Lawrence Hung  - Jun 15, 2008 11:51 am (#23045 Total: 23195)  
Now playing Italia,Mare Nostrum,Heroes of the Soviet Union,
Le Grande Empire,Command & Colors:Acnients,Band of Heroes,ASLSK1,
Old Contemptibles,4 Lost Battles,Twilight Struggle,Hannibal:Rome 
v Carthage,ATS1a Screaming Eagle,Triumph of Chaos,Pax Romana 
	 
Andrea Steading's Italia

I have been keeping an eye on this game for a long time. The designer
uses the Britannia basic game system to design this game and Hispania to
portray a nation's history in one go. The grand strategic decision is
different and interesting each time you play a different side. 

This game captures Roman almost 1500 years of Italian history, from 330
BC to 1100 AD. Jesus Christ, yes, he was born in between...The game is
very colorful and has 600 cardboard game pieces depicting 30 nations
coming and go in the history of Rome. All significant leaders, even the
lesser known, are included. Forces are generic and players score VPs on
area objectives and winning battles on specific turn. Timing is
important in this game. There are actually 2 games in one. The early
Roman history is in Italia I where 3 people play. The latter Roman
history (with Western Roman and Byzantium Roman) requires 4. Plus Craig
Grando's art, I can't wait to call for 3 or 4 people to rub this game. I
had some good experiences with Britannia before and so I hope this game
will do the same. Rowan, Anthony and I will do this game a justice. 

Originally we thought we could have completed the Italia I campaign (the
early Roman period) in one sitting but it turned out that we couldn't
complete it even in 2 sittings. What follows are AARs on the2 sessions
we played. 

AAR: After play, I should say I heartily recommend this game to anyone
who is interested in the entire Roman history. You can really recreate
it with this game. An excellent game design. 

Anthony took up the reds (Rome and Greece). Rowan took up the yellow
(Celts, Epiroates, Samnites etc.) I took up the blue (Estrucans,
Carthage etc.) The game lasts 10 turns. Initially, Carthage is in
control of the Mare Libycum with her fleet. Control of this sea area is
vital to the African hopping onto the island Sicily. I did manage the
Carthaginians to defeat the Greeks on the island and to score the VPs on
the control of the whole of Sicily. The Samnites are on the southern
Italy and are the natural target for the Romans to command and conquer.
After several engagements, cities were burned and people have fled
Lucania. The Samnites were almost completely eliminated... genocide. 

In the north, the Celts dominated here. They defeated the weak Illyrians
and threw them out of the Italian peinsular. My poor Illyrians were left
with one small fleet. They then moved to attack the Estrucans. Estrucans
becomes a toast in between 2 great powers (Romans and Celts)
effectively. 

In the center Italy, the Epirotes landed and wiped out the Romans in
Estruia and Roma. In our game, the Phyrrus victory didn't happen on the
southern Italy, but in the central Italy. The lesson: Rome should never
leave their home without garrison, the only capital in this game for
Rome, lightly defended. The Romans were expelled from their home...But
all tribes other than the Romans must retreat from Rome in the next
turn. So the Romans can always come back. They could not declare
elsewhere as the capital and must always stick to Roma as capital area.
(To declare an area with a city as capital, +1 to the stacking limit,
i.e. more garrison.) There are Consular legions which can take 2 hits
before destroy. Otherwise, there are no special rules on the recall of
the Consular Army back to Rome like that in GMT's Ancient Series. 

The Greeks have strong naval fleets. They performed a blockade on Mare
Libycum after winning a naval battle with the Carthaginians. Sea battle
is always voluntary. Leader does confer a +1 to the combat modifier in
naval battle. 

The Treasury track records the amount of gold saved. No nation could
save more than 10 coins in a single turn and carry them to the next.
This might be a scripted tale to someone but it propels a nation to
expand because of this. You basically use the gold to build legions and
cities. A pillaged and ruined city, however, cost 1 legion army to turn
it back to a full city. 

Scheduled play: 7 June, 08 

Anthony, Rowan and me continued the massacre in ancient Rome but we
still couldn't finish the game, with 2 turns remaining. 

The Numidians, another African tribe on the continent took up the
Carthaginian soils, while the Carthaginians were unsuspecting to leave
for the Hannibal's campaign in northern Italy. 

Carrying the heavy infantry, war elephants of more than 20 units in a
huge stack, Hannibal moved from Alpes the amassing area and chose the
shortest path onto Rome: Alpes-Liguria-Pisae-Etruria. This could avoid
the spread Celts all over the other norther Italy regions. Roman Senate
appointed Marius as Consul for Rome and reacted from the mountainous
area Florentia, with his Consular Army, to have a final engagement with
Hannibal's Army. Marius finally defeated Hannibal's campaign at the gate
of Rome after a heavy and bloody fight. 

Cimbri, a relatively minor known tribe, rose from the northern Italy
Helvetia amassing area under the Leader Boiorix. A campaign ensued and
they scored for killing the Roman Consular legion (not the ordinary
legion) and by pillaging and raiding cities (anyone's). I could score 14
VPs for them on turn 8 alone. 

Score at turn 8: Red (Anthony): 118, Blue (me): 75 and Yellow (Rowan)
74.5 Perhaps we shall complete it the next time as it seems that there
might well be opportunities for Rowan and me to catch up. The Greeks in
the southern Italy are all Romanized on turn 8 and thus all VPs scoring
has to come from the Roman. For the Romans, Sulla and Marius would have
a major invasion on turn 9 for controlling the whole Italy (7VPs).
Meanwhile, the Romans Populares and Optimates are plotting against their
own government by subversion, army defection and murder... The final
defining moment has yet to come.....story continues.