New Empire - Turn Six (300-290 BC)

Situation after five turns

The revolt dice land 5-5, meaning it is Syria's turn to throw off Macedonian rule.

Andy's Macedonians are drawn first, and he immediately reconquers Syria.

My Romans am next, and I successfully expel the Carthaginians from Sicilia.

Rather than attempt a reconquest, which would involve a naval crossing, Richard's Carthaginians attack Gallia, but are repulsed.

Finally the Persians, perhaps sensing Macedonian weakness, successfully attack Mesopotamia, thanks to Reg rolling a 5.

The Persians, having not lost their homeland during Macedonian expansion, look in good shape

New Empire - Turn Five (310-300 BC)

Situation after four turns

The revolt dice land 1-2, meaning the Macedonian Successor states are hit by another revolt, with this time AEGYPTUS gaining its independence.

Reg's Persians are drawn first, and he chooses to attack independent Bactria. However, a roll of 2 puts an end to the invasion.

Andy's Macedonians are up next. He cannot try to regain AEGYPTUS, as neighbouring Syria is not part of a Macedonian chain of four controlled provinces, nor part of a chain linked to the Macedonian homeland, so he instead conquers 'Asia' with a 6.

My Romans successfully attack Magna Graecia, which should make it more difficult for Carthage to expand into the Italian mainland.

Finally, Richard's Carthaginians try to capture Magna Graecia, but are easily repelled after rolling a 3.

The inevitable Punic Wars will probably start in earnest next turn

New Empire - Turn Four (320-310 BC)

Situation after three turns

The revolt dice land 3-2, meaning 'Asia' expels the Macedonians - perhaps in response to news of Alexander the Great's death?

But it is at the other end of the Mediterranean where the first imperial invasion occurs, with Richard's Carthaginians again attacking independent Gallia, but again failing with a roll of 5, thanks to -1 modifiers for tribal ferment and for operating outside of Carthage's original empire.

I am drawn next, and I just manage to consolidate Roman rule of ITALIA, by rolling a 3 - one less than the turn number.

Andy's Macedonians for the next five turns receive a +1 modifier for no longer having a great captain, but having had one no more than five turns ago. He attacks rebellious 'Asia', but a roll of 2 is insufficient.

Finally the Persians attack Mesopotamia, but Reg also rolls an insufficient 2.

With any luck my Romans will start expanding next turn

New Empire - Turn Three (330-320 BC)

Situation at the end of turn two

The revolt dice land 4-1, meaning Bactria throws off Persian rule.

This is the second turn in which Andy's Macedonians are led by the great captain Alexander. They start by attacking Mesopotamia, but a 1 means the invasion fails despite Alexander's +2 modifier. A second attempt also stalls, but it is conquered third time lucky, as it were. Andy then conquers Persia, just - the die landed as a 2. Andy revealed his original intention had been to try to capture the Persian homeland Parthia, but with only one campaign left, goes for the easier option (Parthia, being a homeland, has a -1 modifier, despite Alexander's great-captain status) of Armenia, succeeding with a 3.

Richard's Carthaginians are drawn next, attacking Gallia despite there being -1 modifiers for operating outside of Carthage's original empire and for independent Gallia being in tribal ferment for the first 10 turns. He rolls a 5, narrowly failing.

I again fail to consolidate Roman control of ITALIA.

Finally Reg attacks Persia, succeeding in reconquering it thanks to rolling a 5.

The Persians have held off the Macedonian onslaught, at least for now, but my Romans are yet to get going in the west

New Empire - Turn Two (340-330 BC)

Situation at the end of turn one

The revolt dice land 6-6, which pinpoints Thracia, but there is no effect as that province is independent.

Andy's Macedonians start as this is the first turn in which they are led by Alexander the Great, who as a great captain is entitled to launch five campaigns, each with a +2 modifier. He starts the easy way by conquering Graecia and Thracia (only a roll of 1 would have meant failure), and then attacks 'Asia'. This should also be easy as great captains ignore the -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province (unless it is a people's homeland), and he does succeed, although only just, by rolling a 2. Further successful attacks occur on Syria and AEGYPTUS, meaning the Macedonians control the whole east Mediterranean seaboard.

Reg orders his Persains to counterattack Syria, but a 3 is nowhere near enough when a -1 modifier for attacking a controlled province applies.

Richard is drawn next and he chooses to cross the sea to invade Silicia. The naval crossing is no problem (he avoids rolling under 3), and the invasion is a success despite a -1 modifier for operating outside of Carthage's starting empire.

Finally I fail to roll less than the turn number, which I need to do to consolidate Roman control of ITALIA.

A good beginning for the Macedonians in the east and the Carthaginians in the west

New Empire - Turn One (350-340 BC)

350 BC

The revolt dice land 1-5, meaning Numidia throws off Carthaginian rule.

The Persians are drawn first, and Reg attacks AEGYPTUS, but rolls a 2 (4+ is needed).

Andy's Macedonians attack Graecia, but roll a 1.

My Romans are next, but I can do nothing as I first have to consolidate Roman control of ITALIA, and that is only accomplished by rolling a die lower than the turn number.

Finally, Richard's Carthaginians resoundingly reoccupy Numidia with a 6, meaning the map has ended looking the same in 340 BC as it did 10 years earlier.

New Empire - Final Preparations

RICHARD drew the Carthaginians, I got the Romans, Andy the Macedonians and 'Reg' the Persians/Parthians.

If we look at how the peoples have performed in our previous six games, this would seem to give 'Reg' a decent chance of closing the gap on Andy and myself.

SCORES BY PEOPLES
Persians/Parthians: 19pts
Romans: 17.5pts
Carthaginians: 14.5pts
Macedonians: 9pts

As usual I will write up the game turn-by-turn.

A reminder of the starting position in 350 BC, with the Carthaginians and Persians already having 12 victory points thanks to their imperial legacies

New Empire

OUR group of four boardgamers has got together again for another round of Philip Sabin's Empire.

The four are myself, my regular wargaming opponent ('Reg'), security consultant Richard Johnson and Andy, a serving officer in Britain's armed forces.

Here are the standings after six playthroughs (four points for a win, three for coming second, etc).

ANDY

Game One: 4pts (Macedonians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Persians/Parthians)
Game Three: 3pts (Romans)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Carthaginians)

Game Five: 2pts (Romans)

Game Six: 4pts (Persians)
Total: 19pts

ME

Game One: 3pts (Carthaginians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Romans)
Game Three: 4pts (Persians)
Game Four: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Five: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Six: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Total: 17.5pts

'REG'
Game One: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Game Two: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Three: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Four: 4pts (Romans)

Game Five: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Six: 1pt (Macedonians)
Total: 12pts

RICHARD JOHNSON
Game One: 2pts (Romans)
Game Two: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Three: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Five: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Six: 3pts (Romans)
Total: 11.5pts

SCORES BY PEOPLES
Persians/Parthians: 19pts

Romans: 17.5pts
Carthaginians: 14.5pts
Macedonians: 9pts

Here is the starting position in 350 BC

We will draw for peoples, but with the proviso no one can have a people he had in the last two games.

Top Read

EDITH Durham's High Albania is a riveting account of months of travel through remote parts of the Balkans in 1908.

Her book is apparently still regarded as an authoritative source for understanding old customs of the remoter mountainous regions.

A fascinating insight into a disappeared world

These customs included blood feuds, which were frequently a deadly business but had 'honourable' rules, one of which was that shooting was not allowed when a household was entertaining guests.

Accordingly Edith felt safe one evening in a village where, unable to stay with the local priest, who was away, she and her companions were invited to overnight with a family currently involved in a major blood feud over a broken engagement.

"The young man who had invited us had shot a man of the girl's family, and cleansed it [his honour]; now the family of the slain man hungered for the blood of him or his.

"He looked on the situation with grim satisfaction, for he knew he had acted righteously.

"I lay and listened to the tale while three men, intent on feeding us sumptuously, slaughtered a kid on a hurdle by the doorstep, and were busy cleaning and quartering it.

"Just as they were bloody to the elbows - dan! rang a rifle and phew-ew sang a bullet close over our heads from behind the corner of the wall.

"Down fell the flaying-knives; the three snatched Martinis [rifles] that hung handy from the stone brackets by the door, and dashed off in hot pursuit.

"A yell of laughter followed at once. A neighbour with a strong sense of humour had fired, just for a joke, to make them jump!"

There is much more of this, and I found the book so entertaining that I sped through the almost-200 pages on a recent 10-day holiday, leaving me with nothing to read for the rest of the trip!

Summing Up My Allied Playthrough Of Cacabelos In 3D

I ADMIT I was lucky - astoundingly lucky at times - with my dice-throwing, but even before that happened I felt a French victory was unlikely: the scenario seems just too tough for the AI.

My score against the AI is now 6-2, or 6-3 if you include the scenario that I started a unit short.

At this stage first-time through I was drawing 5-5, having played one scenario twice, but if the replay is excluded I was losing 4-5.