414 BC: Siege of Syracuse

414 BC: Siege of Syracuse Rulebook

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Game Overview
3.0 Game Board
4.0 Game Markers
5.0 Player Field Orders Book
- Order 1: Attack Lowlands
- Order 2: Attack Plateau
6.0 Solitaire Counter Orders Card Deck
- 6.1 Leader Cards
7.0 Setup
8.0 Sequence of Play
9.0 Battle
10.0 Movement & Blockade
11.0 Walls and Counter Walls
12.0 Morale
13.0 How to Win the Game
- 13.1 Victory
- 13.2 Keep It Simple
14.0 Two Player Version of the Game
- 14.1 Two Player Sequence of Play
- 14.2 Victory in the Two Player Version
15.0 Historical Notes
- Further Reading on the Card Citations
- Rule Questions

1.0 Introduction

414-13: The Siege of Syracuse is part of our Great Sieges game series. These games are designed for easy setup, quick game play, and can be finished in under an hour. Game marker placement is shown on the game board. Command orders and cards are used to shorten the rules. Developed for solitaire play, the game can also be played by two players. Both versions of the game require you to make great decisions based on good strategy, keeping your wits about you when orders do not turn out well, and pressing on to victory.

2.0 Game Overview

Game play is centered around using your Field Orders Book to issue orders as the Athenian commander in the solitaire game, or as either side in the 2-player version.

These game rules are for solitaire play. The rules adjustments for the two-player game are a separate section at the end of these rules.

The Syracuse side uses a solitaire deck of counter orders and leader cards for Syracuse to take actions against you. You can win the solitaire campaign as the Athenians by completing the wall of circumvallation and establishing a naval blockade of Syracuse, or by reducing Syracuse morale to zero (surrender). You lose immediately if you allow Athenian morale to fall to zero.

Many game rules of what can and cannot be done are within the Field Orders Book orders and the solitaire counter orders deck of cards.

A player can issue one order per game turn from their orders available in their Field Orders Book. He also has the option of using a Leader card with the one order played. The order is carried out based on your strategy, the current situation faced, and the actions and counter order issued by the solitaire opponent. Your choices can cause multiple actions and reactions with results that cause troop marker eliminations, morale reductions, building walls and counter walls and events to occur.

The Athenian side is played by you and uses player orders from the Field Orders Book and Leader cards for the side being played. The solitaire opponent (Syracuse) uses the solitaire counter orders deck of cards for actions and issuing counter orders.

3.0 Game Board

The game board map represents the locations around Syracuse that were prominent during the siege. There are eleven land locations and four sea locations.

Athenian locations are in blue and include five land locations: Epipolae, Labdalum, Lysimeleia Camp, Syka, and Plemmyrium; and the four sea locations: Lysimeleia, Great Harbor, Blockade, and Damaged Ships.

There are six Syracusan land locations in red: Achradina, Euryelus, Olympieum, Ortygia, Temenites, and Neapolis.

Each location is named and has spaces for troop markers on the land locations and ship markers on the sea locations. The marker spaces are in blue for the Athenian troops, ships, and walls; red for the Syracusan troops and counter walls.

The spaces indicate where to place troop and ship markers at the beginning of the game. Diagonal/hashed spaces begin empty.

There are no wall or counter wall segments placed at the start of the game.

(Board illustrations: solid-color troop spaces, such as in Labdalum, are where troops start; hashed spaces, such as in Euryelus, are where troops do not start. The Syracuse counter wall segments are A1, A2, B1, B2 and the Athenian wall segments are numbered 1, 2, 3, ...; a blocking counter wall segment is shown beside the Athens wall.)

The terms "Locations" and "Areas" are synonymous. The same for "Troop Spaces" and "Slots"; "Vacant" and "Empty"; and "Action" and "Event." The term "Lysimeleia" is used to represent two locations, one is the camp and the other the sea location. All troop movements for Lysimeleia refer to Lysimeleia Camp, while all ship movements refer to the Lysimeleia sea location.

The game board map is used to display the impact of orders by either removing troop markers from play, adding or removing wall markers, moving troop and ship markers, or recording affects to morale. The Morale Chart on the game board is used to track reductions and additions to the morale of the Athenians and Syracusans.

Orders sometimes refer to the "Lowlands" and the "Plateau." These references are to the geographic position of the city in regards to the terrain and the land locations around Syracuse.

In general, the Lowlands is represented by:

Lysimeleia Camp
Plemmyrium
Olympieum
Neapolis

The Plateau is represented by:

Labdalum
Epipolae
Achradina
Euryelus

Syka and Temenites are intermediate locations, and are considered to be in both the Lowlands and the Plateau. A light line depicts the separation of the two areas.

Other orders refer to "city spaces" for Syracuse represented by:

Ortygia
Neapolis
Temenites
Achradina

When an Athenian ship is damaged, the marker is placed in the Damaged Ship Spaces. The Athenian ship is available for repair.

4.0 Game Markers

The troops of Athens and Syracuse and ships of Athens are represented by wooden markers placed in the game board location spaces. Blue markers represent the Athenians and red markers represent the Syracusans.

Athenian wall segments and Syracusan counter wall segments are represented by special wooden markers.

Blue markers are also used to track Athens morale and to show the selection of orders. A red marker is used to track Syracuse morale.

5.0 Player Field Orders Book

There is a Field Orders Book for the Athenian player. The book is laid out with the seven orders available for you to issue each turn.

The orders are numbered. Each turn place the marker on the one order you plan to use for the turn.

Source note: this rulebook prints only two sample orders (Order 1 on page 3 and Order 2 in the Sequence of Play example on page 6); both are transcribed below. The full seven-order charts are on the Field Orders Book component, which is not part of the rulebook PDF and is not reproduced here. In the result charts, orange cells apply to Syracuse (red results) and blue-grey cells apply to Athens (blue results); the transcription below marks each result with (Syracuse) or (Athens).

Order 1: Attack Lowlands

Columns A (Defend Lowlands), B (Defend Plateau), C (Defend Outposts) and D (Build Walls) are the Syracusan counter orders played. Rows are the Order Die roll (1-6).

Die	A: Defend Lowlands	B: Defend Plateau	C: Defend Outposts	D: Build Walls
1	1 (Syracuse)	2 (Athens) and C (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens) and C (Syracuse)
2	1 (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens)
3	1 (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens)
4	1 (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Syracuse)	W (Athens)
5	2 (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Syracuse)

ORDER EXECUTION: After resolving any events, roll the order die and apply results based on the chart to the left and Athenian counter order played. (Printed as "Athenian counter order" in the rulebook; the solitaire counter order played is the Syracusan one.)

Any troop losses are taken from Lysimeleia Camp, Syka or Plemmyrium, for Athens; and Olympieum, Neapolis or Temenites for Syracuse.
If W result, place a viable Athenian wall piece for Athens.
If C result place a viable Syracusan counter wall piece for Syracuse A1-2 or B1-2, only if at least one troop is in Neapolis or Temenites.

ORDER RESTRICTIONS: Must have at least one troop in Neapolis or Temenites to use this order.

Order 2: Attack Plateau

Die	A: Defend Lowlands	B: Defend Plateau	C: Defend City/Harbor	D: Build Counter walls
1	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	2 (Athens)	1 (Athens)	C (Syracuse)
2	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	2 (Athens)	1 (Athens)	D (Syracuse)
3	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Athens) and D (Syracuse)	D (Syracuse)
4	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	D (Syracuse)
5	1 (Syracuse) and D (Syracuse)	1 (Athens)

ORDER EXECUTION: After resolving any events, roll the order die and apply results based on the chart to the left and Syracusan counter order played.

Any troop losses are taken from Labdalum, Epipolae or Syka for Athens; and Euryelus, Achradina or Temenites for Syracuse.
If D result, remove the last viable counter wall piece for Syracuse.
If C result, place a viable Syracusan counter wall piece for Syracuse; C1-4 only if at least one troop is in Achradina.

ORDER RESTRICTIONS: Must have at least one troop in Syka, Epipolae or Labdalum to use this order.

6.0 Solitaire Counter Orders Card Deck

There is a Syracusan solitaire card deck. The solitaire cards include counter orders that are used by the solitaire opponent to bring actions into play and to issue counter orders against your side; and leader cards you can play to enhance your actions.

Each solitaire card has: a card title; an action; a Syracusan counter order (for example "D: Build Counter Walls"); and a history and citation line (see page 12 of the original rulebook).

The solitaire counter orders cards have two parts; actions and counter orders. Actions are events that generally affect or require decisions by the Athenian side. The solitaire counter order portion is the solitaire commander's effort to counter the order you issued.

There are two phases for the solitaire cards. Phase-1 is the Syracuse period, as the 1st Athenian expedition battles Syracuse on its own. These cards have the Syracuse triskeles shield on the back. Phase-2 is the Spartan period, as the Spartan Expedition arrives and takes command of Syracuse's forces. These cards have the Spartan lambda shield on the back.

FOR EXAMPLE: if you decide to issue order 2, "Attack Epipolae" and the Syracusan solitaire counter order played is "B: Defend Epipolae" the results will probably turn out poorly for you as your point of attack was anticipated. However, if the Syracusan solitaire counter order played is "A: Defend Lowlands" the results will probably turn out well.

6.1 Leader Cards

There are six leader cards for the Athenian player. The player may use leader cards to bring actions into play. Leader cards may only be played with certain orders. Each leader card may only be played once, and is then discarded. When you draw a leader card, you may use it immediately, or hold it in your hand for a better time. The order you selected may be canceled, and you may choose a different order to issue.

Each time a leader cards is drawn, immediately draw another solitaire card.

Leader cards are used in both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

7.0 Setup

Place the same color marker on the game board in the locations with solid color troop and ship spaces of the corresponding color.

Athens Starting Troop and Ship locations

Labdalum (3 Troops)
Syka (3 Troops)
Lysimeleia Camp (6 Troops)
Lysimeleia (2 Ships only)

Syracuse Starting Troop locations

Temenites (3 Troops)
Neapolis (6 Troops)
Ortygia (3 Troops)
Olympieum (3 Troops)

If a location has spaces that have hashed/diagonal lines in it, leave it empty (Achradina, Euryelus, Epipolae, Plemmyrium, Blockade, Great Harbor, Damaged Ships, and one space in Lysimeleia) to start the game.

On the game Morale Chart place a corresponding blue wooden marker (Athens) on the ten (10) space and a red marker (Syracuse) on the eight (8) space to start the game.

Decide how strong you would like Syracuse to be by the number of cards in the solitaire counter orders deck and special actions hand. Use the chart below to determine Syracuse skill.

7.1 Card Deck and Hand Size

Prepare the cards, as follows.

Remove cards #38-39 (Spartan Expedition & Second Athenian Expedition) and set them aside.
Divide the cards into two piles, one for each phase of the game. Phase-1 is the Syracuse Phase (#1-19); Phase-2 is the Spartan Phase (cards #20-37).
Shuffle each pile and remove the number cards determined by a Syracuse Skill level you have selected below. These cards are set aside unrevealed in the unused deck.

Syracuse Skill Level:

Level	Cards	Remove
STRONG	24 Cards	Remove 7 Phase-1 cards; and 8 Phase-2 cards
GOOD	27 Cards	Remove 6 Phase-1 cards; and 6 Phase-2 cards
WEAK	30 Cards	Remove 4 Phase-1 cards; and 5 Phase-2 cards

NOTE: The Corinthian Reinforcements card may result in drawing two additional Phase 2 cards from this unused deck.

Then shuffle Phase-2 cards and draw the first 5 cards and place them face down to start the deck.
Take the next two cards from the Phase-2 deck and add in card #39 (Second Athenian Expedition). Shuffle these three cards. Now place these three cards face down on top of the deck.
Place the remaining shuffled Phase-2 cards face down on top of the deck.
Take the top two cards of the completed Phase-2 deck, add in card #38 (Spartan Expedition). Shuffle these three cards. Now place these three cards face down on top of the deck.
Finally, shuffle the Phase-1 cards and place the entire deck, face down, on top of the Phase-2 deck. The Syracuse Solitaire Counter Order Deck is now ready.

8.0 Sequence of Play

The Sequence of Play is based on a "turn" that is comprised of you selecting one command order, flipping face up one solitaire opponent counter order card and carrying out the actions and results of those two orders played. Once completed the turn is over and a new one begins.

Each turn uses the following Sequence of Play

Select one of your command orders available by placing a marker on the choice in your Field Orders book.
Play a leader card to accompany your order, if you desire. This may be the leader card you just drew, or any leader card from your hand.
Select the top card of the solitaire counter orders draw deck of the solitaire opponent and place it face up.

If you have drawn a leader card, it goes in your hand, or it may be used immediately. Draw another card.

Cards are resolved in this sequence

Execute the actions portion from the solitaire counter order card played first. Apply results. If the action cancels your order, it also cancels your leader card, which must be discarded.
Execute the Leader card, if you played one, second. Apply results.
Execute your command order (applying any DRM resulting from a Leader card) and compare its results to the solitaire counter order issued on the solitaire opponent card revealed. Apply results.
Discard the counter order card, and the leader card, if you played one.
Begin next turn.

8.1 Issuing Orders from the Field Orders Book

As the Athenian player you have the choice of 7 Orders that can be issued from your Field Orders Book plus leader cards that can be played with your orders. The orders fall into general types based on results. Attack type Orders 1 and 2 (Lowlands or Plateau) generally cause troop losses and may result in the destruction of counter wall segments. Build Wall Orders 3 and 4 (Lowlands or Plateau) can allow you to place a wall or counter wall segment, and/or result in troop losses. Move type orders, such as Move Troops Order 5 and Move Ships Order 6, allow the movement of troops and ships into the empty spaces of locations and may lower morale or result in placement of counter walls. The Rest & Refit Order 7 may improve your morale and repair a damaged ship.

Each turn you may issue one order. Place a marker on the order being issued. You may also decide to use a leader card with the order. Follow the instructions for the order issued and the leader card and carry out the results.

Your orders and leader cards are generally played after following the actions portion of the solitaire card played for the turn. The counter order portion (A: Defend Lowlands, B: Defend Plateau, etc.) of the solitaire card is played with and applies to your order.

Each order in the Field Orders Book has an Order Execution section that explains how the order is executed and an Order Restrictions section that lays out the conditions required to be able to use the order.

Each order has a results chart that shows the results of the order when compared to the counter order played by the solitaire opponent and a die roll which is the Order Die. If die roll modifiers (DRM) are used (i.e. +1 or -1), these are applied to the results of the die roll.

The results chart (on field orders and some counter order and leader cards) shows the impact of the order you issued compared to the counter order played by the solitaire opponent.

The results can be No Effect and Fail which are in a white box. Results of Move apply to troop and ship moves and are in a green box. Results for troop losses, ships damaged and morale changes are shaded to show which side it applies to. Blue shaded boxes mean it is applied to the Athenian. Red shaded boxes mean that it is applied to the Syracusan. Troop losses are designated by a number. Morale changes show a plus or minus sign and say "morale". A "W" in a blue box means a wall segment is placed; a "C" in a red box indicates that a counter wall segment is placed. A "D" result in a red box means that a counter wall segment is destroyed (removed).

Blue results effect the Athenian player and red result effect Syracusan player.

Each order will state from which locations troop losses come from and each troop marker lost causes an adjustment one space downward on the Morale Chart. If there are no remaining troops in the location listed, you may choose any location to remove the loss from.

Sequence of Play Example

First, select your Command Order. Once selected, place a marker on your choice. (In the example, Order 2: Attack Plateau.)
If a Leader Card was available and you choose to play it, the card would have been played at this moment. No Leader Card is played in this example.
Select the top card of the draw deck of the solitaire opponent and place it face up. Execute the action instructions from the card played. (In the example, the card is "Sicanus Redeploys Troops": Move one Syracuse troop from any and all areas that have a surplus (more than one troop) to areas completely vacant of troops. If Athens occupies Epipolae, then Syracuse surplus troops all fill any vacant Achradina slots first. Counter order: D: Build Counter Walls.)
Next, execute your command order by the Order die. Compare the Order die results to the counter order played on the solitaire opponent card played.

The 6 rolled by the Order die caused one Syracuse troop reduction and a removal of the last Syracuse viable Counter Wall segment.

8.2 Leader Cards

In a turn you may play one leader card in addition to the one order issued. Leader cards are discarded after one use. Losses and morale changes from your leader cards are in addition to any losses and morale changes resulting from your orders. Canceled orders also cancel leader cards played, the leader card is discarded.

8.3 Using the Solitaire Counter Orders Deck

The counter order cards of the solitaire deck have the actions and the counter orders of the solitaire opponent.

The solitaire counter order cards are used by the solitaire opponent to bring actions into play and to issue counter orders against your side. Their card is revealed after you select an order to issue from the Field Orders Book and a leader card, if you choose to play one. The solitaire counter order card revealed is in play for the current turn only.

On each solitaire counter order card played there is an action and a counter order (lettered A, B, C, and D) that the solitaire player issues that is his play for the turn. The solitaire card actions are resolved first. Then your order is executed and it is compared with the solitaire opponent counter order to determine results. Generally, a die is rolled and a results table is used for your order when compared to the counter order played by the solitaire opponent.

Sometimes solitaire counter order card actions will change what you decide to do with your order issued.

FOR EXAMPLE: If you issued an Attack Lowlands order and the Syracusan opponent card revealed "Command Conflict; Cancel order issued for the turn OR Proceed with order at a -1 modifier"; you may decide to cancel your order instead of going forward with an attack when the odds are against you.

Sometimes solitaire counter orders card actions will not be playable against you.

FOR EXAMPLE: If you issued a Build Wall order and the Syracuse card revealed is "Soothsayer's Prediction; your Move Troops or Move Ships Order cannot be played this turn", the action has no effect on the order you issued. Had you issued a Move Troops order it would have affected you by canceling your order.

Damaged ships are moved to the Damaged Ships location and are considered "Out of Play". When damaged ships are repaired they return to play. Keep damaged ships in the Damaged Ships box on the map until they are returned to play.

Morale losses not involving troop losses are taken directly from the Morale Chart.

FOR EXAMPLE: if the results say -1 morale and is blue shaded, then Athenian morale on the Morale Chart would be moved one space downward.

The Command Orders restrictions section will note when an order cannot be played.

CANCELED ORDERS: If an order is canceled by a solitaire action, the effect is as if the order had never been issued. A canceled order also cancels the accompanying leader card if one was played, and it must be discarded.

8.4 Executing Your Command Order for the Turn

Your orders are executed against the solitaire counter orders card revealed for the turn which has actions and counter orders that impact the order played. The action portion of the solitaire counter orders card is executed first. It has an action that must be resolved. That action may or may not affect the order you played. Once the action is resolved, then execute your order and it is affected by the solitaire counter order played.

The Syracusan solitaire player has 4 counter orders available to them. The solitaire counter order directly impacts the Command Order you play. They are lettered A through D: A-Defend Lowlands, B-Defend Plateau, C-Defend City/Harbor and D-Counter walls. The counter order played for the turn is on the bottom of the solitaire order card revealed for the turn.

9.0 Battle

Battle occurs when attack type orders (1 and 2) are used and with some counter order cards and leader cards. Most orders require you to roll one die and apply the results based on the counter order played by the solitaire opponent. Roll the white die to determine the results of orders. When using a leader card roll the black die to determine the results of the leader card along with the white die that determines results of the order played by you.

The order results tables on orders and leader cards (if used) are used to determine the outcome of the battle. The results are troop marker losses, ships damaged, no effect, walls or counter walls placed, counter walls destroyed and sometimes direct morale changes. When using the results table of the order issued, use the column that matches the counter order played by the solitaire opponent. Compare the die roll (1-6) to the appropriate row to determine results.

Orders will state in what location or locations troop marker losses must be taken. When this occurs remove the troop or ship marker(s) from the game from the designated location(s) and adjust the Morale Chart downward one space for EACH troop or ship marker removed.

When you attack a location and the solitaire opponent has no troop markers in the location and yet incurs troop losses, take the troop losses directly from other opponent locations of your choice. When your forces take a loss, and you have no troops in the listed loss locations, take the troop losses directly from other Athenian locations of your choice.

Some solitaire orders cards have DRMs that are required if the order results table is used. Adjust the actual die roll up or down for the modifier to determine die roll result to use on the table.

10.0 Movement & Blockade

Troop markers can only be moved by a Move Troops order and only to land locations of the same color. Athenian ship markers can only be moved by the Move Ships order and can only be moved in the 3 water locations, Lysimeleia, Great Harbor, and Blockade. Troop and ship movement can be affected by the solitaire counter order card played.

When moving troop and ship markers, the movement must be from a location that has markers in its spaces to a location that has empty spaces. If no empty spaces exist, then a move to that location is not possible.

For the Athenian player using the Move Troops command order, the troops markers cannot move into empty ship marker spaces. The player can move up to three troops to any one area with vacant space(s). For the Move Ships order, the ship markers cannot move into empty troop marker spaces. The player can move up to two Athenian ships from Lysimeleia to the Great Harbor, or from the Great Harbor to Blockade. For the Syracusan solitaire card, Reposition Troops, the card only applies to Syracusan troop markers (as there are no Syracusan ship markers).

NOTE: Anytime Athenian ships are damaged, they are moved to the Damage Ships location and suffer a -1 Morale loss. When damaged ships are repaired by Order 7, they return to Lysimeleia and Athenian Morale is increased by 1. Ships in the Damaged Ships area may not be moved by Order 6.

11.0 Walls and Counter Walls

Wall segments, represented by special blocks, can only be constructed by a Build Wall order or Special Action card. You must place wall segments in numerical order 1-4 and then 5-8. So you must first complete Lowlands Wall 4 segment before you can construct the Plateau segment 5. Build Wall orders can be affected by the solitaire counter order card played, sometimes resulting in a Counter wall segment, represented by a special block, being placed. There are three possible Counter walls. The Counter wall segments are placed in order, A1-2, B1-2, C1-4, but only if it is possible for the completed counter wall to block Wall placement. A counter wall space is considered a viable location only as long as it may be possible to block the Athenian wall. Athenian walls, once placed, may never be destroyed. For example, once the Athenian Wall has reached 4, the next Counter wall is placed at C1.

If the Syracusan Counter wall blocks Athenian Wall placement, the player must order an attack (and possibly a leader) to destroy the blocking Counter wall segment, before he can continue wall segment placement. You may destroy multiple viable counter wall segments with an Attack order and a leader card. The results of the attack are applied before the results of the leader card.

When you place wall segments 4 and 8, you also add +1 to Athens morale level. If you place all eight wall segments, the wall of circumvallation is complete and any counter wall results are ignored for the remainder of the game.

NOTE: Athens is attempting to build one long wall. Syracuse can build up to three Counter Walls in an effort to intercept and stop the progress of the Athenian wall. Athens can attack and destroy Syracuse's counter walls segments during the game, but Syracuse cannot attack or destroy Athenian walls, they may only temporarily block their progress

FOR EXAMPLE: Syracuse Counter Walls are built in sequence; Counter Wall 1, 2 and 3 respectively. If the Athenian wall has passed a counter wall section, whether complete or not, the next viable counter wall would be at the next section. In the illustration below, the next viable counter wall segment is "B1" in Lowland Counter Wall 2 because the Athenian Lowland Wall segment 2 has blocked the Syracuse Counter Wall 1 path to the Counter Wall A2 segment.

Regardless of the whether there is a Syracusan wall segment or not in A1, the player must place the next wall segment in B1.

Had Syracuse reached A2 before the Athenian wall reached Lowland Wall 2 segment, their path would be blocked. For the Athenian wall to continue, the Syracusan Counter wall in segment 2 would need to be attacked and destroyed.

12.0 Morale

Athens begins at Morale level 10; Syracuse begins at Morale level 8.
Morale may never be increased above level 10.
Reductions and additions to morale are recorded on the Morale Chart.
Morale reductions occur in three ways:
- Troop marker losses from locations (through either battle or solitaire card actions)
- Ship damaged results (through either ship movement or solitaire card actions)
- Direct morale reductions as a result of actions and orders results not involving troop losses

When the results of the order you played shows a troop loss or ship damaged, for each troop or ship removed from the game board there is a corresponding reduction made on the Morale Chart for the side or sides affected. Results of the order played and actions on solitaire Orders Cards can cause also direct reductions to morale.

FOR EXAMPLE: a 2 troop loss for the Athenian resulting from an order played would require that 2 troops be removed from the game and a move 2 spaces downward on the Athenian Morale Chart. A solitaire action result that calls for a reduction of Syracusan morale by 1 would be a direct reduction of Syracusan Morale without any troop loss require a move of 1 space downward on the Syracusan Morale Chart.

13.0 How to Win the Game

The solitaire Syracuse card deck represents the passage of time during the campaign. When the last card is played, the campaign is over. If you have not won the game at this point, then you have been defeated by Syracuse and their allies. The Corinthian Reinforcements have arrived, and your Athenians are doomed to their historical fate (defeat, capture, slavery and death).

13.1 Victory

You can win the game immediately in two ways:

Complete all 8 segments of the Wall AND have a ship in a Blockade space; OR
Reduce Syracuse to zero morale on the Morale Chart

You lose if:

You exhaust the solitaire card deck without having won; OR
You lose immediately if Athens is reduced to zero morale on the Morale Chart.

13.2 Keep It Simple

It is important that game rules writers try to cover the numerous situations that can occur and try to explain what to do in each situation in the rules. But sometimes it can make "rules" overwhelming when trying to explain as much as possible. We have no doubt that we are capable of causing this too.

But in the spirit of keeping it simple, as a reminder, the essential game mechanics are:

Select one order to play
Reveal the solitaire counter order card
Resolve the action portion of the solitaire counter order card first
Apply the results of your order using the solitaire counter order card portion
Repeat the above.

Let the guidance of the orders selected and the solitaire counter order cards actions and instructions present the game rules to you for many situations.

14.0 Two Player Version of the Game

414-13 Siege of Syracuse was designed as a solitaire game but it can also be played by two players. The two-player version of the game uses the rules from the solitaire version of the game with the exceptions noted in this section.

In summary, the major differences between the two-player version and the solitaire version are:

Players use Orders Cards for selecting orders from their Field Orders Book.
Players select a Counter Order card to play against their opponent's Orders Card played for the turn.
Players use the two player Command Decision deck of cards as the draw deck for BOTH players and the card drawn each turn applies to and can be used by both players.
Both players may issue Build Orders for Lowlands and Plateau in any order. The Syracuse player does not have to complete the Lowlands wall/counter wall before starting the Plateau wall/counter wall.
Build the Command Decision Deck
- A. Remove cards #32-33 (Spartan Expedition & 2nd Athenian Expedition) and set them aside.
- B. Shuffle the deck and remove nine (9) cards. These cards are set aside unrevealed in the unused deck.

NOTE: The Corinthian Reinforcements card may result in drawing two additional cards from this unused deck.

C. From the shuffled deck draw the first 5 cards and place them face down to start the deck.
D. Draw 2 more cards and add in card #33 (2nd Athenian Expedition). Shuffle these three cards. Now place these three cards face down on top of the deck.
E. Draw 5 more cards and place these cards face down on top of the deck.
F. Draw 2 more cards and add in card #32 (Spartan Expedition). Shuffle these three cards. Now place these three cards face down on top of the deck.
G. Place the remaining cards face down on top of the deck. The deck is now ready for play.

If you want to handicap one player or the other it is possible by adjusting the Command Decision Cards draw deck. Reducing the draw card deck below 24 cards makes it more difficult on the Athens player. Increasing the draw deck above 24 cards makes it harder on the Syracuse Player.

In the two-player game, both players (Athens and Syracuse) use their Field Orders Book to issue orders. However, once a player decides on what order to use, he selects a matching Orders Card (the cards are numbered to match Field Orders, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) that represents the order he is using for the turn and places it face down (so his opponent cannot see what order he has played) in front of him.

Both players also select a counter order (A, B, C, D, etc. using counter order cards) to play against their opponent's order played for the turn. The counter order card selected is placed face down in front of the player.

Once both players have selected their orders card and counter order card and placed them face down in front of themselves, a Command Decision Card is flipped face up from the draw deck and it applies to and can be used by both players. Note that some Command Decision cards require an action before players execute their orders (ex. Bad Weather, etc.).

The Athens player executes his orders card first by revealing his face down orders card by flipping it face up. He then decides how to use the Command Decision Card shown (if he has a choice) and announces his decision. The Syracuse player reveals his counter order card by flipping it face up. Results are applied using the Field Orders Book of the Athens Player for the order played (results are also on his Orders Card).

Then the process is repeated with the Syracuse player executing his order card by revealing it, deciding how to apply the Command Decision card (if he has a choice) and announcing it, and the Athens player revealing his counter order and applying the results using the Field Orders Book for the order played by the Syracuse player.

14.1 Two Player Sequence of Play

The Sequence of Play is based on a "turn" that is comprised of each player selecting one order and one counter order and following the sequence of play. Once completed the turn is over and a new one begins.

Both players select one order from those available in their Field Orders Book for the side they are playing. Selection is done by placing the matching orders card face down in from of them. First Athens, then Syracuse.
Both players select one counter order and place it face down in from of them. First Athens, then Syracuse.
Select the top card of the Command Decisions draw deck and reveal it face up. If it has an action that applies for the turn (ex. Bad Weather, etc.), complete the action.
The Athens player reveals his face down orders card by flipping it face up. If he has a choice, he then decides how to use the Command Decision Card shown and announces his decision.
The Syracuse player reveals his counter order card by flipping it face up. Results are applied using the Field Orders Book of the Athens Player for the order issued (results are also on his orders card).
The Syracuse player reveals his face down orders card by flipping it face up. If he has a choice, he then decides how to use the Command Decision Card shown and announces his decision.
The Athens player reveals his counter order card by flipping it face up. Results are applied using the Field Orders Book of the Syracuse Player for the order issued (results are also on his Orders Card).
Begin next turn.

Note that some Command Decision card choices may result in a player canceling his order. When that occurs the order played is NOT revealed and the counter order played by the opposing player is not played or revealed.

In the two-player game if a player attacks an opponent's location that is empty of troop markers in the location spaces he gets a modifier to his die roll; +1 for Athens and -1 for Syracuse. Troop losses for the empty location are taken by the owning player from any other location of his choice in which he has troop markers.

14.2 Victory in the Two Player Version

ATHENS can win the game immediately in two ways:

Complete all 8 segments of the Wall AND have a ship in a Blockade space; OR
Reduce Syracuse to zero morale on the Morale Chart.

SYRACUSE can win the game immediately by reducing Athens to zero morale on the Morale Chart.

If the Command Decision Deck is exhausted and both players have 1 or greater on the Morale Chart, the victor is decided by awarding victory points (VPs) as follows:

ATHENS receives 1 VP for achieving 2 of these 3 objectives at the end of the game:
- Lowland wall completed;
- Plateau Wall completed;
- Having a ship in a blockade space.
SYRACUSE receives a VP for each of the following achieved at the end of the game:
- Either Lowland counter wall completed;
- Plateau counter wall completed.
BOTH players receive 1 VP for each of his opponent's land areas that is completely vacant of troops.
THE PLAYER with the higher morale level receives 1 VP.

The player with the most VPs wins. Ties are possible.

15.0 Historical Notes

Athens had been fighting Sparta for a long decade in the Great (or Second) Peloponnesian War (431-404, all dates BC) when a treaty, the "Peace of Nicias", brought a temporary lull to the fighting in 421. In 415, somehow, the leading politician Alcibiades convinced the assembly of Athens that it was a good time to invade Sicily and conquer Syracuse, even as Sparta was preparing to renew the war in Greece. Nicias, Alcibiades' chief rival, argued against the expedition. The democracy voted to launch the invasion, and vested command with the rivals Alcibiades and Nicias, along with a third strategoi (general), Lamachus. Lamachus was a competent soldier, with little political backing. The most powerful Greek city and greatest democracy in the world would be launching an unprovoked attack against Syracuse, probably the second largest Greek city and another democracy.

The Athenian expedition was the most powerful force ever dispatched overseas by a Greek city-state, with 134 triremes and over 25,000 men including 5,100 hoplites (but only 30 horses). The three strategoi each had a different idea how to prosecute the expedition. Lamachus wanted to immediately attack Syracuse, taking advantage of shock and surprise to overwhelm their foe. Alcibiades planned to undertake limited actions in Sicily while building a coalition of allies to defeat Syracuse. Nicias advocated making a show of force by sailing around Sicily, and then returning to Greece forthwith. Lamachus broke the stalemate by siding with Alcibiades. Then disaster struck—Alcibiades was re-called to Athens to face trial for a religious scandal, and escaped to Sparta on the way home. Alcibiades began advising the Spartans on how to defeat Athens, including sending a Spartan general to take command in Syracuse. With the chief architect of the expedition turned traitor, the Athenians wasted most of the first year in Sicily, only landing south of Syracuse in the late fall of 415. Athens' 5,000 veteran hoplites easily routed the 10,000 militia hoplites of Syracuse, but could not pursue in the face of the 1,200 Syracusan cavalry. The victory at the Anapous River was wasted and the Athenians withdraw north to winter quarters at Naxos and Catana.

The Syracusans, may have been filled with fear, but had not been idle. After the humiliating defeat at the Anapous, the committee of fifteen (which was just as bad as it sounds) was replaced with three strategoi—Heraclides, Hermocrates and Sicanus. Seeing that the old town and citadel of Ortygia and the main city of Neapolis were well defended by strong walls, the three strategoi decided to extend their defenses. During the winter of 415-414 the citizens labored hard to extend the city walls, enclosing the western suburb of Temenites and the northern suburb of Achradina, thus sealing off the city from the Epipolae plateau. The temple at Olympieum was converted into a fortified outpost, where the Syracusan cavalry could have good access to forage and keep communications open with the rest of Sicily. A picked forced of 600 men was formed to guard the Euryelus pass, the only easy access to the steep sided Epipolae plateau.

Finally, in the spring of 414, after nearly 800 Athenian and allied horsemen had arrived, Nicias was finally ready to begin the great siege. Landing north of the city, the Athenians swept through Euryelus and cleared the Epipolae plateau. The Syracusan army was afraid to face the Athenians in open battle and the small fleet of Syracuse was no match for the great Athenian navy. Nicias established his main camp at Lysimeleia and brought his fleet into the harbor to beach there. Forts were constructed at Labdalum (on the north edge of Epipolae) and a great circle fort at Syka (on the south edge of Epipolae). This is where the siege, and the game, begins.

The Athenians realized they lacked the siege-craft to directly assault the walls of Syracuse. Instead, a war of wall and counter walls ensued. If Athens could complete a wall of circumvallation all the way from the harbor waters at Lysimeleia to the open sea north of Epipolae, Syracuse would be cut-off and forced to surrender. As the Athenians labored south from Syka on their wall, the Syracusans raced to build a counter wall across its path. As the walls converged, shovels and trowels were dropped and spear and shields grabbed to fight it out. 300 picked Athenian hoplites overran the first counter wall, which was then demolished. As the Athenians pressed their wall southward, Hermocrates started a second counter wall. Fierce fighting led to the death of Lamachus and his opponent Callicretes. Meanwhile a second Syracusan column counter-attacked near the circle fort, and reached the wall. Nicias arose from his sick bed, and cunningly ordered the Athenian supplies set alight. The wall of fire he created kept the Syracusans at bay long enough for reinforcements to arrive, saving the wall and the fort. Dejected by these losses, the assembly in Syracuse fired Hermocrates and Sicanus, placing Eucles and Tellias in command in their stead. Nicias, now the sole remaining general, had completed the lowland wall and began building north, across the Epipolae. But he was often sick, and the building progressed slowly, but steadily. The doom of Syracuse appeared inevitable in the early fall of 414.

Just as the assembly in Syracuse was debating surrender, Gongylus of Corinth slipped through the Athenian blockade in a single trireme with electrifying news—the Spartan general Gylippos was on his way with an army! Back in Greece, Sparta had stirred herself to aid Syracuse. Loath to send her vaunted spartiates on dangerous overseas missions, just one Spartan was sent to Sicily—the general Gylippos. With only four triremes under Pythen of Corinth and 700 men, mostly helots and neodamodeis (freed helot hoplites), Gylippos landed at Himera and recruited allies and mercenaries to bring his army up to 3,000 foot and 300 horse. A small army, but one led by a Spartan. Gylippos surprised the Athenian outposts, overran Euryelus, swept through the Athenian lines on Epipolae and entered Syracuse. His demand to be placed in command was heartily approved by the populace. The remainder of the Corinthian squadron arrived, bringing the total in this small expedition up to 17 triremes. After a series of attacks and counter-attacks, Gylippos began a third counter wall, and the final wall-building race was on.

Gylippos chose Hermocrates to serve as his deputy army commander. The Corinthian, Pythen, commanded the fleet, seconded by Agatharcus and Sicanus. As Gylippos re-trained the hoplites of Syracuse with harsh Spartan discipline, Pythen trained the seamen of Syracuse in Corinthian seamanship and set about building more triremes over the winter of 414-413. Nicias, fearing his naval advantage was eroding, seized the Plemmyrium and built three forts overlooking the harbor, to give his navy the advantage in any battle there. Agatharcus took the new fast triremes out on raiding sorties, sinking many Athenian cargo ships. Athens won the first major naval battle, but Gylippos used the diversion to attack the Plemmyrium forts, destroying two and seizing the third. Pythen learned of the great naval battle at Naupactas, where the Corinthians prevailed by reinforcing the prows of their triremes. This innovation was applied to the allied Corinthian-Syracusan fleet, with even better results in the confined space of the harbor. Syracuse would win the next three sea battles! Meanwhile, Gylippos had seized the fort at Labdalum and won the building race—his counter wall now blocked any further progress of the Athenian circumvallation. The doom of the Athenians appeared nigh, in the late spring of 413.

Back in Greece, the despairing reports of Nicias had an effect. A second expedition was sent to seize victory from the jaws of defeat. Eurymedon was sent ahead with funds and appointments for Euthydemus and Menander to replace Alcibiades and Lamachus as strategoi, until the second expedition would arrive. Demosthenes, famed victor over the Spartans at the Battle of Sphacteria, and Eurymedon, leader of an earlier small expedition to Sicily, commanded a force nearly as large as the first: 73 triremes and 15,000 men, including another 5,000 hoplites. When the second expedition arrived in the early summer of 413, the stage was set for the final showdown.

Demosthenes was determined not to repeat the mistakes of the first expedition. He would strike immediately. On the night of a full moon, Demosthenes, Eurymedon and Menander led the Athenian army in a surprise attack! All went well at first—quickly overwhelming the garrison at Euryelus, the Athenians swept across Epipolae to assault the counter wall. Then the confusion of night fighting took hold—the Athenians could not tell friend from foe and fell into confusion. The attack became a disaster, with very heavy casualties. Next, a group of Corinthian reinforcements arrived, furthering raising morale in the city. The Corinthians, probably about 400 hoplites, had been waylaid back at Elis in Greece by Demosthenes who burnt their cargo ships. Obtaining more ships, they continued on, but were blown off course to Cyrene in western Egypt. The Cyrenians convinced the Corinthians to join them in an expedition against the Libyans besieging Eusperitae (modern Benghazi). After dispersing the Libyans, Cyrene gave the Corinthians two triremes in gratitude, sending them on their way west towards Carthage. The Carthaginians decided to aid the Corinthians and sent them on to western Sicily. Here the wayward group met up with some allies gathering to support Syracuse, and entered the city in a large body. Demosthenes now convinced Nicias that it was time to withdraw immediately by sea, while Athens still held some advantage with their new ships.

And then, on 28 August 413, an eclipse blotted out the sun. The Athenians, already disheartened, were terrified. Nicias' soothsayers prescribed a wait of thrice nine days, lest a great disaster ensue. While the Athenians sat immobilized, Pythen, Sicanus and Agatharcus boldly attacked with their fleet. Athens was again defeated, and Eurymedon went down with his ship while trying to lead his wing in a grand periplous (out-flanking) maneuver. Unopposed, the Syracusans now began constructing a boom to trap the Athenian fleet in the harbor. Finally ignoring the soothsayers, Demosthenes, Euthydemus and Menander launched a desperate naval attack on 9 September—and were defeated once more. Nicias and Demosthenes finally attempted to retreat by marching away from Syracuse on 13 September, but were continually harassed and then separated. Demosthenes' column surrendered first. Then Nicias' starving, thirsty men broke ranks to drink in the Assinarus River and were slaughtered. Over 30,000 were slain, and the remaining 7,000 enslaved and worked to death in quarries. Athens would fight on for nine long years after the Sicilian disaster, before finally surrendering to Sparta to end the Great Peloponnesian War in 404. But it was the loss of over 200 triremes and 40,000 men outside Syracuse that doomed Athens to its ultimate defeat.

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