Britannia - Round IV: Saxon Turn

RICHARD'S Saxons are another new people to arrive this round, with three armies in the English Channel (despite what is printed on the board, the Saxons take their turn before the Jutes, who will also arrive this round).

Saxon card, showing the Saxons gain two victory points for a eliminating  Roman army, and 6VP for destroying a Roman fort

Richard uses the three armies to invade Wessex, which is defended by a Roman army and a fort. The Saxons need a 6 to destroy the army, followed by a 5+ for the fort. The Roman army needs 4+ to eliminate a Saxon army, and the fort needs 5+.

In the first round of fighting the dice land 4,3,1 v 2(army),2(fort) - indecisive. There follows 5,5,2 v 4(army),2(fort). The 5s have no effect as the Saxons have to eliminate the Roman army before tackling the fort, but the Roman army's 4 is enough to eliminate one of the three Saxon armies. With the odds stacked against him, Richard chooses to retreat both surviving armies to the English Channel.

Britannia - Round IV: Scottish Turn

MY Scots are the first of the new peoples to enter the fray this round, having two armies crossing the Irish Sea.

The Scots' card shows they gain two victory points for eliminating a Roman fort or an enemy army (during the Scot turn)

Bearing in mind that in the next round, the Scots gain victory points for occupying areas north of Cumbria, the Pennines and Bernicia, I use both armies to invade Brigante-held Strathclyde.

That causes an evenly matched battle, both sides needing 5+, in which the dice land 4,1 v 4,3 - indecisive. A second round sees the dice land 3,2 v 5,1, meaning a Scottish army is eliminated. I choose not to retreat, and the dice land 6 v 5,3 - the last Scottish army is eliminated, but takes a Brigante army with it.

Britannia - Round IV: Irish Turn

Irish card

Richard's Irish receive two armies in the Atlantic, and he uses them to invade Cheshire, which is defended by a Roman fort, which for combat purposes counts as a normal army. That means both sides need 5+, and the dice land 6,6 v 2, destroying the fort, which scores two victory points.

In the raider withdrawal phase, Richard moves both armies back to the Atlantic, where they cannot be attacked.

Britannia - Round IV: Pict Turn

Pict card

Reg's Picts have five difficult-terrain areas, bringing them five population points, to be added to the two on the population track. That is enough for a new army, with one point carried forward.

Reg places the new army in Alban, and then it, accompanied by an army from Caithness, invades Caledonian Skye. The Caledonians are defending difficult terrain, so a 6 will be needed to destroy their army, but 5+ will be enough to destroy a Pict army. The dice land 2,3 v 5 - a Pict army is eliminated. Neither side retreats, so there is a second round of fighting, the dice landing 4 v 2 - indecisive. Now Reg gets cold feet, or comes to his senses, depending on your point of view, and retreats his surviving army to Caithness.

Britannia - Round IV: Caledonian Turn

Caledonian card

Andy's Caledonians have two difficult-terrain areas, bringing them two population points, which are added to the two they have on the population track.

A look at the timeline, as well as the card above, shows the Caledonians have boats this turn, and Andy uses this ability to move one of the armies in Skye to the Orkneys, which otherwise would surely have fallen to the Picts.

Britannia - Round IV: Brigante Turn

Brigante card - no victory points are possible this turn as Richard's Brigantes have submitted to the Romans, and can therefore not attack them

The Brigantes have two areas, together worth four population points, but these points are halved, thanks to submission, and added to the three points the Brigantes already have on the population track.

There is no other action in the Brigante turn.

Britannia - Round IV: Welsh Turn

Welsh card, which shows no victory points can be gained in the fourth round, as Andy's Welsh have submitted to the Romans, and therefore cannot attack them

The Welsh would normally gain eight population points (two for each of three normal areas, and one for each of two difficult-terrain areas), but these are halved, thanks to the Welsh having submitted. That means four points are added to the population track.

Britannia - Round IV

Situation at the start of round four, which covers the years 250-340

The timeline shows new peoples joining the fray

But as usual my Romans activate first.

The Roman card, showing Romans no longer receive victory points for occupying areas

The Romans have 11 armies, which, since this is the fourth round. is too many to receive reinforcements.

I move one army to occupy Essex, a coastal province that no longer has any protection since its fort was destroyed by the Belgae.

With my other 10 armies, I invade three Brigante areas, Strathclyde, Galloway and Dunedin,  passing through unoccupied Cumbria on the way, where a fort is built.

In the battle phase  I start in Galloway, where both sides will need to roll 6s (a 6 is always needed to eliminate a Roman army, and a 6 is also needed to eliminate an army defending difficult terrain). The dice land 6,2,1 v 3, meaning the Brigante army is destroyed, and a Roman fort is built in its place.

At this point  Richard submits on behalf of the Brigantes. The first effect of this is that my four armies in Strathclyde and three in Dunedin must return to Roman territory, from where, using Roman roads, ie those areas with an intact Roman fort, I can move them on. There are seven armies in all, and I use them to line the coasts where 'barbarian' invasions are expected.

Situation after the Roman turn

Britannia - Round III: Irish Turn

Irish card

Richard's Irish are the newcomers to the game, entering with a raid from the sector marked Atlantic Ocean. They will score two points if they eliminate an enemy army or a Roman fort during their turn.

Richard lands the Irish in Dyfed in the movement phase, and in the battle phase attacks the Roman fort, which counts as a normal army for combat purposes. This means both sides roll one die, requiring 5+.

In the first round of fighting, the dice land 3 v 1 - indecisive. But in the second round they land 1 v 6, meaning the Irish raiders are eliminated.

Victory points at the end of round three: Me (yellow) 64, Reg (blue) 22, Richard (red) 8, Andy (green) 2.

Britannia - Round III: Pict Turn

The Pict card

Having lost Skye, Reg's Picts control four areas, all difficult terrain, and so worth in all four population points. Added to the four points on the population track, that means a new army, with two population points left over. Reg places the army in Moray.

In the movement phase, both his armies in Moray invade Caithness, and one of his two armies in Alban replaces them in Moray.

In the battle phase, Reg's armies in Caithness need to roll 6, as the Caledonians are defending an area with difficult terrain, while Andy's single Caledonian army needs to roll 5+. The dice land 5,4 v 3 - indecisive. Neither side retreats, and this time the dice land 5,4 v 1. In the third round of fighting the Picts at last emerge victorious, rolling 6,2 v 1.

I suspect Andy is regretting initiating hostilities in the North

Focus on the North, where the Caledonians have captured Skye  but lost Caithness, and are cut off from the Orkneys