MARCH ON ROME
INTRODUCTION
Players take the role of Roman senators trying to acquire control of
provinces, tribute, and fame.
VICTORY
At the end of the tenth turn, the player with the most accumulated Fame points wins.
If a player loses his last province, he loses the game.
PIECES
Use black counters to represent Roman Legions.
Each player gets a set of counters of a different color.
These are control markers.
6, 10, and 20 sided Dice are needed
THE MAP
Before playing, players will have to draw a map.
The map encompasses the 10 provinces of the Roman empire:
Britain, Spain, Gaul, North Italy, Rome, Baltics, Greece, Byzantium,
Middle East, and Egypt.
Britain is connected by sea to Spain to the east.
Spain is bordered by Gaul to the east.
Gaul is bordered by North Italy to the east.
North Italy is bordered by the Baltics to the east.
North Italy is bordered by Rome to the south.
The Baltics are bordered by Greece to the east.
Greece is connected by sea to Byzantium to the east.
Byzantium is bordered by the Middle East to the south.
The Middle East is bordered by Egypt to the south.
Rome is connected to Byzantium and Egypt by sea.
In addition to the Imperial provinces there are also several Barbarian regions:
The Picts are north of Britain.
The Celts border Spain & Gaul to the north.
The Vikings are north of the Celts.
The Franks and Saxons are north of Gaul.
The Goths and Visigoths are north of North Italy.
The Ostrogoths are north of the Baltics.
The Huns are north of Greece.
The Persians are east of Byzantium and the Middle East.
The Nabateans are east of the Middle East.
The Abyssinians are east of Egypt.
Carthage is west of Egypt.
SETUP
Each player starts with control of one random province.
Indicate ownership by using control markers.
No player may start in control of Rome.
All other provinces are neutral.
Each province starts with 3 Legions.
TURN SEQUENCE
Draw phase
Tribute Phase
Bid for Rome Phase
Pay Legions Phase
Raise Legions Phase
Initiative Phase
Move Legions Phase
Control Phase
Diplomacy Phase
Event Phase
Fame Phase
DRAW PHASE
Each player may draw one card from the Republic deck.
TRIBUTE PHASE
The monetary unit is the 'tribute'
Use change to represent tributes.
Tributes not owned by players are kept in a pile called the treasury.
Each player receives tribute from each province he controls.
PROVINCE TRIBUTE
Britain 4
Spain 6
Gaul 6
North Italy 6
Rome 10
Baltics 6
Greece 6
Byzantium 6
Middle East 4
Egypt 6
BID FOR ROME PHASE
Skip this phase if Rome is a 'lost' province (Overrun by rebels or invaders)
but not if it is neutral.
All players secretly bid 0 or more tributes.
Write bids on scraps of paper.
This represents money spent on bribes, assassins, and politicking.
The player with the highest bid gains control of the province of Rome and
becomes the new Caesar.
The old Caesar wins all ties.
If two non-Caesars tie, the players roll D10. High roll wins.
All bids go to the treasury.
PAY LEGIONS PHASE
Each player must pay one tribute to each legion in a province he controls.
Any legion not paid disbands, and is removed from the map.
RAISE LEGIONS PHASE
You may pay 2 tributes to recruit a legion into a province you control.
INITIATIVE PHASE
All players secretly bid 0 or more tributes.
Write bids on scraps of paper.
The player with the highest bid may chose to move his legions first or
last in Move Legion Phase.
The player with the second highest bid may move legions second and so on.
Ties are resolved by rolling high on the 1D10.
MOVE LEGION PHASE
Players take turns as described in Initiative phase.
Players may move a legion in a province they control to a connected province.
If the province is a 'lost' province, one captured by rebels or invaders, there will be a fight.
The player must first move at least 3 legions into the lost province, then roll:
1D6 ENEMY ARMIES PRESENT
1-3 1D6
4-5 2D6
6 3D6
After the battle, if the player has any legions left, he gains control of the province.
Place a control marker of your color in a province you control.
If you move legions into an opponents province he gains control of them.
DIPLOMACY PHASE
In order of initiative, players may take control of neutral provinces for 10 tributes each.
Some cards are played during this phase.
EVENT PHASE
Roll 2D6 times on the Event Table.
Events are resolved immediately.
1D10 EVENT
1-4 Barbarians- Roll on Invasion Table.
5-6 Rebellion- One Random Province is attacked by 1D6 Enemy armies.
7 Natural Disaster- One Random Province produces no tribute next turn.
8 Epidemic- One Random Province loses 1 Legion.
9 Prosperity- One Random Province produces 1D6 tribute.
10 Opportunity- Draw an extra card.
If the last legion in a province is lost to epidemic or natural disaster,
the player still retains control.
Disasters include fires, floods, earthquakes, draught, pestilence, and volcanoes.
Provinces hit by epidemics cannot raise Legions next turn.
Rebels include slaves, gladiators, religious zealots, nationalists, and
subjugated barbarian tribes.
BATTLES
All Roman Legions and Enemy Armies present roll 1D6 each simultaneously.
On a roll of 1-4 a Roman Legion destroys one Enemy Army.
On a roll of 1-3 an Enemy army destroys one Roman Legion.
On a roll of 1-4 an army of Hannibal destroys one Roman Legion.
Continue rolling until one side is completely destroyed.
RANDOM PROVINCE TABLE
1D10 PROVINCE
1 Britain
2 Spain
3 Gaul
4 North Italy
5 Rome
6 Baltics
7 Greece
8 Byzantium
9 Middle East
10 Egypt
INVASION TABLE
D20 INVADER ATTACKS ATTACKING ARMIES
1 Picts Britain 1D6
2 Celts Spain 1D6
3 Celts Gaul 1D6
4 Vikings Britain 1D6
5 Vikings Spain 1D6
6 Franks Gaul 1D6
7 Saxons Gaul 1D6
8 Goths North Italy 1D6
9 Visigoths North Italy 1D6
10 Ostrogoths Baltics 1D6
11 Huns Greece 2D6
12 Persia Middle East 2D6
12 Persia Byzantium 2D6
13 Nabateans Middle East 1D6
14 Abyssinians Egypt 1D6
15 Carthage Egypt 2D6
16 Carthage Spain 2D6
17 Carthage Spain 3D6 (Hannibal)
18 Religous Revolt Random 1D6
19 Slave Revolt Rome 1D6
20 Gladiator Rvlt Rome 2D6 (Spartacus)
If no legions remain in the province, the province is lost.
If Spain is lost, invaders instead march on Gaul.
If Gaul is lost, invaders instead march on North Italy.
If North Italy is lost, invaders instead march on Rome. (All roads lead to Rome)
If Egypt is lost, invaders instead march on the Middle East.
If the Middle East is lost, invaders instead march on Byzantium.
If Byzantium is lost, invaders instead march on Greece.
If Greece is lost, invaders instead march on the Baltics.
If the Baltics are lost, invaders instead march on North Italy.
FAME PHASE
Each player gains Fame points.
FAME ACHIEVEMENT
+3 Controlling Rome- You are Caesar
+1 Controlling any other Province- You are Governor
-1 Lose control of a Province- All legions killed by rebels or invaders
+1 You gained control of a lost or neutral Province this turn
At the end of the tenth turn, the player with the most accumulated Fame
points is the winner.
CARDS
The deck is known as the Republic Deck.
Before playing, the cards have to be made.
NUMBER OF CARDS IN DECK- CARD NAME - NOTES
10 - Treaty - Play in Diplomacy Phase. Place a control marker on an adjacent
barbarian nation. Discard marker to ignore the next invasion by that nation.
Costs 1 tribute to play.
7 - Spies - Use any time. Look at opponents hand or look at opponents bid.
If used to look at bid you may rewrite your bid and opponent may not.
3 - Assassination - Worth 4 tributes in Bid for Rome.
Write on bid that you are using it. Cannot be used by current Caesar.
4 - March on Rome - In Move Phase you may attack Rome with your Legions.
If you win the battle you become the new Caesar.
5 - Support of the Senate - Worth 3 tributes in Bid for Rome. Write on bid
that you are using it.
5 - Forced March - Worth 3 tributes in Bid for Initiative. Write on bid that
you are using it.
4 - Taxation - In tribute phase collect 2 extra tribute from every province
you control.
There is a 1 in 6 chance of a rebellion in each of your provinces.
6 - Provincial Politics - Play in Diplomacy phase. All players immediately bid
for control of target non-Rome province. Current governor gets +4 tributes to his bid.
5 - Bread & Circuses - Play in Tribute Phase. Current Caesar must pay 1D6
tributes to the treasury.
2 - Emperors Madness - Play in Diplomacy phase. Rome becomes neutral.
5 - Barbarian Allies - Gain 1D3 free Legions in one of your provinces in
Raise Legion Phase.
FALL OF ROME TIMELINE
Turn 5 Due to decreasing population, Legions cost 3 tributes to raise.
Turn 5-7 One extra Rebellion per turn
Turns 8-9 Two extra Rebellions per turn
Turn 10 Three extra Rebellions.
Turn 5-7 One extra Invasion per turn
Turns 8-9 Two extra Invasions per turn
Turn 10 Three extra Invasions.
LINKS
Link to Ancient Rome
Alecrespi An Italian Warpspawn fansite
