The Wars of Marcus Aurelius Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 2.0 Components
  • 2.1 The Map
  • 2.2 Counters
  • 2.3 Cards
• 3.0 Set-up
• 4.0 Tracking Time & Imperium
  • 4.1 Rounds
  • 4.2 Early & Late War
  • 4.3 Imperium
• 5.0 Sequence of Play
• 6.0 Redeployment Step
• 7.0 Barbarian Phase
  • 7.1 Barbarian Activations
  • 7.2 Quadi Cannot Attack
  • 7.3 Surges
  • 7.4 Preventing Surges
  • 7.5 Forts Prevent Barbarian Movement
  • 7.6 Effects of Barbarian Movement
  • 7.7 Off-Map Conflicts
  • 7.8 Quiet on the Danube
  • 7.9 Oathbreaker Check
  • 7.10 Events
• 8.0 Roman Phase
  • 8.1 Playing Cards
  • 8.2 Battles
    • 8.2.1 Commit Reserves to an Attack
    • 8.2.2 Effects of Winning or Losing a Battle
    • 8.2.3 Rolling a 1 or a 6
    • 8.2.4 Off-Map Conflicts
  • 8.3 Advance on the Imperium Track
  • 8.4 Add Two Level 1 Forts
  • 8.5 Flip One Level 1 Fort to Level 2
  • 8.6 Transferring a Leader
  • 8.7 Add the Upper or Lower Danube Fleet
  • 8.8 Transferring Leaders & Legions
  • 8.9 Transfer to an Off-Map Conflict
  • 8.10 Events
• 9.0 Victory or Defeat?
  • 9.1 Scoring
• 10.0 Attrition & Housekeeping
• 11.0 Other Rules & Clarifications
  • 11.1 Card Decks
  • 11.2 Meditations Space
  • 11.3 History Pile
• Credits

2.0 Components

The game is played with one mapsheet, two decks of fifty cards each, a half-sheet of ¾ inch counters, two dice, and these rules.

2.1 The Map

The Map represents the Roman Imperial frontier along the Danube, c. 170CE. It is divided into three zones: Marcomanni, Quadi, and Iazyges. Barbarian armies always move within their own zone, following the arrows from one space to another. Barbarian armies advance towards the bottom of the map (moving south). They retreat up the map (moving north) towards their home spaces. Each space north of the Danube has a terrain value which factors into battle resolution. Each space south of the Danube does not have a terrain value but indicates some penalty should the Barbarian armies advance into those spaces.

Each of the three zones has a corresponding Army Box and Leader Box, which holds the Legions and Leader assigned to each of the zones. When attacking a Barbarian army, only the Legions and Leader assigned to that zone are used to calculate the Roman Attack Value (8.2).

Other features of the map will be explained throughout these rules as we go along.

2.2 Counters

The counters primarily represent Legions and their Leaders. Each Leader has a combat value which is used in battle (8.2). Marcus Aurelius has two such values, one for his bold side (rated 3) and one for his demoralized side (rated 1, in a black circle).

Each Barbarian army has its own counter with a combat value - the higher combat value is on the army's bold side, and the lower on its demoralized side.

Design note: Barbarian "armies" don't represent cohesive armies in the traditional sense, but rather the main area or front where combat takes place. Each attack undertaken by the player represents Roman offensive action taking place over several days or weeks along a particular front.

Fort counters are used to build and improve fortifications, which slow the advance of the Barbarians.

The remaining counters are used to denote certain game effects and to track certain game functions.

2.3 Cards

There are two decks of cards. The Barbarian Deck is used to resolve actions beyond your control. The Roman Deck provides the opportunities and resources you need to triumph.

Some cards are marked as "Late War", and will begin the game outside the deck. Some cards are marked with an asterisk; when played, these are not discarded normally, but removed from the game, forming a History Pile.

3.0 Set-up

Place the Year Marker on the first space of the Year track (170CE). Place the Round Marker on the first space of the Round track (Spring).

Deploy 10 Legions to the Army Boxes of your choice. The maximum number of Legions in any box is 6. You can leave an Army Box empty if you like. Place 2 Legions into the Recovery box. They represent the losses suffered by the Roman army at the start of the 170CE campaign and are not available until the following Year (see 13.0).

Assign Marcus Aurelius to command one of the armies. Place his marker on its Bold side in the Leader space next to an Army space. Assign Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus to command a second army.

Note: Only one Leader can be assigned to an Army at a time. It's okay to have an Army with no Leader (it is assumed they are led by an unexceptional general, forgotten to history). However, you can never assign a Leader to an Army box with no Legions. Leaders without Armies are placed in the recovery box and cannot be used until the following Year.

Place the Barbarian Army counters on their starting spaces on their Bold sides.

• Marcomanni on the +2 space in their territory.
• Quadi in their Home Space.
• Iazyges in the +4 space in their territory.
• Place the Quadi Cannot Attack marker on top of the Quadi counter.

Place the Imperium Marker on the "4" space of the Imperium track.

Place the two additional Legions (Legions XXII Primigenia and Slaves, Gladiators, and Bandits) and remaining Leaders in the Unactivated Legions And Leaders space. Card events may bring these units into play. Place the remaining markers (Forts, Mutiny, Temporary Truce and Eleusinian Mysteries) near the mapsheet.

Remove any Late War cards from the Barbarian Deck and the Roman Deck and set them aside for now, then shuffle both decks separately. Place both decks within reach, with space for a Discard pile for each.

4.0 Tracking Time & Imperium

The game begins in 170CE, following the disastrous Battle of Carnuntum that killed as many as 20,000 Roman troops, leaving a shaken Rome on the defensive. The game unfolds over the subsequent 10 Years, ending in 179CE, the final campaign season before Marcus's death in March 180CE.

The current Year is tracked using the Year Marker. When all steps that encompass that Year have been performed (see Sequence of Play, 5.0), the Year Marker is advanced one space and the Round Marker returned to its first space.

4.1 Rounds

Each turn is further sub-divided into three Rounds: Spring, Summer, and Winter, with the Winter Round having special restrictions on combat (8.2). Rounds are tracked using the Round Marker; when all phases that encompass a Round have been performed, the Round Marker is advanced one space.

4.2 Early & Late War

The game is divided into two stages: Early War (170-174) and Late War (175-179). At the start of the 175CE turn, the Late War cards are shuffled into their respective decks, along with discards.

Design note: Traditionally, the Marcomannic Wars are divided into two major phases: the first Roman expedition (168CE-175CE) and the secunda expeditio germanica (178CE-180CE). The second stage of the conflict was triggered by a revolt of the Marcomanni and Quadi in 177CE. Since surrendered tribes can revolt at any time during the game, your "Second Marcomannic War"—or even your third or fourth—can begin at any time.

4.3 Imperium

Imperium Points (IP) are the measure of your authority, and your IP may increase or decrease due to game effects. This is tracked using the Imperium Marker. If you lose one IP, the marker moves one space down. If you gain one IP, the marker moves one space up. If the marker reaches the bottom space (Usurped) the game ends immediately (sudden death, literally). If the marker occupies the topmost, "7", space at the beginning of a Year, you draw an extra Roman Card during the Spring Round.

5.0 Sequence of Play

Each Year consists of the following steps, performed in the following order:

Redeployment Step (6.0)*: Leaders are assigned and Legions deployed.

• During this step of the 175CE turn, Late War cards are added as noted in 4.2.

Spring Round

• Barbarian Phase* (7.0)
• Roman Phase (8.0) - draw 5 cards (6 with Imperium Bonus)

Summer Round

• Barbarian Phase
• Roman Phase - draw 3 cards

Winter Round

• Barbarian Phase
• Roman Phase - draw 1 card

Victory or Defeat Check (9.0)

Attrition and Housekeeping (10.0)

* - Skipped during the first Turn.

6.0 Redeployment Step

Move your Leaders and Legions from any Army box, Off-Map Conflict space, and/or the Recovery box to any other army box or Off-Map Conflict space. The maximum number of Legions in any army box or Off-Map Conflict space is 6. Leaders must always be placed with Legions. However, Legions can be placed without a Leader. Any Leaders or Legions you choose not to deploy are placed in the Recovery box and may not be used for the remainder of the Year. Essentially, you get to completely re-organize your Leader and Legion deployment at the start of each new Year.

7.0 Barbarian Phase

During each Round's Barbarian Phase, draw and resolve three Barbarian Cards.

Reminder: Skip this step on the first Round of the first Year of the game.

Barbarian cards trigger either Barbarian Activations or Events (7.10).

7.1 Barbarian Activations

A single activation will cause a Barbarian army on its bold side to advance one space. If the activated army is on its demoralized side, it does not advance but is flipped to its bold side instead. Note that the Iazyges Cavalry cards activate the Iazyges twice, in two distinct but subsequent activations.

7.2 Quadi Cannot Attack

The Quadi begin 170CE at peace with the Empire and you cannot attack them. When the first Quadi activation occurs, remove the Quadi Cannot Attack marker and advance the Quadi one space. You may now attack the Quadi.

Clarification: This is not the same as the Quadi being surrendered, in which case their activation passes to one of the other tribes.

7.3 Surges

After you resolve a Barbarian activation card, add it to one of the Surge Spaces. When the third card is placed, the two tribes who did not just activate are activated. In effect, a surge results in all tribes activating. After resolving the surge, remove the three cards from the Surge Spaces and place them in the discard pile. If a tribe has surrendered, its card is still added to the Surge Space.

If the Quadi have Do Not Attack on them, or a tribe has a Temporary Truce marker on it, a surge does not cause them to advance.

Surges also cause Oathbreaker checks (7.9).

7.4 Preventing Surges

You can prevent a Barbarian card from being added to a Surge Space by discarding one Roman card. This represents diplomatic tactics used by the Romans to prevent the tribes from uniting. The Barbarian activation card is placed in the discard pile instead of the Surge Space. Note: the tribe originally activated by the card still moves (unless it has surrendered or is under a temporary truce).

7.5 Forts Prevent Barbarian Movement

If there is a Fort in the same space as the Barbarian army, it may be used to prevent the army from advancing to the next space. Essentially, the fort "pins" the barbarian army there, but at a cost of removing or damaging the fort. This is entirely voluntary and you can allow the Barbarian army to advance without affecting the fort.

Remove a Level 1 Fort from the same space as the activated Barbarian army to prevent it from advancing, or flip a Level 2 Fort to its level one side. Basically, forts take a "hit" to prevent barbarians from advancing out of their space.

Iazyges Cavalry count as two "hits." You may choose to remove a Level 2 fort to absorb both Iazyges activations, or flip the fort to Level 1 and allow the Iazyges to advance one space, etc.

7.6 Effects of Barbarian Movement

If the Marcomanni enter the "Rome" space, the game immediately ends in defeat as barbarians loot and rampage throughout Italy. History remembers you as an ineffectual philosopher-king unable to defend Rome's frontiers!

If Quadi advance into the "Raid Into Pannonia" space, you lose 1 IP immediately, then they return to the space above (marked -1 IP). Note that the other -1 IP spaces for Marcomanni and Quadi only result in IP reduction during Housekeeping, not at the instant that the space is entered.

If Iazyges enter the "Raid Into Moesia" space, you must immediately discard one Roman card from your hand or from the Meditations deck. If you have no cards, lose 1 IP. The Iazyges immediately return to the space above (marked +2). If the Iazyges are in the +2 space and an Iazyges Cavalry card causes two activations, you lose 1 IP per card not discarded. Build those forts!

7.7 Off-Map Conflicts

If you draw an Off-Map Conflict card, place it in the Eastern Empire or Western Empire space as indicated on the card. It remains there until the player defeats it in battle or with a card event. Active Off-Map Conflicts cost the player 1 IP each during Housekeeping.

Important: If you draw an Off-Map Conflict while one is already active in that space, return the card you just drew and all discarded Barbarian cards to the deck and shuffle them. The reshuffled Off-Map Conflict card still counts as a card draw.

Example: The first barbarian card you draw in Round 1 is Costoboci. But Avidius Cassius is already wreaking havoc in the Eastern Empire! Therefore you return Costoboci to the deck, add all the discarded Barbarian cards, and shuffle. You now have two cards left to draw and resolve for the Barbarian Phase of the Round.

7.8 Quiet on the Danube

When you draw this card the Barbarian Phase ends immediately. Whew!

7.9 Oathbreaker Check

If any tribes have surrendered, and a Surge or Oathbreaker card event occurs, you roll to determine if pacified tribes rejoin the fight.

Roll 1D6 and compare the number to: the number of Legions in the appropriate army box plus any attached Leader's Combat Value plus the number of level 2 forts in that tribe's territory (Level 1 Forts don't count). This number is called the Pacification Value. If the die roll is greater than the Pacification Value, the tribe breaks their treaty and resumes the offensive. Remove the tribe's marker from the Surrendered Tribes box and place it in its home space on its bold side.

Note: As long as you have a total of 6 points combined keeping watch over a settled tribe, they will never rebel unless triggered by the Barbarian card Rebellion!

7.10 Events

Advancing Barbarian armies weren't the only problem faced by Marcus or his armies. Plague, foreign wars, unrest in Rome, demands by the Legions, even the death of family members all impacted Marcus's ability to effectively fight the Barbarians. If you draw an event card from the Barbarian deck, follow the instructions on it.

8.0 Roman Phase

During the Roman Phase of a Round, you draw a certain number of cards, determined by the Round:

• 5 cards during the Spring Round (6 if Imperium is at "7")
• 3 cards during the Summer Round
• 1 card during the Winter Round

Design note: The decreasing number of cards represents diminishing resources and opportunities for the Romans as the campaign season wears on.

Paying for Off-Map Conflicts (Spring Round only): After drawing cards, if you have any Legions (with or without Leaders) in Off-Map Conflicts, you must discard one card of your choice to pay for maintaining armies fighting in distant wars. You can discard a card from a Meditation space instead of your hand if you prefer. This only applies to the Spring Round. You do not have to pay for Legions already engaged in fighting Off-Map Conflicts during the Summer or Winter Rounds, though you do have to pay if you want to transfer additional Legions away from the Danube (8.9).

8.1 Playing Cards

Play cards for either Actions or Events, never both. You may play as many or as few cards as you choose, but if you have more than five cards in your hand at the end of a Round, not including the Meditations card(s), you must discard down to five cards. At the end of the third Round (Winter) you must discard all cards from your hand. You may save one (or possibly two) card(s) for the next Year by placing it/them in the Meditations space(s).

If you play a card for its Event, follow the instructions on the card. Otherwise, discard a card from your hand to perform one of the following actions:

• Attack a Barbarian army or Off-Map Conflict enemy (8.2).
• Advance your marker on the Imperium Track one space (8.3).
• Add two Level 1 Forts to eligible map spaces (8.4).
• Flip one Level 1 Fort to a Level 2 Fort (8.5).
• Transfer a Leader between armies (8.6).
• Add the Upper or Lower Danube Fleet marker (8.7).
• Transfer Leaders and Legions between army boxes (8.8).
• Transfer up to 6 Legions and a Leader to an Off-Map Conflict space (8.9): this costs two cards.
• Prevent a Surge (7.4).

You may also choose to play no cards on your turn. Remember you can never end a Round with more than five cards in your hand.

8.2 Battles

Discard one card to attack the Marcomanni, Quadi, Iazyges or one of the Off-Map enemies. Roll for the Romans and add/subtract to this number the following:

• + The number of Legions in the adjacent army box
• + Leader's Combat Value
• + The value of any Forts in the space (+1 or +2)
• - 1 if the battle takes place during the Winter Round

This sum is the Roman Attack Value. Next, roll for the Barbarians and add to it:

• + The Barbarian Combat Value
• + The Terrain Value (printed on the map)

The sum of this is the Barbarian Attack Value.

The side with the higher Attack Value wins. If there is a tie, roll again, rolling as many times as necessary to resolve the combat.

Example: The Roman player decides to attack the Marcomanni with Marcus and six Legions in a space with a Level 2 fort. The Roman Attack value is Marcus (3) plus six Legions (6) plus the fort (2) for a total of 11. The player rolls a "4" for a Roman Attack Value of 15. The Marcomanni Attack Value is 4 plus the Terrain Value (6) for a total of 10. The player rolls a "3" for a Barbarian Attack Value of 13. The Romans win, causing the Barbarians to retreat one space.

8.2.1 Commit Reserves to an Attack

After rolling, you may discard one card to add +1 to the Roman Attack Value total. This can turn a defeat into a tie (in which case roll again), or a tie into a victory. You cannot discard two cards to add +2, but you can discard a card each time you roll: if the first discard turns a defeat into a tie, you can if needed discard a second card to affect the result of the second roll.

8.2.2 Effects of Winning or Losing a Battle

• Roman win: If the Romans win the battle, the Barbarian army retreats one space.
• If you defeat a Barbarian army in its Home space, the tribe immediately surrenders. Move its counter to the Surrendered Tribes box and gain 1 IP. If all three tribes have surrendered during the Victory or Defeat check (9.0), the game ends in a Roman victory.
• Barbarian win: If the Barbarians win the battle, the Romans lose one legion (move it to the Recovery box). If you have a fort in the same space as the Barbarian army, the fort can absorb the loss instead. To do this, remove one Level 1 Fort or flip one Level 2 Fort to its Level 1 side (the fort absorbs one "hit").

8.2.3 Rolling a 1 or a 6

If either side rolls a 1 or 6, special battle effects occur.

Barbarians:

• 1: Flip marker to Demoralized side (if already Demoralized then ignore this effect).
• 6: Flip marker to Bold side (if already Bold, ditto).

Romans:

• 1: If Marcus leads the army, reduce IP by 1 point.
• 6: If Marcus leads the army, increase IP by 1 point.

Example: In the sample combat above, if you had rolled a "1" for the Marcomanni, you would flip the marker to "Demoralized" and retreat the army one space.

These effects occur even in the case of tied battle results. These effects do not apply to Off-Map Conflicts.

Design note: Yes, it's possible for the Romans to win the battle but still lose IP. This suggests misgivings among the troops over Marcus's Leadership. Likewise, the Barbarians can win but still be Demoralized, suggesting a pyrrhic victory.

8.2.4 Off-Map Conflicts

Cards that modify battle results (e.g., Tactical Advantage, Ambush) can be used in Off-Map Conflicts.

If you defeat an enemy located in the Eastern or Western Empire, add its card to the History pile. Place all Legions and Leaders involved in the battle in the Recovery box (see 8.9).

8.3 Advance on the Imperium Track

Discard one card to move your IP marker one space up.

Design note: Cards spent to advance on the Imperium Track represent the time, effort, and treasure spent placating the Senate, mollifying the people, and keeping the Legions happy.

If at the beginning of Round 1 of a given Year the marker is in the top (7) space, you may draw an extra card. The people love you! For now.

Note: The maximum hand size of five at the end of Rounds 1 and 2 remains the same.

8.4 Add Two Level 1 Forts

Forts can be added to spaces north or east of the Danube (i.e., in spaces with a + Terrain Value). This includes Barbarian home spaces and spaces that contain Barbarian Armies. Discard one card to add two Level 1 Forts to the lowest eligible spaces within your chosen front(s) on the map (i.e., the spaces closest to the bottom of the map). There can be a maximum of one Fort per space.

Level 1 Forts add +1 to the Roman total during battle. You can also stop a Barbarian army from advancing by removing the Fort. Level 1 Forts do not count toward a front's Pacification Value.

8.5 Flip One Level 1 Fort to Level 2

Discard one card to flip a single fort from its level one side to its level two side. Forts must be flipped starting with the lowest fort (i.e., the fort on the space closest to the bottom of the map). In other words, you cannot flip a fort to level two if it is above a Level 1 Fort.

Level 2 Forts add +2 to the Roman total during battle. You can stop a Barbarian army from advancing by flipping the fort to its level one side. Level 2 Forts count as +1 toward a front's Pacification Value.

8.6 Transferring a Leader

Discard one card to move a Leader from one Danube army box to another. If a Leader is already attached to the destination army, the Leaders switch places.

Leaders are the only force you can transfer between Danube armies during a Round until you have the Danube Fleets in place.

Reminder: Leaders can only be placed with Legions, never on their own.

8.7 Add the Upper or Lower Danube Fleet

• Discard one card to add a Fleet marker to the space between the Marcomanni and Quadi.
• Discard one card to add a Fleet marker to the space between the Quadi and Iazyges.

8.8 Transferring Leaders & Legions

If the Upper Danube Fleet marker is in place, you can transfer any number of Legions and Leaders between the Marcomanni and Quadi boxes during a Round at a cost of one card (respecting the limits of 6 Legions and 1 Leader per box).

Likewise, if the Lower Danube Fleet marker is in place, you can transfer Legions and Leaders between the Quadi and Iazyges boxes during a Round at a cost of one card (again respecting the limits of 6 Legions and 1 Leader).

You can have a maximum of 6 Legions in an army box at a time.

If both the Upper and Lower Danube Fleet markers are in place, Legions and Leaders can be transferred between any Danube army boxes; effectively, by discarding a single card you can completely reorganize the Leader and Legionary deployment in the Danube army boxes (but not the Recovery box). Transferring Legions or Leaders to Off-Map Conflict spaces still requires a separate action.

Example: With both Danube Fleet markers in place, Marcus and all 3 Legions are moved from the Marcomanni box to the Iazyges box which already contains 3 Legions commanded by Pertinax. Pertinax switches places with Marcus and is moved to the Leader space next to the Marcomanni army box. Because a leader cannot be placed on a front without an army to command, 2 Legions are moved from the Quadi army box to the Iazyges army box.

8.9 Transfer to an Off-Map Conflict

During a Round, you may discard two cards to transfer up to six Legions and one Leader from any number of Danube army spaces to an Off-Map Conflict (i.e., you can draw Legions from different army boxes to send to one Off-Map Conflict box). Transferring Legions and Leaders to Off-Map Conflict spaces does not require Danube Fleet markers to be in place.

You can have a maximum of 6 Legions in an Off-Map Conflict box at a time.

Note: Off-Map armies and Leaders cannot be transferred between Off-Map Conflicts or back to the Danube during a Round. They can be moved for free during the Redeployment Step (6.0). Leaders and Legions who defeat an Off-Map enemy are placed in the Recovery box until the start of the next Year. This means that once you have assigned a Leader to an off-map conflict, you cannot replace or recall them until the Redeployment Phase the next Year.

8.10 Events

Instead of an action, you can use a card for its event. Follow the instructions written on the card and discard the card. Some events require you to place the card in the History pile instead of the discard pile after use.

9.0 Victory or Defeat?

The player wins if all three Barbarian armies have surrendered before the final Round of the final Year of the game is completed.

The game ends immediately in your loss if the Imperium marker reaches the USURPED space, or if the Marcomanni army enters the "Rome" space during a Round (sudden death). The player also loses if Barbarian armies are still active after the final Round of the final Year has been played.

Design note: The game's end in 180CE represents Marcus's death that year, likely from plague. Of course, rumours of foul play spread quickly and persist today (see Fall of the Roman Empire and Gladiator).

9.1 Scoring

If you win, count the number of Years left on the Year track (including the END space). Add to this one point for any Barbarian card in the History pile (max. 6 points). Then add to this your current IP (max. 7 points). Divide the number by 2 (round up). This is your score out of ten.

Example: It's the end of 176CE and all three Barbarian armies have surrendered. This gives you 4 points (1 for each Year remaining). There are three Off-Map Conflict cards in the History pile (3 points) plus the Rebellion! card (1 point) and your Imperium marker is on the space marked "5" (5 points). All this adds up to 13. Divided by 2 = 7 points. Not bad!

If you lose, count the number of Years you have played not including the Year the game ended on (max. 9 points). Add to this one point for any Barbarian card in the History pile (max. 6). Then add 3 points for each tribe in the Surrendered box (max 6). Finally, subtract 20 points to find your score, likely negative. The closer to zero the better.

Example: It is Round 2 of 177CE and your Imperium marker falls into the Usurped space resulting in sudden death. This gives you a score of 7. You have pacified the Marcomanni and Iazyges, resulting in 6 points. There are two Off-Map Conflict cards in the History pile for 2 points and a grand total of 15. Subtract 20 points for a score of -5.

Note: It is theoretically possible to lose but still get a score of "1." Consider this a moral victory but a strategic loss—and encouragement to try again.

10.0 Attrition & Housekeeping

If the game doesn't end, do each of the following (as applicable) in order:

• Attrition: Perform an attrition check for every Fort marker on the board. This represents losses due to barbarian raids, starvation, weather and desertion. Roll for each fort on the map. On a roll of "6" remove the fort if it is Level 1 or reduce it if it is Level 2.
• Forts out of supply: If there are any forts in enemy territory that do not have forts in the space below them, remove them from the map (unless they are in the space immediately north of the Danube). This applies to forts that were isolated during the course of regular Rounds and/or during the attrition check. Any Level 2 forts located above Level 1 forts are flipped to their Level 1 side.
• Remove the Temporary Truce marker.
• Flip Marcus Aurelius from Demoralized to Bold.
• Discard any cards that remain in your hand. Exception: You may save one card to the Meditations space (two if you have played the Eleusinian Mysteries event).
• If there are any active Off-Map Conflicts, deduct 1 IP per conflict.
• If Marcomanni or Quadi are south of the Danube (in spaces marked -1 IP), deduct 1 IP per tribe.
• If the Imperium marker moves into the Usurped space as a result of the above actions, the game ends immediately. Exception: if the player has either the Commodus or Auction In The Forum Of The Deified Trajan card in the Meditations space, they may play it now to increase their Imperium Points and avoid losing the game.
• Advance the Year marker by one space and place the Round marker on Round 1 (Spring).

11.0 Other Rules & Clarifications

11.1 Card Decks

If the Barbarian or Roman deck runs out of cards, shuffle the discard piles and continue playing.

If you draw an Off-Map Conflict event and a conflict in that part of the Empire is already active, return the card you just drew and all discarded Barbarian cards to the deck and shuffle them.

11.2 Meditations Space

You can "save" one card each Year to use it in the next by placing it in the Meditations space. This is also a way to get around the 5 cards per Round hand limit (you can have five cards in your hand and one in the Meditations deck).

If you play the Eleusinian Mysteries Roman card for its event, you can save two cards at the end of each Year (one for each Meditations space). Add the Eleusinian Mysteries marker to its box to remind you this effect is active.

11.3 History Pile

Cards marked with an asterisk are not discarded after you play them for their event, but are added to the History pile. Some add points to your final score (as indicated on the card).

Credits

Game designed by: Robert DeLeskie Map: Ilya Kudriashov Counter Art: Ilya Kudriashov & Gonzalo Santacruz Counter/Card Layout & Box Cover: Tom Russell Book Layout & Editing: Mary Holland-Russell Playtesters: Jose Cunha, Marco Fenici, Casey Nedry, Tom Russell, Zbigniew Swat, Nicolai Broen Thorning, David Wiley, Matt Wilson