From: Doug Murphy Subject: The Barbarians by Yaquinto 1981: Review Barbarians is a two-game set published by Yanquito in 1981 in the album format with each map mounted on the inside of the "record jacket", a storage liner box, 200 counters (80 for Sack Rome and 120 for Mongol), an 8 page rulebook and 2 ziploc counters. The game is intro-level. Designed by a Neal Zimmerer, Developed by S. Craig Taylor, Jr. Sack Rome covers the fall of the Western Roman Empire to barbarian invasions from the north & east during the fourth & fifth centuries. Interesting, the rules call for the game to be played twice to determine a winner: the Roman player holding the longest. The map consists of areas representing Europe from northern Italia to the land of the Picts in Scotland and the Rhine border to the north. Mongol covers the invasion of Eastern Europe by Mongol hordes in the thirteenth century. The Mongol map consists of areas covering Europe from Poland and Bulgaria to the Eurasia bordering Black Sea First, Sack of Rome: 80 units: Roman legions & barbarian hordes. Legions are deep purple showing an eagle and are numbered. Each has a movement factor. Hordes have a tribal symbol (spear, sword, etc), chieftain's name and movement factor. Barbarians are broken out by symbol and color: Franks, Huns, Picts, Vandals, and Goths. Rome also gets some forts. 14 game turns. Rome sets up first: one unit per setup space and four forts. Sequence of play: barbarian placement (units placed in homelands), barb. move, barb. battle. Roman placement (get one new unit in Rome), move, battle. Units move one space per move. factor. Battles are resolved like in Columbia block games: line/pair up the opposing units, designate reserves, conduct rounds. 5, 6 rolled eliminates a barb., 6 elims a legion. DRMs for numerical superiority & forts. To win, Rome must fall. Optional rules include shifting initiative, 3 player game, designating personal bodyguards (an elite unit harder to kill). I have played this as a introductory game countless times: it is like a simple Fall of Rome game by SPI, extremely easy to place, colorful, good solitaire as well. Easily adaptable w/ more chrome. Oh BTW, no scale indicated time/distance. Mongol: 120 units. Mongol Horse Archer Army; European Feudal Army, Peasant Army, and Army of Knights. Counters hold symbol, turn of entry note and move. factor. 9 turns. Mongols start on east map edge. Europe units begin in certain areas. Sequence of play: new units enter/ Mongol move/battle. Turns 2-4 roll for intervention by Poland, Bugaria, Hungary., then Europe move/battle. Battle is resolved as in Sack Rome: units paired off, reserves noted. However one rolls a pair of color dice and reads the result as 11 to 66, compares to elim-range on map chart. DRMs for numerical superiority. Mongol gets a territory if all opposition within it is eliminated. Must control 23 of 25 provinces to win. Optional rules include shifting initiative/ withdrawal from battle and notes for game balance between players of different capability. I play this one less often as the numerical superiority of the Mongols and the setup lets them roll over the West... Doug (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu)