From: Jason Matthews
Subject: Re: Medieval period boardgames
From: Jason Matthews
Eric Writes: "Someone mentioned Ah's Britannia as a good entry-level multiplayer
game of the Early Medieval Period. Can you provide a more complete description
of play, particularly, are all sides equal during play or is it skewed like
Civilization?"
I'll be happy to oblige . . .
Britannia is a game for 3-5 players. The four player game seems to be the best
balanced (I think the designer admits as much in the notes). Each player represents
a number of races which established themselves on the British Isles. There are
roughly 20 races, and in the four player game, each player represents all the
races who's counters are the same color - i.e. the "green" player is the Welsh,
Danes, Caledonians etc.
At the start of every turn, you consult the "event chart" conviently printed on
either side of the map. The event chart indicates which new races appear this
turn (turns are ususally about 100 years long), which races have boats (meaning
they can attack along the coast), which races have raiders (Gain points for
attacking along the coast, and returning to sea), and which races count their
points for controlling land.
The control of land is the way people score most of their points in the game.
Not all land has an inherent value to all races. Every race has a point card
which indicates what property they score points for and when. People also get
points by killing Romans, destroying Roman forts, and raiding. There are also
a few other events which will gain you points (like being elected Breatwalda,
and or King in the later stages of the game).
In addition to scoring points, land is also important because it provides you
with new units. For multiple of 3 areas you control, your race receives a new
army. Fractions ae retained, so even a race controlling only 1 space will have
a chance to expand.
This expansion obviously leads to combat. Combat is resolved by a simple
system. When you move into a space containing a different race you engage in
combat. If you outnumber a unit 2 to 1, you may move any troops in excess of
2 to 1 the rest of their movement. There are four types of units: Standard Armies
(the vast majority - the kill and are eliminated on a D6 roll of 5/6); Roman
Armies (they kill on a 4-6 and are eliminated only on a 6); cavalry arimes which
behave in the same way as Roman armies; and Roman Forts which are placed whenever
the Romans conquer a space. They may not move, but otherwise behave as normal
armies. Normal armies move 2 spaces, Romans and cavalry move 3 spaces.
Perhaps the most interesting element of the game are the major invasion events.
These give a good feel for the "ebb and flow" of the influence of different
races in Britian. A major invasion gives a race two consequetive turns (i.e.
move/attack - move attack). Furthermore, these major invasions are often are
accompanied by an historical leader. Leaders give a movement, and combat
bonus - so in conjunction with a major invasion they are pretty powerfull.
I have played this game about a dozen times now, and I have seen all four
players win the game. Many of the games I have played have come down to a couple
of points. So in general, I think this one is pretty well balanced. If any
player has a disadvantage is would be purple. Purple controls the Romans who
go first, and start the game with a major invasion. The problem is, everybody
gets points for killing them, and because they seem to be doing so well at the
start - people tend to gang up on the Romans and screw them.
This may seem wise policy at the start of the game, but as the game progresses,
it becomes clear that the Romans are purple's big point-getters. If you screw
them early, they are probably out of the running unless some of their minor
races do unexpectedly well.
I hope this gives you a reasonable grasp of the game. I highly recommend it as
an intro to the hobby. I find it infinitely better than History of the World
with which it is commonly compared.
Jason
Matthews@siucvmb.siu.edu
From: Hannu Pajunen
Subject: Britannia (was: RE: Medieval period boardgames)
Jason Matthews wrote:
>I have played this game about a dozen times now, and I have seen all four playe
>rs win the game. Many of the games I have played have come down to a couple of
> points. So in general, I think this one is pretty well balanced. If anyb pla
>yer has a disadvantage is would be purple. Purple controls the Romans who go
>first, and start the game with a major invasion. The problem is, everybody get
>s points for killing them, and because they seem to be doing so well at the sta
>rt - people tend to gang up on the Romans and screw them.
Yes, but that doesn't put them into a disadvantage. Played "right" purple is a
favorite to win. It doesn't matter, if the others attack the Romans, since the
Romans are hard to beat in the first place. Almost all the Romans have to do is
to cover the important "limes" areas, so that the others can't take out the
fortresses, which yields to an enormous point gain. The Romans score OFTEN
over 50 points, which is much when a very tight point race gives each player
only about 100 points in total.
The other thing the Romans need to do, is to go north. If the Brigantes are
stupid enough to try to stop them, all the worst for the red player, who needs
badly the Brigante points in order to win. (The almighty Saxon point machine is
not enough).
Further, the Romans must *tell* the Welsh not to attack Roman forts. That's
right, tell them. If they don't comply, a few Romans will wipe most of the Welsh
areas clean. This will cost the purple player the game, but the green player
(Welsh) will not win either. And in the next game they have learned the lesson.
;-)
Britannia is a very delicate game. Everything affects everything. You can't
just go and stomp the seemingly worst opponent, because there will be another
nation, which will get by too easily, if you have punished THEIR enemy too
hard.
I've played about 70 games of Britannia. I still like it. If I were to get
shipwrecked on an island with three other people, I sure hope I have time to
rescue my copy of Britannia. :-)
Hannu
