Rome: Imperium, Circus Maximus, Hannibal vs Rome Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Hannibal vs Rome
  • Components
  • Setup
  • Sequence of Play
  • Movement
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Reclaiming Cards
  • Hannibal's Legion
  • Victory Conditions
  • Notes
• Imperium
  • Components
  • Setup
  • Sequence of Play
  • Choosing Cards
  • Special Cards
  • Card Reveal
  • Scoring
  • Ties
  • Proconsuls
  • Changing Province
  • Victory Conditions
• Circus Maximus
  • Components
  • Setup
  • Sequence of Play
  • Movement Order
  • Moving Chariots
  • Next Round
  • End of the Race
  • Comments
  • Variants
• Box Contents

Hannibal vs Rome

Players: 2 Duration: 10 minutes

During the Second Punic War, Hannibal launched his campaign toward Italy, crossing the Pyrenees and the Alps with his elephants. "Hannibal ad portas" ("Hannibal at the gates") became the watchword in Rome, and their defeat at Cannae in 216 BC was a dark period for the Romans. Several years later, the Roman general Publius C. Scipio (later called Africanus) worked to shift the fronts from Italy to Spain and Africa. Hannibal lost the battle of Zama in 202 BC, and Carthage regained peace but never its former power. Carthage was later completely destroyed during the Third Punic War (149-146 BC). Had Carthage won, today's world would certainly be very different.

Hannibal vs Rome takes place during the events of this era. One player takes the role of Hannibal and the Carthaginians, and the other the Romans. The game board represents the western Mediterranean divided into several zones across which legions and fleets move. The various conflicts are resolved using cards. Control of this part of the Mediterranean is determined this way.

Components

Take the five red cards and the five blue cards bearing the Hannibal vs Rome design on their backs, with values from 1 to 5, along with the small wooden cubes (eleven red, nine blue, and one green). Hannibal vs Rome is played only on the western part of the map of the Roman Empire (marked off by a dotted black line). The provinces used in this game are clearly printed on this part of the board.

Setup

Stick the labels onto the wooden cubes. Make sure the labels for the Roman troops (ships with red sails and soldiers with red shields) are placed on the red cubes, and those for the Carthaginian troops (ships with blue sails and soldiers with blue shields) are placed on the blue cubes. Stick the label for Hannibal's legion onto the green wooden cube.

The game board represents the western Mediterranean divided into eleven provinces and has five sea routes each connecting two provinces.

One player controls the Roman troops, the other the Carthaginian troops. Both players take the five numbered cards of their color.

The Roman player places his eight red legions in the province of Roma, along with his three red fleets on the sea route connecting the provinces of Roma and Corsica. The Carthaginian player places his six blue legions and his green legion representing Hannibal in the province of Carthago, along with his three blue fleets on the sea route connecting the provinces of Carthago and Sardinia.

The initial placement of the pieces is shown in the figure on page 3 of the original rules booklet.

Sequence of Play

The Carthaginian player starts the game. Then the players alternate turns until one of them meets the victory conditions.

On his turn, a player may carry out one of the following three actions:

• Move one of his legions or one of his fleets. When a legion enters a province occupied by one or more enemy legions, or when a fleet moves onto a sea route occupied by an enemy fleet, a conflict is triggered, resolved using the numbered cards the players hold. Movement rules and conflict resolution are detailed below.
• Exchange one of his surviving legions for a new fleet, but only if all of his fleets have been removed from the board in earlier conflicts. A new Roman fleet is placed on the sea route connecting the provinces of Roma and Corsica, while a new Carthaginian fleet is placed on the sea route connecting the provinces of Carthago and Sardinia. This exchange can immediately trigger a conflict if the destination sea route is already occupied by an enemy fleet.
• Pass. If both players pass in succession, the game ends in a draw.

A player's turn ends once he has carried out one of these three actions. It is then his opponent's turn.

Movement

A legion may move to a province adjacent to the one it occupies. If a friendly fleet is positioned on a sea route connecting the province it occupies to another province, then it may move to that other province (by convoy).

Hannibal's legion may not enter any of the three islands (the provinces of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicilia).

A fleet may move from one sea route to another sea route without restriction.

Example: The Roman player's first three turns are described below. First, a legion in the province of Roma moves to the province of Cannae. Then, after the Carthaginian player's turn, the Roman player moves a legion from the province of Roma to the province of Corsica by convoy of one of his fleets. Finally, on his third turn, he moves one of his fleets to the sea route connecting the provinces of Cannae and Sicilia.

Conflict Resolution

A conflict occurs when a player moves one of his legions into a province already occupied by one or more of the opposing player's legions. The conflict is then resolved with cards.

Both players secretly choose and simultaneously reveal one of the cards remaining in their hand. The player who showed the lower-value card must remove one of his legions from the province where the conflict is taking place. That legion is no longer available for the rest of the game and goes back in the box. The cards used for the conflict are discarded and set aside face down.

If legions belonging to both players remain in the province where the conflict is occurring, the conflict continues following the same procedure, repeated until the province (where the conflict is taking place) is occupied by legions belonging to only one player.

When both players simultaneously reveal a card of the same value, each must remove one of his legions from the province where the conflict is occurring. In this case, the cards played are likewise discarded and set aside face down.

Example: The Carthaginian player moves one of his legions from the province of Hispania Citerior to the province of Gallia, where three Roman legions are already present. A conflict therefore begins. The Carthaginian player chooses the card of value 4, and the Roman player the card of value 3. A Roman legion is therefore removed from the province of Gallia and the conflict continues. Then, both players simultaneously reveal the card of value 5. A Roman legion and the Carthaginian legion are therefore removed from the province of Gallia, leaving only one Roman legion. The conflict is thus over.

A conflict is also triggered when a player moves one of his fleets onto a sea route already occupied by one or more enemy fleets. Naval conflicts unfold just like conflicts between legions. In the same way, a naval conflict only ends once the sea route on which it is taking place is occupied by one or more fleets belonging to only one player.

Reclaiming Cards

The players' cards are necessarily all played after five rounds of combat. Each player then takes back all of his cards, forming a new complete hand once again. Once again, the players hold the same five cards (with values from 1 to 5).

Players must not reclaim their already-played cards as long as they still have at least one left in hand, even if a conflict was resolved using fewer than five cards. In that case, players will begin their next conflict each holding fewer than five cards.

Hannibal's Legion

If one or more Carthaginian legions and Hannibal's green legion are in the same province at the start of a conflict, the Carthaginian player must explicitly designate which legion is engaged in the conflict. If Hannibal's legion is the only Carthaginian legion present in the province where the conflict is taking place, then it is automatically engaged.

During a conflict in which Hannibal's legion is engaged, the Carthaginian player adds one to the value of the card he chooses. If the Carthaginian player loses or there is a tie (after adding the bonus), Hannibal's legion is removed from the game. However, Hannibal's legion may be used for as long as it keeps winning.

Example: The Roman player moves one of his legions from the province of Gallia to the province of Hispania Citerior, which is already occupied by a Carthaginian legion and Hannibal's legion. The Carthaginian player decides to use Hannibal's legion for this conflict. He chooses the card of value 3, and the Roman player the card of value 4, resulting in a tie (once Hannibal's bonus is added). Hannibal's legion and the Roman legion are therefore both removed from the board.

Victory Conditions

The game ends when one of the following conditions is met:

• One of the players moves one of his legions into his opponent's capital (the province of Roma or of Carthago). In this specific case, no conflict is resolved. Simply moving a legion into the opponent's capital is enough to satisfy the victory condition.

• One of the players, at the end of his turn, dominates the Mediterranean region. For the Roman player, this means occupying the following provinces:

  • Sardinia,
  • Hispania Ulterior or Mauretania,
  • Sicilia or Zama.

  To claim victory this way, the Carthaginian player must occupy the following provinces:

  • Corsica,
  • Hispania Citerior or Gallia,
  • Sicilia or Cannae.

• One of the players loses his last unit in combat. In this case, the opposing player wins the game. If both players simultaneously lose their last legion during a conflict, the game ends in a draw.

• Both players pass their turn in succession. The game then ends in a draw.

Notes

The game is balanced. The Roman player has an extra legion while the Carthaginian player has Hannibal's legion. These small differences can create a wide variety of outcomes. You can also play several games, swapping roles with your opponent, until one of you wins two games in a row.

Comments

You do not need to win every conflict to secure the final decision. On the contrary, you can try to weaken your opponent's hand by playing low-value cards and keeping your higher-value cards for future, more strategic conflicts. Remember which cards remain in your opponent's possession so you can choose the best moment to show your strength. It is often the play of the cards that decides the final outcome of the game.

Keep the different victory conditions in mind and choose your strategy accordingly. You can place your legions inland and use your high-value cards to destroy the enemy fleet, then invade the enemy capital at will from the provinces of Corsica or Sardinia. You can place your legions on the islands, covering yourself with a strong fleet, and approach the enemy capital by land. The Romans already knew that "Navigare necesse est" (To sail is necessary). You can occupy the islands, give up your fleet, and fight for Mediterranean dominance from Spain. Note that the province of Sicilia is one of the objectives for both players.

Imperium

Players: 2 to 5 Duration: 15-20 minutes

In Imperium, you head an influential family of patricians. The territorial conquests of the Roman Empire are at their height (first and second centuries) and you are fighting for supremacy of power. Among other things, you will bring your full political weight to bear to gain control of the Empire. Each turn, players place influence markers (representing their family's political, military, and financial influence) in the provinces of the Roman Empire in order to place their family members and allies in the most sought-after posts (proconsul, praetor, quaestor) likely to bring them valuable subsidies. Thanks to these lucrative positions, players will be able to increase their wealth and power within the Roman Empire. Each round of play decides the control of at least one province. You will need to be in the right place at the right time, without neglecting a long-term view.

Components

The components needed for Imperium are as follows:

• The game board representing the Roman Empire,
• The 55 cards bearing the Imperium design on their backs,
• The 70 cylindrical wooden pieces (14 per color),
• The 5 small colored pawns,
• The large black pawn.

Setup

The game board has a score track numbered from 0 to 50. It represents the Roman Empire divided into eight provinces (Africa, Syria, Illyricum, Gallia, Asia, Hispania, Macedonia, and Aegyptus), each with a circle representing its capital. Do not take into account the small provinces used in the game Hannibal vs Rome.

Each player chooses a color (red, orange, blue, green, or purple) and takes the fourteen cylindrical pawns (influence markers), the small pawn, and the eleven cards (eight Province cards and three special cards — Bread and Circuses, Spy, and Oracle) of his color. Each player places his influence markers and his cards in front of him, along with his colored pawn on space 0 of the game board's score track. Place the black pawn on the province of Africa, which will be the first province where a scoring will take place.

Sequence of Play

The game is played over several rounds, each made up of three phases:

1. Choosing cards,
2. Simultaneous card reveal and resolution of the resulting actions,
3. Scoring.

Players' points are tracked on the score track. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Choosing Cards

At the start of each round, players simultaneously choose cards which they place face down in a stack in front of them. Each player must choose three cards unless he has fewer than three influence markers available (i.e. not placed on the board) in front of him, in which case he may only choose a number of cards equal to the number of his available influence markers. This rule always applies, even when special cards are chosen.

Example: If a player has only two influence markers left available, he may only play two cards.

By choosing a Province card, a player indicates that he wishes to place an influence marker on the corresponding province. When the cards are revealed, the player may place an influence marker on that province. It is possible for the same player to place two influence markers on a single province during one round. To do this, he must place the special Bread and Circuses card at the bottom of his stack. The Province card placed directly above this special card can then receive two influence markers from that player. However, a province cannot receive three influence markers from the same player in the same round.

Special Cards

Bread and Circuses — This card only has an effect when it is placed in the last position of a player's stack. In that case, the Province card placed above it can receive one additional influence marker. After the round, this card is taken back into hand by the player.

Spy — When this card is played, the number of provinces triggering a scoring is increased by one. Place it near the board as a reminder. Its effects are cumulative (see Scoring). Therefore, if two players have this card in their respective stacks, then for that round, three provinces will trigger a scoring. Each player may only play it once. It is discarded after use.

Oracle — This card must be placed on top of the stack of chosen cards. When it is revealed, the player takes back into hand all the cards from his stack. He may then choose and reveal new cards after all the other players have finished revealing theirs. During this new selection, the special Oracle card already used does not count as a chosen card. Therefore, if a player was potentially entitled to choose three cards during the round in which he played the special Oracle card, he may again select three. This card is discarded after being played and so can only be used once. During the new selection phase (which is simultaneous for all players who revealed the special Oracle card), the special Bread and Circuses and Spy cards (but not the special Oracle card, since it has been discarded) may be chosen.

Card Reveal

Once all players have chosen their cards and arranged them in a stack, they reveal them simultaneously.

After revealing their cards (accounting for any re-selection phase caused by the special Oracle card), players place one of their influence markers in each of the provinces they chose. For clarity, each player may call out the name of the province in which he is placing an influence marker.

Once all influence markers have been placed in the chosen provinces, the played Province cards and special Bread and Circuses cards are taken back by their owner. Conversely, all special Oracle cards chosen during this round are discarded. Special Spy cards chosen will be discarded at the end of scoring.

Scoring

Once all players have placed their influence markers in the provinces of the Roman Empire according to their card choices, a scoring is carried out in the province where the black pawn is located. Successive scorings are carried out in the numbered order of the provinces, namely Africa (1), Syria (2), Illyricum (3), Gallia (4), Asia (5), Hispania (6), Macedonia (7), and Aegyptus (8). Each Spy card played triggers an additional scoring in the next province in numbered order. The effects of Spy cards are cumulative if several were chosen during the same round.

Example: The black pawn is in the province of Asia (5). Two special Spy cards have been revealed, triggering two additional scorings this round, in the provinces of Hispania (6) and Macedonia (7).

For a scoring, add up the number of influence markers present in the province in question, for each player, in order to determine their rank. Then award each player the number of points printed on the board in the scored province according to their rank. However, the number of players who can receive points is limited to the total number of players minus one. So, in a three-player game, only the two players with the most influence markers in the scored province can be awarded points. The lowest-ranked player therefore scores nothing even if he has one or more influence markers in that province.

The first-ranked player, i.e. the one with the most influence markers in the scored province, receives a number of points equal to the first (highest) number printed on the list under the name of the province being scored on the board. Move that player's colored pawn forward by that many spaces on the score track. Then, the second-ranked player is awarded a number of points equal to the second number in the list associated with the scored province, and moves his colored pawn forward on the score track accordingly. Do the same for the third-ranked player (using the value of the third number in the list). Some provinces have a list showing four numbers. In that case, a fourth player can therefore score points (provided there are five players at the table).

Ties

When two players have the same number of influence markers in the province where the scoring is taking place, each receives a number of points equal to the number normally awarded to the next-lower rank. So, if a tie occurs between the two lowest-ranked players (for example, the second- and third-ranked players in a three-player game, or the third- and fourth-ranked players in a four-player game), neither of them receives any points.

Example: Two players are tied for the most influence markers in the province of Macedonia, and are therefore both rank 1. Each receives five points (which does indeed correspond to the number of points normally awarded to the next-lower rank, i.e. rank 2).

If more than two players have the same number of influence markers in the province where the scoring is taking place, all of those players receive a number of points equal to the lowest number that could potentially be awarded.

Example: Three players are tied for the most influence markers in the province of Macedonia during a four-player game. Each receives three points, which does correspond to the third number in the list. In a three-player game, none of them could have scored any points at all, since in that case only two players at most can do so.

Example (p. 10): A scoring takes place in the province of Macedonia. The yellow player scores seven points, the red player five, and the blue and purple players each score two because they are tied. The green player scores no points. The yellow player becomes proconsul of the province of Macedonia and thereby receives two additional points: one point for becoming proconsul, and another for being proconsul of an adjacent province (in this case, the province of Asia).

Proconsuls

When a player is the sole holder of the most influence markers in a province, he conspicuously places one of them on that province's capital, signifying that he is its proconsul. In doing so, he replaces the previous proconsul, if there was one, who is removed from the board. Being proconsul earns an extra point during a scoring of that province.

When a player becomes proconsul of a province, he gains not only a bonus point for that province, but also one for each adjacent province of which he is also proconsul. This extra point applies to all adjacent provinces for as long as the chain of proconsuls remains unbroken.

Example: A player becomes proconsul of the province of Aegyptus. He is also proconsul of the provinces of Africa and Hispania. He therefore receives three bonus points.

Changing Province

Once the scoring of a province has been carried out, all players take back their influence markers present in that province, except for the proconsul, if there is one, who remains in place. The black pawn is moved to the province with the number following that of the province just scored. If the province of Aegyptus (8) has just been scored, the black pawn is placed on the province of Africa (1). If one or more special Spy cards were played, a new scoring is carried out in the province where the black pawn has been placed. Then the special Spy card is discarded and the black pawn is moved to the next province. This procedure is repeated for each special Spy card played during the round.

Once all scorings have been carried out, and all played special Spy cards have been discarded, the round ends. Once players have taken back into hand their played Province cards and their chosen special Bread and Circuses cards, a new round can begin.

Victory Conditions

The game ends at the end of a round when both of the following conditions are met:

• At least one player has 40 points or more,
• Only one player has the most points.

If two or more players are tied for the most points, the game continues.

When the game ends, the player with the most points is crowned Emperor of Rome. Each player's number of points reflects his status:

• 0 to 19 points: Patrician,
• 20 to 29 points: Senator,
• 30 points or more: Consul.

Circus Maximus

Players: 2 to 5 Duration: 45 minutes

Chariot races were very popular in Rome. The Circus Maximus stadium could hold up to 200,000 people who followed the races while shouting. Chariot drivers formed different teams, each represented by a distinct color. Some of them competed in several thousand races. The most celebrated were regarded as heroes by the crowds. The rewards for victory were fabulous.

In the game Circus Maximus, each player controls a team of three chariots. All players have five movement cards which they can assign to each of their chariots as they wish. The first player to get all three of his chariots across the finish line wins the game and earns the crowd's applause.

Components

Each player takes the cards numbered 1 to 5 bearing the Circus Maximus design on their backs, along with the three chariots of a single color. Before the first game, place the sticker labels for the chariots onto the three block-shaped wooden pieces of each color.

Setup

Set up the board with the side showing the Circus Maximus of ancient Rome face up. In the upper right corner of the track is the starting area, made up of fifteen hexagons marked off by a heavy black line. Each player places his five numbered cards in a row in front of him, face up.

Each player, in clockwise order, places one of his chariots on one of the free hexagons of the starting area, with the first player determined randomly. The last player to have placed his first chariot begins the second round of placement. Then, players in counterclockwise order place their second chariot. The third round of placement proceeds like the second, i.e. counterclockwise, starting with the player who began the second round of placement.

Sequence of Play

The goal of each player is to take his three chariots once around the track counterclockwise, and place them in the finish area made up of the eleven cream-colored hexagons in the middle of the track. From there, they can salute Caesar and win the race.

The race is played over several rounds. Each round, players use their five movement cards to move their three chariots. Each player must therefore decide which movement card or cards to assign to each of his three chariots.

The order of play is determined each round by the position of the chariots. The leading chariots always move before those following them.

Movement Order

The track is made up of the four sections consisting of the two long straightaways as well as the two rows of dark-colored hexagons located on each side of the track, representing the transition zones. The chariots located in the section where the lead chariot is are moved first. Then, the chariots located in the next section may move, and so on until all chariots have been moved.

On the straightaways, the chariot positioned furthest ahead is moved first. In case of a tie (and in the transition zones), the chariot positioned toward the inside of the track has priority.

Moving Chariots

When a chariot is to be moved, the player controlling it must assign movement cards to it.

The player then chooses one of his cards laid out in front of him and shifts it (to show that it has been committed to the move in progress). The player then moves the chariot whose turn it is a number of hexagons equal to the value shown on the chosen card, counting them aloud. The chariot may only move onto free hexagons, in a single direction for the whole of that movement (so no zig-zagging). All the points on the chosen card must be used, and only to cross unoccupied hexagons. The player may therefore either use the full movement potential of the chosen card, or stay in place (while still using up the chosen card). He may not move his chariot for only part of the chosen card's movement potential.

The player may then assign a second, or even a third, card, following the movement rules described above. Up to three cards may therefore be assigned to a single chariot. The direction of movement may change from one card to the next. It is also possible to move backward.

Once a chariot has completed its movement, the player controlling it turns face down the card or cards used. In each round, a movement card may therefore only be used for a single chariot.

Then, the player controlling the next chariot in the movement order moves it. All chariots are thus moved in succession in their movement order.

At least one movement card must be assigned to each chariot. Each player must therefore keep at least one card for moving his third chariot. If a player does not wish to, or cannot legally, move one of his chariots, he must turn one of his movement cards face down. Movement cards not used during a round are lost and cannot be carried over to the next round.

Next Round

Once all chariots have been moved, a new round begins. Each player turns his five movement cards face up again and lines them up in front of him. The chariot leading the race is the first to move during this new round.

End of the Race

The goal of each player is to take his three chariots once around the track counterclockwise, and place them in the finish area made up of the eleven cream-colored hexagons in the middle of the track. The statues located in the finish area have no effect on the game and do not prevent chariots from entering the hexagons containing them.

The finish area cannot be entered by crossing the heavy line bordering it (it can therefore only be entered from the upper straightaway). A chariot may not, of course, double back in order to enter the finish area without having completed a full lap of the track. When a chariot enters the finish area, any unused movement points on the chosen card are ignored (this is the only exception to the rule stating that all the points on a movement card must be used or else the card is lost). The chariot no longer moves. No further cards will therefore be assigned to it during subsequent rounds.

Example (p. 14): The chariot in the lead position is assigned the cards of value 2, 3, and 5. The chariots are numbered in their movement order.

The first player to have gotten all three of his chariots into the finish area wins the race. The other players may, if they wish, continue the race until the finish area is entirely occupied, in order to determine final standings.

Comments

The race is won by getting your third chariot into the finish area, not your first. If you focus on your lead chariot, you risk not having many movement points left for your third chariot. Also, unless you keep your low-value movement cards in reserve, you risk finding the path of your last chariot blocked. Conversely, you need to play your high-value movement cards to advance quickly. Over the course of a full round, resist the temptation to push only your lead chariot.

The path to travel is the same for every chariot and each player holds the same movement cards. Victory or defeat is therefore decided by time lost to zig-zagging and to unused movement cards.

Try to move your chariots cleverly and to block your opponents. Keep open a path for the following round and try to place your chariots as close as possible to the head of the race.

Variants

These are especially recommended for two- or three-player games.

• The race becomes noticeably trickier if all the cards assigned to a single chariot (in the same round) must move it in the same direction. If a player wants to change his chariot's direction, he must discard an additional movement card. Movement through the turns is thereby slowed, and high-value movement cards are only useful on the straightaways.
• You can also limit the number of movement cards assigned to a chariot to two. Chariot movement is then more even. But a chariot that falls a little behind has much more trouble catching up.

Box Contents

• 1 double-sided game board,
• 90 playing cards:
  • 10 Hannibal vs Rome cards,
  • 55 Imperium cards,
  • 25 Circus Maximus cards.
• 15 large block-shaped pieces (3 each of red, orange, blue, green, and purple),
• 21 small block-shaped pieces (11 red, 9 blue, and 1 green),
• 5 small pawns (1 each of red, orange, blue, green, and purple),
• 1 large black pawn,
• 70 cylindrical markers (14 each of red, orange, blue, green, and purple),
• 1 sheet of sticker labels (see each game's rules for setup),
• 1 rules booklet.