: There are 32 strength points of CER A units, and 31 of CER C units; therefore, the stack is CER A.
14.6 Combat Results
(14.61) Each combat result consists of two parts separated by a slash. The first part applies to the attacker, the second part to the defender.
One of the two parts will be printed in boldface. The player whose result is printed in boldface is the victor, and his opponent the loser of the battle.
(14.62) If a player's result is "E", his force is eliminated.
(14.63) If the player's result is "A" or "D", he loses at least as many strength points as the other player did (round fractions up).
Example: The combat result is E/A; the attacker has a 4-12, which is eliminated. The defender is required to lose at least as many strength points as the attacker, but he has two 6-16's; to satisfy the loss, he must lose one of these units.
The effects of terrain and cities on combat strengths apply only when calculating combat ratios, not when calculating combat losses.
Example: Losing a 4-12 in a city does not satisfy an 8-point loss.
(14.64) If the player's result is "½ A" or "½ D", he loses at least half the number of strength points his opponent lost.
If the result is "¼ A", "¼ D", "¾ A" or "¾ D", the player must lose at least one quarter or three-quarters the number of strength points lost by his opponent.
Example: If the attacker is required to lose 15 strength points and the defender's result is "½ A", the defender loses at least 8 strength points.
(14.65) If a player's result is "N", he loses nothing.
(14.66) The losing force must retreat. Rule 14.23 applies. If the force cannot retreat, at least half of the remaining strength points are eliminated.
-
Cavalry superiority does not prevent retreat after combat.
-
When the defender retreats, rule 14.24 also applies.
-
Instead of retreating to an adjacent hex, the force may retreat into a friendly city in the same hex, accepting siege. In this case, place a "Siege" marker on top of the units. The besieged units cannot be attacked again in the same Combat Phase.
-
Besieged units are not forced to retreat when they lose in combat. They remain under siege.
(14.67) Any city in the hex belonging to the losing side is captured, unless units remain under siege in the city or all opposing units have been eliminated (see 16.11).
(14.68) Eliminated units are removed from the game map and can be mobilized or taken as replacements on any future Taxation and Mobilization Phase.
(14.69) Note: Unlike other games, the reduced strength side of a unit is not used when it loses strength in combat. There are no "step losses" in Imperium Romanum II. The reduced strength side of a unit represents it when unseasoned (see 15).
14.7 Fleets in Land Combat
(14.71) Fleets in coastal hexes can engage in land combat. A fleet's land combat strength is one fourth its naval combat strength.
Example: The land combat strength of an 18-30 fleet is 4; of two 18-30 fleets, 9.
(14.72) If fleets are part of a force which retreats (either before or after combat), they may retreat to a different hex from the one to which land units retreat.
(14.73) Defending fleets may always retreat before land combat, even if the attacking player has two-to-one cavalry superiority, unless he has twice as many naval combat strength points in the hex as the defender.
-
Only two-to-one naval superiority prevents retreat before combat by fleets.
-
Fleets may retreat before combat even if other friendly units do not or cannot (the player does suffer the 5-point morale loss in this case).
(14.74) If there are land units embarked on a fleet, and the land units participate in land combat, the land units are disembarked.
(14.75) When calculating land combat losses, fleets' strengths are quartered before losses are applied. That is, eliminating a 36-30 fleet satisfies only a 9-point land combat loss, not 36 points.
(14.76) Fleets, like land units, can besiege and accept siege (see 17.2).
14.8 Combat Efficiency Chart
(see chart booklet)
14.9 Land Combat Results Table
(see chart booklet)
15. Seasoning Units
(15.1) A newly built land unit is placed with its unseasoned (lower strength) side face-up (see 7.45). At the end of combat, both players may season units.
(15.2) Only unseasoned units which took part in combat can be seasoned. A player may only season as many strength points of unseasoned units as the total combat strength of the enemy force.
Example: A player has four unseasoned 10-10 legions, and attacks one veteran 20-10 legion and an unseasoned 2-12 light infantry (total strength 22). The result is "N/N". The attacker may season two of his legions, but not the other two; the defender may season his light infantry.
(15.3) When a unit is seasoned, it is flipped to its veteran (higher strength) side.
(15.4) No units can be seasoned when an attack results in retreat before combat, or a siege without assault. Only when combat is actually resolved can units be seasoned.
16. Cities
16.1 Intrinsic Combat Strengths
(16.11) Each city has a combat strength. A player captures a city when he defeats it in combat or eliminates its strength through siege (see 14.61 and 17.34).
(16.12) Units can move through hexes containing enemy cities but cannot capture those cities unless they stop and attack.
(16.13) Minor cities (dots) have combat strengths of 1. Major cities (squares) have combat strengths of 3. The imperial capital has a combat strength of 10. Normally Roma is the imperial capital (see 22).
(16.14) If friendly units defend in a city hex, the city's combat strength is added to their strength. If they accept siege, the city's combat strength is added after the units' strength is doubled or tripled.
(16.15) Non-city ports have combat strengths of 1. They add this strength to the strength of friendly units in the same hex, and can defend alone, just like cities. However, non-city ports cannot be besieged; they are captured when they lose in land combat. They can be attacked just like normal land units, though obviously they cannot retreat, nor can they accept siege.
(16.16) The CER of ports and cities is always B.
16.2 Deforestation
Historical Note: When Roman armies laid siege to a city, they built siege engines - towers, ballistae and so on - out of local timber. Permanent, mobile siege trains were extremely rare. Certain provinces on the game-map contain few forests. Roman siegecraft was at a disadvantage in these areas.
(16.21) On the game-map, some provinces contain an ax symbol. These are deforested provinces.
(16.22) Normally, units under siege are doubled when assaulted (see 14.34). Units under siege in deforested provinces are tripled.
17. Siege
17.1 Besieging
(17.11) Units enter siege by the rules of 14.3. When units accept siege, they are under siege and the enemy units in the same hex are besieging them. A siege marker should be placed on top of units under siege.
(17.12) Units under siege may not leave their hex until the siege is broken.
(17.13) A siege is broken if, at any time, the unmodified combat strength of the besieging force is less than one-fourth the unmodified combat strength of the besieged units. When a siege is broken, remove the "Siege" marker.
(17.14) Besieging units may assault the besieged city during any friendly Land Combat Phase by the normal rules for assault (see 14.34).
(17.15) An enemy city which contains no units can be besieged (see 17.34).
(17.16) The besieged units may attack their besiegers during any friendly Land Combat Phase. Other friendly units may enter the hex and take part in the combat; all friendly units' combat strengths are combined in the attack.
-
If the besieging units are eliminated or forced to retreat, the siege is broken.
-
If the attackers are forced to retreat, the units which entered the hex from outside may not retreat into the city. The besieged units remain under siege.
17.2 Ports & Sieges
(17.21) If there are more fleets in the besieging force than in a besieged port, the city is blockaded.
(17.22) Fleets which are part of a besieging force are immune to rule 10.26. As long as they remain in the besieged hex, they need not return to a friendly port.
- At the end of the Naval Operations Phase of each winter turn, the owning player must roll for naval attrition for besieging fleets, just as if they had moved. The naval attrition value for besieging is 1; if a besieging fleet moves, add 1 to the naval attrition value for its movement (see 10.3).
(17.23) Unless a port is blockaded, it can provide supply to units besieged in the port city (subject to normal restrictions - see 13.11). If a port is blockaded, any units besieged in the port city must draw supply from baggage trains, or by foraging, or be eliminated.
(17.24) Besieged fleets may engage besieging fleets during the Naval Operations Phase, and vice versa. The fact that a fleet is besieged does not prevent it from engaging in naval combat. There is no combat strength modification for being besieged in naval combat.
(17.25) Unless a port is blockaded, fleets may freely enter or leave the port, transporting land units in either direction.
(17.26) A non-city port cannot be besieged, although it does have a combat strength (see 16.15).
17.3 Siege Attrition
(17.31) Besieged units are subject to siege attrition. During his Siege Attrition Phase, the phasing player determines attrition for each city he is besieging, except that a city does not suffer attrition on the same game-turn in which it accepts siege.
Example: Siege is laid in June. The first siege attrition roll is made in July.
(17.32) Refer to the Siege Attrition Table (17.4). Find the number of turns that the city has been besieged on the left-hand side of the table, and the siege attrition value in the right-hand column.
(17.33) Modify the siege attrition value as directed by the table. Then, roll one die. If the die-roll is less than or equal to the modified attrition value, siege attrition occurs.
(17.34) If siege attrition occurs, one besieged unit is eliminated. The besieged player decides which unit to remove, but he must remove units in the order specified by the Siege Priority Chart (see 17.5).
If no units are left, the city's intrinsic defense strength is reduced by one. (This reduction is temporary and ceases to apply as soon as the siege is broken or the city captured.) If the city's defense strength is reduced to zero, the siege is over, and the city has been captured by the besieger. (Players must remember or note on scrap paper how many points of its defense strength a city has lost.)
17.4 Siege Attrition Table
(see chart booklet)
17.5 Siege Priority Chart
(see chart booklet)
18. Leaders
18.1 Effects on Units
(18.11) Land units which move with leaders may force march (12.3).
(18.12) Leaders modify die-rolls during combat (10.75 and 14.44).
(18.13) Units can only be mobilized in provinces containing leaders (7.43).
(18.14) Leaders move and can be transported in the same way as land units. A leader has no stacking value and can be carried by a fleet and supplied "for free".
18.2 Command Boxes
(18.21) In Imperium Romanum II, stacks of units sometimes become unwieldy. To ease stacking problems, when a leader is with a stack of units, the players may remove the stack from the game map and use the leader counter to record the location of the whole stack.
(18.22) The command boxes printed around the game-map are used for this purpose. When a stack is removed from the map, place it in one of the boxes. If the leader is an Imperator or Rex, place the stack in the "Imperator or Rex" box. Any leader can use the other boxes; the players should remember, or note on their record sheets, which leader uses which box.
(18.23) The sole purpose of command boxes is to ease stacking problems. Units in boxes may be transferred to the hex in which their leader is located, or vice versa, at any time. The leader may not move in such a way that the movement allowance of any unit in the command box is exceeded (Exception: 12.3).
18.3 Losing Leaders
(18.31) A leader alone in a hex which does not contain any friendly units has a combat strength of 1, which can only be used defensively. If the leader is attacked and suffers a combat result which would cause his elimination, the attacking player has the option of killing or capturing the leader.
(18.32) A leader may also be captured or killed by an enemy player when:
-
all units in the leader's stack are eliminated in combat.
-
the leader is in a city under siege which is captured.
(18.33) If a leader is on a naval unit which is destroyed by naval attrition, the leader is killed.
(18.34) A captured leader is moved by the capturing player but must always end his move with units of the capturing power or a client state or ally until freed. The captured leader does not affect combat, movement or recruiting while captured. The capturing player may free the leader during any Diplomacy Phase; once freed, the leader returns to the owning player's control.
(18.35) When a leader is killed, his power loses morale points (see 19.14).
(18.36) When a named leader is killed, he is permanently removed from play.
(18.37) When an unnamed leader (one printed with the helmet symbol) is killed, his counter is placed on the Month Track on the next month which has a Taxation and Mobilization Phase.
-
During the Taxation and Mobilization Phase of that turn, the player refers to the Unnamed Leader Replacement Table (18.5) and rolls one die. He finds the leader's value along the left-hand side; if the die-roll is less than or equal to the number printed in the right column of the table, the leader returns to play.
-
If the leader returns to play, he may be placed with any stack containing units owned by his power.
-
If the leader does not return to play, the player may roll for him again during the next Taxation and Mobilization Phase and each such phase thereafter.
18.4 Imperator or Rex
(18.41) Each Roman faction has an Imperator. Many non-Roman powers (civilized or barbarian) have a Rex.
The scenario description indicates which leader is a power's Imperator or Rex.
(18.42) The loss of an Imperator or Rex causes a greater morale loss than the loss of any other leader (see 19.14).
(18.43) In Roman civil war scenarios, the loss of an Imperator can cause faction dissolution (see 28).
(18.44) Some scenario descriptions list possible successors for an Imperator or Rex. If the Imperator or Rex is eliminated, the indicated successor becomes the new Imperator or Rex. A new Imperator or Rex may be selected several times as leaders are killed.
- If the scenario lists no successor, no leader replaces the Imperator or Rex upon his death.
(18.45) A power's treasury is always with its Imperator or Rex. If it has no Imperator or Rex, its treasury is located with its highest value leader. (If two or more are tied for highest value, the player decides which carries the treasury.)
(18.46) If the leader carrying the treasury is killed or captured in land combat, the opposing player gains 25% of the treasury. Another 25% is lost. The original player retains the remaining 50%.
If the leader is killed or captured in any other way, 50% of the treasury is lost and 50% retained.
18.5 Unnamed Leader Replacement Table
(see chart booklet)
19. Morale
19.1 Morale Levels
(19.11) Each power has a morale level, which is recorded on the owning player's Power Form. Initial levels are provided by the scenario description.
(19.12) Each time a power loses control of a province (see 5.42), it loses as many morale points as the province's tax value. Each time a power gains a province it gains as many morale points as the tax value.
(19.13) Each time a power loses a unit, whether through combat, supply loss, or for some other reason, it loses as many morale points as that unit's stacking value (see 13.2). Each time a power destroys an enemy unit in combat or through siege attrition, or gains an enemy unit through defection, it gains as many morale points as the unit's stacking value.
(19.14) Each time a power loses an unnamed leader, it loses 1 morale point plus as many points as the leader's value (e.g., losing a +1 leader costs 2 points).
-
Losing a named leader other than the Imperator or Rex costs twice as many points (a named +1 leader would cost 4 points).
-
Losing an Imperator or Rex costs ten times as many points (a +1 Imperator would cost 20 points).
-
Each time a power eliminates an enemy leader in combat it gains an equivalent number of points.
(19.15) Each time a power's units retreat before combat, the power loses 5 morale points.
(19.16) If none of a power's units make any attacks in a summer game-turn, the power loses 5 morale points.
-
Declaring an attack is sufficient to meet this condition, even if no combat is actually resolved because the defending units retreat or accept siege.
-
Assaulting an enemy city is "making an attack" even if there are no enemy units in the city.
-
Powers do not lose morale points for failing to make attacks during winter game-turns. Also, inactive minor powers never lose morale for failing to attack.
(19.17) The victor in a combat gains two morale points. The loser loses two morale points. This is in addition to any morale gain or loss for losing units (see 10.79 and 14.61).
- The two points are not gained or lost when a city which contains no enemy units is attacked. This rule applies only when units are involved.
19.2 Morale and Imperial Capitals
(19.21) In most scenarios, Roma is the imperial capital; in some scenarios, Ravenna, Nicomedia and/or Constantinopolis may be the capital (see 22).
(19.22) The imperial capital has a morale value; this value changes from scenario to scenario and is listed in the scenario description. When the owning power of the imperial capital loses it to another power, it loses as many morale points as the capital's morale value. Conversely, the capturing player gains this number of points.
(19.23) Capitals have other effects during Roman civil war scenarios; see 28.3.
19.3 Morale Effect on Combat
(19.31) Whenever combat, land or naval, is resolved, the two sides must compare their morale levels.
(19.32) If one player's morale level is at least 50 points higher than the other player's, he adds one to (when attacking) or subtracts one from (when defending) the die-roll on the Combat Results Table. This is in addition to any other die-roll modifications.
- One is added or subtracted for each 50 points of difference; thus, if the difference is between 100 and 149, two is added or subtracted, etc.
(19.33) Before the morale comparison is made, either or both players may announce that he is making a donative. A donative temporarily increases a player's morale by 1 point per talent spent. Thus, a player with a morale of 75 who spends 28 talents has an effective morale of 103.
-
The morale increase lasts only as long as the attack; no change is made to the morale level on the player's Power Record.
-
Both players may make donatives; each may respond to donatives made by the other player. They may continue to announce additional payments until they no longer wish to do so, or until they run out of money.
-
A player may spend a maximum of 99 more talents than spent by his opponent.
(19.34) If a force contains units which belong to different powers, the morale level of the power whose units contribute the largest portion of the stack's combat strength is used.
If two or more powers are tied for the largest strength contribution, use the higher morale.
Example: Marc Antony's Romans are attacking in conjunction with Cleopatra's Egyptians. Antony has a morale of 84, and Aegyptus of 60. The Roman units' total combat strength is 103, and the Egyptians' is 102. The player's effective morale is 84.
19.4 Morale Chart
(see chart booklet)
20. Power Dissolution
If a power's morale is reduced to or below zero, it dissolves. During Roman civil war scenarios, factions may also dissolve upon the death of an Imperator (see 28).
20.1 Minor Powers
(20.11) If a minor power's morale reaches zero because:
a) one of its provinces has been conquered
b) it has retreated before combat, or
c) some of its units or leaders have been eliminated
The minor power immediately becomes a client state of the power which conquered the province or declared the attack. The minor power's morale becomes 50, and the conquering player adds the minor power to his Power Form.
(20.12) If a minor power dissolves for some other reason, the power becomes inactive and neutral. All leaders and units outside its remaining provinces are immediately placed in its provinces, even those currently under siege; the former controlling player determines where. Any accrued replacement points are lost. If enemy units remain in one of the power's provinces, or if it is invaded on a future turn, it is immediately reactivated (see 23).
20.2 Major Powers
(20.21) If a major power which is not a Roman faction dissolves, it immediately becomes an inactive neutral minor power. The same rules as for 20.12 are used.
(20.22) If all of a player's major powers dissolve, he is out of the game. Each of his client states becomes the client state of the nearest major power. Client states can be taken over by non-Roman major powers. Control of neutral minor powers is determined by the farthest power rule.
20.3 Roman Factions
If a Roman faction dissolves, follow these rules:
(20.31) Its Imperator is removed from play.
(20.32) Its provinces defect to the control of other Roman factions. Only Roman factions may gain control of the provinces; non-Roman major powers may not. Follow this schedule of priorities to determine what power gains control of a province:
-
The province defects to the faction which has units in the province. If two or more factions have units in the province, it defects to the power with the higher morale.
-
If the province contains no units, it defects to the faction which controls the closest province, measured in hexes from each province's border. A player may not use a province gained through defection to claim ownership of other provinces defecting at the same time.
-
If the dissolving power controls cities in a province but not the province itself, the cities defect to:
a) the faction which controls the province's capital, if any, or
b) the faction which controls the largest number of other cities in the province, or
c) the faction which controls the nearest province.
d) In the event of ties, the faction with the higher morale gains control. If tied in morale as well, roll a die to determine which gains control.
(20.33) Any units and leaders in a defecting province defect to the same player as the province.
(20.34) Any units and leaders outside of the dissolving power's provinces defect to the Roman faction which controls the province in which they are located, or, failing that, which controls the nearest Roman province. In the event of ties, they go to the faction with the higher morale, etc.
(20.35) One-half of the units of each type in a defecting stack are removed; the remainder are replaced with equivalent units of the new owner's color (Exception: 20.4).
Example: Three 4-12's, two 10-10's and one 20-10 defect; the new owner receives one 4-12 and one 10-10.
-
If the new power does not have as many unused unit counters as it needs, the extra defecting units are removed.
-
The units' CER cannot increase through defection; CER B units cannot be replaced with counters which represent CER A units. (A power which has only one color of units, of CER A, could not gain CER B units, unless rule 20.4 applied. The defecting units would simply be removed.)
-
Leaders are not replaced with new counters; the new owner continues to use the old ones.
(20.36) When a player gains leaders, units and/or provinces through defection, his morale is increased by the morale value of each.
Example: A player gains a 0-16 unnamed leader, 5 stacking points of units, and three provinces with a total tax value of 12. He gains 18 morale points.
20.4 Acquiring Colors (Roman factions only)
(20.41) When a Roman faction dissolves, some other Roman faction acquires the ability to raise units of its color(s).
(20.42) The Roman faction which gains control of the largest number of units of a particular color gains control of the color. (Higher morale gains in the event of ties.) He need not replace defecting units of that color with units of another color, per 20.35. The number of units he receives is still halved.
(20.43) The CER of the newly-gained color remains the same; the player who gains control of the color may raise units of that color on future Taxation and Mobilization Phases.
21. Fortifications
21.1 Building Fortifications
(21.11) Infantry units (only) may build fortifications during the Movement Phase. A unit may not move in the same phase in which it builds fortifications.
(21.12) Four stacking points of infantry may build one level of fortifications. More than one level of fortifications can be built in a hex during a game-turn, as long as four stacking points of infantry are present for each step built.
(21.13) Building fortifications costs talents; the cost per level of fortification is listed on the Mobilization Charts (7.9).
(21.14) When units build fortifications, place an "under construction" marker on top of them to indicate that they may not move on the same game-turn.
(21.15) If, at the beginning of the player's next Movement Phase the "under construction" marker remains in place, it is removed and replaced with a fortification marker representing as many levels of fortifications as were built.
Fortification markers come in strengths of 1, 3 and 5. They can be used "like change"; if a player builds seven levels in a hex, he may place two "3" markers and one "1" marker, or one "5" marker and two "1" markers.
(21.16) If units building fortifications move, make an attack, or lose in combat (see 14.61), the "under construction" marker is removed. No fortification marker is placed, and the talents spent to build fortifications are lost.
(21.17) If fortifications have been built in a hex, a player may increase the level of fortifications on a later turn by building additional levels.
21.2 Limitations
(21.21) Each period has a maximum fortification level, listed on the Period Mobilization Chart. No hex may contain more fortification levels than the maximum.
Example: In Period 2, the maximum level is 7; no hex could contain 8 points of fortifications.
Exception: Two or more players may build fortifications in the same hex. In this case, each can build up to the maximum.
(21.22) The number of fortification markers provided with the game is a limit on fortification construction. If all fortification markers are in play, no new fortifications can be built.
21.3 When Fortifications Are Removed
(21.31) If, during a Taxation and Mobilization Phase, one of a player's fortifications is not occupied by any friendly unit, it is removed from the game-map unless the player spends as many talents as its fortification level.
(21.32) Fortifications cannot be captured. If a player takes a hex containing enemy fortifications, they are removed.
(21.33) A player may always voluntarily remove any of his fortifications from play.
21.4 Fortification Effects
(21.41) Any fortification adds its strength to the strength of other units in the hex when defending (only).
Example: Two 4-12 units occupy a hex containing a level 2 fortification. The total combat strength of the units when attacking is 8; when defending, 10.
(21.42) In addition, a maximum level fortification acts in many ways like a city.
-
Friendly units in a hex with a maximum level fortification may accept siege in it.
-
If the fortification is assaulted, the units' combat strength is doubled (tripled in deforested areas or when assaulted by barbarians or Parthians).
-
Units in a hex with a friendly maximum level fortification may forage from it, just as units can forage in a city. The fortification's forage value is equal to its level.
(21.43) If a besieger builds a maximum level fortification in a hex containing a besieged city, the besieging units are doubled or tripled if attacked, just like the besieged units.
(21.44) A fortification built in a friendly city hex effectively increases the city's intrinsic defense strength; a maximum level fort also increases its forage value. The multiplier for the defending units' combat strength remains the same.
22. Corn & Imperial Capitals
22.1 The Imperial Capital
(22.11) Each scenario description indicates which city is the imperial capital, and its morale value (see 19.2).
(22.12) Powers can gain morale points for possession of the imperial capital (see 28.3).
(22.13) The imperial capital has an intrinsic defense strength of 10 (see 16.13).
22.2 Corn
(22.21) Certain provinces on the game-map contain corn symbols.
Example: Aegyptus contains four.
(22.22) During the Diplomacy Phase of each game-turn, the owner of the imperial capital, if a Roman faction, must check to determine whether or not a corn rebellion occurs. A corn rebellion may occur if he does not control provinces containing at least five corn symbols.
(22.23) The player who owns the capital counts up the corn symbols contained in his provinces. If another player with corn-producing provinces wishes, he may permit the capital-owner to add his corn symbols to the total.
(22.24) The player who owns the capital refers to the Corn Rebellion Table (22.4). He finds the total along the left-hand side of the table. He rolls a die; if the number rolled is within the span listed on the right-hand side, a rebellion occurs.
(22.25) Important: The four corn symbols in Chersonesus can only be used when Constantinopolis is the capital.
22.3 Corn Rebellions
(22.31) When a corn rebellion occurs, two unseasoned 2-12 light infantry units are placed in the imperial capital.
(22.32) The player whose units are closer to the imperial capital than any other player's controls the units. The player against whom the rebellion occurs is not eligible to control the units.
If two or more players' units are equally close to the capital, the player with the higher morale gains control of the units; if they have equal morale, roll a die to determine which gains control.
(22.33) The owner of the units is the new owner of the capital; he and the previous owner gain or lose morale points accordingly (see 19.22). In addition, the previous owner loses an extra 10 morale points because of the corn rebellion.
- If the old capital owner had units in the capital at the moment of rebellion, they are now no longer considered inside the capital; they may besiege the rebelling units, if their player wishes.
(22.34) The new owner must begin to check for a possible corn rebellion with the very next Diplomacy Phase. It is possible for corn rebellions to occur several times in the course of a game.
22.4 Corn Rebellion Table
(see chart booklet)
23. Inactive Powers
23.1 Activation
(23.11) When hostile units enter a province owned by an inactive power, the power is activated. Any player's units are hostile to a neutral power. Only units which do not belong to the owner of a client state, or his client states or allies, are hostile to the client state.
(23.12) If an inactive power has units listed in the scenario description, those are its units. Otherwise, the players use the Inactive Power Table upon activation.
(23.13) An inactive power is either civilized or barbarian. Unless the scenario description indicates otherwise, it is barbarian if its provinces are wild; it is civilized if they are cultivated (see 11). If it owns both wild and cultivated provinces, it is civilized.
(23.14) When a power without units listed in the scenario is activated, refer to the Inactive Power Table, using the barbarian or civilized section, as appropriate. Roll two dice, total the rolls, and modify the total as the table directs. Find the modified roll along the left-hand side of the table. Entries on the same line of the table will indicate the power's CER, its initial morale level, its replacement rate and the number and type of units it controls.
(23.15) If a civilized minor power which has at least one port is activated, the controlling player may replace any or all 16-9 heavy infantry units it raises with 18-30 fleets. If Arabia Deserta or Sagartia is activated, the units it raises are automatically replaced with 6-16 light cavalry units worth as many stacking points as the units listed on the table.
23.2 Control
(23.21) Activated client states are controlled by their owning player.
(23.22) Activated neutrals are controlled per the farthest power rule (see 5.25).
23.3 Reversion to Neutrality
(23.31) Once a civilized power is activated, it remains active for the rest of the game, unless conquered or dissolved.
(23.32) An activated barbarian power can revert to inactive status. It does so if, at the end of any game turn, there are no units belonging to any other power in any of its provinces. When it reverts, all its units are removed from play. The barbarian power can be reactivated on a subsequent turn.
23.4 Inactive Power Table
(see chart booklet)
24. Plunder
(24.1) If at the end of his Siege Resolution Phase, a player has at least one unbesieged heavy infantry or heavy cavalry unit in a province's capital city, he may plunder the province. He places a "Plunder 2" marker in the province and adds three times the province's taxation value to his treasury.
- Minor powers which plunder a province do not gain talents for plundering.
(24.2) During the next Taxation and Mobilization Phase the plunder marker is flipped to the "Plunder 1" side. During the subsequent Taxation and Mobilization Phase, it is removed from the province. In neither phase may the province be taxed, nor units be raised there.
(24.3) A power which plunders one of its own provinces may never raise units in that province, for the remainder of the game. In addition, once the plunder marker is removed, it only receives half the normal tax income from the province. If the province is conquered by another player, that player receives the full income.
(24.4) Forage values are halved in plundered provinces; baggage trains may not accumulate supply points there.
(24.5) Cities in plundered provinces have no intrinsic defense strength as long as the province remains plundered. A modification is made to siege attrition die-rolls for sieges in plundered provinces (see 17.4).
(24.6) When a barbarian power (only) plunders a province, it immediately gains as many morale points as the province's tax value.
(24.7) When a province one power controlled at the beginning of the game or gained through dissolution is plundered by another power, the first power's morale is reduced by one-half the province's tax value.
25. Winning the Game
(25.1) Each scenario lists an historical end date. Each scenario also includes victory conditions for each player. Unless the scenario specifies otherwise, the game ends with the completion of the historical end date's month. Thereupon, the players check their victory conditions to determine which of them has won.
- Sometimes the scenario description will indicate that the game should be ended when one or several players have met their victory conditions, instead of waiting for the "historical" date. (This is especially true of the scenarios which, historically, went on for years at a time.)
(25.2) In multi-player games it is entirely possible for there to be more than one winner.
(25.3) If during the course of the game, all factions but one have undergone dissolution, that faction is automatically the winner.
(25.4) If all factions dissolve in the course of the game, everyone loses.
(25.5) Players may, by mutual agreement, extend scenarios beyond the historical end date, or end the game sooner.
Special Rules
Use these rules only when the scenario description directs.
26. Civilized Recruitment
(Scenarios 1-3, 7, 13, 20, 21, 32 and 33.)
Civilized non-Roman major powers often use a system of recruitment different from Roman mobilization or minor power accrual.
(26.1) Civilized powers accrue replacement points each Taxation and Mobilization Phase. The number of points a power accrues each phase is indicated in the scenario description. There is no limit to the number of points a civilized power may accrue; it may accrue points even if none of its units have been eliminated.
(26.2) During a Taxation and Mobilization Phase, civilized powers may build new units. Civilized powers are not limited to rebuilding eliminated units; a power may build any of the units of its color(s) which are not in play.
Exception: If a power did not begin a scenario with a unit of a particular type, it may not build units of that type (e.g., if it did not begin with any 16-10 legions, it may not build any, even if available).
(26.3) Civilized powers do tax their provinces, like other major powers.
(26.4) When a civilized power builds a unit, it must expend both talents and replacement points. The number of talents spent is equal to the unit cost listed on the Mobilization Chart (7.9) for the scenario. The number of replacement points spent is equal to the stacking value of the unit (see 13.2).
-
Civilized powers ignore mobilization area limits; the only data on Mobilization Charts of interest to civilized powers is unit costs.
-
The cost of raising a 20-9 is the same as that of a 20-10; the cost of a 16-9 is the same as that of a 16-10.
(26.5) Rules 7.4 (purchasing units), 7.6 (countermix limits), 7.7 (baggage trains), 7.8 (fleets) and 35 (training - when appropriate) apply to civilized powers.
Exception: Ignore rule 7.86 (fleet mobilization limits).
27. Pirates & Rhodus
(Scenarios 1 and 2)
27.1 Pirates
Pirates
Type: civilized non-Roman; neutral but controlled by Mithradates
Morale: none
Replacement Rate: 2
Controlled Provinces: Melita; also controls all non-city ports located in provinces in which pirate units begin the game.
Set-Up: Purple (scenario 1), Red (scenario 2); both CER B
Place 1 x 4-12 and 1 x 18-30 in each of the following hexes (the numbers in parentheses correspond to the units' identification numbers):
3222W: (1) Corsica
3224W: (2) Sardinia
3424W: (3) Sardinia
4218W: (4) Illyricum
4228W: (5) Melita
5324W: (6) Creta
5624W: (7) Creta
6219W: (8) Cilicia
6318W: (9) Cilicia
6417W: (10) Cilicia
6515W: (11) Cilicia
(27.11) Pirates are controlled by Mithradates.
(27.12) Each separate pirate stack is a separate force. Pirates may never stack with members of another pirate stack or with Mithradatic forces. They may enter hexes controlled by another pirate force if the hexes are unoccupied.
(27.13) Pirates add one to all naval attrition die rolls. They also treat all non-city coastal hexes as ports for the purposes of rules 10.2, 10.4 and 16.15.
(27.14) A pirate unit (including fleets) may never move into a hex more than 12 movement points from one of the initial pirate starting hexes.
(27.15) Each 4-12 unit must remain in the same hex as its fleet, although it may be disembarked. Pirate units may make amphibious invasions, even if no +2 or +3 leader is present.
(27.16) Pirates do not suffer from or benefit by die-roll modifiers due to morale differences in combat. They never gain or lose morale points. (Other powers can gain morale points by eliminating pirate units.)
(27.17) If, during a Taxation and Mobilization Phase, any of a province's coastal hexes are occupied by pirate units, the province's tax value is reduced by one for each such hex. This reduction is not permanent, but applies only as long as coastal hexes are occupied by pirates.
Example: Three of Africa Proconsularis's hexes are occupied by pirates; Africa's tax value is 5 instead of 8.
(27.18) If, during a Diplomacy Phase, any pirate fleets are within 15 naval movement points of a corn-producing province, they may prevent the owner of Roma from using corn from that province. The province's corn production is reduced by one corn symbol per pirate fleet within 15 movement points. However, each pirate fleet may only "intercept" corn from one province. On a game-turn that a pirate fleet is used to intercept corn, it may not move or initiate combat.
27.2 Rhodus
Rhodus
Type: civilized non-Roman; client state of nearest Roman faction
Morale: 110
Replacement Rate: 1
Controlled Provinces: Rhodus
Set-up: Yellow (CER A)
Place 2 x (4)-12 and 1 x 18-30 in hex 5821W.
Notes:
-
Rhodian units may not be used against any Roman faction's forces.
-
The combat strength of Rhodian units is doubled when fighting pirates.
28. Roman Civil Wars
(All scenarios except 11, 12, 23 and 29-32)
(28.1) In a Roman civil war scenario, a player whose major power is a Roman faction usually wins by eliminating all other powers' Imperators.
(28.2) If a Roman faction's Imperator and all his successors have been eliminated in a Roman civil war scenario, the faction undergoes immediate dissolution (see 20) even if its morale remains above zero.
(28.3) During Roman civil war scenarios, any player who owns an imperial capital at the end of his player-turn earns 2 morale points.
29. Militia
(Scenarios 10-33)
(29.1) In periods in which militia exists, each mobilization area has a maximum militia value on the Period Mobilization Chart; this is the maximum number of militia strength points which may exist in each province in the area.
Example: When Hispania's militia value is 12, Tarraconensis, Baetica, Lusitania and Gallaecia may each have 12 strength points of militia.
- Militia is not represented by unit counters; instead, each province has a militia combat strength total, which its owner records on his record sheet.
(29.2) Unless a scenario indicates otherwise, all provinces within the Empire which can have militia do, and each province's initial militia strength is equal to its maximum.
(29.3) Only the owner of a province may use its militia, and then only if the owner is a Roman power. Civilized non-Roman and barbarian powers never have militia.
(29.4) Whenever a player engages in land combat in a hex in a province he controls which has militia, he may add the militia's strength to his combat strength total. The militia strength may only be added to the strength of one force in a single combat phase, but can be used by different forces in different combat phases.
- If a force using militia suffers combat losses, the player must lose all militia strength points before suffering any unit losses. He notes any loss of militia strength points on his record sheet.
(29.5) If a province's militia total is less than its maximum, the owning player may rebuild militia at the cost indicated on the Mobilization Chart during a Taxation and Mobilization Phase. This cost is the number of talents that must be spent per militia strength point rebuilt.
- There is no limit to the number of militia strength points that can be rebuilt in a province, as long as its militia maximum is not exceeded.
(29.6) When a player loses control of a province, he loses control of its militia.
(29.7) When a Roman faction captures a province with militia, the player should ask the former owner how many militia strength points it retains. The new owner gains complete control of the militia. If any other power gains control of the province, its militia is eliminated and may only be rebuilt if a Roman faction regains control of the province.
(29.8) A province's militia has the same CER as its mobilization area, as indicated on the Mobilization Chart.
(29.9) Militia strength points may never accept siege and are never doubled by cities.
30. Limitanei
(Scenarios 9-26, 28-29 and 31-33)
(30.1) Any province designated by a scenario as having limitanei has them in all hexes adjacent to non-Roman provinces.
(30.2) Any province not controlled by a Roman faction is a non-Roman province.
(30.3) Any non-Roman unit which enters a hex containing limitanei must spend extra movement points, in addition to the normal movement point cost to enter the hex.
(30.4) The scenario description will specify the limitanei movement point cost.
(30.5) When a province which began the game containing limitanei is not controlled by a Roman faction, its limitanei do not exist; when it is recaptured by a Roman faction, they return to play.
31. Legion Reform
(Scenarios 18-33)
(31.1) Legions can never be seasoned. They always remain at the lower strength.
(31.2) All other land units, including barbarian and civilized non-Roman heavy infantry, can still be seasoned.
(31.3) A legion's stacking value is 2, not 4.
32. Overruns
(Scenarios 11-13 and 15-33)
(32.1) Only stacks containing heavy cavalry units (30-16's and 15-16's) may conduct overruns.
(32.2) If a stack containing heavy cavalry moves into a hex containing unbesieged enemy units, it can overrun them if the total combat strength of the moving heavy cavalry units is at least five times the total strength of the enemy units.
(32.3) Other moving units do not contribute their strength to the calculation.
(32.4) When an overrun occurs, the enemy units are removed from play and the moving units may continue moving.
(32.5) Cities cannot be overrun. Units in a hex containing a friendly city may accept siege rather than be overrun. Overrunning costs no movement points.
33. Corn Under Byzantium
(Scenarios 27-33)
(33.1) Chersonesus produces 4 corn.
(33.2) Aegyptus, Africa Proconsularis, and Sicilia each produce 2 corn.
(33.3) Baetica and Sardinia produce no corn.
(33.4) Only Constantinopolis consumes corn; Roma or Ravenna, if also an imperial capital, does not. (It still has a morale value, however.)
(33.5) All other rules of 22 still apply.
34. Fleet Conversion
(Scenario 4)
(34.1) At the beginning of his Movement Phase, a player may replace any of his fleets with unseasoned 8-10 legions. He simply removes fleet counters from the game-map and replaces them with 8-10 counters. A 36-30 counter can be replaced with two 8-10 counters.
(34.2) If no 8-10 legions are available, fleets can each be replaced with three unseasoned 2-12 light infantry units instead.
(34.3) Civilized non-Roman powers replace their fleets with 8-9 heavy infantry instead.
35. Training
(Scenarios 9-33)
(35.1) Heavy infantry and heavy cavalry units (see 2.54) must be trained.
-
Barbarian heavy infantry units (20-8) need not be trained, nor need any other units.
-
Minor powers are not required to train their units.
(35.2) Note: Training has nothing to do with seasoning. Newly-placed units are always unseasoned, whether they are trained or not.
(35.3) A unit can only be trained by a veteran unit of the same type (printed with the same symbol).
- A 16-10 legion can train an unseasoned 10-10 legion, even though it will be a 20-10 legion when veteran, because they are of the same type - both are legionary heavy infantry. A 16-10 could not train a 16-9 civilized non-Roman heavy infantry unit, because the 16-9 is of a different type - printed with a different symbol.
(35.4) When a unit is to be trained, it must be mobilized in an unbesieged city containing a veteran unit. Both units must remain in the city throughout the game-turn in which the unit is raised.
- Players may wish to place an "In Training" marker on the units as a reminder that they should not be moved.
(35.5) A player may still raise a heavy unit even if no veteran is available to train it. However, he must spend double the normal talent cost to raise the unit. (In June, September and December, he must pay quadruple the normal cost.)
(35.6) A player may move a unit and/or its trainer during the game-turn but immediately spends the money he saved if he does so. If he does not have enough money to pay this charge, he must remove the newly built unit.
36. Roman Archers
(Scenarios 26-33)
(36.1) Roman 4-12 and (4)-12 units are interchangeable; either or both may be raised in any area, even if its mobilization limit on the Mobilization Chart is not parenthesized.
(36.2) Similarly, Roman 6-16's and (6)-16's are interchangeable.
(36.3) If using rule 40.1, all Roman light units are treated as archers.
(36.4) Barbarian and civilized non-Roman light units are not interchangeable, unless otherwise noted by the scenario.
37. Neutral Minor Powers
Some neutral powers appear with identical setups in several scenarios. Rather than reprint the same set-up description several times, we provide them here, and direct scenario users to these rules.
37.1 Berbers
(Scenarios 29-33)
Type: Barbarian
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 2
Controlled Provinces: Mauretania Caesariensis, Mauretania Tingitana
Set-Up: Grey (CER C)
1532W: 0-16 #A, 5 x (6)-16
37.2 Saxon & Frisian Pirates
(Scenarios 28-33)
Type: Barbarian; neutral; active
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 2
Controlled Provinces: none
Set-Up: Grey (CER C)
2111W: 2 x (4)-12, 1 x 18-30
Notes:
-
Pirates treat all non-city coastal hexes on the Oceanus Germanicus and Oceanus Atlanticus as friendly port hexes. Rebuilt units can be placed in any such hex which is not occupied by enemy units.
-
In scenarios during which Saxon and Frisian pirates exist, the provinces of Britannia, Germania Inferior, Belgica and Lugdunensis contain limitanei in each coastal hex, if Roman-controlled. Provinces controlled by non-Roman powers do not. The movement penalty for these limitanei is 4 and applies to pirate units disembarking from fleets.
-
Pirates may always make amphibious invasions, even if no +2 or +3 leader is present.
37.3 Lombards
(Scenarios 32 and 33)
Type: Barbarian; neutral; inactive
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 4
Controlled Provinces: Iazygia
Set-Up: Brown (CER C)
4212W: 5 x 20-8
Notes: Roll a die each Diplomacy Phase; the Lombards become active on a roll of 6.
37.4 Suevi
(Scenarios 28-33)
Type: Barbarian; neutral; active
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 2
Controlled Provinces: Gallaecia
Set-Up: Black (CER C)
Anywhere in Gallaecia: +1-16 #1, 3 x 20-8, 2 x 4-12, 1 x 6-16
Notes: In scenario 30, Suevi use the Tan mix.
37.5 Persia
(Scenarios 24-27, 29 and 31)
Type: civilized non-Roman; neutral; inactive
Morale: 175
Replacement Rate: 8
Controlled Provinces: Adiabene, Albania, Armenia, Atropatene, Babylonia, Charax, Elymais, Hyrcania, Iberia, Media, Mesopotamia, Persia, Sagartia
Set-Up: Orange (CER: infantry B, cavalry A)
Place anywhere in Persia upon activation: +1-16 #2, +1-16 #3, 0-16 #A, 0-16 #B, 4 x (4)-12, 7 x 30-16, 2 x 6-16, 10 x (6)-16, 2 baggage trains
Notes:
-
All Persian 6-16's are treated as (6)-16's.
-
During each Diplomacy Phase, roll two dice: Persia becomes active on a roll of 9 or less. Add one to the die-roll for every 25 strength points of Roman units in Cappadocia, Osrhoene and Syria; however, the Persians will always activate on an unmodified roll of 2.
-
In scenario 30, infantry CER is C, and cavalry CER A.
37.6 Neutral Barbarians
(Scenarios 9-13, 18, 20, 22 and 25)
Type: barbarian; neutral; inactive
Controlled Provinces: Boiohaemum, Caledonia Citerior, Germania Magna, Iazygia, Dacia, Sarmatia
Notes:
-
Each Diplomacy Phase that a Roman province adjacent to any of the above provinces does not contain at least 20 land combat strength points of Roman units, roll for each barbarian province adjacent to the Roman province. On a roll of 5 or 6, the barbarian power becomes active; use the Inactive Power Table (23.4) to generate its forces.
-
The power remains active until all its units are eliminated. If it becomes inactive again, four turns later the players must start rolling for its reactivation, by the rule above.
-
Barbarians from one province are a separate power from barbarians from another province; all are neutral, may not stack with one another, are controlled by the farthest power rule, etc.
37.7 Gallic Rebels
(Scenarios 4-6)
Type: barbarian; neutral; inactive
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 0
Controlled Provinces: none
Set-Up: Yellow (CER C)
Upon activation, place: within 4 hexes of 2413W: 2 x 20-8; within 4 hexes of 2618W: 2 x 20-8; in 1714W: * (W), 1 x 4-12
Notes:
- During each Diplomacy Phase, roll a die for each of the three hexes (2413, 2618 and 1714). If the roll for a hex is 6, that hex's units are activated.
Exception: If there are at least 20 combat strength points of Roman units within 4 hexes of one of the hexes, do not roll for that hex.
-
Gallic units may not move or operate outside the provinces of Belgica, Germania Inferior and Superior, Lugdunensis, Aquitania and Narbonensis.
-
The units in hex 1714W do not appear in scenario 6.
37.8 Gallaecian Rebels
(Scenarios 4-8)
Type: barbarian; neutral; inactive
Morale: 100
Replacement Rate: 0
Controlled Provinces: None
Set-Up: black (CER C)
Upon activation, place 2 x 20-8 within four hexes of 1523W.
Notes:
-
If, during any Diplomacy Phase, there are fewer than 20 Roman combat strength points within 4 hexes of 1523W, roll a die. On a roll of 6, the Gallaecians are activated.
-
Once activated, Gallaecian units may only move and operate within the provinces of Gallaecia, Lusitania and Tarraconensis.
38. Special Leader Rules
(Scenarios 2 through 8, 32 and 33)
(38.1) Special Leader Sea Movement. A leader may move through sea hexes during the Land Movement Phase at a cost of 3 movement points per hex. The normal rules for naval movement do not apply; the leader need not end alternate turns in port, cannot be intercepted, does not suffer attrition, etc. If a leader ends his move at sea, and an enemy fleet enters his hex, the fleet can attack the leader, per 18.31.
(38.2) Special Naval Leaders. The following rule applies only to Pompey, Sextus Pompeius, Agrippa and Belisarius: the leader receives a modifier of 1 in his favor on all naval combat and attrition die-rolls.
38.3 Special Divine Intervention Rules (Optional)
These rules apply only if using optional rule 43 (Divine Intervention).
(38.31) Caesar, as Pontifex Maximus and a descendant of Venus, adds one to all divine intervention die-rolls.
(38.32) Sextus Pompeius, as the son of Neptune, adds one to all divine intervention die-rolls.
Optional Rules
The players may use any or all of these rules, by mutual agreement.
39. Random Events
39.1 Rolling for Events
(39.11) During the Random Events Phase (which only occurs on March, June, September and December game-turns), each player must roll for a random event.
(39.12) Each player refers to the Random Events Table (39.3). He rolls one die and adds the period to the die-roll. The modified roll is found along the left-hand side of the table. He then rolls a second die and adds the number of major powers which began the scenario to this roll; the modified second roll is found along the top of the table. The two are cross-referenced to produce a result.
- If a player controls more than one major power, roll separately for each.
(39.13) A random event result is a dash, or a letter from A to Z. If it is a dash, no random event occurs. If it is a letter, the player refers to the rules below, and follows the instructions given.
39.2 Random Event Descriptions
A: Military Intelligence
The player may examine any one stack of units on the board, or any one leader's command box.
B: Imperator/Rex Death
The player rolls a die again; on a roll of 1 through 5, it was a false alarm, and he loses 4 morale points. On a roll of 6, the major power's Imperator or Rex dies. If there is no successor, this may cause power dissolution (see 28.2).
C: Other Leader Death
Roll again; on a roll of 1 through 5, this was a false alarm, and the player loses 2 morale points. Otherwise, pick one leader (not counting Imperators or Reges) at random; this leader dies.
D: Receive Leader
The player's major power receives a new unnamed leader. Roll a die; on a roll of 1 though 3, the leader's value is 0; on a 4 or 5, it is +1; on a 6, +2. If none of an appropriate color are available, take one of an unused color, if any; if that is impossible, no leader is received.
E: Plague
Roll a die again; unless a 6 is rolled, the event was a false alarm. If a 6 is rolled, the player who rolls this event takes any spare counter and, standing six feet from the game map, flips it with his thumbnail toward the map. The province in which the counter lands is subject to plague (flip again if the counter lands in the sea or along a province boundary). Each stack of land units in the province loses one-third its stacking points, and a "Plunder 2" marker is placed in the province. During the Diplomacy Phase of the next game-turn, the plague spreads to all adjacent cultivated provinces. (It may spread across crossing arrows, but never to wild provinces.) Each stack in these provinces loses 1/3 of its stacking points, and a Plunder 2 marker is placed. The plague is now over. The provinces containing "Plunder 2" markers are treated as plundered.
F: Famine
Roll a die again; unless a 6 is rolled, the event was a false alarm. If a 6 is rolled, the player takes any spare counter and, standing six feet from the game-map, flips it with his thumbnail toward the map. Famine occurs in the province in which the counter lands (see E above). The province remains in famine until the next September game-turn. Forage values in the province are halved until then. Mobilization levels (if any) are doubled. If the province contains corn symbols, it cannot supply corn to the imperial capital until the famine has passed.
G: Bad Harvest
Roll to determine the province affected: 1 - Africa Proconsularis; 2 - Aegyptus; 3 - Baetica; 4 - Sardinia; 5 - Sicilia; 6 - Chersonesus. The province can only supply half as much corn to the imperial capital as usual until the next September game-turn.
H: Good Harvest
Roll as in event G. The province can supply one and a half times as much corn as usual to the imperial capital. This lasts until the next September game-turn.
I: Dry Year/Heavy Snows
June or September: In November, subtract 1 from the season die-roll. December or March: In April, add 3 to the season die-roll.
J: Mild Summer/Mild Winter
June or September: In November, add 3 to the season die-roll. December or March: In April, subtract 1 from the season die-roll.
K: Storms at Sea
In summer: all winter movement costs apply for naval movement; use naval attrition rules. In winter: all movement costs are doubled for naval movement; add one to the naval attrition value.
L: Natural Disaster
Roll again; this is a false alarm unless a 6 is rolled. If a 6 is rolled, the player chooses one city (he may not choose the imperial capital). This city is destroyed. It no longer exists for all game purposes. The tax value of the province in which the city is located is reduced by the city's defense strength (or its tax value if using rule 41).
M: Quartermaster Corruption
Each of the rolling player's baggage trains loses one supply point.
N: Currency Debased
Each power loses one third of its talents.
O: Barbarian Incursion
If there is any barbarian major power, ignore the event. If there are any inactive barbarian minor powers with units listed in the scenario, this event activates one power (roll to determine which if there is more than one). Otherwise, roll a die to determine where the barbarians appear: 1 - Caledonia Ulterior; 2 - Germania Magna; 3 - Boiohaemum; 4 - Iazygia; 5 - Sarmatia; 6 - Arabia Deserta. Roll again; the number rolled is the number of 20-8 barbarian heavy infantry units which appear. (In Arabia, 6-16 light cavalry appears instead.) The farthest power deploys and controls the barbarians. The power is a neutral barbarian minor power; morale is 70; CER is C. No replacement points are received.
P: Parthian/Persian Activation
If the Parthians or Persians are an inactive minor power with units listed in the scenario (or special rule), they are activated and controlled by the farthest power. Otherwise, treat this as no event.
Q: Revolt
Roll a die for each province owned by the rolling player, in the order listed on his Power Form. The first province for which a 6 is rolled revolts. (If no 6 is rolled, none revolt.) Roll a die; place as many 4-12's in the province as the number rolled (farthest power places and controls). No player may tax or mobilize in the province until all 4-12's are eliminated. The rebels are an active neutral minor power, morale 75, CER C, replacement rate of 0.
R: Muttering Among the Troops
The rolling player's major power must immediately spend 25 talents. If it cannot spend the full amount, it loses 1 morale point for each point unspent.
S: Disloyal Legions
Only units stacked with the major power's leaders may move, intercept or initiate combat this game-turn; other units of his major power may not. Any major power unit more than 12 hexes from any of its power's leaders immediately defects to the closest Roman faction.
T: Political Crisis
If the rolling player does not control the imperial capital, this is no event. Otherwise, his Imperator must return to the capital within 3 game-turns, or his power loses 10 morale points.
U: Prosperity
The player's taxation this game turn is increased by 50%.
V: Hard Times
The player's taxation this turn is halved.
W: Widespread Devastation
No plunder marker is flipped or removed this phase.
X: Increased Mobilization
If the rolling player's major power accrues replacement points, it receives double the normal number this game turn. If it mobilizes units, it may mobilize one extra unit of each type this year (paying the normal talent cost for doing so, of course). That is, it may mobilize one extra 16-10; one extra 20-10; one extra 4-12; etc. The units can be mobilized in any single area of the player's choice.
Y: Decreased Mobilization
If the rolling player's major power accrues replacement points, it receives no points this game-turn. If it mobilizes units, it may mobilize one fewer unit of each type this year (see X).
Z: Active Cadre
If rule 35 is in effect, the rolling power may ignore all training requirements for this game-turn.
39.3 Random Events Table
(see chart booklet)
40. Optional Combat Rules
(40.1) If the attacker has at least twice as many missile combat strength points as the defender, 1 is added to the combat resolution die-roll; if the defender has at least twice as many missile strength points as the attacker, 1 is subtracted from the roll. Missile infantry and horse archers are considered missile troops.
(40.2) Similarly, if the attacker has at least twice as many cavalry strength points as the defender, 1 is added to the die-roll, etc.
-
No player can receive this bonus in an assault on a city or fortification.
-
The missile and cavalry bonuses can cancel each other out but cannot be used together to increase or decrease the die-roll by 2.
41. Optional City Rules
(41.1) There is a Taxation and Mobilization Phase every game-turn. Mobilization costs are doubled except during March, April, and May.
(41.2) All mobilization and other talent costs are three times what they are in the normal game (because taxation occurs three times as often).
(41.3) Players do not control provinces; instead, they control cities. Every dot city has a tax value and a combat strength of 1. Square cities' tax values and combat strengths vary with the period and are found on the Variable City Chart (41.8).
(41.4) The total tax value of each province is still found on the Tax Value Chart (6.3). However, if a power controls some but not all cities of a province, it may tax those cities. When control of a province is shared, the players must determine what revenue they receive from the province by counting up the tax values of the cities each controls.
(41.5) Players who share a province may all mobilize from it. The same rules as for shared mobilization areas are used.
(41.6) Plunder is by individual city, not by province. Essentially the same rules are used, except only plundered cities cannot be taxed, etc.
(41.7) If a province with militia is shared by Roman powers, the militia strength is apportioned among them in ratio with the portion of the province's tax value each controls.
41.8 Variable City Chart
(see chart booklet)
42. Conquest of Cityless Provinces
(42.1) To conquer a province which contains no cities, a power must first subdue it (see 5.45).
(42.2) A subdued province is conquered if it contains at least one maximum level fortification for every seven hexes within the province.
-
When the province is conquered, the new owner must designate one of the maximum level forts as a city. The province may be conquered by another player if he takes the city.
-
The conquered province's tax value remains zero.
-
Once the province has been conquered, the player retains control of it even if the garrisoning heavy units subsequently leave.
43. Divine Intervention
(43.1) Before a player rolls a die for any reason, he may announce that he is appealing to the gods (or, if monotheistic, to God). He rolls a die and refers to the Deity Appeal Table (43.4). The result from the table is applied immediately.
(43.2) Deity Appeal Table results may not be used to modify die-rolls for:
-
rolls on the Deity Appeal Table
-
season change
-
random events.
(43.3) There are two sections of the table - one for polytheists and one for monotheists.
-
A player is a polytheist if the scenario is number 20 or less. Exception: The Jews, Philippus Arabs and Constantine I are monotheists.
-
A player is a monotheist if the scenario is number 21 or greater.
Exception: All non-Roman powers, Licinius and Julian the Apostate are polytheists.
43.4 Deity Appeal Table
(see chart booklet)
44. Treasure Cities
(44.1) The following cities are treasure cities during the scenarios indicated: Alexandria (all), Antiochus (1-31), Carthago (1-31), Constantinopolis (20-33), Ctesiphon (20-33), Ephesus (1-27), Hierosolyma (1-9), Hispalis (3-29), Lugdunum (10-17), Mediolanum (16-27 and 31-33), Phraaspa (1-33), Rhodus (10-33), Roma (1-27), and Thessalonica (9-33).
(44.2) If a player has units in any of these cities during his player-turn, he may take the city's treasure. A city's treasure may only be taken once in any particular scenario.
(44.3) A city's treasure is worth three times the city's tax value as indicated on the Variable City Chart (41.8).
(44.4) Taking a city's treasure has nothing to do with plunder; even after a city's treasure has been taken, it may still be plundered.
(44.5) If a power which begins the game in control of a city takes that city's treasure, the power loses 15 morale points, or 25 morale points if the city is an imperial capital. Taking treasure from a city which begins the game under a different power's control costs no morale points.
Transcription note: This source document's own table of contents lists two further optional-rule sections, "Roman Usurpation (44.0)" and "Plague (45.0)," but their text does not appear anywhere in the transcribed document — it ends after 44.5 above. This gap exists in the source transcription itself; no content has been omitted or paraphrased from it here.