From: Paul Spinks Subject: Terrain Conventions for Imperium Romanum 2 I came up with these while waiting for my opponents moves. Suggestions and comments welcome.... ------------------------------------------------------------------- TERRAIN CONVENTIONS FOR IMPERIUM ROMANUM 2 One of the main problems when playing Imperium Romanum 2 is the map. For example, it is sometimes unclear whether troops can move from one hex to another, because the coastline appears to run right through the point where three hexes meet. But it’s such a great game that these minor quibbles must not be allowed to put anyone off. Here are some suggested conventions. Hexes are on the West map unless otherwise specified. MAP ERRATA In case anyone is unaware of the published Errata related to the map: 1. Hex 1209E (Thospia) should be part of Adiabene province. Indeed, Thospia is Adiabene’s capital. 2. 6527/6628 is a lake hex-side 3. 3414/3514, 6711/6712 and 6813/6913 are NOT mountain hex-sides 4. 3513/3614 is a mountain hex-side 5. Lake hex-sides are impassable to land units (this fact was omitted from the Terrain Effects Chart). SEA AREAS There are six "seas" according to Rule 13.12, but the precise boundaries between them are unclear. Movement costs are double in the Atlantic and Black Sea, and the issue of whether Byzantium (5415) and Cyzicus (5416) are on the Black Sea or East Mediterranean affects supply. It is suggested that: 1. 1632/1633 are Mediterranean hexes 2. 1531/1532 are Atlantic hexes; 3. Byzantium (5415) and 5515 are Mediterranean hexes 4. 5514 is a Black Sea hex Rule 13.12 defines the dividing line between the East and West Mediterraneans, and states that any Sicilian port may supply any port in either half of the Mediterranean. Note that the unusual supply status of Sicilian ports does not apply Rhegium (4225), Melita (4228) or Carthago (3628), which are East, East and West Mediterranean respectively. CORCYRA Historically, the city and port (in 1461) of Corcyra are on the island, not on the mainland. The port CANNOT supply mainland hexes. RIVER PORTS Londinium (2010) and Hispalis (1530) are river ports (i.e., ports on tidal rivers). Fleets can enter Londinium from 2011 or 2110, and Hispalis from 1431 or 1531. ISLANDS Rule 3.2 states that land units "may not cross straits simply because the straits are wholly contained within the same hex". In practice, there is no mechanism within the rules allowing units to cross such straits (except for naval transports). Having seen for myself how close many Aegean islands are to the shore, I've never been entirely happy with this. If all players agree, it is suggested that land units shall be allowed to move between the mainland and an island in the same hex. Crossing such a strait shall cost eight (8) Movement Points, and shall be treated as movement across Narrow Seas for the purposes of attack. Examples: 1461, 5020, 5021, 5120, 5221, 5318, 5419, 5420, 5621, 1405, 3104. MAP PRINTING The way the map is printed, there are occasions where rivers do not run precisely along the hex-sides, giving the impression that the hex contains two bodies of land. Such impressions are mistaken, so ignore them. More seriously, at Olisipo (1128), the river is shown flowing through the middle of the hex. 1128/1229 should be regarded as a river hex-side. HEADLANDS Some headlands appear to touch hex-sides (or come close to it), raising the question of whether the hex actually contains two separate sea areas. The suggested convention is that headlands are NOT regarded as splitting the sea into separate areas. Examples: 1615, 2522, 3921, 4421, 4020, 5122, 5018, 5905, 5720 and 6420. COASTLINES A couple of general principles are useful when resolving problems caused by the coastline running through the point where three hexes meet. 1. It is assumed that an unbroken series of coastal hexes surrounds the land. 2. "If you can walk along a beach, you can sail along it (and vice versa)". In other words, a land unit may move to either of the other two hexes (if they contain land) and a naval unit may move to either of the other two hexes (if they contain sea). Exception: land movement is not possible across a river mouth (where, in any case, it is unclear precisely where the coastline runs). Thus, from (1), it is possible to sail between 5829/5928 and 5728/5829 (if there was ever any doubt). From (2), it is possible to sail between the following hexes and the two hexes to their right - 1501, 1506, 2905, 3203, 1831, 2228, 3019, 3225, 4224, 3416, 3917, 4420, 5022, 5416, 5408, 5705, 5804, 6617 and 5728. Similarly, it is possible to sail between the following hexes and the two hexes to their left - 1707, 2031, 2622, 2726, 3119, 3520, 2921, 4225, 3926, 3324, 5804, 6006, 6206, 6616, 6028, 5928, 3730 and 2033. Also, it is possible for land units to move between 2008/2009, 1321/1422 and 1126/1127. But it is not possible to move by land between 1431/1531, 2705/2706, 2409/2410 and 1916/1917. Even these principles leave a few grey areas. To clarify these, units CAN cross between 3517/3618, 3516/3616 and 1330/1431, but units CANNOT cross between 3515/3616 and 3715/3716. STRAITS Players are sometimes confused about whether it is possible to move between two areas of land separated by water. Noting that movements between 4819/4918 and 1604/1605 are explicitly prohibited by map markings, they assume that they can move across (say) 6516/6616, 1606/1607 or 5606/5607. This is wrong. The map carries markings only where sea may be confused as river - for example, where the sea is narrow (e.g., 1604/1605) and might be confused with a river, or where a river mouth broadens into sea (e.g., 4819/4918).