Empire: Turn 10 (260-250 BC)

Crunch time - at the end of this turn the first victory points will be awarded (apart from the 12 Carthage and Persia each start with for past imperial glories)

Perhaps it is just as well Macedon failed to conquer Illyria last turn as the revolt dice show the province would have revolted this turn - a warning to the Macedonians about Illyrian fierceness?

The Macedonians ignore the warning and again invade Illyria, but are thrown back when they only roll a 3.

Carthage attacks Sicilia, easily crossing the sea, by rolling a 6, but the subsequent campaign roll of 5 is insufficient as the city is attacking outside of its original empire and is attacking a controlled province.

The Parthians fail to revolt in their homeland.

The Romans have three possible campaigns: against Cisalpina (-1 modifier because of tribal unrest on the first 10 turns); AFRICA (a sea-crossing followed by -1 for attacking a controlled province); Graecia (the same as AFRICA). It is a tricky choice because a successful attack on AFRICA would not make it fall, but would cause Carthage's other provinces to revolt (AFRICA only falls if there are no other Carthaginian provinces) and so greatly damage Carthage's victory points total (remember, IBERIA is worth double points). On the other hand Cisalpina is a slightly easier target (2-1 against succeeding, whereas the chances of a successful attack on AFRICA are 3-1 against, thanks to the complication of a sea-crossing). In the end I decide to try to emulate the consul Marcus Regulus who, in 256 BC during the First Punic War, along with his co-consul, Lucius Longus, defeated the Carthaginians in a naval battle off Sicily and followed by invading North Africa. A roll of 5 means the Romans successfully cross the sea, but a campaign roll of 1 sees them defeated in AFRICA, as Regulus was at the Battle of the Bagradas River.

Victory Points

Carthage scores five, made up of two each for controlling AFRICA and IBERIA, and one for Numidia. That puts the Carthaginians on 17 points at the halfway stage of the game.

The Romans score three for ITALIA and one each for Magna Graecia and Sicilia, taking them to five.

The Macedonians have 12 provinces, including AEGYPTUS and INDIA, scoring 14 points.

The Persians/Parthians have no provinces and so stay on 12.

Carthage leads at the halfway point, but will likely need great things from Hannibal on turn 14 if it is not to be overhauled by the Macedonians