Campaign Rules: The Roman Invasion of Britain

for Commands & Colors Ancients

This campaign contains 10 scenarios which are played in sequence. One player takes the Romans and one the Britons. The player who has amassed the greater number of Victory Banners after all scenarios have been played is the winner. It is possible for a player to amass glory in one battle and then use it to affect the following battle. 

Scenarios 

Julius Caesar’s expeditions to Britain       1. Invasion of Britain (55 BC) 2. River Stour (54 BC) 3. Foraging Party (54 BC) Conquest of Britain  4. Medway (43 AD) 5. Claudius in Britain (43 AD) 6. Cefn Carnedd (51 AD) 7. Mona Insulis (60 AD) 8. Camulodunum (60 AD) 9. Boudica's Revolt (61 AD) 10. Mons Graupius (84 AD)

Scenario 1 - Invasion of Britain (55 BC)

This is scenario 217 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 2. Statistics show that the Romans have a 73% chance of winning this scenario, therefore the number of Roman command cards is reduced from their "normal" 6 to 5, this due to difficult nature of an opposed amphibious operation.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 2 - River Stour (54 BC)

This is scenario 218 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 2.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 3 - Foraging Party (54 BC)

This is scenario 219 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 2.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 4 - Medway (43 AD)

This is scenario 407 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 4.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 5 - Claudius in Britain (43 AD)

This is a new scenario that I have created to represent the Emperor Claudius in Britain and includes the elephants that Lucius Cassius Dio mentions in his Historia Romana.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 6 - Cefn Carnedd (51 AD)

This is scenario 223 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 2.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 7 - Mona Insulis (60 AD)

This is scenario 17 from C3i Magazine.

The following Special Rules replace the published ones:

• Druids are a special type of Leader:
• They may not move, except for Leader evade. 
• They may never occupy the same hex as a friendly unit (units may move or retreat through Druids). 
• Adjacent units may ignore one flag and score hits in both Close and Ranged Combat for each leader helmet symbol rolled.
• When a Roman unit occupies a camp hex at the end of its turn, remove the camp and gain one Victory Banner.
• The Menai Straits hexes are played as a fordable River.
• The Menai Straits hexes are impassable terrain for Roman units, except:
• When they have an attached leader.
• When the leader in that section has started a turn on to the British side of the river.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 8 - Camulodunum (60 AD)

This is scenario 18 from C3i Magazine.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 9 - Boudica's Revolt (61 AD)

This is a modified scenario based on 408 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 4. However statistics showed that the Romans had a 91% chance of winning this scenario, so I have adjusted it slightly to make it more balanced.

There is an after action report of this scenario.

Scenario 10 - Mons Graupius (84 AD)

This is scenario 410 from Commands & Colors Ancients - Expansion 4.

There is an after action report of this final scenario, in which the Britons won the campaign with 51 Victory Banners to the Romans' 49.

Campaign Rules - Glory Counters

Glory Counters are awarded after the end of each scenario. They can be used in the next scenario. Glory Counters left unused at the end of a scenario are lost and will not be carried over.

Gaining Glory Counters

The winning side gains two Glory Counters.

The losing side gains one Glory Counter. 

If the loosing side fails to get at least half the required number of Victory Banners, the winning side gets an additional Glory Counter. 

One additional Glory Counter is awarded for each eagle or boar standard captured. 

Glorious Rearguard Action

The losing side may attempt to fight a rearguard action. Both sides roll a D20 and add the number of mounted blocks excluding elephants (MC, LC, LBCH) that they have remaining. The side with the highest number gains a Glory Counter. In case of a draw, no Glory Counter is awarded.

Spending Glory Counters

Glory Counters can be spent in subsequent battles in the campaign in a number of different ways. A player may only spend one Glory Counter per player turn.

Replace a Command Card

A Glory Counter can be spent at the start of the turn immediately prior to playing a Command Card in order to discard one card from the player’s hand and draw a replacement.

Rally

A Glory Counter can be spent at the start of the turn immediately after playing a Command Card in order to return a single block of any type to any single under-strength unit anywhere on the battlefield. A unit may not gain more blocks than it originally had. Elephants and Artillery may not be rallied.

Heroic

A Glory Counter can be spent at the start of the turn immediately after playing a Command Card in order to make a unit heroic. It will be heroic for this player turn and the following enemy player turn. While heroic, the unit will score a hit for each leader symbol rolled in close combat and may ignore one flag. Elephants and Artillery may not be heroic.

Leader Activation

A Glory Counter can be spent at the start of the turn immediately after playing a Command Card in order to additionally order a leader, but not any attached unit.

Scenario Special Rules

Roman Legions

All Roman Heavy infantry and Roman Medium infantry units are armed with pilum and sword.

These units are considered both close combat and ranged combat capable. When utilizing range combat the unit has a range of two hexes and will roll 1 battle die when it holds or moves one hex. 

X Legion 

Caesar’s Tenth Legion was his personal favourite. It was a superb veteran unit that was fiercely loyal to Caesar, and never failed him in battle. It follows the normal rules for Roman Legions above and has an additional special ability: it may move one hex and battle or may move 2 hexes and not battle. 

Julius Caesar 

When the Julius Caesar leader is attached to any Roman unit, that unit will battle with one additional battle die in Close Combat (including battling into or out of terrain hexes that reduce the normal number of dice used). When attached to a Roman foot unit (except for War Machines), that unit may move two hexes and Close Combat against an enemy unit.

If Julius Caesar is hit, he will be replaced in any following scenario by a normal leader.

Boudica

If not ordered and not attached to a friendly unit that is adjacent to an enemy unit, Boudica may move up to 3 hexes if by doing so she attaches to a friendly unit that is adjacent to an enemy unit.

If Boudica is hit, she will flee the field in her chariot and still be available in any following scenario.

Capturing an Eagle

An aquila (eagle) was the standard of a Roman legion. A legionary known as an aquilifer, the "eagle-bearer", carried this standard. Each legion carried one eagle.

The eagle had quasi-religious importance to the Roman soldier, far beyond being merely a symbol of his legion. To lose a standard was an extreme disgrace.

When a Roman Legion (HI or MI) unit is eliminated in melee its opponent should attempt to capture the eagle. To be eligible, an ordered unit must take ground.

Roll 2 dice, on a result of two Flags, two Swords, or one of each then the Eagle has been captured.

Place a Special Unit marker on the capturing unit. The capturing unit will, unless at full strength, immediately rally one block. For the rest of the scenario it will score one hit for each leader symbol rolled in close combat and it may ignore one flag. 

Capturing a Boar Standard

The Celtic Boar was a totem animal which was used as a military standard similar to the eagle of the Romans. They were larger than often used by wargamers, about shoulder width (around 50cm). They were typically made of bronze sheet so wouldn't have been too heavy to carry.

It is believed that the boar in Celtic religious contexts represents both war (because of their ferocity and indomitability) and prosperity (because pork was a favourite Celtic food and played an important part in feasting).

The standards may also represent the Celtic god Moccus. He is the boar- or swine-god. Moccus was invoked as the protector of boar hunters and warriors. Boar meat was sacred among the ancient Celts.

When a British Medium, Warrior or Auxilia Infantry unit with attached Leader is eliminated in melee by any unit other than Elephant or Artillery, its opponent should attempt to capture the boar standard. To be eligible, an ordered unit must take ground.

Roll 2 dice, on a result of two Flags, two Swords, or one of each then the boar standard has been captured.

Place a Special Unit marker on the capturing unit. The capturing unit will, unless at full strength, immediately rally one block. For the rest of the scenario the capturing unit may make a bonus close combat attack after a momentum advance even if not normally permitted to do so.

House Rules

Unusable Command Cards

If you have an unusable Command Card, you may do one of the following two things.

1. Use it to order 1 unit of your choice.
2. Discard it at any time and immediately draw a new Command Card from the deck.

The "Inspired Leadership" cards may only be discarded if you have no leaders remaining in play. Not having a leader in the required section does not make that card unusable as you could still in future move a leader into that section.

Examples of unusable Command Cards in the first scenario - Invasion of Britain (55 BC) - would be if the Romans held a "Mounted Charge" card or if the Britons held a "Order Heavy Troops" card.