I Am Spartacus!

I Am Spartacus! Rulebook

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

1.1 I am Spartacus! is a two-player simulation of the Third Servile War, a slave revolt that shook the Roman Republic from 73-71 B.C. The Roman player takes the role of the Senate, attempting to manage simultaneous foreign and domestic wars. The Rebel player takes the roll of Spartacus, the gladiator who led the revolt.

1.2 Game Scale. The game is played on a map of Italy and the surrounding areas, scaled to approximately 25 miles to the inch. Each game turn represents one month. Each unit represents a formation of 1,000-5,000 fighting men.

2.0 Game Components

2.1 List of Components. The components of a complete Spartacus game include these rules, the map, and the counters (also referred to as "units," or "unit counters"), and two dice.

Beginners Note. The dice have nothing directly to do with moving units. It is used to resolve the uncertainties inherent in even the best-planned battles.

2.2 Units. There are 189 unit counters included in the game, most of which represent combat forces, while the rest are informational, memory aid, markers. After reading through these rules, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the "dog ears" off their corners. Each combat counter displays several bits of information: nationality, historical identity, type, and combat strength.

2.3 Sample Combat Units. Each combat counter shows (front and back): the turn of appearance, unit type, historical identity, and combat factor.

2.4 Nationality is determined by the back-ground color, and sometimes is further amplified by an abbreviation.

Roman Units: Blue
Untrained Rebel Ex-slaves: Tan
Gallo-German (Barbarian) Infantry: Dark Brown
Cilician Pirates: Grey
Main Rebel Forces: Light Brown

2.5 Abbreviations and Notes.

Afr: African – Includes Libyans, Berbers, Numidians and other North African Peoples.
Aux: Auxiliary – Roman-allied Italian peoples.
Crt: Cretan
G: Gauls – Celtic tribesmen from the Alps, France and Spain.
Gal: Galatians – A Celtic tribe which settled in Anatolia in the late Hellenic period.
Glad: Gladiators – Spartacus' elite personal guard.
Gr: Germans
Grk: Greek – Including Macedonians, Hellenized Egyptians and others.
Hisp: Hispanic
It: Multi-ethnic, born in Italy.
Pir: Pirates – Based in Cilicia, but recruited from all around the Mediterranean.
Sic: Sicilia
Sling: Slingers – Recruited from herdsmen and mountain bandits.
Syr: Syrian – Including Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Parthians and others.
T: Tumultuary Legion – A kind of "second string" Roman militia or "national guard."
Thr: Thracian – Including Illyrians and other Balkan peoples.

2.6 Roman Legions are identified by their historic designations. That is, for example, the three blue units marked "XX" are the 20th Legion. Non-legion Roman units are identified by their nationality (in the case of units raised from subject-peoples) or location. For example, the three blue cavalry units marked "G" are made up of Gauls serving in the Roman armed forces. The blue units marked "Roma" and "Sic" (for Sicilia) are regular Roman infantry cohorts (not organized into complete legions) stationed in that city and on that island. (Also note a few nationalities show up fighting for both sides.)

2.7 Unit Type. All combat units fall into one of three broad categories: infantry, cavalry, and "missile" (or "ranged fire"). Cavalry units are all those pictured with a warrior/soldier astride a horse. Missile units are either archers or slingers. All others are infantry.

Old Hands Note. Simply put, no one can say for sure just how Spartacus' army outfitted itself. The best guess, of course, is that they did so with captured Roman clothing and equipment. But, then, the war did go on for over a year and a half – certainly enough time for them to begin manufacturing accoutrements drawn from their diverse cultural and martial heritages. Accordingly, in picking illustrations for the unit counters, we tended toward ethnicity and diversity, rather than showing everyone as Roman-style soldiers differentiated only in their degrees of dishevelment.

2.8 Combat Strength. A combat unit's value in battle is quantified by its combat factor. For example, a regular Roman legion has a full-strength combat value of 6 (the I, II, III and IV Legions, "elite" or "crack" outfits, have a full-strength combat value of 8). Note that most combat units are back-printed with a lower combat value on their reverse side. This lower value represents the same unit after it has suffered losses and fatigue in battle. Each of those sides is called a "step" or "strength step," and is the arbitrary unit of measure used to reckon combat losses.

2.9 Rebel Step Strength. On the rebel side, most units contain two steps. For example, look at the Cilician Pirate infantry unit. At full strength, it has a combat factor of "6." If it suffered a "step loss" in combat, the player commanding that side would register the loss by flipping the unit over so its reduced side showed upward ("4"). If the Pirate unit lost another step, that would be shown by eliminating the unit (removing it from the map and placing it in the "dead pile").

Some rebel units – the poorly organized and still largely untrained rebelling ex-slaves (tan background) – have only one step (with a combat factor of "2"). If such a unit suffered a single step loss it would be eliminated.

One rebel unit – Spartacus' elite gladiator bodyguard – contains four strength steps, and is represented by two unit counters (with combat factors of 7/5 and 3/1). Only one of those units – the one reflecting its current combat strength ("7" at the start of play) – may be in play at one time. So, if the gladiator unit took a step loss it would first be flipped (or "reduced") to its "5" side. After another loss, remove the 7/5 counter and replace it with the 3/1 counter (with the 3 side showing).

2.10 Roman Step Strength. Most of the Roman player's strength is found in the 4 "crack" (I-IV) and 14 regular (V-XVII, XX) legions. The crack legions are represented by four units: 8/7, 6/5, 4/3 and 2/1. The regular legions are represented by three units: 6/5, 4/3 and 2/1. As with the gladiators, each legion will always be represented on the map by only one counter – the one representing its current combat strength. The two "Tumultuary" legions, and all Roman missile, cavalry, and the Sicilia garrison units, are each only one-counter, two-step organizations. The Roma cohorts are represented by two counters.

Design Note. Roman legions, unlike almost all other units in the game, lose only one combat factor with each strength step. This was done to show how their training, discipline, organization and tactics combined to make them the most formidable and flexible military formation in the ancient world. They are able to "sell their blood" more dearly than any other units. Unlike most other units in the game, it is relatively hard to completely eliminate a Roman legion – and when it does happen, it's a major (victory point yielding) event.

2.11 Leader Units, representing the individuals named on the counter, along with a few of their personal staff people, have effects on combat and movement procedures, as well as victory calculation (see 12.0, 13.0, and 4.0). The reverse side represents that leader's diminished capacities after being wounded. (Leaders do not have a step value in the sense the combat units they command do.)

Roman Leaders: Crassus, Gellius, Lentullus, Longinus, Lucullus, Manlius, Mummius, Pompey, Varinius.
Rebel Leaders: Spartacus, Castus, Crixus, Gannicus, Oenomaus.

2.12 Other Counters (explained further on in the rules): Roman Atrocity (Terror) Marker, Revolt Marker, Siege Train, Siege Train Abuilding, Fleet, Circumvallation, Intrinsic Roman City Garrison, Spartacist Army, Victory Point Markers.

3.0 Set Up & the Map

3.1 Choosing Sides. Players should first determine who will control which side, then open the map and spread it out between them. The Roman player should sit on the west side, and the Rebel player on the east. Both players should take all their own side's units and sort them by type. The Roman commands all the blue units; the Rebel commands all the tan, light brown, dark brown, and grey.

Roman units with a number in their upper-right corner are reinforcements (see 3.4) and will enter play after the game has begun. The Roman player should sort his various legions into separate piles in numeric order for easy access once play starts.

3.2 The Map is divided into 28 land areas (or provinces) and three sea zones. Five of the provinces contain a walled city. The provinces are either Fertile, Mountain, or Swamp. There are no artificial limits to the number of combat units, leaders, and markers that may occupy a given province at any one time or over the course of an entire game. There are also three sub-areas ("sanctuaries") shown: the Pontine Marshes, Mt. Vesuvius, and the Sila Forest (see 14.15).

Design Note. The rivers shown on the map are only there for historicity's sake. They have no effect on play.

3.3 Roman Set Up. Place the following Roman units on the map (all start at full strength):

Rome – Roma cohorts, Varinius, Mummius
Neapolis – I & II Tumultuary Legions
Aquileia – VI Legion
Mutina – VII Legion, Longinus
Messana – Sicilia cohort

Design Note. If you've read the accompanying historical article on Spartacus, you're probably wondering why C. Claudius, L. Cossinius and P. Valerius, along with the few thousand troops they led, are not in the Roman set up. Well, in the operative-gaming sense, those ill-fated leaders and their (relatively) few troops were actually the "tools" the Senate used to reconnoiter the forces of the rebellion and ascertain its strength (likewise the initial foray and repulse of the Neapolis' Tumultuaries). Those leaders, units, and their initial missions, are factored into the initial dispositions; thus, the Roman player looks at the set-up, sees Campania, and says, "Whoa! Three leaders, the gladiators and five slave gangs! Yo!"

Likewise, the legions sent against Spartacus in November – they were raised quickly and were "legions" in name only – have been factored into the four-step Roma garrison unit.

3.4 Roman Reinforcements. Place the following units on the Turn Record Track (all start at full strength):

Turn 5 – Legions V and XX, one Aux. archer, Lentulus, Gellius, Manlius.
Turn 10 – Legions VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, two G. cavalry, Crassus.
Turn 13 – Legions I, II, III, IV, two Hisp. cavalry, two slingers, Pompey.
Turn 16 – Legions XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, one Thr. cavalry, one Gal. cavalry, one Syr. archer, Lucullus.

Note: When placing the legions on the Turn Record Track, don't put all the counters belonging to each there. Place only the full strength counter, and keep the weaker units in piles off to the side.

3.5 Rebel Set Up. Place the following Rebel units on the map at the start of the game (all are set up at full strength): Campania – Revolt Marker, Gladiators, five Rebel Slaves, Spartacus, Crixus, Oenomaus.

3.6 Rebel Manpower Pools. Place all the light brown and dark brown Rebel infantry units into one coffee mug and set that within easy reach of the Rebel player. Place the remaining two Rebel leader units, the remaining Rebel Slaves, all the Rebel cavalry, all the Rebel missile units, and the two Pirate units in (five) separate piles. The units in the cup and piles constitute the various "pools" from which the Rebel player will obtain additional units.

3.7 First Game Turn. At the start of the game, all provinces and cities except Campania are Roman-controlled. Game Turn 1 begins with Phase III, Step C. That is, Spartacus and his men have already used up most of the turn organizing and launching their rebellion in Campania; the game begins with the Roman's reaction to that move.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 In general, the Rebel player is trying to bring about the downfall (or at least the military/political embarrassment) of the Roman Republic, while his opponent is trying to prevent that. More specifically, the game is usually won on points awarded to each player as described below. The player with the most points wins (ties are possible, as well as "sudden death" victories).

4.2 Rebel "Sudden Death" Victory. Play stops and the Rebel player is declared the victor the instant his forces gain control of the city of Rome.

4.3 Roman "Sudden Death" Victory. Play stops and the Roman player is declared the victor the instant Spartacus is captured or killed. This kind of victory is no longer obtainable after the end of Game Turn 16 (Feb. 71 B.C.).

4.4 Winning on Points. Failing the occurrence of a Sudden Death victory by either side, the winner of the game is reckoned at the end of Game Turn 17 (Mar. 71). At that point, the player who has earned the greatest number of Victory Points (VPs) is declared the winner. Each player uses his VP markers (x1 and x10) to track his VPs on the VP Track.

4.5 Rebel VPs.

1 VP for every province in revolt at the end of Game Turn 17.
1 VPs for every city in revolt at the end of Game Turn 17.
2 VPs for killing Crassus any time during play.
1 VP, each, for killing any Roman leaders other than Crassus any time during play.
2 VPs for each Roman step lost from a regular or crack legion for any reason.
2 VPs for every regular or elite Roman legion completely eliminated during the course of the game (for any reason).
1 VP for every step of non-legion Roman strength lost for any reason.
2 VPs for each "escaped" Rebel combat unit (see 12.11).
1 VP for every Rebel leader, other than Spartacus, still on the map at the end of Game Turn 17.
5 VPs if Spartacus is still on the map at the end of Game Turn 17.
1 VP per rebel combat unit (not step) left on the map at the end of Game Turn 17.

Historical Note. Whenever the Rebel succeeds in eliminating an entire regular or crack legion, he has "captured the eagle." That means his victorious warriors have slaughtered the legionaries practically down to the last man and seized the unit's identifying eagle standard. These were objects of great sacerdotal significance, and the Rebel should therefore observe each such seizure by looking his opponent squarely in the eyes and saying, in his deepest and manliest voice, something like: "Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyaaaah! I gotcher eagle!"

4.6 Roman VPs.

1 VP for every Rebel combat step or fleet eliminated as a result of combat (losses for any other reasons don't count for VPs).
1 VP for every Rebel leader, other than Spartacus, eliminated any time during play.
-6 (that's minus-six) VPs for every Roman fleet built during play.
-12 if the Game Turn 10 reinforcements were brought into play.
-15 if the Game Turn 13 reinforcements were brought into play.
-12 if the Game Turn 16 reinforcements were brought into play.

Design Note. Though it's impossible for the Roman to win a Sudden Death victory on the last turn of the game, it often will be useful for him to push his campaigning to the limit on that turn in hope of killing Spartacus, simply to deny those VPs to his opponent.

4.7 Early End of Game. If all slave units have exited the map or have been eliminated before the end of Turn 16, the game ends immediately. Count VPs as though Game Turn 17 had just ended.

5.0 The Turn Sequence

5.1 In General. Each game turn is divided into three "Phases," each of which is subdivided into two or more "Steps." Every action taken by a player during the course of a game turn must be carried out in the appropriate step. Once a player finishes a given step and play has moved on to the next, he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 The Turn Sequence. The complete turn sequence is given below. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they are encountered as you progress through each turn.

I. ADMINISTRATIVE PHASE

A. Pacification Step – The Roman may attempt to subdue provinces and cities in revolt.
B. Leader Recovery Step – Both players roll to see if their wounded leaders (if any) recover this turn.
C. Reinforcement Step – The Roman places any arriving reinforcements on the map. The Rebel rolls to determine if a real alliance has been formed with the Cilician Pirates.
D. Replacement & Upgrade Step (only in the first month of each new season) – The Roman may rebuild his reduced units using replacements. The rebel may train and upgrade his units.

II. NAVAL PHASE

A. The Rebel may move his fleet (if available), use naval transport, and resolve any resultant naval combat.
B. The Roman may build or move a fleet, use naval transport, and resolve any resultant naval combat.

III. LAND PHASE

A. Both players determine the amount of attrition suffered by their forces in each province and city.
B. The Rebel player moves his land units, checks for revolts, and resolves any combat.
C. The Roman player moves his land units and resolves any combat.
D. Move the Game Turn marker ahead one month on the Turn Record Track and begin a new game turn.

6.0 Revolt & Pacification

6.1 Revolt Generally. Whenever any Rebel leader enters a province that has not yet gone into revolt, there is a chance the slave population there will rise and join the rebel army. A revolt is indicated by placing an "In Revolt" marker in the province; the resultant enlistments are shown by placing rebel slave units in the province (and/or slingers in mountainous areas).

6.2 Die Rolls Needed for Revolt.

In both fertile regions of Sicilia (Agrigentum and Siracusa), roll two dice (or one die twice) and immediately place that many slave units. (No die roll modifications apply.)
In any other fertile region or cities roll one die. Add 2 to the roll if Spartacus is present. Subtract 1 from the roll for every 6 Roman combat factors present (fractions of 6 and Roman leaders don't count). Place that many slave units in the province.
In any Mountain or Swamp regions, roll one die and subtract three. (No other die roll modifications apply.) New units here may be taken as either slaves and/or slingers, at the Rebel player's option.

6.3 "In Revolt." If one or more Rebel units have been created by the die rolls, immediately place an "In Revolt" marker in the province. A region remains in revolt until actively suppressed by the Roman player. The mere presence of Roman units in a province is not enough, by itself, to prevent or suppress a revolt (see 6.6). A province may revolt even if there are insufficient (or no) slave units available for placement - the slave player minimizes his benefits from the revolt, but denies use of the province to the Roman player.

6.4 New Rebel Leaders. On any (final/modified) die roll of 5 or more, the Rebel player may also draw one new leader (without looking) from his pool of available leader units.

6.5 New Rebel Units. Newly placed rebel units may participate in the game turn from the instant of entry (including movement and combat). Exception: during their first turn on the map, newly raised units/leaders may only move as part of the force which raised them; they may not move independently.

6.6 Pacification. During Phase I/Step A of every game turn after the first, the Roman may attempt to subdue (or "Pacify," or "Suppress," or "Squash," etc.) the revolts in any regions or cities wherein he has infantry units and there are no rebel units (other than the revolt marker itself). To do so, he indicates which infantry units in the province or city will participate in the suppression and rolls one die. Add one to the roll for every combat factor of Roman infantry involved in the operation. The revolt is suppressed on a modified roll of "7" or more. Resolve each province and city suppression separately. Indicate pacification by flipping the In Revolt marker in the province to show the crucified slave. Units conducting pacification may take part in other activities (movement or combat) that same game turn.

6.7 Permanent Suppression. Once a place is pacified it will never revolt again during the course of the same game.

6.8 Preemptive Suppression. The Roman player may not conduct pre-emptive pacifications. That is, he may not pacify regions not yet in rebellion in the hope of heading off trouble there.

7.0 Leaders

7.1 In General. Leaders are required for units to move about on the map (see 12.0). Rebel leaders are needed to allow slave units to upgrade during the seasonal replacement/training step (see 9.6). See 6.3 and 6.4 for leader effects on revolts. See 13.0 for leader participation in combat.

7.2 Recovery of Wounded Leaders. During Phase I/Step B, each player rolls one die for each of his wounded leaders on the map. Wounded Spartacus will recover (and is immediately flipped back to his full strength side) on a roll of 1 or 2; all others recover on a roll of 1. (No modifiers apply.) Wounded leaders may move normally on the map, with or without units.

8.0 Reinforcements

8.1 Rebel Reinforcements. The only two units that may potentially join the rebel forces and that are not recruited from among the slave populations of the Republic itself are the fleet and infantry units of the Cilician Pirates. Those two units are the only potential rebel reinforcements during the game.

Each game turn after the first, during Phase I/Step C, wherein the Rebel player controls one or more coastal provinces, he rolls two dice (or one die twice). If he rolls a total of 2, a real and substantive alliance has been formed with the Cilician Pirates. Immediately place the pirate fleet in any sea zone on the map, and put the pirate infantry ashore in any coastal province containing other rebel ground units.

From that point both those units function in all ways as integral parts of the rebel forces. The pirate infantry never receives replacements (see 9.0). For details on fleet movement and combat, see section 10.0.

8.2 Roman "Free" Reinforcements. The Roman units and leaders arriving on Game Turn 5, are classified as "free." That is, the Roman player may enter them into play during Phase I/Step C of that turn without incurring any victory point penalty. These units enter play at Rome. If Rome is besieged, then the units may enter at Mutina, Brundisium, or Neapolis (all units must enter at the same city). The units may immediately begin operating with full capabilities.

8.3 Roman "Conditional" Reinforcements. The Roman units scheduled to enter play on turns 10, 13, and 16 are "conditional" reinforcements. That is, the units and leaders entering on turns 13 and 16 are actually engaged in wars being fought off-map from the very start of play, and can only be recalled from those campaigns to fight this slave rebellion at the risk of losing momentum on the other fronts. Crassus and his turn 10 units, though already in Italy, may only be mobilized at considerable political cost to the Republic (hence that VP debit).

During Phase I/Step C of each of those three game turns, the Roman player must declare whether he will bring that turn's conditional reinforcements into play. These are once-and-done decisions that cannot be changed once made. A separate declaration is made for each of the three groups, but once a group is passed, no future reinforcements may be taken (that is, if the turn 10 group is passed, the turn 13 and 16 groups may not be taken). Each group of reinforcements must be accepted or kept off as a group; no partial entries are allowed. (For the VP costs involved, see 4.6.)

8.4 Entering the Conditionals. The turn 10 units must enter in Rome (if Rome is besieged, enter in the same way as the reinforcements in 8.2). The turn 13 and 16 units may enter play in any fertile coastal province which doesn't have a pirate fleet in the sea zone immediately off shore. (Since there's only one pirate fleet, provinces bordered by two or more sea zones can always be used for debarkation.)

9.0 Replacements & Upgrades

9.1 Replacements are received by both players during Phase I/Step D of game turns 2, 5, 8, 11, 14 and 17. Those turns represent the start of each of the four seasons, and are clearly shown on the Turn Record Chart as being the first month-box in each row of the chart.

9.2 Rebel Slave Replacements. During replacement turns, every rebel controlled ("In Revolt") province and city with no Roman combat units in it receives one new slave unit – Roman units in cities lying within rebel controlled provinces do not prohibit rebel replacements in that province. The replacement in an "In Revolt" mountain province may be either a slave or slinger.

Replacement slave units may be drawn from the dead pile or from slave units not yet entered into play. If all 28 slave counters are already in play, no new ones are received until a replacement turn arrives wherein that is no longer true. Unused replacement may not be saved for future turns.

In addition to the normal slave replacements, the Gladiator unit may, if at less than full strength, receive one "free" replacement step each season. If the unit has taken one or more losses, build it up to its next highest strength. Once completely destroyed it may not be rebuilt.

9.3 Rebel Archers. Any Greek or Syrian infantry unit located in a rebel-controlled fertile province with no Roman combat units present, may be used to create ("train up") the Cretan archer unit. The probability of the unit appearing depends on the current magnitude of the rebellion. Roll one die and consult the chart below.

# of Rebel-Controlled Fertile Provinces	Die Roll Needed for Unit to Appear
1-2	1
3-5	1, 2
6-8	1, 2, 3
9 or more	1, 2, 3, 4

9.4 Archer Entry. If the die roll is successful, immediately enter the archer unit into play in the same province as the "trainer" infantry. It may only be entered once per game. The infantry unit is not removed and does not lose a step - the archer unit represents only selected individuals from the infantry unit.

9.5 Rebel Cavalry. Any Gallic, German, African, Italian or Thracian infantry unit located in a rebel-controlled fertile province with no Roman combat units present may be used to create ("train up") a cavalry unit. Use the same chart and entry procedure as in archer creation. The nationality of the infantry and created cavalry units need not match. The infantry unit is not in any way used up or weakened by the creation, and remains on the map.

No more than one cavalry unit may enter play per eligible province per seasonal replacement game turn (there are only so many horses available to steal at any one time).

9.6 Rebel Training Upgrades. All rebel controlled fertile provinces and cities containing one or more slave units and a rebel leader may be used as a site for training upgrades. A province must not contain any Roman combat units, though the Romans may be in a city in the province.

In each eligible province and city, the Rebel player may remove one or two slave units and (without looking) draw one or two infantry units from the coffee cup pool. Place the new infantry units – at their full strength – back in the city or province where they were just trained-up. Place the trained-up slave units back into the pool of slave units available for later recycling into the game.

Once in play and reduced, no rebel unit (except the Gladiators, see 9.2) may ever be built back to full strength. Other than the slave units, which may circulate in and out of play any number of times, a rebel unit's passage through the game is one way: from its pool to the map at full strength, reduced, then eliminated. If there are no more units in a given pool, no more units of that type will enter play for the rest of the game no matter what the overall situation of the rebellion.

9.7 Rebel Replacement Sequence. Rebel player activities in this phase must always take place in the order presented above: 1) Slave/Slinger replacements; 2) Archer recruiting; 3) Cavalry Recruiting; 4) Slave upgrades. It is possible for the same slave unit to appear in Step 1 and then train-up in Step 4 of the same game turn.

9.8 Roman Replacements. During replacement game turns, the Roman receives a number of "replacement steps" equal to the number of non-revolted fertile provinces then on the map (including Africa and Sardinia). These points may be used to rebuild any reduced unit then in play, or any archer unit which has been eliminated. Any non-archer unit, once eliminated, may not be brought back into play in the course of the game. Old Hands Note: no unit besieged in a city may receive replacements.

No crack legion may receive replacements until its strength is reduced below 6, and then may not be rebuilt to a strength above 6 during the course of a game.

Within those restrictions, a given unit may receive any number of available replacement points during a single replacement turn, and suffers no movement or combat penalties for having done so. Replacement steps not used on the turn they become available are lost. Pacified provinces do count for Roman replacements.

10.0 Fleets

10.1 The Cilician Pirate Fleet enters play whenever the Rebel player rolls a 2 on two dice during Phase 1/Step C. (If you're using the optional siege rules, also see 14.13.)

10.2 The Roman Fleet is not in existence at the start of the game, and the Roman player is not required to build any during the course of a game. He may, however, declare a fleet has begun abuilding during any game turn's Phase II/Step B. Deduct the six VPs and place the fleet on the Turn Record Track three turns later. (For example, a fleet begun during Game Turn 4 would enter play during Phase II/Step B of Game Turn 7.)

New Roman fleets enter in the Tyrrhenum Sea Zone, and immediately have all their movement, combat, and transport capabilities available. No more than one Roman fleet may ever be on the map or abuilding at any one time, though within those limits, as many fleets as the Roman desires may be initiated over the course of a game (-6VP each).

10.3 Fleet Movement for both sides is infinite each turn from Sea Zone to adjacent Sea Zone.

10.4 Fleet Combat takes place the instant opposing fleets occupy the same Sea Zone. The procedure is extremely simple: both fleets are instantly eliminated.

The elimination of the Pirate Fleet does not affect the Pirate infantry unit in any way. No more than one Pirate fleet may enter play over the course of any one game.

Design Note. This model of naval combat does not assume the contending fleets annihilate each other down to the last ship and crewman, but rather that both suffer enough casualties and damage to require their withdrawal from action for a prolonged refit. (As tough as the Cilicians were, when Pompey was given sufficient authority and resources to do the job in 67 B.C., he crushed them in three months.)

10.5 Naval Transport is available to the ground units of both sides if their side's fleet is in play. Each fleet may transport up to 12 combat factors' worth of units and any number of leaders on any given game turn. The move must be restricted to one operation per game turn, embarking from one coastal province and debarking in one coastal province of the same Sea Zone. No ground units may remain at sea after Phase II is ended.

Note that naval transport is a distinct and separate activity in Phase II, and ground units taking part in it are not prevented from fully participating in Phase III activities that same game turn. Note also fleet movement (and self-annihilating combat) takes place before naval transport in Phase II.

Naval Transport Example. A unit in Campania could use naval transport to enter Sardinia or Africa, since they are both adjacent to the Tyrrhenum Sea Zone. That unit in Campania, though, could not use naval transport to enter Illyricum, which is adjacent only to the Hadriaticum Sea Zone.

11.0 Attrition

Beginners Note. Skip this section entirely.

11.1 In general, during Phase III/Step A, each player must check his ground forces for attrition, province by province and city by city. These losses reflect the wastage of men and morale due to irregular supply, harsh weather, diseases, etc. Rebel units eliminated in this way do not yield VPs to the Roman player, but Roman attrition losses do yield VPs to the Rebel.

11.2 City Supply. Units of both sides located in a friendly unbesieged city are always fully supplied and need not be checked for attrition. Units in provinces containing a friendly unbesieged city are also immune to attrition that turn and need not be checked.

11.3 Fleet Supply. All units in coastal regions adjacent to a Sea Zone in which there is a friendly fleet are fully supplied and need not be checked for attrition on such turns. Fleets themselves are always fully supplied and never suffer attrition.

11.4 Roman Supply Trains. Each turn the Roman may point to any one province on the map containing his units and to which a line of Roman-controlled provinces/sea zones (that is, empty of revolt markers, enemy fleets and enemy ground units) is traceable from unbesieged Rome. The units in that province are automatically fully supplied by Roman supply trains (no units represent them in play) and suffer no attrition that turn.

11.5 Leaders never suffer attrition.

11.6 Minor Forces, defined as fewer than six combat units in a given province never suffer attrition.

11.7 Harvest. Attrition is not checked for any units during Autumn game turns (Sept., Oct., Nov.).

11.8 Attrition Checks. Units not exempted by any of the above rules must be checked for attrition. Roll one die for all the units in each province and city to be checked and consult the table below.

Attrition Table

Die Roll	6-10 units	11-16 units	17 or more units
1	N/A	N/A	N/A
2	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	N/A	N/A	1
4	N/A	1	2
5	1	2	3
6	2	3	4
7+	3

(Columns: Number of Combat Units in Province or City.)

Notes:

N/A = No Attrition
= Eliminate the indicated number of steps (owner's choice)
Add +1 to the die roll during Winter turns for units in mountain provinces
Add +2 to the die roll during Summer turns (June, July, August) in Swamps
Note that the column you roll under is determined by the number of combat units present, no matter what the force's step strength. Attrition wastage, though, is taken out in steps.

11.9 Attrition in Besieged Cities. When using the optional siege rules (14.6), add the following rules to the attrition procedures:

At the start of each attrition check for a besieged city, first roll to see if plague has broken out inside the walls. Roll one die per besieged city per turn; on a roll of 6 plague has broken out (no modifiers apply). If there is no plague, roll on the chart above, adding +1 to the die roll for every turn of the siege (no other modifiers apply to city attrition).

For example, if Roman occupied Mutina came under siege during the Rebel Land Phase (III) of Game Turn 4, during Game Turn 5's attrition check (in Phase III/Step A), the Roman would roll adding +1 to the die roll for the forces in Mutina; on Turn 6 he'd add +2, etc., as long as the siege went on.

11.10 Attrition in Plague Cities. Once plague has broken out in a given city, it remains there until such time as control of the place changes sides or the siege is broken. In plague cities, don't consult the chart above. Instead, roll one die for each unit in the place. On a roll 1-3 eliminate one step from the unit; on a roll of 4-6 it's O.K. for that turn. If a besieged plague city finally falls to enemy attack, make one plague-style check for every unit in the assaulting army that enters the city (that is, takes part in the Storming Step of the battle – see 14.13).

Important Note. It is possible for a garrison in a besieged plague city to be completely eliminated by illness. In that case, don't place the intrinsic garrison counter (see 14.11); those guys are already dead, too. Instead, the place immediately falls to the besiegers, but only after they make one plague-check on themselves.

12.0 Land Movement

12.1 In general, during Phase III/Steps B & D, ground units may move from province to adjacent province by ("Normal") Marching, or Forced Marching, or Road Marching. In every case, units must be accompanied by one or more leader units of their side to be able to move. (Exception: see 12.3.)

Units piled together in the same city or province may be moved singly, or as one large group, or as several smaller groups.

12.2 Normal March. Units using this kind of movement may move from one province to any adjacent ("touching") province and then must stop there. Eligible Rebel units may use this kind of march to exit the map (see 12.11).

12.3a Movement from/to Cities. Units starting in a city can move out to the surrounding province without using up their one-province Normal March allotment. No leader is needed for this movement. Likewise, units entering a province containing a friendly city can also enter that city that same turn using Normal March. The general movement rule for this situation is: you reach the province; you reach the city.

12.3b Forced Marching allows units to move into and through more than one province during a single movement step. The player must declare a given unit or stack of units is using Forced March before he begins their movement. (There are no artificial limits, other than leader availability, to the number of units/stacks which may use this kind of movement in each movement step.) The moving player must roll one die and consult the chart below each time a Force Marching unit/stack enters a new province.

Forced March Table

Die Roll	Result
≤1	Forced March may continue
2	Forced March may continue after one "straggler" unit (owner's choice) is dropped off in this province
3	Forced March may continue but reduce any one unit one step first (reduced unit may also continue)
4	March stops for all involved units
5-6+	March stops for all involved units; reduce any one unit one step (or eliminate a one-step unit)

Notes:

Subtract 1 from the die roll if the march is led by Spartacus or Pompey
Subtract 1 from the die roll if the force contains only cavalry and/or leaders
Add 1 to the die roll during Winter turns when entering supressed provinces.
Add 1 to the die roll if the province contains any enemy combat units
Leader units moving alone are never subject to step loss, but must heed stop results
Except for the above, there are no artificial limits to forece marching. That is, a given unit or stack may keep going as long as it rolls a (final, modified) 1-3. All applicable modifiers are cumulative in any given situation.

12.4 Road Marching allows a unit or stack to pass through up to 6 friendly-controlled, adjacent, fertile provinces. Road Marching must be done through fertile provinces and may begin and end in any province. Friendly control is defined as follows: for the Roman, the province must not be In Revolt, but may be pacified, and may not contain Rebel units; for the Rebel, the province must be In Revolt and may not contain any Roman units (except those in cities).

Historical Note. The excellent Roman roads made it possible for units to average 15-20 miles per day over level terrain for extended periods. In one month, it would just be possible to march the 600-mile length of Italy.

12.5 Movement Sequence. No unit may use more than one type of movement described above during any one game turn. The order of each side's land movement must be: Road, Normal, Forced. That is, all of a player's Road Marches must be finished before he begins any Normal Marches, etc.

12.6 The Strait of Messana, separating Italy from Sicily, is about two miles wide at the narrowest point. Strong currents can make slapdash crossings hazardous.

12.7 Roman Crossings. The Roman player may move his units freely across the straits (as if there were a regular land border between the two provinces) as long as the Pirate Fleet is not located there. If the strait is "blockaded" (by the Pirate Fleet being there), the Roman may not cross until such time as it's gone.

12.8 Rebel Crossings of the strait may take place unimpeded if the Roman Fleet is not blockading and both Messana and Bruttium are in-Revolt. They may also cross unimpeded if the Pirate Fleet is in the straits (regardless of the status of the two provinces).

12.9 Rafting. If neither of those two situations exist, the Rebel player may attempt to force a crossing on improvised rafts. The chance of success varies with the season. Such raft crossings may not be part of a Forced or Road March. Roll one die for each unit (including leaders) attempting the crossing and consult the following chart. (Add +1 to the die roll during Winter turns.)

Raft Crossing Table

Die Roll	Result
1	Cross OK.
2	Leader crosses OK. Combat unit crosses, but loses 1 step.
3	Cannot cross, movement stops for that unit.
4	Cannot cross, movement stops for that unit. Combat unit loses one step.
5-6	Unit (Combat or Leader) eliminated.

12.10 Check for Revolts whenever a Rebel leader unit (alone or accompanied) enters a province that has not yet gone into revolt, make a die roll check to see if the slaves in that province rise in revolt (see 6.1 and 6.2). Remember – no single province can go into revolt more than once per game, though it may have more than one check made for it over the course of a game (only one die roll check per game turn).

12.11 Rebel Escape. All Gallic and German Rebel units may escape to freedom by moving (Normal or Forced) from Liguria or Gallia Transpadana across the Roman boundary and off the map. They are removed from play and yield Rebel VPs (see 4.5). African Rebel units may similarly escape by using naval transport to get to Africa, then moving off the board from there (and also yielding VPs).

Greek, Thracian, and Syrian Rebel units may escape by moving off the board overland from Illyricum or Epirus (and also yield VPs). Rebel leader units other than Spartacus may escape using any, some or all of those routes, but they never yield any Rebel VPs for having done so (though neither will the Roman get any for killing them). No other rebel units are allowed to escape.

Important Note: The final move of a rebel combat unit off the map does not require leader unit accompaniment.

12.12 Spartacist Army Counter. Often, during the second half of the game, the rebel player will find he has a large force concentrated in one province. In such cases, to ease movement, remove those units to a place at the side of the map, and substitute the Spartacist army counter for them on the map.

13.0 Land Combat & Evasion

Old Hands Note. This game's systemic parent, Alexandros, is "a strategic game with a pseudo-tactical combat sequence." With this new sub-system, Spartacus becomes "a strategic game with a pseudo-operational combat sequence."

13.1 In general, at the end of each player's movement (Phase III/Step B and Phase III/Step C), combat must take place in provinces containing units from both sides. The "moving player" (the Rebel in III/B; the Roman in III/C) is considered the "attacking player" during that entire step, regardless of the overall situation on the map. The attacking player need not announce beforehand the order in which he intends to resolve all his battles, but each battle must be completely resolved before the next is begun.

13.2 Cities. Roman units in cities take no part in a battle fought in the same province unless that player desires they do. In such situations, the Roman player simply declares his units in the city are "making a sortie" out into the province to take part in – or initiate – a battle there. Such sorties do not require the presence of a leader.

Beginners Note. Skip rules 13.3-13.8, and ignore all references to evasion in your first few matches.

13.3 Evading Combat. Before a given battle is resolved, either player (attacker first) may declare his forces there will attempt to evade combat. Note that these evasion procedures come after all movement is done for that step; successful evasion does not allow the evading force to resume movement that turn.

If either side's forces in a province successfully evade combat, no battle takes place there that turn. All units remain in place.

In the event both players wish to evade combat, disregard the evasion procedures; there is no combat.

13.4 Evasion Procedures. A force containing only leaders and/or cavalry units can automatically evade combat if the enemy force in the same province contains no cavalry. In such situations, no die roll is necessary, the evasion is automatically successful. In all other combinations and match-ups, a force attempting evasion is subject to the following conditions.

Any Rebel force led by Spartacus can evade combat on a (single and unmodified) die roll of 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Any Roman force led by Crassus or Pompey may evade combat on a die roll of 1-2.
Any other force of either side, as long as at least one friendly leader is present, may evade combat on a die roll of 1.

13.5 Evasion Limitations. Evasion is impossible for forces not containing at least one leader. Resolve any evasion attempt in a given battle just before that battle is resolved – don't resolve all evasions for every battle before the first battle begins. No Rebel units may attempt evasion during Turn 17.

When using the optional rules, units in siege combat and Rebel units in sanctuaries may never attempt evasion.

13.6 Battle Procedures. Every battle is resolved by working through seven segments in the following order:

Sorting
Set Up
Missile Fire
Melee
Breakthrough
Committed Leader Casualties
Retreat/Rout.

It is possible segments 4-6 will be run through more than once during the same battle.

13.7 Sorting. Each player moves all the units of his side involved in the battle in a given province to a mutually convenient area on the empty north side of the map. Sort the units into three piles:

Leaders
Missile Units
Line Units (Infantry and Cavalry together in one pile).

13.8 Set Up. The player with the fewest number of Line Units (pile 3, above) now sets all those units out in a row, leaving at least an inch between each one. (In situations where both have the same number of units in pile 3, the defending player sets up his line first. Count units – not steps or combat factors – each separate counter is "one unit.")

After his line units are down, that same player may allocate all, some, or none of his available leader units to a place in the line. He does this by placing a given leader underneath any infantry unit in the line. No infantry unit may receive more than one leader (and cavalry never receives any).

Once the first player has set up his line and leaders, the player with the larger pile 3 then does the same. He must place his line units so each of the enemy's line units has at least one of his line units next to it. He may then set up any leftover line units, in any combination(s), behind those "front line" units (thus potentially "ganging up" on some or all of the enemy line units). The second player has complete discretion in setting up his leftover units. He may place them all behind a single front line unit, or one behind each, or any other combinations he desires.

The second player may then commit all, some, or none of his available leaders to take a place in the line. Leaders "taking a place in the line" in this way need not necessarily be placed in the most forward units; they may be placed with backup units.

After both players have completed their opposing set ups as described above, temporarily set aside all remaining leaders not in the lines (but see 14.16 for redeploying leaders).

13.9 Missile Fire. Each player now rolls a die once for each of his available missile units (which have been kept off to the side and uninvolved up to this point). Each die roll less than or equal to a given missile unit's printed combat factor causes one hit (one step loss) among the line units (not leaders) of the enemy force.

It doesn't matter which player fires first, since combat is considered simultaneous. After both players have determined the number of hits scored by his missile units against the enemy, each then reduces his own front line units by the number of hits he received. The allocation of the hits is entirely up to the owning player.

If any line unit(s) is eliminated by missile fire, and there is a friendly line unit in position behind it, immediately slide that backup unit forward into the just-vacated front line position. If no such reinforcement unit is available, the enemy line unit opposite the unit just eliminated by missile fire has achieved a breakthrough and may immediately be deployed according to the provisions of 13.16 and 13.17.

After this one exchange, set aside all missile units; they are out of play until segment 6 (see 13.28).

If one side's entire force consists of only a missile unit or units, then each unit gets one shot as described above, and is then automatically eliminated by the enemy's line units. In the unlikely event both sides' forces contain only missile units, they skip the melee step and resolve battle using only missile fire techniques.

Example of Missile Fire. The Roman has two missile units (3's), and the Rebel has three (also 3's). The Roman rolls one die for each unit and gets a "5" and a "2", thus scoring one "hit" on his Rebel front line foes. The Rebel is "hot," and rolls "1", "1", and "3," scoring three hits.

The Roman reacts by reducing three full-strength legions in his front line by one step each. (Back up units may not be used to soak up missile hits.) The Rebel (laughing) removes one slave unit (and then slides forward the gladiator unit that was immediately behind it, cleverly positioned there for just such an eventuality).

Design Note. Yes, we originally had a far more involved system for allocating and resolving missile fire. But we soon came to see it was just as appropriate to go over to the streamlined method you see here. That is, players will invariably choose to give up steps among their least cohesive (weakest or least important) units – which at this scale and in this era, are just the ones that would be most affected by missile fire. Effect triumphs over process once again.

13.10 Melee. Each front line unit on both sides now fights the enemy front line unit opposite it. Roll one die for each front line unit. If the result is less than or equal to its combat factor that unit has scored a hit on its opponent. Both players roll for each engaged pair of front line units simultaneously. It is possible for both to hit, or both to miss, or one hit and one miss. Hits within each engaged pair are suffered simultaneously and immediately by those units (you can't fob them off on any front line units you want as in missile fire).

13.11 Leader-Strategists. If Pompey or Crassus is present in a battle on the Roman side, and/or Spartacus is present on the Rebel side, during the first melee round (only!) that side's (or sides') melee combat values are increased by +1 (to reflect those leaders' superior strategic grasp while making their initial approaches, etc.) This initial melee bonus is received even if the generating leader also takes a place in the front line (see below). Missile fire is unaffected. (If both Pompey and Crassus are present at the same battle, the Roman bonus remains only +1.) Opposing leader bonuses do not cancel each other out.

13.12 Leaders in Melee. If a leader is present in the front line with an infantry unit, that risk-taking serves to increase that unit's morale (and thus its combat power). Each leader increases the combat factor of the infantry unit he is stacked with by +1, except for Crassus, Pompey, and Spartacus, who each generate +2.

During initial melees, it is permissible to get both the strategist bonus and this "tactical" one. This tactical bonus, unlike the strategic one, is available every round an unwounded leader is present with an engaged infantry unit.

Beginners Note. Ignore rules 13.13 and 13.14 below.

13.13 Cavalry vs. Infantry. To more accurately reflect the realities of (stirrupless) cavalry vs. infantry combat in this era, use this rule during the melee segments of every battle. Whenever a cavalry unit fights an infantry unit, the combat value of that cavalry unit is always "1," no matter how many steps the horse unit contains and no matter what its printed combat value. Exception: Roman cavalry engages untrained slave units using its printed combat value.

13.14 Berserkergang! During every melee round, there is a chance the Rebel player's engaged Gallo-German infantry (not cavalry) may "go Berserk". That is, the men in each such unit may collectively and spontaneously decide to shuck off the "civilized" tactics they have recently adopted and go back to their traditional and undisciplined warrior approach of charging the enemy center. During every melee round, roll one die for every engaged (that is, front line) Gallo-German infantry unit just before each makes its regular combat die roll. If there is no leader stacked with it, the unit goes berserk on a roll of 1, 2, or 3. If there's a leader other than Spartacus stacked with it, it will go berserk on a roll of 1 or 2. If Spartacus is stacked with it, it will go berserk only on a roll of 1. Berserk Gallo-Germans double their combat factor for that melee round, but also suffer an automatic step loss immediately after making their combat die roll. (See 13.22 for the fate of leaders in such situations.)

Berserkergang Example. An unled Gallo-German infantry unit makes its berserkergang check and rolls a "3," thus going berserk. It's a full-strength German 4/3, so doubling its combat factor raises its attack strength to "8," making for an automatic hit on the opposing Roman line unit. The German is then immediately flipped to its "3" side. When the Roman unit opposite makes its combat die roll that player rolls a hit, thus eliminating the German unit.

13.15 Breakthrough. Whenever an exchange of melee combat rolls results in the elimination of one side's front line unit, and the losing player has no back up unit lined up behind it to immediately slide into the vacated position, the player owning the winner of that duel has scored a "breakthrough."

In such cases, the player with the surviving unit immediately moves that survivor (along with all the other friendly units that may be lined up behind it) forward to a position adjacent to an enemy unit(s) on either side. Those breakthrough units will begin making "extra" melee combat rolls against the newly "flanked" enemy units during any following rounds.

13.16 Breakthrough Limitations. Other than the variety of maneuvers described in the examples below, no other movement is allowed in the battle lines of either player after set up is completed. Note that breakthroughs must always be exploited. In the case of central breakthroughs (as in example 2 below) it is not necessary to exploit to both flanks, but all units lined up in the breakthrough column must move forward to new positions.

Breakthrough Examples. (The accompanying diagram shows a Roman line of legions "1," "2," "3" facing a Rebel line of infantry units "A," "B," "C," "D," "E"; "C" and "D" are lined up behind "B" and the line is drawn with paired units showing melee combat; "X" and "Y" are the flank positions beside Roman "2," and "Q" and "R" are the positions beyond the extreme wings.) The units labeled "1," "2," and "3" are each Roman legions deployed in that player's front line. Units "A," "B," "C," "D," and "E" are all Rebel infantry units.

Example 1. Assume the Roman player eliminates Rebel unit "B." In such a case, Rebel unit "C" immediately slides forward to take the now dead "B's" place. (That slide-forward is not an option; it is mandatory.) "D" would also move forward, maintaining its back up position behind "C." Note also that "C" does not get to make an immediate melee combat roll; it merely occupies the position for now, and will begin exchanging rolls with Roman "2" during the next melee round (if any more do follow).
Example 2. Assume this time that it's Roman unit "2" that is eliminated. Since that player has no back up units, the Rebel has scored a breakthrough. Accordingly, the Rebel player must immediately move his unit "B" to either position "X" or "Y." If "B" moves to "X," Roman unit "1" will be "flanked" during the next melee round. If "B" moves to "Y," then Roman unit "3" will be flanked. For this example, assume "B" goes to "X." Likewise, Rebel units "C" and "D" must now also follow into the breakthrough. That could mean moving "C" to again back up "B" at its new position at "X." Or "C" could instead be moved to position "Y," where it would flank Roman unit "3" on the next round. Rebel unit "D" would then be moved to back up either position "X" or "Y."
Example 3. Assume the Roman eliminates Rebel unit "A." Roman unit "1" immediately advances to "Q." (No other move is possible, since "A" represented the extreme left wing of the Rebel line.) Assume the combat between "2" and "B" remained inconclusive. Next, the Roman eliminates Rebel unit "E." Roman "3" then moves to position "R." (No other move is possible, since "E" represented the extreme right wing of the Rebel line.)

Design Note. Flanking moves are mandatory because of the lockstep characteristics ancient linear tactics imposed on most battles after the two main lines engaged.

13.17 Flanking Combat. When a unit has been flanked, all of the enemy units now involved against that unit make combat die rolls against it in subsequent melee rounds. In example 3 above, then, on the next round the Roman would engage his "1," "2" and "3" units against Rebel "B." Rebel "B," though, is only allowed the normal one roll (with that player first announcing which single Roman unit he will roll against).

13.18 Attacker/Defender Breakthroughs. Note in all the above examples that it does not matter whether a given breakthrough is conducted by units of the "attacker" or "defender." The mechanics are the same for both sides, and in battles with long lines it will be possible for both sides to breakthrough the enemy lines at different places during the same melee round.

13.19 Sequential Breakthroughs. It is also possible for units involved in a breakthrough to subsequently destroy the enemy unit they flanked, and from there move on to new flanking positions against other enemy units now exposed to them.

13.20 Backup Units are just that - back up. Such units do not make melee die rolls until a round begins in which they have become a front line unit. Such a transformation may occur due to the unit in front of them being eliminated by enemy action, or by the backup unit's own move forward to a flanking position in a friendly breakthrough.

13.21 Automatic Leader Casualties. A leader committed to a position in the line with a unit which is eliminated by missile fire or melee combat is also immediately eliminated (killed). Any rebel leader stacked with a berserk Gallo-German is "swept along" in that bloodlust. That is, he provides his die roll bonus for the fanatic attack, but then also shares the fate of the last step of the unit he accompanies if it is eliminated.

13.22 Random Leader Casualties. After the completion of each round of melee combat, every leader on both sides who was in the front line must have a die roll check made to see if he's been wounded or killed. Roll two dice (or one die twice) for each such leader.

A leader is wounded on a roll (the total on two dice) of "5." Such leaders are flipped to their wounded side, and may no longer provide their die roll bonus (though they do remain in the line until the battle is completely resolved).

A leader is killed on a roll (the total on two dice) of "4." Such leaders are immediately and permanently removed from play.

Wounded leaders (although ineffective) must be checked every round. In such cases, a "5" or "6" now results in their death.

13.23 Leaders Not in the Line. As mentioned in 13.10, it is not necessary for either player to commit all of his available leaders to take positions in the line. (In fact, for the Rebel, given the provisions of rule 4.3, it's reckless to commit Spartacus to the line in any situation that is not critical.)

Leaders not committed to a position in the line are kept off to the side during melee (along with the missile units). They are considered to be "masterminding" the battle at a safe distance (translation: they stand and watch) and may have only one casualty check made on them at the end of the fight (see 13.29).

13.24 Multiple Rounds. At the completion of Step 6, each player (attacker first) has the option of announcing if he wants to break off the battle or continue fighting. If both players want to go on, repeat steps 4-6 (Melee/Breakthrough/Leader Casualties), then decide again. A battle goes on in that way until all one side's line units are eliminated or until one player announces he wants to break off. (In fight-to-the-death situations, the instant one side's line units are all eliminated, all of that side's missile and leader units are also automatically eliminated.)

Note that no redeployments are made between rounds. Simply take the situation as it is, and run through Steps 4, 5, and 6 another time. There are no artificial limits to how many rounds a battle may contain.

13.25 Breaking Off. If either player announces he wants to break off the battle, a die roll check must be made to determine if his forces manage to conduct an orderly retreat off the field, or break formation and rout off the field (suffering casualties on the way). One die is rolled: on a result of 1, 2, or 3 the forces breaking off suffer a rout; on a 4, 5, or 6 they make an orderly retreat.

The following cumulative modifiers apply to the break off die roll check:

-1 For every unit in the force breaking away that is flanked at that instant.
-1 For every leader already eliminated during this battle (not wounded, killed) in the force attempting to break away.
+1 If it's a Roman force attempting break off and (an unwounded) Crassus or Pompey is present. (If both are present, the modifier remains only +1.)
+2 If it's a Rebel force attempting break off and (an unwounded) Spartacus is present.

13.26 Retreats. If the force attempting to break off achieves a "retreat" result, simply place both side's involved forces back on the map in the province where the battle has taken place. If an army is forced to retreat after a battle and there is a friendly city in the same province, the owning player may place the retreating units in that city.

13.27 Routs. If the force attempting to break off suffers a "rout" result, the opposing forces' front line units (including flanking units) immediately get one more melee die roll against their paired opponent – and this time they suffer no return attack. (Don't forget to make a casualty check on all the leaders still in a position in the line of the routing force, but don't make casualty checks on leaders in the line of the non-routing side.)

Second, the non-routing player hauls out his missile units and fires them at the routers as in rule 13.11. (Again, there is no return fire from any missile units in the routing force.)

Third, the non-routing player totals the number of cavalry steps in his force, and the routing player must then remove an equal number of steps from among his line and/or missile units that were involved in the battle (routing player's choice).

Fourth, the routing player makes a casualty check on any non-committed leaders he had in the battle (see 13.28 below).

Finally, place both sides' surviving units back on the map in the province where the battle took place and end all activity there for that Step.

13.28 Non-Committed Leader Casualties. The non-committed leaders (those present at a battle but not in the line) of a routed army must be checked for survival at the end of the battle. Roll two dice (or one die twice) for each such leader. A leader is wounded on a roll (the total on two dice) of "5," and killed on a roll of "4."

13.29 Disintegrating Rebel Morale. In all battles fought during the last game turn, Rebel forces never check for retreat or rout. They simply stand and fatalistically fight to the death or victory in every battle. (During that last turn, when a given battle has gone on long enough to plainly reveal its final outcome will be a rebel loss, that player may save time by simply conceding that fight, removing all involved units and leaders, and moving on to the next battle to be resolved.)

14.0 Optional Rules

Old Hands Note. The following rules add to the historicity of the game, while also increasing its complexity. Those of you with true Roman dignitas and aucturitas will, of course, want to use all of them.

14.1 Roman Distraction and Arrogance. During the opening stages of the revolt the Romans' command and government structures were distracted by overseas wars. They were also philosophically unwilling to accept the idea lowly slaves could pose a serious threat to the public order. Accordingly, they were at first slow to react to Spartacus' challenge. To simulate that slowness, incorporate the following rule into play.

Longinus and Legions VI and VII may not move unless Rebel units enter Latium, Sabinia Montes or Pecenum, or Game Turn 5 (Mar. 72), whichever comes first.

Historical Note. The mission of those two legions was to guard against barbarian incursions from the north. In "normal" times, provincial governors were forbidden to bring their troops into Italy proper. When Caesar did so in 49 B.C., the move began a new civil war.

Design Note. In effect, this movement restriction gives the Rebel player a fairly free hand in southern Italy at the start of the game, but likewise serves to discourage him from moving north before he's recruited enough forces to fight a major battle.

14.2 Roman Decimation. Once during the game, immediately before any one battle in which Crassus is in command of the involved forces, the Roman may declare a "decimation." To carry it out, the Roman takes one involved and full-strength (only!) regular or crack legion and reduces it by one step, and then rolls one die and consults the following chart.

Decimation Effects Table

Die Roll	Result
1	-1
2-3	N/E
4-5	+1
6	+2

Notes:

-1 Means all involved regular and elite legions (including the one just decimated) contribute one combat factor less than their printed value to the coming fight in each round of combat. (Don't actually reduce them in step value; only reduce their contributory value in the combat calculation.)
N/E Means "No Effect." The decimated step is lost; combat calculations go on as normal without that point.
+1 Means all involved regular and elite legions (including the one just decimated) contribute one combat factor more than their printed value to the coming fight in each round of combat. (The decimated legion does not get back the sacrificed step, but it does, in effect, get back its original combat value for the calculation process.)
+2 Means the same as +1, but the additive per legion is 2 instead of 1.

14.3 Circumvallation. The three Roman commanders entering on turns 10, 13 and 16 each bring with them one "Circumvallation" counter. Each such counter may be used only once per game, by having the Roman player place it along any non-mountainous border between two provinces. (In the practical sense, as Varinius found out at Vesuvius, it would be virtually impossible to build and man continuous lines of entrenchments in mountains.)

The contributing leader and at least 12 combat factors of regular and/or crack legion strength must all be present on one side of the desired border in order for the counter to be placed. The placement is made at the end of Roman movement, but before any Roman attacks. No Rebel units may be in the province with the constructing Roman units (they may be on the other side of the border), and the builders may not have used Forced March that turn. Roman building units and their leader may not attack during the turn they circumvallate.

Once placed, a circumvallation counter remains in place on the border until an instant in which there are no Roman combat units present in either of the adjacent provinces – at which time it is immediately and permanently removed from play. There may never be more than one circumvallation counter along a single border at any one time, though the same eligible border may be sequentially circumvallated up to three times during any one game.

Historical Note. The term "Circumvallation" is derived from the Latin words meaning "to build a wall around." Every Roman legionary carried digging tools, and the legions were trained to rapidly build many kinds of entrenchments and field fortifications. The Roman genius for engineering made it possible for their commanders to use such impediments on a massive scale to impede the mobility of an enemy. In the winter of 71, for instance, Crassus tried to use such a line of fortifications to trap the Rebel army in Bruttium.

14.4 Circumvallation Effects. A circumvallation counter interdicts the movement of Rebel forces across the border along which it has been placed. The Rebel player rolls one die for each of his combat units attempting to cross the barrier and consults the chart below.

Circumvallation Crossing Table

Die Roll	Result
≤ 1-2	Unit crosses OK.
3	Unit crosses, but loses one step in doing so.
4-5	Unit fails to cross
6	Unit fails to cross and loses one step.

Notes to the Circumvallation Crossing Table:

Subtract 1 from the die roll if Spartacus is in the same province as the crossing Rebel force.
If one or more combat units make it across, one, some, or all of the Rebel leaders present may then also cross over (don't make separate die roll checks for leaders).
Any rebel unit that fails to cross may still use a regular march that same phase to cross a non-interdicted border of the same province.

14.5 Circumvallation of Rebel Sanctuaries and Cities. If a rebel force occupies a city or sanctuary other than Mt. Vesuvius, the Roman player may place a circumvallation counter "around" that location (place the counter atop the Rebel units there). The same conditions and movement effects apply to both sides as given in 14.4.

14.6 City Sieges. Normally, the walled Roman cities shown on the map represent impervious obstacles for the Rebel player. If, however, a Rebel movement/combat step begins wherein that side controls ("in-revolt") ten or more fertile provinces, the rebellion is considered to have become strong enough to attract sufficient numbers of technical specialists, carpenters, blacksmiths, engineers, laborers, etc., to allow for the construction of a "Siege Train."

The building of the train and implementation of a siege is a two-turn process. First, in any rebel controlled province wherein there is a Roman city, the Rebel player must declare the construction has begun. Spartacus and at least 8 rebel infantry combat factors must be present and may not move or attack that turn. Place the Siege Train unit with its "abuilding" side up in that province. (Rebel units in the building province may defend themselves against Roman attack, but if they lose their battle the Siege Train is immediately removed from the map.)

During his next movement/combat phase, the Rebel player may declare the Roman city in that province besieged (assuming the Siege Train survived the turn of building – flip it over so its completed side shows). Place the Siege Train marker itself atop the Roman city, and set the Rebel combat infantry unit(s) and leader(s) to be involved in the siege directly adjacent to the city (or also atop the city, if the stack created isn't too high). At least one Rebel leader and combat unit must participate in a siege to make it effective.

14.7 Breaking a Siege. A siege is broken, and the Siege Train marker immediately removed, whenever any of the following events occur.

The rebels fail to maintain control over 10 or more fertile provinces.
A game turn starts wherein the Rebel player has failed to maintain at least eight infantry combat factors and one leader in his siege works.
The Roman "sorties" from the city and/or attacks the besieging force from the outside and wins that battle.

In situations where there is a separate rebel force in the same province as the siege but not itself taking part in that siege, a Roman relieving force (not sortiers from the city itself) may attack and defeat those provincial units and then go on and take part in a siege-breaking battle that same turn (wherein city sortiers may also participate).

14.8 Once removed, a Siege Train may be rebuilt any number of times that the enabling conditions prevail. (Also remove a Siege Train after the rebel capture of a besieged city.)

14.9 Roman Besiegers. If the Roman wants to recapture a Rebel city, he need not go through the Siege Train building process – his forces are considered to intrinsically command the needed resources. Limitation: at least 6 combat factors of regular or crack legion units, plus one leader, must participate in any Roman siege of a Rebel city, or that Siege is considered broken, as in number 2 in 14.7. (A Roman siege may also be broken by Rebel attacks as in number 3 in 14.7.)

14.10 Cavalry never participates in sieges as cavalry. That is, such units may not man the siege works outside, and if trapped inside a besieged city they are immediately reduced to their one-step side and are considered infantry (with a combat factor of 1) as long as they are inside. Once the siege is broken, such surviving cavalry get their horses (but not their sacrificed step) back.

14.11 Roman Intrinsic Garrisons. Any Roman city devoid of normal Roman combat defenders ("normal" here refers to all combat units with a pictogram as their type-symbol) and coming under siege, immediately has the "intrinsic garrison counter" (one step, with the NATO-style infantry symbol and combat factor of 1) placed inside it. This unit may not conduct sorties, but participates defensively in both the breaching and storming steps of any Rebel attack (see below). The unit may come in and out of play in various Roman cities as needed, all without any direct cost to that player.

14.12 Breaching. Siege battles have two steps each game turn: Breaching and Storming. To begin the Breaching Step, the attacking player rolls one die. A breach is considered to have been created on a roll of 1 or 2 in sieges conducted against Rome or Siracusa, or 1, 2, or 3 against any other cities. If no breach occurs, siege combat is over at that city for that turn.

If the besieging player has one or more missile units present and the besieged garrison has none, the attackers may subtract 1 from the breach die roll. (Unopposed missile fire makes it much easier to approach and attack a section of wall.)

14.13 Storming. During this phase, both players send one infantry ("converted" cavalry O.K.) unit at a time (only!) into the breach. This one-on-one battle is then re-solved using the same direct method as melee combat (see 13.12). One leader may accompany each unit in the breech.

If the defender's storming unit is eliminated that player must immediately send another infantry unit into the breach to replace it in the immediately following new round of storming combat. If the attacker's storming unit is eliminated he may immediately replace it with another and thus initiate a new round(s) of combat in the breach, or he may decline the option and end siege combat at that place for that turn. (In such a situation, the breach is considered repaired by the defenders.)

Once a point is reached where there are no more defenders to man the breach, the Siege is over and all the besieging combat units and leaders enter the city (see 11.10 for the possible significance of that).

If Rome falls to the Rebels, the game immediately ends with a Sudden Death Victory for that side. If Siracusa, Brundisium or Neapolis fall to the Rebels, the Pirate Fleet and infantry unit immediately enter as Rebel reinforcements as in 8.1.

14.14 Sorties. A player may, during his own side's combat step, have his units in a besieged city sortie. Fight such battles normally, except circumvallated rebels must first go through that interdiction process. Routed or retreated sortiers always simply move back into the city. Sortie battle may be fought with the aid of friendly units coming from the outside, in which case those outside units do retreat/rout normally. Sortieing cavalry participates as infantry with combat factors of 1.

Design Note. If the following optional rule is used, the Siege rules above must also be used.

14.15 Rebel Sanctuaries. The Rebel forces may use three sub-areas on the map as "sanctuaries:" Mt. Vesuvius in Campania, the Sila Forest in Bruttium, and the Pontine Marshes in Latium. To use a sanctuary, the surrounding province must already be in-revolt or suppressed.

No more than three rebel combat units (plus any number of leaders) may ever be stacked in any one sanctuary at any one time. Other rebel units in that province must be stacked and treated as a separate force.

Sanctuaries are similar to cities in that they can only be attacked using siege combat procedures. Rebel units in sanctuaries may sortie, but never suffer any kind of attrition or plague. Movement into and out of sanctuaries is the same as into and out of cities (see 12.3).

14.16 Leader Redeployment. At the end of a round of combat, any leader who began the battle not deployed with a combat unit may now be moved to a combat unit. Place the leader under the unit. Once deployed into combat, the leader may not be moved – he must stay with the unit until the end of the battle.

15.0 Designer's Notes

There are no surviving firsthand sources for this war. The best account is probably the few pages devoted to it in Plutarch's biography of Crassus (written over a century after the fact). Later Roman historians were almost all slave owners, with an inevitable bias against the rebels. This was not a glorious episode in Roman history, and, while the facts about it were not exactly suppressed, there was little effort made to record them in any detail.

The novels of Howard Fast (1952) and Arthur Koeslter (1939) helped me fill in some of the gaps with imaginative reconstruction. The study of other slave insurrections – those of the ancient world, plus others in Haiti and Jamaica – also furnished some insights into how events in the broadest sense probably developed.

Historians agree there was little chance the slave revolt could have destroyed the Roman Republic and its institution of slavery. I am Spartacus! was therefore easier to design than it was to balance. The usual aim of the rebel player is therefore to achieve a "moral victory," by raising the largest possible rebellion and thus forcing the Roman player to divert resources from foreign wars. The aim of the Roman player is to suppress the revolt by eliminating Rebel leaders, destroying their forces, and re-occupying rebel-controlled areas.

The map modifies the historical division of the Italian provinces by adding a chain of mountain regions down the Appenine backbone of the peninsula. The mountains actually belonged to the coastal provinces in the administrative sense, but were geographically and operationally distinct. (Those regions named on the map, like "Æmilia Montes," are descriptive rather than strictly historical.) I rather arbitrarily divided Sicily into three provinces in order to model its strategic importance and large slave population.

The victory point costs for the main Roman reinforcements reflect the Republic's overall situation. They were already fighting a multi-front war when the revolt broke out. Any large recall of troops to Italy, or diversion of resources to naval construction, would jeopardize Roman progress in those other theaters.

Neither Hannibal nor Spartacus was willing to attack the walls of Rome. After the city was sacked by the Gauls in 390 B.C., the Servian Walls were built from large blocks of volcanic stone (sections still stand today). Some of the seven hills, like the Capitoline, were virtual stand-alone fortresses. The other walled cities on the map were much smaller than Rome, but I considered their defenses roughly equivalent. Siracusa, where the defenses had been partly designed by the brilliant Archimedes, was particularly strong.

The optional siege rules assume that if the revolt had been more successful, enough skilled carpenters, smiths and engineers would have been found to build a siege train. Most mine workers in the ancient world were slaves, and tunneling was also part of siege warfare.

16.0 Player's Notes

The Early Game

In the early game, the rebel player will be calling most of the shots. He must expand rapidly both his territory controlled and his army's size. The Roman player has a tough choice on Turn 1: whether or not to attack the rebels in Campania. A successful battle could end the game (unlikely), but even causing casualties could limit the rebels' ability to train-up units during Turn 2, which necessarily limits the speed of the rebel expansion. On the other hand, an unsuccessful battle condemns the Roman player to 4 or 5 turns of abject passivity, and may require him to take more reinforcements (costing VPs) late in the game.

For the remainder of the early game, the Roman player is advised to keep his army concentrated and in a city. The only attack which should be considered at this time is one to pick off an isolated rebel force. However, keep in mind Spartacus can cover a lot of ground in one turn – if he catches your small force in the open, you will get hammered. The one "offensive" move the Roman player should make is to build a fleet. When it enters play, place it in the Messana Strait Sea Zone.

The rebel player must make haste while the sun shines. Force march Spartacus as far as possible every turn. The losses the force marching may entail will be more than made up by his +2 modifier on revolts. The rebel army should be split up only during turns 4 and 7 so that each leader will be able to train-up slave units in the following Training & Upgrade segment.

Don't be too fearful of leaving a small detachment on its own – any Roman force trying to annihilate it will be highly vulnerable on the following turn. For the same reason, don't delay moving north – once you have all of the southern peninsula in revolt, move north. The Roman player will only get two legions and a single leader. It will take one turn just to combine them – and they will still be separated from the smaller force in/near Rome.

The Mid-Game

By Turn 6, the rebel player will have seized most of Italy, but the Romans will have received their Turn 5 reinforcements and should be able to field a worthwhile army. The rebel player now has four primary goals. First, he must exit as many trained-up slave units as possible. This will weaken his main force, but once the main Roman forces are available it may not be possible to exit the units. Second, he should send a leader with a flying column down the eastern side of the Adriatic to foment rebellion, recruit, and provide for the escape of Thracians, Greeks and Syrians. This will force the Roman to detach an army later to suppress those provinces. Third, a large force must be kept near the main Roman army to prevent it suppressing too many provinces in Italy proper. Fourth, as many slave units as possible must be trained-up – the extra strength and extra steps will be needed in the end game.

One word about a siege: don't. The idea of taking a city is attractive, but it will necessarily tie down the main part of your army for at least two turns, and could free the Roman player to suppress provinces. On the other hand, if the Roman has played carelessly and gives you a city on the cheap, go for it.

The Roman player must keep his forces well in hand. If the chance arises, suppress a province or attack a rebel detachment. Avoid an all-out battle with the main rebel army: the Roman army must remain viable. This will keep the rebels from dispersing for recruiting and upgrades, and, after Crassus arrives, will give the Roman a truly formidable force.

The End Game

The end game starts when the Roman is strong enough to pin down Spartacus' army and suppress provinces at the same time. This will probably begin on Turn 10, when Crassus enters the game, but also depends on how many of the original Roman units have survived. If they are all on the board, the Roman should be able to start cleaning things up; if few have survived, the Roman counteroffensive will have to wait for Pompey.

At this time, the players essentially reverse roles. The Roman must separate his forces – suppressing one province per turn is just too slow – while the rebel player tries to force the Romans to concentrate. The later the Roman is able to start the suppression, the faster he'll have to move, which means greater dispersion.

The major decisions in the end game are whether or not the Roman brings on his Turn 13 and Turn 16 reinforcements – we assume if the Roman is in a position to not bring on Crassus, he has already won the game. Bring them on only if speed is of the essence or if the rebel has managed to keep a huge army on the map. The Roman should also seek battle whenever possible – the rebel will have an increasingly difficult time replacing his losses.

Battle Notes

When fighting a battle, there are several aspects of each army which must be considered: the number of units, strength of those units, and the number of steps those units represent.

The rebel player will almost always have the advantage in number of units, which gives him a bit more flexibility in his deployment. The obvious setup will see all the slave units in the front rank to act as sword-fodder, absorbing the (usually) automatic hits of the legions in the early rounds, while knocking off enough Roman steps to make later rounds more even for the trained-up units. The rebel player should keep his leaders out of combat unless absolutely necessary – they are absolutely vital for recruiting and training.

As a rule of thumb, the slave army is good for one full-on battle per season.

Sicily

Sicily probably will be contested only if the Cilician Pirates enter the war – the presence of the Sicilia cohorts in Messana makes a successful Rebel crossing (by rafting) unlikely. On the other hand, if the Rebel can get a leader onto the island, he should do so. The great recruiting potential means a large force will quickly come into being. Even if it never gets onto the mainland, it will take a lot of killing.

In General

The Roman commander needs to remember it's a long game, and you've got to do a lot of serious slaughter to win. Don't forget, in game terms, the historical outcome of this war was a rebel moral victory.

I Am Spartacus!

I Am Spartacus! Rulebook

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Game Components

3.0 Set Up & the Map

4.0 How to Win

5.0 The Turn Sequence

6.0 Revolt & Pacification

7.0 Leaders

8.0 Reinforcements

9.0 Replacements & Upgrades

10.0 Fleets

11.0 Attrition

= Eliminate the indicated number of steps (owner's choice)

12.0 Land Movement

13.0 Land Combat & Evasion

14.0 Optional Rules

15.0 Designer's Notes

16.0 Player's Notes

The Early Game

The Mid-Game

The End Game

Battle Notes

Sicily

In General