Caesar Imperator: Britannia
Caesar Imperator: Britannia Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
0 - MATERIALS
0.1 - Game board
The game board represents the southeast of England and the north of Picardy.
The zones can be plains (parchment), forests (trees), ocean (blue), or fortified zones (square): Portus Itius, the Castrum counter and the oppidum of the Catuvellauni counter. The anchors mark the zones where the Romans can land and construct their Castrum. The Thames (thick blue line) can separate two zones. All units can cross the Thames by foot except via the estuary of the Thames that separates CANTIACI and TRINOVANTES which is only crossable by maritime movement. The small islands are decorative elements.
0.2 - Counters
There are 3 types of counters: commanders, combat units, and markers.
0.2.1 - Commanders
A commander counter represents an officer without troops. A commander without a combat unit that meets an enemy combat unit is eliminated. A Roman commander whose combat units are all eliminated in combat is also eliminated himself. A Celtic commander whose combat units are all eliminated in combat becomes a hostage.
- Strategic value (SV): The strategic value indicates the maximum number of combat units that can be commanded by this commander.
- Tactical value (illustrated by a die): The tactical value indicates that the commander can re-roll a die each turn (except Commius). When a commander uses his personal re-roll, his counter is turned over to the back side.
0.2.2 - Combat units (CU)
A combat unit (CU) represents a unit of 500 to 2,000 men or 500 to 1,000 horsemen or chariots. A combat unit has a melee value and a fire value. There is no stacking limit for CU.
An army is composed of one or more CU with a commander. For the Celts, a commander can only command the CU of his clan. Exception: The army of Cassivellaunus can comprise the CU and commanders of all the Celtic clans. The allied commanders can direct the allied Celtic CU.
The majority of CU have a coloured gladius sword next to their melee value. It indicates that during a pitched battle, the unit moves to the front line if the player uses the "Dissuasion" tactic (blue sword pointed down) or the "Frontal attack" tactic (yellow gladius pointed up) (see 3.3).
- Step losses: A CU from Rome has 2 step losses, a Celtic unit has 1. When a Roman CU suffers 1 loss, it becomes Reduced and is turned to its back side. If it suffers an additional loss, it is Eliminated.
- Roman legions: A legion is composed of 3 CU with the same Roman numeral and the same name. One of the three CU has an Eagle. One of the CU has the indication Vexillation: this is the only one that can be separated from the Eagle. The two others must always remain together.
- Chariots (essedarum): Chariot CU are the only Celtic counters to have a front side (unit on the chariot) and a back side (unit on foot). Like the other Celtic CU, they have only one step loss. On his action turn, a Celtic commander can turn each of his people's chariots to its front or back side. In combat, he can also do this at the beginning of each sequence by winning a die roll. Go down: 3+; Go up: 5+.
0.2.3 - Markers
The markers correspond to all counters outside of commanders and units.
- Alea...: Represents a die that a camp can re-roll. Once it has been used, it is turned to its back side (Jacta Est).
- Turn: Keeps track of the current turn. It is placed on the corresponding square on the game board.
- Ravage: Indicates a zone ravaged by an army. (Use a coin)
- Memento Mori: Accounts for the losses suffered by the Romans during a battle.
- Classis Romana: Accounts for the number of intact Naval Points.
- Fortuna: This marker is attributed to the player whose army won the last battle. The goddess gives a bonus to the camp she favours. At the beginning of the game, Fortuna is neutral (she belongs to neither player). If she favours the Celt, he chooses which counter he recruits instead of drawing at random. If she favours the Roman, he can re-roll the submission die.
- Tactikos: These 4 counters allow the Roman player to choose his combat tactic.
0.3 - Player Aid
There is a player aid card with the battle zone where the two armies are positioned head to head (see 3) and a mini army card to place the units assigned to a commander.
0.4 - Bowl
You will need one or several bowls in which you will place the Celtic CU to recruit. When the Celtic player recruits CU, he draws them at random from the bowl (see 2.4.2.2, except the effect of the Fortuna counter).
0.5 - Dice
The game uses six-sided dice. When 4+ is written, this means that the die result (plus bonuses) must be 4 or more. When 1D6 is written, this means that one die should be rolled.
It is recommended to have twenty-sided dice or paper and pencil to count the spoils.
1 - SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Caesar Imperator is played in a succession of game turns, each representing 2 days. Each turn comprises several sequences.
Sequence 1: Preparation
The commanders are placed face up to the south (looking at Gaul). The 2 markers Alea Jacta Est are turned to their "Alea..." side.
Sequence 2: Tempest?
Roll a die. See special rule 4.1.
Sequence 3: Activation phase by alternating actions
Beginning with the Roman player, each player activates an available commander that will execute one and only one action per turn. When an available commander has executed his action, place him facing north (looking at Scotland). He becomes unavailable.
The players alternate commander activations until they run out. If one player still has commanders and the other doesn't, he plays them all one after another. Once neither player has a remaining available commander, the action phase is over.
Sequence 4: End of turn
The Turn marker is advanced one square.
2 - ACTIONS
2.1 - Acting commander and units
A commander acts with the units he commands thanks to his SV. A CU, commanded or not, can only be activated once per turn.
A. Commanded units
The commander's SV indicates the maximum number of CU he can command. These CU form an army.
- They move with their commander.
- They can go to the front line in combat.
- They are arranged on the player's army card, next to their commander.
If the army commander is eliminated:
- and there is one or more other commanders in the army, the commander with the highest SV takes command (if there is a tie, the army is divided equally between the victors). If the size of the army is greater than the SV of its new commander, some CU become non-commanded.
- and there is no other commander in the army, all his CU become non-commanded.
B. Non-commanded units
They only move one by one, at the activation cost of each one. They participate in battles but cannot be in the front line. Without a commander, they are left on the map.
C. Other counters belonging to a commander
These counters do not count toward the commander's SV. In his army, a commander can have commanders with a lower strategic value than his. These commanders are placed on the army card. They cannot use their strategic value. They can give their re-roll to a unit during combat. They don't spend their action for actions carried out by the army to which they belong. A Roman commander can have spoils in his army.
2.2 - Common actions
2.2.1 - Do nothing
The commander skips his turn and becomes unavailable.
2.2.2 - Move an army
A commander can move his army (a number of CU less than or equal to his SV) one zone. The movement takes place from one zone to an adjacent zone. The terrain has no effect on the movement.
At the beginning or end of his movement, a commander can exchange units of his army, either with units of another army in the zone and commanded by a commander with a lower SV or with non-commanded units in the zone. He can also add to his army non-commanded units or units commanded by a commander with a lower SV within the limits of his SV (if the whole army of a commander of a lower SV passes under his command, this commander and his spoils are integrated into his army).
At the beginning or end of his movement, if a principal army contains subordinate commanders, they can be transformed into an autonomous army by attributing to them part of the units and the spoils of the principal army.
The exchange of units and the abandon of CU are the only cases in which a commanded CU can voluntarily become non-commanded.
An army that enters a zone occupied by an enemy army provokes a battle.
When a Roman CU enters a region for the first time, place a coin heads up (explored zone).
2.2.3 - Move an isolated CU
When he activates a commander, the player, instead of having his commander acting, may move an isolated CU (of his own nationality for the Celt).
2.3 - Actions of the Romans
2.3.1 - Construct the Roman fort: castrum
Caesar must be present with at least 2 legion CU in a region with an anchor square. Position the Castrum marker which will remain there for the whole game. Place all the Roman units present in the zone where the Castrum was just constructed in the Castrum.
This Castrum is considered an independent zone. An action is required to enter and leave it.
2.3.2 - Ravage
A commander with at least one CU spends his action to ravage the land zone he occupies. Return the coin heads down to the ravaged region. The Roman commander wins 1 Spoils Point (or SP).
The Celtic player can no longer recruit in a ravaged region. The Roman can no longer ravage a region that has already been ravaged.
2.3.3 - Restore one or more units
A commander must be present with the reduced unit(s). By spending his action and his SP, he restores the Reduced commanded units of his army to Full strength (turn each counter to its front side). He cannot restore more units than his SV.
The cost increases if part of the fleet is destroyed. The fleet comprises Naval Points (or NP).
- Scenario 1/scenario 2:
- Fleet between 14/28 NP and 11/21 NP: 1 SP per unit.
- Fleet between 10/20 NP and 7/14 NP: 2 SP per unit.
- Fleet with 6/13 NP or fewer or if the Castrum is not constructed: 3 SP per unit.
2.3.4 - Propose submission
Caesar must be present in a Celtic kingdom with an army of at least 3 legion UC. A Celtic kingdom outside of Catuvellauni must not have any of its units present on its land. For the Catuvellauni, their oppidum must be destroyed.
Roll the die, submission is successful on a 7+. The Roman player can re-roll the die if he has Fortuna.
- +1 on the die per zone ravaged of the Celtic kingdom.
- +1 if Commius is in the lands of the people and is free.
After rolling the die, the Roman player can add SP. He has a +1 die roll modifier (DRM) per SP spent.
If the submission is successful, the commander of the people still on the game board or dead (he is replaced by a member of his family) is delivered to Caesar as a hostage. Place the hostage on his army card.
The Roman player can move in the submissive kingdom but can no longer ravage it. The CU of the submissive people do nothing more and the Roman can no longer attack them. They can nevertheless be in the same region.
Note: The Celtic commanders represent a reigning family and can therefore sometimes return to the game through submissions.
2.3.5 - Caesar the saviour
If a unit or a Roman army on the plain is attacked and Caesar is in an adjacent zone (not separated by a waterway) and has not yet been activated this turn, he can decide to intervene in the battle with his army. Roll the die, for a 4+, he arrives at the first round of the melee. Otherwise, he arrives at the second. This counts as Caesar's action for this turn.
2.3.6 - Naval movement
The Roman fleet is symbolised by Naval Points (NP). The Roman can have or move to the ocean as many CU as NP and as many commanders as he wishes. If the number of NP diminishes while there are CU in the ocean, certain CU may be destroyed.
The army moves one ocean zone per action.
- Landing: Until the Castrum has been constructed, Roman units can only land in one zone (by choice) among the zones with an anchor. Once the Castrum is constructed for the first time, the Roman units can only land in the Castrum or at Portus Itius.
- Embarking: Roman units can only embark from the Castrum (if it has been constructed) or from Portus Itius.
2.3.7 - Repairing a ship
A Roman commander must be present in the Castrum or at Portus Itius. In the Castrum, there must be at least 2 non Reduced legion UC.
He repairs one NP per action. He cannot exceed the maximum of NP allotted at the beginning of each scenario (scenario I: 14 and II: 28).
2.4 - Celtic actions
2.4.1 - Recruit one or more units
- Limitations: The commander cannot recruit if he is located:
- in the Castrum;
- in a zone with a Ravage marker;
- in a zone that is not in his kingdom.
- Recruit: A Celtic commander spends his Action to recruit in the zone he occupies. The Celtic player recruits one CU of his people at random by drawing from the bowl. If he has the Fortuna counter, he can choose it in the bowl or draw 2 at random.
A recruited CU is placed on the army card next to the commander that just enlisted it.
2.4.2 - Harassment
The Celtic commander chooses a plain area with at least one Roman CU. The chariots of his people placed in the areas adjacent to the target, if they don't cross a waterway, can harass the Romans. Each chariot fires. The Roman player takes his losses. Then, the Roman army, in the targeted area, can respond with fire with all its units with fire capacity and the Celtic player distributes his losses among the chariots that participated in the harassment. Finally, the surviving chariots return to the area they were before the harassment.
There are no possible spoils for the two camps during harassment.
The Trinovantes are considered like the Catuvellauni when Cassivellaunus gives this order.
2.4.3 - Ambush
If a Roman army ravages, each adjacent Celtic army can attack immediately if its commander has not yet used its action for the turn.
Roll the die, on a 5+ (with a +1 DRM per zone in the kingdom that has already been ravaged), the attack becomes an ambush. Otherwise, it's a normal attack.
In the case of an ambush, the chariots fire first, the Roman takes his losses, then the two armies (excluding chariots) fire. The battle continues normally.
2.4.4 - Submit
A Celtic commander possessing Commius can decide to submit. Commius becomes free. Caesar wins 1D6 SP. The submissive Celtic commander is put into Caesar's army and his CU remain in place and are inactive. A Roman army can no longer ravage this kingdom or attack its CU.
2.4.5 - Rise up
If there is a storm this turn or if the Roman suffers a defeat, the Celtic commander that voluntarily submitted himself declares that he is no longer submissive. He is placed in the region of his kingdom of his choice and is once again an enemy of Rome.
2.5 - Required actions (free)
2.5.1 - Orgy
In the absence of a Roman commander, there is no collection of spoils possible. A commander on his own cannot transport spoils.
If all the Roman commanders of an army are eliminated or if the commander abandons his army, the spoils of this army are lost (the soldiers waste them as they wish!).
2.5.2 - Retreat or withdraw
A retreat movement is an obligatory movement, and thus a free action (see 3.5.3).
3 - BATTLE
As soon as non-submissive enemy CUs (with or without commander) are in the same zone, they must battle.
If two armies of the same camp are in the same zone and are attacked, they are attacked separately (the exchange of units between commanders at the time of the attack is impossible) and the attacked player chooses which army defends first. The defender chooses with which commander any non-commanded CU defend.
3.1 - Battle procedure
A battle comprises several segments.
Segment 0: Deployment
Take the Battlefield player aid card and place on it:
- The units of each camp in the second line [Secunda Acies].
- Place the Memento Mori marker on square 0 so as to keep track of the losses suffered by the Roman throughout the battle.
Segment 1 (simultaneous and hidden): Tactical Choice
Each player secretly chooses a tactic (EXCEPT in the case of a skirmish, see 3.2.1, or an army without a commander, see 3.2.2). The Roman places his tactic counter face down, the Celt announces his tactic putting a die or marker on the corresponding box, then the Roman turns his tactic counter over.
Once the tactics are revealed, each of the commanders is assigned to a commanded unit. A Roman commander must be assigned first to legionary CU, then to an auxiliary unit.
The player who chose the "General Attack" tactic [Signa Inferre] receives an additional Alea Jacta Est marker that is valid only for this battle.
Segment 2: Pitched battle
In phases 1 to 3, before rolling each die, announce to which unit it corresponds. Players roll their dice simultaneously to manage the re-rolls.
- Phase 1 (simultaneous): Fire. All units with a fire factor can fire (see 3.4). At the end of this phase, a Retreat in good order can be attempted by the commander that chose the "Dissuasion" tactic [Infestis Pilis] (see 3.4.6).
- Phase 2 (simultaneous): Melee. All the commanded CU concerned by the tactic chosen by the player move to the front line [Prima Acies]. Move the corresponding units on the battlefield. If the attacked commander cannot command all the CU, leave the non-commanded CU in the second line [Secunda Acies]. All CU with a melee factor can engage in melee (see 3.4). The CU in the front line can carry out Critical coups (see 3.4.1). At the end of this phase, a Retreat in good order can be attempted by the commander that chose the "Dissuasion" tactic (see 3.4.6).
- Phase 3 (simultaneous): General melee. All CU with a melee factor can engage in melee (see 3.4). The CU in the front line can carry out Critical coups (see 3.4.1). At the end of this phase, a Retreat in good order can be attempted by the commander that chose the "Dissuasion" tactic (see 3.4.6).
Segment 3: Victory determination
To determine who won the battle, the players compare their losses since the beginning of the battle (see 3.5).
Then, various consequences proceed for the victor (see 3.5.2) and the defeated (see 3.5.3).
Finally, the counters are replaced on the game board or the army reports (see 3.5.4).
3.2 - Specific cases of battles
3.2.1 - Skirmish
If one of the two armies has 3 CU or fewer, the battle is a skirmish. There is therefore no tactic choice (segment 1 is ignored) and neither critical coup nor Retreat in good order. Moreover, there is only one melee phase; the battle only includes Phase 1 fire and Phase 2 melee.
Note: If each army has at least 4 CU, even if some are Reduced, it is not a skirmish!
3.2.2 - Army without a commander
One or more non-commanded CUs can combat normally. If they are attacked, they are treated as a single army.
A defender without a commander cannot choose a tactic; therefore no critical coup or Retreat in good order for him. However, the attacking commander chooses his tactic (if the two armies have more than 3 CU) and takes advantage of his bonuses but cannot annihilate his enemy by his tactical choice (see 3.5.1).
3.2.3 - Crush
If an army has 6 times more CU than the enemy army, it crushes it. All the CU of the crushed army are destroyed and the spoils are automatically taken.
A CU in the Castrum or the oppidum cannot be crushed.
Chariot CU (only) fires then rolls the die. On a 4+, they escape to an adjacent zone free of enemies without crossing a waterway. Otherwise, they are destroyed.
3.3 - Tactical Choices
Each camp secretly chooses a Tactic, which at times allows for certain CU to be put in the front line.
The CU in the front line can carry out Critical coups, in melee only, but must suffer the first two losses of each melee phase.
Only commanded CU can move to the front line and thus inflict Critical coups.
To choose a tactic, there must be at least 1 commanded CU that can go to the front line EXCEPT for the General Attack, which is always possible.
- Wings [Ala] = A: Cavalry CU go to the front line (attacking the flanks). This tactic cannot be used in the forest.
- Note: Chariots are not cavalry.
- General Attack [Signa Inferre] = G: The player has an additional re-roll. Take the combat marker Alea Jacta Est. There are no CU in the front line.
- Dissuasion [Infestis Pilis] = D: CUs with a blue sword pointed down go to the front line. The player can attempt a Retreat in good order at the end of each fire and melee phase.
- Frontal Attack [Ad Gladios] = F: CU with a yellow sword pointed up go to the front line.
3.4 - Fire and melee
During fire and melee phases, the players must respect the following steps:
- Players roll one die for each CU with a fire or melee factor, depending on the situation.
- The CU in the front line can carry out Critical coups (melee phase only). The losses are calculated (see 3.4.1). Any re-rolls take place (see 3.4.2). The losses are then distributed (see 3.4.4) and accounted for (see 3.4.5).
3.4.1 - Calculating losses
- General case: If the die result is less than or equal to the unit's fire value (phase 1) or the melee value (phase 2 & 3), 1 loss is inflicted on the enemy. The player places the die on this counter. If the die is greater, however, there is no effect.
- Examples: A Roman slinger inflicts a loss during the fire phase on a die roll of 1, 2 or 3. He cannot do so in melee.
- A Roman cavalier inflicts a loss during the fire phase on a die roll of 1 and on a 1 or 2 during the melee phases.
- Critical Hit: During a melee only (phase 2 and 3), a CU in the front line inflicts 2 losses on a result equal to its melee value. It inflicts 1 loss on the results less than its value.
- Example: A legion (3 in melee) inflicts a loss during melee phases on a 1, 2 or 3 die roll. Note: if its commander has chosen the "Frontal attack" tactic, it inflicts ONE loss on a 1 or 2 die roll and TWO losses for a die roll of 3.
- Commander attached to a unit: If a CU with an attached commander is eliminated, the commander is eliminated (nothing happens if it becomes Reduced).
3.4.2 - Re-rolls
During the battle, each player can use re-rolls.
- The re-roll of a commander attached to a CU can only be used to re-roll the dice connected to this unit: the CU's fire or melee die, but also the die of the enemy with a loss result that the player decides to allocate to this CU. However, if he re-rolls a loss die, the result of the re-roll is necessarily applied to this CU.
- A commander that uses his re-roll is turned over.
- Each player has his Alea (Jacta Est) turn marker that he uses whenever he wishes. During the fire and melee phases, he can re-roll the dice before calculating the losses for his or his adversary's CU.
3.4.3 - Effects of losses
A Roman CU can suffer 2 losses. With the first loss, its status is Reduced. It is turned to its back side and retreats to the second line if it was in the front line.
Exception: the Reduced legion units with Aquila that are in the front line remain there. On the second loss, it is eliminated.
A Celtic CU that suffers 1 loss is eliminated.
An eliminated CU is placed in the Elysii Campi square of the Battlefield player aid card.
3.4.4 - Distribution of losses
The player who suffers losses chooses how to distribute them, in accordance with the following two requirements:
- Firstly, the CU in the front line must suffer the first two losses received during each melee phase.
- Then, the Roman blood must be spared. Thus, the auxiliaries must be destroyed before the legionaries. The minimum losses imposed by the tactical choices must be respected.
It is always possible to inflict two losses on the same Roman CU and thereby sacrifice it, rather than render two CU Reduced.
Losses during a combat are simultaneous and take effect at the end of each phase in progress (fire, melee).
Example: The player chose the "Frontal Attack" tactic. He suffers 1 loss during the fire phase and decides to allocate it to a Roman slinger (wise choice since the latter has no melee value). During the melee phase, he suffers 3 losses. He must allocate 2 losses to a CU in the front line, thereby eliminating it, or to two CU in the front line, rendering them both Reduced. For the third loss, he can allocate it to the CU of his choice.
3.4.5 - Losses count
For each fire and melee phase, the losses inflicted by each camp are counted. Use the Memento Mori marker for the Roman. For the Celt, simply count the CU present in the Elysii Campi box.
3.4.6 - Retreat in good order
At the end of phases 1 to 3, the player that chose the "Dissuasion" tactic can attempt to carry out a Retreat in good order.
To do so, he rolls a die. For a 6 if the battle takes place on a plain and 4, 5 or 6 for a battle in the forest or if the army has a mounted chariot unit, the retreat is successful. He is declared defeated, but there is no destruction possible and the commander retains his units. They are replaced on the army card according to their status: Full or Reduced. The commander retreats to an adjacent zone according to the rules (see 3.5.3).
If the Retreat in good order fails, the battle continues.
Since this option is free, the player can attempt another Retreat in good order during the following phase.
3.5 - Final effects
3.5.1 - The end of the battle
A battle is over when:
- One of the armies successfully Retreats in good order (see 3.4.6)
- One of the armies is annihilated (all its CU are in the Elysii Campi square).
- The 3 phases have been played.
If the 2 armies still have non-eliminated CU after the last combat phase, the army with more losses is declared defeated.
In the case of a tie, it is Statu Quo (see 3.5.4).
Reminder: To eliminate a Roman CU, it must suffer 2 losses. The Roman may not have had any units eliminated (4 losses absorbed by 4 units that become Reduced, for example) and lose against the Celt who has had 3 CU eliminated (3 losses).
EXCEPT in the case of Status Quo or Skirmish or a successful Retreat in Good order, consult the pursuit table below by crossing the tactical choices of the two camps to discover what happens to the defeated army.
Pursuit table (rows: tactic of the defeated; columns: tactic of the victor)
| Defeated \ Victor | F (Frontal Attack) | G (General Attack) | D (Dissuasion) | A (Wings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal | R | R | R | AD |
| General | AD | R | R | R |
| Dissuasion | R | AD | SQ | R |
| Wings | R | R | AD | R |
- AD: The army of the defeated is completely Destroyed.
- R: The army of the defeated Retreats.
- SQ: Statu Quo (see 3.5.4).
Note: If the victorious army has an AD result and has neither cavalry nor chariot CU, the enemy army is only defeated and not destroyed.
3.5.2 - Results for the victor
The victor takes (or keeps) the Fortuna counter.
If the Roman is defeated, the defeated army loses the SP that it has with it. All the commanders taken hostage, wherever they are, are liberated and placed in a region of their choice in their kingdom.
A Roman commander wins 1 SP for each enemy eliminated during the battle that has a gladius or a sword on its front. It cannot stock more than 20 SP.
3.5.3 - Results for the defeated
If all the CU are destroyed, a Roman commander is removed from the game. The Celtic commander is taken hostage (even if killed during the battle).
- The player wins no SP.
- If the defeated commander still has some CU, he retreats to an adjacent zone.
- It is impossible to retreat to a zone occupied by the enemy or occupied by the enemy just before the battle.
- If the attacker is defeated, he returns to the zone he occupied before the attack.
- If the defeated cannot retreat, all the units are eliminated and these new losses are added to the spoils calculation, in addition to the units eliminated during the battle.
3.5.4 - Statu Quo
The attacker returns to his zone of origin. There are no spoils.
Fortuna becomes again or remains neutral.
Editorial note: the printed heading reads "Statu Quo" (the rules text in 3.5.1 and the pursuit table use the same spelling), transcribed as printed.
3.5.5 - Repositioning of the counters
At the end of the battle, reposition the counters.
The eliminated CU go on the Elysii Campi square of the game board. The other CU return to the army card. If a CU has no commander, place it on the map. The Celtic CU are put back face side down.
4 - SPECIAL RULES
4.1 - Storms
Beginning with turn II, roll the die. For a 1 or 2, the big storm arrives. The following turns, the big storm arrives on a die roll less than or equal to the current turn (Turn III: on a 1, 2 or 3). It continues this way until the big storm arrives. The big storm only occurs once per game.
- Effects of the big storm: The fleet loses 6+1D6 NP in scenario I and 6+2D6 in scenario II. Draw at random the CU to be eliminated. All the surviving troops at sea find themselves at Portus Itius and suffer a loss. With no more submissive peoples, the hostages flee to their native lands, the Celtic player's choosing the zone.
Once the big storm has occurred, at the beginning of each turn roll the die. For a 1, there is a small storm.
- Effects of the small storm: The fleet loses 1 NP. If necessary, draw at random the CU to be eliminated. All the troops at sea find themselves at their port or Castrum of embarkment. A unit at sea drawn at random suffers a loss. The voluntarily submissive peoples flee to their native lands, the Celtic player's choosing the zone.
4.2 - Destiny
Once per turn, each player can decide to re-roll a die (not a die related to a storm). Turn over the marker Alea Jacta Est of the camp that does so.
4.3 - The Castrum
The Roman player can choose only one location per scenario for the Castrum.
If the Castrum is destroyed by the Celts, he must rebuild it in the same place. When the Castrum is destroyed (turn the counter over), the Roman fleet loses 1D6 NP.
Once built, the Castrum counts as a separate zone. It is a zone within a zone.
Until the Castrum is constructed, the Roman player cannot reestablish his reduced units nor leave Britannia with his troops.
If at some point in the game, there are no Roman CU in the Castrum (in particular if the Celts took it), it is destroyed.
- Attack of the Castrum: There is no tactical choice. The Roman ignores one loss due to fire. A Roman army that is attacked in the Castrum does not retreat. If it loses, the survivors remain in the Castrum and the Celt returns to the region bordering the Castrum. The Celt takes Fortuna.
- Attack in the zone with the Castrum: If the Celts attack the Romans in the zone with the Castrum, before the battle or at the end of any phase, the Roman army can break up the combat. It rolls a die; on a 4+ it flees to the Castrum.
4.4 - Caesar son of Venus
Once per game, if there is a storm while Caesar is at sea, he can decide to postpone the storm until the following turn. In exchange, the Celt keeps Fortuna for 2D6 turns.
4.5 - Commios the Atrebatian
A Gallic commander allied with Caesar attempts to convince the Bretons to submit (+1 bonus for submission) if he is present. He cannot die. His only possible action is to move (allowing for the exploration of Britannia but not for ravage). He can also move with a Roman commander.
When a commander or a non-submissive Celtic CU is in the same region as Commius and there are no Roman CU, the Celtic player can decide to capture him. He is then placed with the Celtic commander of the clan that captured him. To free him, the Celtic commander must be defeated or submissive.
5 - SCENARIOS
5.1 - General Rules
5.1.1 - Placement
Place the commanders and units as indicated on the scenario sheet. The commanders in play are placed on the map. The commanded UC are placed on the army cards across from their respective commanders. Non-commanded UC are placed directly on the map.
Place the Tour (Turn) marker on I and the Alea Jacta Est markers of each player on Alea side.
Fortuna is neutral and the marker is not placed on the game.
5.1.2 - Victory
Only the Roman player has victory objectives. To win, he must fulfil at least 5 objectives at the end of the last turn. 4 is a tie. At less than 4, the Celt wins.
The list of objectives depends on the scenario.
Note: if Caesar is killed or a Roman eagle is eliminated, Rome loses the game.
At the end of the last turn, the Roman player must bring his UC, his commanders, his spoils, and his hostages back to Portus Itius. Otherwise, they are eliminated.
As Caesar with his legions was a sort of bulldozer seeking glory and spoils, a military defeat or a bad storm can quickly curtail his stay in Britannia. Don't hesitate to play two games by changing camps and comparing your scores.
The first scenario is shorter but a slight error can lead to the defeat of each camp.
- Non-historical option: Caesar and his troops in the Fretum Gallicum begin the scenario in an ocean zone chosen by the Roman player. The Celtic player has the Fortuna permanently pour 1D6 turns.
5.1.3 - Active Celtic tribes
Each scenario determines which Celtic tribes are active or not. Draw at random which symbol corresponds to which people.
If a people is not active, players can neither play them nor enter their regions.
5.2 - First Landing: 55 BC
5.2.1 - Duration
14 game turns. Place the Classis Romana marker on 14 NP.
5.2.2 - Objectives
- Bring 6 SP back to Gaul
- Bring 1 hostage back to Gaul
- Bring all the legion counters back to Gaul
- Explore 6 regions
- Have at least 12 NP
- Bring Commios back to Gaul
- Construct a fort in Noviomagus or Camulodunum or in Iceni
5.2.3 - Placement
- Romans:
- Portus Itius: 1 Ala (history: it never arrived in Britannia)
- Fretum Gallicum: Caesar, Quintus Atrius, Legion VII, Legion X, 1 Cohors Classica, 1 sagittiffer
- In a Breton coastal region: Commios
- Celts:
- Active Celtic tribes: Regini, Canti, Iceni, Trinovantes (historical placement: Lugotorix is the commander of the Canti).
Note: Cassivellaunus and his bonus chariot cannot play.
At the beginning, each Celtic tribe remains confined to its kingdom and cannot go to their neighbours, even in retreat. After the big storm, the Celts can go to the active neighbouring kingdom (but not to the Catuvellauni: there are thus only two Celtic tribes that can combat Caesar).
5.2.4 - Special Rules
- Revolt of the Morini: Beginning with turn X, when a UC arrives at Portus Itius, roll the die and for a 6, it lands in Morini territory and they revolt. Re-roll the die. On a 1, it is destroyed, otherwise it is placed in Portus Itius.
- The 30 horses of Commios: If a Roman army accompanied by Commios wins a combat on a plain, it must be considered to have cavalry on the pursuit table.
- Landing: When the Roman player lands, the Celtic player places his UC, face down (hide the chariots under a stack), freely within their original kingdoms. The Celtic player can place up to 4 UC plus the Celtic commander or 5 UC in the region where the landing takes place. In this precise case, there is a special battle that follows the rules below:
- There is no crush possible. There is no tactical option and thus no possible pursuit.
- The order of the various phases is modified as follows:
- Celtic Fire
- The Celtic UC with blue swords pointed down, even non-commanded, are in the first line, First melee
- Roman Fire
- The artillery of the fleet enters the action: roll a die to get the number of Celtic UC that retreat from the first line to the second and/or from the second toward an adjacent region (Celt's choice).
- The Roman eagles move to the first line, General melee.
- After each phase, the Celt may decide to retreat in good order without rolling the die.
- Reminder: The victor takes the Fortuna marker and, if it's the Roman, the booty.
5.3 - Second Landing: 54 BC
5.3.1 - Duration
28 game turns. Place the Classis marker face down (side 14 NP) on 14 NP, or 28 NP for this scenario.
5.3.2 - Objectives
- Bring 26 SP back to Gaul
- Bring 3 hostages back to Gaul
- Bring all the legion counters back to Gaul
- Explore 16 regions
- Have at least 26 NP
- Destroy the Oppidum of the Catuvellauni
- Construct a fort in Noviomagus or Camulodunum or Iceni
5.3.3 - Placement
- Romans: Fretum Gallicum: All the Roman counters; 3 commanders and 22 UC plus Commios.
- Celts: No counters on the map.
5.3.4 - Special Rules
(The source prints this heading as "5.5.4 - Special Rules", which is a numbering error; corrected here to 5.3.4.)
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Dumnorix of the Eduens flees: At the beginning of turn I, roll the die. On a 1, the Eduen cavalry doesn't participate.
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Landing without resistance: When the Roman lands for the first time (necessarily in a region containing an anchor), the place of his landing determines the active Celtic tribes:
- Landing in Noviomagus: Catuvellauni, Regini, Belgae, Atrebates
- Regini: Catuvellauni, Regini, Belgae, Cantia
- Dubris: Catuvellauni, Regini, Trinovantes, Cantia
- Trinovantes: Catuvellauni, Iceni, Trinovantes, Dobunni
- Camulodunum: Catuvellauni, Iceni, Trinovantes, Cantia
- Iceni: Catuvellauni, Iceni, Trinovantes, Coritani
Replace the commander of the Catuvellauni with Cassivellaunus (historical placement: the Catuvellauni have the green dog symbol). The Celt places his UC, face down (hide the chariots under a pile), freely within their original kingdoms, with the exception of the zone where the Romans have landed. He places the two Oppidum markers face down with the Catuvellauni. He then activates his first commander.
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Cassivellaunus, supreme commander: Each people is independent and cannot go to their neighbours. Once the Roman player has 5 SP or the big storm arrives, Cassivellaunus takes command of the Celtic coalition. His army can comprise commanders and UC of other non-submissive peoples (but he can only recruit the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes). The Celts can go to any active zone and are all allies.
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Mandubracios king of the Trinovantes is freed: If an army containing at least one Catuvellauni unit is beaten in a pitched battle north of the Thames, the Trinovantes automatically submit to Caesar. They tell Caesar where the Catuvellauni camp is. The Celt removes the decoy marker Oppidum...
Game example (scenario #2)
The printed game example, illustrated on page 15 with a map diagram of turns I to IV.
Turn I: With a 4 on the die, the Aedui cavalry remains in the game. (1) Caesar lands in Dubris. (2) The Celt then places his active peoples and three Celtic commanders pass their turn. (3) Atrius founds the camp. (4) Gaius moves with two legions. (5) Lugotorix harasses Gaius, his chariots take a loss. (6) Commios leaves to explore a region.
Turn II: Storm die: 2: huge storm! The Romans lose 15 NP. (1) Gaius ravages and wins spoils, using them to reestablish a weakened unit. (2) Lugotorix harasses Gaius, inflicting two losses and suffering one. (3) Caesar ravages the region of Dubris. (4) Segovax comes under the banner of Cassivellaunus. (5) Commios explores. (6) Cingetorix captures Commius. (7) Atrius repairs 1 NP.
Turn III: Storm die: 5: nothing. (1) Caesar goes exploring with two legions. (2) Cassivellaunus crosses the Thames. (3) Gaius advances toward the north. (4) Lugotorix recruits a unit. (5) Atrius repairs 1 NP. (6) Cingetorix moves.
Turn IV: Storm die: 1: small storm, loss of 1 NP. (1) Atrius repairs 1 NP. (2) Cassivellaunus attacks Gaius who gives way during the pitched battle. La Fortuna tends toward the Celts. (3) Gaius ravages to win spoils and reestablish his army. (4) As a result, the Regini set out to ambush him. (5) Caesar attempts to intervene in the battle and save him. He succeeds. The Romans win the battle. Commius is liberated. La Fortuna becomes Roman. (6) Segovax moves toward his lands to seek reinforcements. (7) Lugotorix moves closer to the Castrum.
Caesar saved the army of his legate and Commios. On the next turn, he will surely attempt to subject the Regini and continue exploring the island. Cassivellaunus still has a powerful army and can attempt to provoke Caesar or to harass him with his chariots. Lugotorix can attack the Castrum that is defended by a single legion!
Transcription Notes
- The source's rule references are reproduced as printed. Section 0.4 cites "2.4.2.2", which does not exist in the printed rulebook (the recruit rule is 2.4.1).
- The source prints a few typos, reproduced as printed: "Statu Quo" (3.5.1, 3.5.4), "Cattuvellauni" and "ignorent" (5.3.4), "Commios"/"Commius" (both spellings are used in the source).
- Some headings in the source are French or misnumbered (for example "Romains", "5.5.4"); the English form is given above, and the numbering correction is noted at 5.3.4.
- The credits block on the last page (designer, artists, map, layouts, testers and translator) has been omitted.