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

Britannia - Round III: Caledonian Turn

Caledonian card

Andy's Caledonians occupy three difficult-terrain areas at the top of the map, giving them three population points to add to the five on the population track left over from the previous round. So the Caledonians receive a new army, which Andy places in Caithness, and there are two population points to carry forward.

In the movement phase the two Caledonian armies in Caithness enter Pict-controlled Skye, and the Orkneys army crosses over to defend Caithness.

In the battle for Skye, Andy's Caledonians will roll two dice, but need 6, rather than the normal 5, as the Picts are defending difficult terrain. Reg's one Pict army will need 5+. The dice land 5,1 v 4 - indecisive. Neither side retreats, and in the second round of flighting the dice land 6,3 v 1 - the Pict army is eliminated, justifying, at least for now, Andy's gamble.

Capturing Skye brings the Caledonians no immediate victory points, but will, if they still hold it at the end of round five

Britannia - Round III: Brigante Turn

The Brigante card

Richard's Brigantes occupy Dunedin and Strathclyde, giving them four population points, to be added to the five left over on the population track from the previous round. That means the Brigantes receive a new army, and have three points towards the next one. Richard places the new army in Strathclyde.

In the movement phase he relocates this army to Galloway, which is where it has to halt as Galloway counts as difficult terrain.

The Brigante turn ends without the tribe attacking Roman-held Lothian

Britannia - Round III: Welsh Turn

Welsh card

With Reg's Belgae eliminated, it is Andy's Welsh that go next, starting with the population phase.

The Welsh occupy three normal-terrain areas, each worth two population points, and one difficult-terrain area, worth one point. That is seven population points in all, but, because the Welsh are in submission to my Romans, the score is halved, which, when rounded up, becomes four population points. The Welsh have two points on the population track, at the bottom of the map, left over from the last round, so they have six population points, which is exactly the number required for a new army. Andy places it in Gwynedd.

In the movement phase, Andy moves the new army into unoccupied Powys, and that ends the Welsh turn.

The Welsh now have five areas

Britannia - Round III

Situation after two rounds

The timeline shows round three covers the years 100-250, and includes an Irish army invading from the Atlantic

The Irish have red tokens, showing they are one of Richard's peoples, and their army is placed in the Atlantic area of the board. Note that the house symbol on the timeline indicates that the Irish for this turn count as raiders - more on that later.

The Irish card shows they score two victory points for destroying a Roman fort at any time, and, in rounds three-six, 2VP for eliminating any enemy army in the Irish turn of those rounds, ie while attacking

The round starts, as usual, with my Romans.

The Roman card shows this is the last round in which the Romans score points for occupying certain areas, theoretically as far north as Mar

Note that occupying an area is different from holding an area - victory points for the latter come in later rounds, starting in round five.

Instead of a population phase to start the turn, Romans possibly receive reinforcements. Since I currently have 10 Roman armies (forts do not count) I am entitled in round three to receive one reinforcing army, which is placed in the English Channel.

I use Roman roads, and the ability of Roman armies to move through three areas rather than the normal two, to invade Brigante land, and now-empty, but previously-occupied, Brigante land, namely the Pennines, Bernica and Lothian. Each of those three areas receives a Roman fort, and I score two victory points for each.

Situation prior to the Roman battle phase

I start in North Mercia, where I have three armies against two Brigante armies. I need to roll 4+ to eliminate an army, while the Brigantes need to roll 6. The dice land 4,3,2 v 5,1, so a Brigante army is eliminated. The remaining Brigante army has nowhere to retreat, so there is another round of fighting, the dice landing 6,5,1 v 1 - the final Brigante army is eliminated, and I score 2VP.

In York I have two armies against the Brigantes' one, the dice landing 2,1 v 3 - indecisive. Again, retreat is not possible for the Brigantes, and in the second round of fighting the dice land 4,1 v 4, meaning the Brigante army is eliminated, a Roman fort appears in its place, and I score two victory points for occupying the area.

In Cheshire I again have two armies against one. The dice land 5,3 v 1, so the Brigante army is eliminated, a Roman fort appears in its place, and I score two more victory points.

The Roman turn has ended with the Romans holding much of England, and with Andy's Welsh in submission, but Richard has chosen not to order his Brigantes to submit

Britannia - Round II: Pict Turn

Reg's Picts have no realistic chance of attacking Romans this round

The Picts occupy five difficult-terrain areas, so that means five population points, added to the five they already have on the population track. The result is a new army, with four points left over for the next round. Reg places the army in Alban.

He declines to make any moves, and so the turn ends, and with it the round.

The situation after two rounds

Britannia - Round II: Caledonian Turn

Situation after the Brigante turn

The Caledonian card and counters are green

That makes them one of Andy's peoples, but, as is perhaps fairly obvious, their options, at least early on, are limited.

They currently occupy two difficult-terrain areas, having left the Orkneys last round, and so get two population points, which, with the three on the population track, takes them to five population points, one short of the number needed for a new army (if they had not doubled up in Caithness last round, they would have received a new army this turn, instead of having to wait to next turn, assuming Reg's Picts have not successfully attacked Caithness or the Hebrides).

The land those peoples start in makes invading a decidedly risky business, as difficult-terrain has a stacking limit of two armies (except for Romans), and defending armies are only eliminated on a roll of 6.

In the movement phase, Andy moves one of the Caithness armies back to the Orkneys, presumably deciding that attacking the Picts is not worth it, and calculating that it makes more sense for the Picts to move south and attack the Brigantes, who occupy normal terrain, rather than harrying the Caledonians.

Nothing else happens in this turn.

Britannia - Round II: Brigante Turn

The card shows that the only victory points Richard's Brigantes can earn in this round is for destroying Roman armies (6VP per army) and forts (2VP per fort)

The Brigantes occupy four normal areas, each worth two population points, and one difficult-terrain area (the Pennines), worth one population point. That is nine population points, and there are two left over on the population track at the bottom of the map. That makes 11 population points, so the Brigantes receive a new army, and the tracker is moved to five for the next turn. Richard places the army in York, on the borders of Roman-held Lindsey and North Mercia.

In the North, Richard moves one of the three-stack armies from Dunedin to Strathclyde, presumably as a defensive measure against the Picts.

In the South, Richard moves both the York armies and one of the Cheshire armies into North Mercia, and moves the Pennines army into vacated York.

In the Battle of North Mercia, Richard's three armies need to roll 6s to eliminate Roman armies. My Roman army needs to roll 4+ to eliminate a Brigante army, and the fort needs to roll 5+. The dice land 5,3,1 v 3(army),6(fort) - a Brigante army is eliminated. Neither side retreats, so the battle continues, the dice landing 4,4 v 2,2 - indecisive. Again, neither side retreats, and the dice land 5,3 v 1(army),4(fort) - indecisive. There is a fourth round of fighting: 6,6 v 2(army),3(fort). This completely justifies Richard's decision to take the offensive, as his Brigantes score eight victory points.

Overpopulation is not an issue for the Brigantes, so their turn ends.

North Mercia, its fort in flames, has fallen to the Brigantes

Victory points: Romans 52, Reg's Belgae 22, Richard's Brigantes 8, Andy's Welsh 2.