From: Roberto Chiavini Subject: Another review Rome at War (Avalanche Press) Probably too talked about on various Internet boards, this first game of a possibly long series about Ancient warfare it's better than I thought of. First of all, opening the box, you're certainly not very happy for the contents: only a countersheet (definitely with good graphics) and a two small mounted board, depicting a map void of any significant terrain. But after this bad impression, reading the rules, you understand that you have bought a simply beer and pretzels game, very playable solitaire, perhaps not very historical, but more fun and playable than several other more praised competitors. Units are rated for combat strengths and morale only, while leaders have three ratings (range, tactical - used for combat and rally differential - and initiative). The latter is the most important, as each turn starts with both players rolling a die and adding the initiative value of Army Commander: the higher result gets the first activation. On each activation, the phasing player rolls a die and compare with the initiative value of his Army Commander: if the roll is equal or less than that number, the player may activate the difference obtained in leader (i.e., if the value is 5 and you roll 3, you may activate 2 leaders - and the units inside his range). If the difference is 0, he may still activate his army commander, while if the roll is higher, activation procedure passes to the opposing player. Stacking is based on the kind of units: each different type of unit has a stacking value and up to 6 points may stay in a zone (the map is divide in zones, mostly simil rectangular). So, you normally have a single heavy infantry (double sized) unit, two cavalry or 3 light infantry units inside a single zone. An activated leader may charge with his cavalry units and/or move the other units (with only a few limitations for the heavy infantry units, that must obey to facing rules) to have regular assault combat. Both kinds of combat starts with a morale check for the defender (who, if fails, loses a step from the involved units), then both players roll (the defender first in a charge, simultaneously in an assault) several dice (one for each strength point involved plus the tactical leader if present), inflicting a step loss for each 6 obtained (a few kinds of attacks get a +1 modifier, so you hit with 5-6). There are also simple rules for rally (in the recovery phase, units that are stacked with a leader and not adjacent to the enemy, may roll their morale or less to recover a step). Most units have two steps, while heavy infantry units have 8 steps. How does it works in the field? Well, the system involves a terrible number of die rolls, so it's not indicated to persons that prefere subtle strategy over luck, but otherwise it's not really bad. It's not too complex, perfect for solitaire play, short (even the longer battles of the 5 scenarios inside the box probably take less than 3 hours) and fun in a strange way. I rate this game 6 1/2 in a 1-10 scale