\nInternational”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker,
\nthe former GI editor)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
Britannia<\/h1>\n
Graham Staplehurst<\/b> gives one man’s angle on a popular
\nhistorical game that is already regarded as a classic.<\/p>\n
![\"Britannia\"](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/GI_britannia1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four is the most suitable) designed
\nby Lewis Pulsipher. It is based on the known history of Britain between 45AD and 1085AD,
\nbut enables the players, together with a little help from the luck of the dice, to
\nrecreate that history in their own manner.<\/p>\n
Lew Pulsipher is well known for his scholarly devotion to history and, though an
\nAmerican, evidently knows a good deal more about the origin of the ‘English’ and
\nother people of Britain than most people who live here (like me!). However, I’ll
\nleave the purely historical aspect of Britannia for now and describe the game in a little
\nmore detail.<\/p>\n
The game consists of a board depicting the island of Britain (including the Hebrides
\nand Orkneys) divided into 37 areas and surrounded by six seas. Lurking off the board are
\nthe lands of Gaul, Scandinavia and Erin. Initially, the island is peaceful, with a
\nscattering of British Celtic tribes portrayed in confederations such as the Belgae, the
\nWelsh and the Brigantes. Suddenly, from Gaul, comes the fleet bearing four Roman legions
\nwith their auxiliaries on the command of Emperor Claudius. Fifteen units land on the
\nsouthern shores of Britain…<\/p>\n
The Destiny Of An Island<\/i><\/h3>\n
This is just the first of many invasions inflicted upon Britannia by successive
\nnations. Some are massive and sudden, like the Romans and Danes; some are slow and
\ninsidious like the Irish. All affect the game to a greater or lesser degree as existing
\ninhabitants attempt to stave off the invaders or channel their lust for territory in
\nanother direction. For this is a game of territory, and the trick of winning is holding
\njust enough to achieve your individual objectives. Stretch too far and you’re
\nvulnerable – pile your units up and watch them die from lack of supplies.<\/p>\n
Each player controls four nations, a nation being a more or less coherent group of
\npeople with a unified aim. The Belgae, for example (a quarter of the Blue faction),
\nrepresent the Celts of lowland England: the Trinovantes, Catuvellauni, Dobunni and Iceni
\namong others. The game notes delineate the aims of the nation in strict terms, awarding
\nvictory points for achieving different aims. The Belgae must hold areas after the fourth
\nturn to score points, and also get points for destroying either Roman armies as they
\nadvance north or Roman forts left behind. Meanwhile the Roman nation (the first of the
\nPurples, appropriately enough) gets points for invading all English, Welsh and southern
\nScottish areas and for holding on to its forts, so the Belgae do well to make it through
\nthe first turn in games I’ve played. Thus Blue is set against Purple and command of
\nterritory crucial, for no matter how many battles you win, if you haven’t held enough
\nareas, you won’t win the game.<\/p>\n
This aspect of the victory criteria is essential for balance and to ensure that
\nplayers must mix outright warfare with judicious diplomacy. The Brigantes, Welsh and
\nPicts can all choose to submit to the Romans rather than be wiped out, safe in the
\nknowledge that the collapse of Rome will call all the legions home after Turn Five,
\nleaving behind only the weakened civil population to defend against the waves of Germanic
\ninvaders.<\/p>\n
In addition to the simple equation of areas held = support and victory points, there
\nare two other basic rules. The first is that only one nation can occupy an area: if
\nanother enters they must fight until one withdraws or is eliminated – even if the units
\nbelong to different nations of the same player. The second is the way that combat is
\ndealt with. Each side rolls one die for each army present and kills an opposing army on a
\n5 or 6 – modified for terrain and special ‘enhanced’ armies such as cavalry and
\nRoman legions.<\/p>\n
Thus far the game is simple – so what makes it exciting? The re-creation of the
\nhistory of the land we live in is a lively subject and one which continues to enthral me
\nafter many games. It’s the eternal ‘What if?’ historians like to ask: what if
\nHarold was defeated at Stamford Bridge or won at Hastings? What if Arthur drove back the
\nSaxons for good? What if the Great Army of the Danes pressed its attacks on Wessex? All
\nthese points are elegantly handled in the game through three mechanics (none of which
\ndetract from its essential simplicity). There are the specially designed victory
\nobjectives mentioned earlier; there are leaders to gather great armies and enhance their
\nfighting power; and there are special rules for particular situations.<\/p>\n
The victory point objectives can be great motivators. Take the Welsh, for example.
\nThey score 8 points for holding all of Wales (and this includes Devon and Cornwall) in
\nTurn Seven; they can also score a massive 6 points for taking York at any point in the
\nnext two turns. Consequently, the Welsh always make a big effort to sack York and end up
\ndividing the Angles. But then what do they do with their army in York – send it home to
\ndefend against menacing Irish and Saxon armies, or maintain it as a field army to keep
\nthe nations in England from getting overly powerful? And how should the Angles plan – to
\ndefend York heavily and deny the Welsh the points, at the risk of losing perhaps 30%-40%
\nof their population, or concentrate elsewhere and let the Welsh take it easily?<\/p>\n
Leaders can be very useful. Allowing nations to stack up armies for invasions, giving
\n50% extra movement and adding one to the die roll in battle, they are scattered thinly
\nfor the most part and must be used carefully, particularly by smaller nations. King
\nArthur, for example, will lead the Romano-British against the Saxons, Angles and Jutes,
\ngaining points for every enemy killed. But if he leaves himself exposed and gets killed,
\nthe victor wins 3 points for themselves. At the end of the game, 5 points are at stake
\nbetween Harold, William and Harald Hardrada the Norwegian for being King of England.<\/p>\n
Finally there are the additional rules. These cover everything from raids, when armies
\ncan attack and then return safely from whence they came, to the election of Bretwalda or
\noverlord of England before the strong Kings arose. Trying to remember all the rules,
\ntogether with all your own victory point objectives, and your opponents’, and
\nthinking ahead to where the next invader is going to appear all make for a game where
\nyou’re never really sure what’s going to happen next.<\/p>\n
An Anvil Of Blood And Terror<\/i><\/h3>\n
So, now you have an idea of how the game is played, let us progress to your first
\ngame. How do you win? I hope that the general maxim given above will be a start, but
\nthere are four different factions in the game all requiring a slightly different
\napproach. Here are some hints which might just help you do a bit better.<\/p>\n
THE PURPLE FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Romans<\/li>\n
- Romano-British<\/li>\n
- Scots<\/li>\n
- Dubliners<\/li>\n
- Norwegians<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Romans have perhaps more decisions to make than any other nation in the game. They
\nget the most points-per-area for penetrating to the heart of Albion (that’s Scotland,
\nexcept the Scots haven’t got there yet) but this will generally mean they have to
\nby-pass Wales and it can also leave them with too few defences down south. Despite the
\nfact that Romans move further each turn than other armies, their mobility is not
\nunlimited and to get additional points when the legions withdraw the Roman player must
\nprotect southern England, Cheshire and York.<\/p>\n
If you plan on going north, you must reach York in the first turn while eliminating as
\nmany Belgae as possible. Try to take out the Brigantes in March and Cheshire as well, and
\ndefend the western flank against an early Welsh raid. Don’t despair if you lose two
\nor three armies early on through others’ lucky die rolls. An alternative strategy is
\nto go for Welsh submission, since getting all of Wales will net you 3 points anyway –
\nmore than risking going against the Highlands in Scotland. Welsh mountains are a good
\ndefensive base for the Romano-British to take over.<\/p>\n
If you go north, this should weaken the Picts and assist your Scots somewhat,
\nespecially if you can wear the Brigantes down to a token presence. It sometimes pays to
\nmake a deal with the Welsh regarding the latter. The Scots’ invasion with King Fergus
\nmust push the Picts back after their raiding. Skye is the hinge of Scotland since it
\nborders both western seas, but Dalriada remains the centre of the kingdom. If the Scots
\nlook doomed through ill luck, use them to try to eliminate the Brigantes completely.<\/p>\n
The second two Purple factions can also help each other. The Dubliners’ big
\nadvantage is moving after the Norsemen, so they stand every chance of getting both York
\nand Cumbria on their big invasion turn. It is often advantageous for both Scots and
\nDubliners to bide time at sea when small numbers of invaders are introduced, landing them
\nonly in the major invasion. Obviously, empty spaces are often worth taking to get a
\nfoothold and start to build population.<\/p>\n
After their invasion, the Dubliners should attack Angles and Danes in the area to
\nweaken the north for Harald’s forces, and aim to retreat into Lindsey and Pennines.
\nThey can emerge in the last turn to retake York and Cumbria while keeping out of
\nHarald’s way when he needs to score points. The Angles are a problem since they will
\ntry to eliminate or weaken Harald at any cost, in order to assist Duke William’s
\nchances of becoming King.<\/p>\n
The Norwegians should be able to score most of their initial invasion points with
\nDubliner help. Try to push well south on the first stage of the invasion so that Harald
\ncan retreat further north and stay out of others’ reach. His only real hope for King
\nis that Harold and William kill each other, but a small force in North Mercia sometimes
\nhas a chance of catching one or other off guard.<\/p>\n
Avoiding putting more than one man in areas the Dubliners want; there’s a good
\nchance he’ll be able to retreat out. However, the areas are worth holding to get
\nreinforcements. If you do plan to let the Dubliners take York, remember the
\nreinforcements can’t land south of it, so ensure your armies aren’t concentrated
\nin the north.<\/p>\n
THE BLUE FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Belgae<\/li>\n
- Picts<\/li>\n
- Angles<\/li>\n
- Normans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Blue faction is hard to play well, but don’t despair! It can win, and does so
\nmore often than you might imagine. It starts by watching the Belgae being annihilated by
\nmerciless waves of Roman invaders. All you can do is pray to roll some sixes and slow the
\nRomans down. Always retreat immediately you get the opportunity, preferably to hiland
\n(Downlands or Lindsey). Then attack any undefended fort or, failing that and if you are
\ncaught in open terrain, forts with single armies. Always attack the forts of greatest
\nworth to the Roman, even if this leaves you in a worse defensive position (as the Belgae,
\nyou couldn’t have a worse defensive position). Just go for kill points.<\/p>\n
The Picts however should do everything possible to survive as widely spread as
\npossible. Don’t retreat from Dunedin until you have to and build in the north, ready
\nto squeeze the Caledonians before they start to double up their armies in areas.
\nDon’t hold back against the Caledonians if you can put three or preferably four onto
\none. Turns Four and Five are especially useful and you can often eliminate the
\nCaledonians by sending in every single piece to raid and leaving just one behind. The
\nPicts and Angles can often help each other across Dunedin\/Lothian\/Strathclyde. If the
\nPicts do get control of the islands, remember to garrison them later against the
\nNorsemen. Do remember, it’s better to stay alive and make a deal with the Brigantes
\nor Scots than to be reduced down to a miserable couple of units; and also ensure you get
\nthe most points in the last turn.<\/p>\n
The Angles have a hard time. Lacking a leader with which to invade, their only
\nadvantage is moving last, and even this means they tend to have their breeding cut down
\nby others, especially Saxons. However, it is still possible to score lots of points and
\nsurvive, despite being assailed by Romano-British, Welsh, Saxons, Irish, Danes, Dubliners
\nand Norwegians. Try to hold the balance of power in England and deprive the Saxons of
\nBretwalda and Kingship as often as possible. Strike at weak Saxon points to deprive him
\nof victory points as well, for example Essex in Turn Seven. Take any hiland areas as soon
\nas you get the chance and don’t risk big attacks except perhaps to take out Arthur
\nwith an army or two -that’s four or five points’ worth.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Angles have a good points-per-area score late in the game, so they are
\nworth preserving rather than throwing away. They can also help Duke William (the
\ntraitors!).<\/p>\n
The Normans get the chance to move and act last of all in the game. Be prepared to
\nface Saxons, Danes, perhaps even some Welsh or Irish in the west, all intent on murder.
\nIt is absolutely essential to get maximum points from the first invasion turn and to
\nprotect William, for reinforcements will be worthless without him alive. The best points
\ncome from an east-side attack but except in very unusual circumstances you should always
\nendeavour to kill Harold as soon as you land. Don’t bother to spread out after Turn
\n15; stay compact and harder to attack. Encourage everyone else to harry the Norwegians!
\nMix your cavalry and ordinary armies to give the latter best protection and leave William
\nbehind at least one rank of defenders.<\/p>\n
THE RED FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Brigantes<\/li>\n
- Irish<\/li>\n
- Saxons<\/li>\n
- Norsemen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Red faction is big, bad and thoroughly mean. At least, that’s my unbiased
\nopinion. To be honest, any of the factions can be played as ‘spoilers’ to some
\nextent; it’s just that often the Red faction seem to be better at it than others.<\/p>\n
As enduring as the Picts (with luck) are the Brigantes. By the time the Roman reaches
\nthe Brigantes’ real heartland of Galloway and Strathclyde, he should be struggling a
\nbit, and the Red player should certainly encourage the Roman to go for the big points in
\nDunedin, Alban and Dalriada.<\/p>\n
If necessary, submit to the Romans. Fighting it out is usually not worth it: although
\nyou gain perhaps 6 points for luckily killing a couple of armies, it would be much better
\nto preserve your integrity and pick up more points later on. Try to submit with maximum
\npopulation (6 armies in three areas) and remember that you move after the Roman so when
\nhe counts Limes on Turn Five, you can try to vacate point-scoring areas. With five or six
\narmies, you should be able to hold the heartland and progress from there, especially with
\nthe early leaders. Do any deal to stay alive and help the Saxons and Norsemen later:
\nSaxons by voting for them in Bretwalda elections; Norsemen by clearing Cumbria.<\/p>\n
The Irish have a hard time of it. As suggested for the Scots and Dubliners, don’t
\nalways land armies the turn they arrive at sea. Wait until you have a couple to be more
\nuse, unless you want to risk the odd Roman fort in Avalon or Hwicce, for example, or
\noccupy an empty area. With a few armies on the board and the Welsh busy elsewhere, a
\nuseful attack is one focusing on Devon then Cornwall. Although harder to penetrate, they
\nalso offer better long-term security and will be hard for the Welsh to retake. Even
\nbetter, it could well distract the Welsh from attacking Norsemen or Saxons elsewhere, and
\nstrengthen your faction as a whole. An alternative Irish kingdom to aim for stretches
\nfrom Cumbria to Gwynedd; again this is quite hard for the Welsh to attack, however it is
\nmore vulnerable to later attacks from Danes and Dubliners.<\/p>\n
The Saxons are quite simply the biggest nation (potentially) on the board. Only the
\nDanes with 18 armies approach the Saxon total of 20, and the Danes are unlikely to grow
\nlike the Saxons do. The initial Saxon advantage is the early invasion against a
\nrelatively empty southern England, with Hengist as leader. This should enable you, with
\nluck, to score a good few points killing Romano-British as well as wiping out the Jutes
\n(this is highly recommended). Then spread out and maintain a few two-army stacks in the
\nmidlands, gradually swelling in size -you should quickly get two, then three builds a
\nturn – and taking out Angles in the Midlands and East Anglia, pushing back stray Welsh
\nand even making room for the odd Irishman if it scores more points. Use boats to catch
\nthe Angles off guard. If Hengist is unopposed in landing, an early foray to secure Devon
\nis also useful, but follow up in Cornwall sooner rather than later. With Irish and
\nBrigante help, the Red faction should make the Saxons Bretwalda and King more often than
\nnot. Once you gain momentum, you will roll on until the Danes strike. The answer is to
\nsecure your back (the West) so that you can fall back in good order and keep punching
\nback in any weak spot. Tell the Danes if they weaken you too much, it’ll be a
\nwalkover for William later. Do deals on non-aggression to get Bretwalda votes. Most of
\nall, bulk up your front line to make it sufficiently unattractive to attackers, even if
\nyou don’t want to attack anywhere yourself.<\/p>\n
At the end of the game comes the hardest part – defending against Duke William and
\nHarald. With any luck, the Angles and Danes should be Harald’s main opponents and may
\nwell prevent him from reaching Harold. Keep Harold as well defended as possible, such as
\nwith the maximum four armies in hiland, and scatter troops around to give you the best
\nchance of survival and a retributive strike against the Norman invaders.<\/p>\n
The Norsemen present a task of flowing where it is easiest. The initial strike must be
\nagainst Hebrides and Orkneys and holding them in Turn 13 for the best points opportunity.
\nIf you can end up with the ideal of two or three armies in Hebrides after Turn 12, these
\ncan join with the fresh invaders next turn to go for Skye and a solid base for reaching
\nall of Britain’s west coast; otherwise get points in Cumbria and annoy the Welsh or
\nDubliners, whoever looks the stronger. Don’t be too worried about getting every last
\nhalf point for visiting – the Norse are one example of where the armies are best used
\npreventing others from reaching juicy objectives, such as the Picts on the last turn with
\ntheir three 3-point areas.<\/p>\n
THE BLACK FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Welsh<\/li>\n
- Caledonians<\/li>\n
- Jutes<\/li>\n
- Danes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At first glimpse, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d been dealt a dud hand.
\nThe Caledonians can only get six armies on the board and stand fair to be wiped out by
\nPicts and Norsemen, but this seems an easy life compared with the Jutes’ five armies
\nand not even hilands to defend them.<\/p>\n
The Caledonians have little to do except sit there and try to resist the inevitable.
\nJust try to exist; honey the Pict with kind words and hope you get a build soon. As for
\nthe Jutes, their best chance for points lie in destroying Roman forts and stealing Kent
\non Turn Four. If Kent is defended by a Roman army and fort, go for any open Roman fort
\nyou can reach and raid it, then try for another on Turn Five with all units. If possible,
\ndelay landing the final Jute until after Hengist’s invasion; that way you might just
\nget Kent or somewhere adjacent on Turn Seven. Remember, if you land in a coastal space
\nyou can probably reach Kent by boats later, so stay out of the way of the Saxons.<\/p>\n
The Welsh are more complicated and offer a good possibility for long term strategy. As
\nwith the Brigantes, submission to the Romans is, in the final analysis, better than being
\nsmashed to (practically) nothing. Don’t let that stop you taking any chance to raid
\nCheshire, York or Essex, should the chance arise: by building your first armies in Powys
\nand Clwyd this is often easy to accomplish. When the Romans withdraw, Romano-British
\nforays may leave areas to York open. Seize these early (especially Pennines) to make it
\neasier to get your 6 points in Turn Eight or Nine.<\/p>\n
Your main opponents are the Red faction, so ruthlessly quash any Irish settlers and
\ntake the opportunity to nibble at the Saxon kingdom and slow its expansion. Devon and
\nGwent are worth defending. In the mid game, occupying one or two English areas can make
\nall the difference in Bretwalda elections. However, the main concentration must be on
\nmaintaining the integrity of Welsh territory and reaping maximum victory points every
\nthree turns.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Danes also call for careful consideration. In the initial raid, look for
\nopen areas you won’t have to fight over and be careful to preserve maximum numbers of
\nunits for the Turn 12 invasion. Raid Angles or Saxons depending on who holds the stronger
\nhand and then follow this up with a good invasion (at least 16 points worth). Try to end
\nthe invasion concentrated either north or south of York – if north, aim to eliminate the
\nAngles entirely – so that you can hold a sensible kingdom.<\/p>\n
Use the Welsh to soften opponents and take the odd area so the Danes get a chance to
\nbe King, but don’t let them get in the way of scoring points during the invasion.
\nLater hang on as well as possible and press the advantage wherever you can. You should
\nmake deals with the Saxons and Angles if necessary at the end of the game in order to
\nstand off the Normans and Norwegians wherever possible.<\/p>\n
Step Back Into Those Dark Ages<\/i><\/h3>\n
One of the attractions of Britannia is that it does not exactly simulate the history
\nof Britain. After all, this would be very tedious and unrewarding, and we would all know
\nwho was going to win. (Actually, portraying history with the game is impossible in places
\n– for example, Harold cannot defeat Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge (in York) and then
\nreach William in Sussex next turn.) However, the game must of necessity simplify things
\nsomewhat and leave out some rather interesting bits of British history.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, the only units in the game are armies, and only armies are deemed
\nto control areas. There are no civil populations to hold an area peaceably (although a
\nleader can control an area on his own) and thus every part of the realm must be
\ngarrisoned – and this is not an accurate reflection of the settlement of Britain other
\nthan in Roman and late Saxon times. Additionally, it means that the Normans, with their
\nrelatively small band of men, cannot win control of the land by placing a few men in
\ncommand over a subject population.<\/p>\n
Additionally, a dimension of historical realism is lost by the amalgamation of many
\npeoples into different nations. The many tribes constituting the Belgae, for example,
\nwere belligerent towards each other – often more than the Romans, and some actively
\nsubmitted to the Romans (whom they knew from Julius Caesar’s invasion and withdrawal
\nninety years earlier) and attacked their ‘fellows’. The Welsh were related Celtic
\ntribes: Ordovices, Silures and Deceangli for example, who were led by the fleeing Belgae
\nleader and hero Caractacus (or Caradoc) in defiance of the Romans.<\/p>\n
Throughout the rest of history, nations were split by internal strife on a regular
\nbasis as successions were disputed and lesser nobles tried to seize power. There were
\nalso rebellions by peoples who had been subjugated and effectively ‘wiped out’
\nbut who nevertheless regained a national identity and rose up. The first example of this
\nwas Boudicca and the Iceni who had been semi-Romanised; they took up arms when greedy
\nadministrators raped their lands and daughters and drove a path of destruction to
\nColchester, St Albans and beyond before being utterly defeated by Suetonius.<\/p>\n
There are a few historical inaccuracies which are easy to correct. Two of these
\nconcern the provision of boats – a very useful commodity in the game. I would certainly
\nallow the Saxons boats under Alfred, who was the constructor of the first English navy
\n(one might even think about rules for naval combat).<\/p>\n
I would also give boats to the Norwegians in Turn 16, enabling them to land forces
\nfurther south than York. Turn 16 could be further enlivened by the addition of a Danish
\nleader King Swein (also with boats and a few boatloads of troops) who raided the east
\ncoast of Britain and, assisted by Hereward the Wake, laid up in the Wash during 1070-1. I
\nam also tempted to add other leaders, such as Caractacus, Boudicca, Hereward, other Welsh
\nand Scottish princes down to Macbeth and so on, but this side of the game is more
\ndangerous to tamper with, as one might upset the game’s innate balance.<\/p>\n
There are some nations I feel have been treated a little harshly – the Jutes for
\ninstance, unable ever to score any points except for areas in the south-east of England
\nwhen, given the opportunity, they might have settled in any convenient spot and survived
\nwith a greater cultural identity. I believe there is also room for more rules covering
\nsubmission, a Scottish King and so on.<\/p>\n
The Wider World<\/i><\/h3>\n
Britannia is a good game, destined to become a popular favourite with boardgamers and
\nwargamers alike. However, as a games designer, I’m not content to let it stop there,
\nand neither are other busy inventors I know.<\/p>\n
Already existing as a prototype are Britannia variants covering the whole of Europe,
\nfrom Persia to Britain (a six player, 36-faction game taking about 12 hours to play) and
\nalso a Middle-earth variant of my own design. This latter has some 20 factions and a
\nrather longer time span than Britannia – it starts with the war of the Elves and Sauron
\nin the Second Age and ends with the War of the Ring over 5000 years later!<\/p>\n
In addition I have devised some alternative historical scenarios to add to the
\noriginal game. These start with the Huns under Attila reversing their defeat by the
\nFranks at Chalons and sending a raid against England. The Huns are followed by a possible
\nresurgence in Roman fortunes, then later by Arabs spurred on by victories in France and
\nMagyars raiding beyond their battles in the Low Countries. Finally there are ex-Danish
\nVikings who can choose either to settle in France and become the Normans, or land early
\nin England – but this will indubitably let in the Franks, now French, under Philip
\nI…<\/p>\n
I also have plans for introducing some fantasy elements to the game, with Merlin,
\ngiants, dragons, faeries, goblins and all the other traditions rife across so many parts
\nof the country that to leave them out would do serious injustice to the tale of Britain
\nthat Britannia tries to tell. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy playing Britannia,
\none of the best new games for a long time. There are thrills enough in just getting to
\ngrips with a game where hidden danger or success can be revealed with every new turn,
\nevery surprise move, and every roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
A Final Note<\/i><\/h3>\n
The first edition rules published by Gibsons were atrocious. Most of the ambiguities
\nwere cleared up in the second edition, though there are still some anomalies.<\/p>\n
A copy of the second edition rules can be obtained by sending an SAE to Gibsons.
\nAvalon Hill, who licensed the game from Gibsons for the American market, corrected all
\nthe errors in their set of rules.<\/p>\n
If you’re using the second edition rules you may find some eventualities which are
\nnot covered, or which seem confusing. As with any game, these are not difficult to come
\nto agreement over after careful assessment of all applicable rules. There are some
\nsuggestions in this article which may seem contrary to the rules, and the latter should
\nbe always be taken as relevant to your games, until or unless you agree otherwise.
\nUnfortunately, the author cannot let well alone and will always tamper with things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally published in “Games International”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker, the former GI editor) Britannia Graham Staplehurst gives one man’s angle on a popular historical game that is already regarded as a classic. Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four … Britannia<\/span> weiterlesen
The Romans have perhaps more decisions to make than any other nation in the game. They
\nget the most points-per-area for penetrating to the heart of Albion (that’s Scotland,
\nexcept the Scots haven’t got there yet) but this will generally mean they have to
\nby-pass Wales and it can also leave them with too few defences down south. Despite the
\nfact that Romans move further each turn than other armies, their mobility is not
\nunlimited and to get additional points when the legions withdraw the Roman player must
\nprotect southern England, Cheshire and York.<\/p>\n
If you plan on going north, you must reach York in the first turn while eliminating as
\nmany Belgae as possible. Try to take out the Brigantes in March and Cheshire as well, and
\ndefend the western flank against an early Welsh raid. Don’t despair if you lose two
\nor three armies early on through others’ lucky die rolls. An alternative strategy is
\nto go for Welsh submission, since getting all of Wales will net you 3 points anyway –
\nmore than risking going against the Highlands in Scotland. Welsh mountains are a good
\ndefensive base for the Romano-British to take over.<\/p>\n
If you go north, this should weaken the Picts and assist your Scots somewhat,
\nespecially if you can wear the Brigantes down to a token presence. It sometimes pays to
\nmake a deal with the Welsh regarding the latter. The Scots’ invasion with King Fergus
\nmust push the Picts back after their raiding. Skye is the hinge of Scotland since it
\nborders both western seas, but Dalriada remains the centre of the kingdom. If the Scots
\nlook doomed through ill luck, use them to try to eliminate the Brigantes completely.<\/p>\n
The second two Purple factions can also help each other. The Dubliners’ big
\nadvantage is moving after the Norsemen, so they stand every chance of getting both York
\nand Cumbria on their big invasion turn. It is often advantageous for both Scots and
\nDubliners to bide time at sea when small numbers of invaders are introduced, landing them
\nonly in the major invasion. Obviously, empty spaces are often worth taking to get a
\nfoothold and start to build population.<\/p>\n
After their invasion, the Dubliners should attack Angles and Danes in the area to
\nweaken the north for Harald’s forces, and aim to retreat into Lindsey and Pennines.
\nThey can emerge in the last turn to retake York and Cumbria while keeping out of
\nHarald’s way when he needs to score points. The Angles are a problem since they will
\ntry to eliminate or weaken Harald at any cost, in order to assist Duke William’s
\nchances of becoming King.<\/p>\n
The Norwegians should be able to score most of their initial invasion points with
\nDubliner help. Try to push well south on the first stage of the invasion so that Harald
\ncan retreat further north and stay out of others’ reach. His only real hope for King
\nis that Harold and William kill each other, but a small force in North Mercia sometimes
\nhas a chance of catching one or other off guard.<\/p>\n
Avoiding putting more than one man in areas the Dubliners want; there’s a good
\nchance he’ll be able to retreat out. However, the areas are worth holding to get
\nreinforcements. If you do plan to let the Dubliners take York, remember the
\nreinforcements can’t land south of it, so ensure your armies aren’t concentrated
\nin the north.<\/p>\n
THE BLUE FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Belgae<\/li>\n
- Picts<\/li>\n
- Angles<\/li>\n
- Normans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Blue faction is hard to play well, but don’t despair! It can win, and does so
\nmore often than you might imagine. It starts by watching the Belgae being annihilated by
\nmerciless waves of Roman invaders. All you can do is pray to roll some sixes and slow the
\nRomans down. Always retreat immediately you get the opportunity, preferably to hiland
\n(Downlands or Lindsey). Then attack any undefended fort or, failing that and if you are
\ncaught in open terrain, forts with single armies. Always attack the forts of greatest
\nworth to the Roman, even if this leaves you in a worse defensive position (as the Belgae,
\nyou couldn’t have a worse defensive position). Just go for kill points.<\/p>\n
The Picts however should do everything possible to survive as widely spread as
\npossible. Don’t retreat from Dunedin until you have to and build in the north, ready
\nto squeeze the Caledonians before they start to double up their armies in areas.
\nDon’t hold back against the Caledonians if you can put three or preferably four onto
\none. Turns Four and Five are especially useful and you can often eliminate the
\nCaledonians by sending in every single piece to raid and leaving just one behind. The
\nPicts and Angles can often help each other across Dunedin\/Lothian\/Strathclyde. If the
\nPicts do get control of the islands, remember to garrison them later against the
\nNorsemen. Do remember, it’s better to stay alive and make a deal with the Brigantes
\nor Scots than to be reduced down to a miserable couple of units; and also ensure you get
\nthe most points in the last turn.<\/p>\n
The Angles have a hard time. Lacking a leader with which to invade, their only
\nadvantage is moving last, and even this means they tend to have their breeding cut down
\nby others, especially Saxons. However, it is still possible to score lots of points and
\nsurvive, despite being assailed by Romano-British, Welsh, Saxons, Irish, Danes, Dubliners
\nand Norwegians. Try to hold the balance of power in England and deprive the Saxons of
\nBretwalda and Kingship as often as possible. Strike at weak Saxon points to deprive him
\nof victory points as well, for example Essex in Turn Seven. Take any hiland areas as soon
\nas you get the chance and don’t risk big attacks except perhaps to take out Arthur
\nwith an army or two -that’s four or five points’ worth.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Angles have a good points-per-area score late in the game, so they are
\nworth preserving rather than throwing away. They can also help Duke William (the
\ntraitors!).<\/p>\n
The Normans get the chance to move and act last of all in the game. Be prepared to
\nface Saxons, Danes, perhaps even some Welsh or Irish in the west, all intent on murder.
\nIt is absolutely essential to get maximum points from the first invasion turn and to
\nprotect William, for reinforcements will be worthless without him alive. The best points
\ncome from an east-side attack but except in very unusual circumstances you should always
\nendeavour to kill Harold as soon as you land. Don’t bother to spread out after Turn
\n15; stay compact and harder to attack. Encourage everyone else to harry the Norwegians!
\nMix your cavalry and ordinary armies to give the latter best protection and leave William
\nbehind at least one rank of defenders.<\/p>\n
THE RED FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Brigantes<\/li>\n
- Irish<\/li>\n
- Saxons<\/li>\n
- Norsemen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Red faction is big, bad and thoroughly mean. At least, that’s my unbiased
\nopinion. To be honest, any of the factions can be played as ‘spoilers’ to some
\nextent; it’s just that often the Red faction seem to be better at it than others.<\/p>\n
As enduring as the Picts (with luck) are the Brigantes. By the time the Roman reaches
\nthe Brigantes’ real heartland of Galloway and Strathclyde, he should be struggling a
\nbit, and the Red player should certainly encourage the Roman to go for the big points in
\nDunedin, Alban and Dalriada.<\/p>\n
If necessary, submit to the Romans. Fighting it out is usually not worth it: although
\nyou gain perhaps 6 points for luckily killing a couple of armies, it would be much better
\nto preserve your integrity and pick up more points later on. Try to submit with maximum
\npopulation (6 armies in three areas) and remember that you move after the Roman so when
\nhe counts Limes on Turn Five, you can try to vacate point-scoring areas. With five or six
\narmies, you should be able to hold the heartland and progress from there, especially with
\nthe early leaders. Do any deal to stay alive and help the Saxons and Norsemen later:
\nSaxons by voting for them in Bretwalda elections; Norsemen by clearing Cumbria.<\/p>\n
The Irish have a hard time of it. As suggested for the Scots and Dubliners, don’t
\nalways land armies the turn they arrive at sea. Wait until you have a couple to be more
\nuse, unless you want to risk the odd Roman fort in Avalon or Hwicce, for example, or
\noccupy an empty area. With a few armies on the board and the Welsh busy elsewhere, a
\nuseful attack is one focusing on Devon then Cornwall. Although harder to penetrate, they
\nalso offer better long-term security and will be hard for the Welsh to retake. Even
\nbetter, it could well distract the Welsh from attacking Norsemen or Saxons elsewhere, and
\nstrengthen your faction as a whole. An alternative Irish kingdom to aim for stretches
\nfrom Cumbria to Gwynedd; again this is quite hard for the Welsh to attack, however it is
\nmore vulnerable to later attacks from Danes and Dubliners.<\/p>\n
The Saxons are quite simply the biggest nation (potentially) on the board. Only the
\nDanes with 18 armies approach the Saxon total of 20, and the Danes are unlikely to grow
\nlike the Saxons do. The initial Saxon advantage is the early invasion against a
\nrelatively empty southern England, with Hengist as leader. This should enable you, with
\nluck, to score a good few points killing Romano-British as well as wiping out the Jutes
\n(this is highly recommended). Then spread out and maintain a few two-army stacks in the
\nmidlands, gradually swelling in size -you should quickly get two, then three builds a
\nturn – and taking out Angles in the Midlands and East Anglia, pushing back stray Welsh
\nand even making room for the odd Irishman if it scores more points. Use boats to catch
\nthe Angles off guard. If Hengist is unopposed in landing, an early foray to secure Devon
\nis also useful, but follow up in Cornwall sooner rather than later. With Irish and
\nBrigante help, the Red faction should make the Saxons Bretwalda and King more often than
\nnot. Once you gain momentum, you will roll on until the Danes strike. The answer is to
\nsecure your back (the West) so that you can fall back in good order and keep punching
\nback in any weak spot. Tell the Danes if they weaken you too much, it’ll be a
\nwalkover for William later. Do deals on non-aggression to get Bretwalda votes. Most of
\nall, bulk up your front line to make it sufficiently unattractive to attackers, even if
\nyou don’t want to attack anywhere yourself.<\/p>\n
At the end of the game comes the hardest part – defending against Duke William and
\nHarald. With any luck, the Angles and Danes should be Harald’s main opponents and may
\nwell prevent him from reaching Harold. Keep Harold as well defended as possible, such as
\nwith the maximum four armies in hiland, and scatter troops around to give you the best
\nchance of survival and a retributive strike against the Norman invaders.<\/p>\n
The Norsemen present a task of flowing where it is easiest. The initial strike must be
\nagainst Hebrides and Orkneys and holding them in Turn 13 for the best points opportunity.
\nIf you can end up with the ideal of two or three armies in Hebrides after Turn 12, these
\ncan join with the fresh invaders next turn to go for Skye and a solid base for reaching
\nall of Britain’s west coast; otherwise get points in Cumbria and annoy the Welsh or
\nDubliners, whoever looks the stronger. Don’t be too worried about getting every last
\nhalf point for visiting – the Norse are one example of where the armies are best used
\npreventing others from reaching juicy objectives, such as the Picts on the last turn with
\ntheir three 3-point areas.<\/p>\n
THE BLACK FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Welsh<\/li>\n
- Caledonians<\/li>\n
- Jutes<\/li>\n
- Danes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At first glimpse, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d been dealt a dud hand.
\nThe Caledonians can only get six armies on the board and stand fair to be wiped out by
\nPicts and Norsemen, but this seems an easy life compared with the Jutes’ five armies
\nand not even hilands to defend them.<\/p>\n
The Caledonians have little to do except sit there and try to resist the inevitable.
\nJust try to exist; honey the Pict with kind words and hope you get a build soon. As for
\nthe Jutes, their best chance for points lie in destroying Roman forts and stealing Kent
\non Turn Four. If Kent is defended by a Roman army and fort, go for any open Roman fort
\nyou can reach and raid it, then try for another on Turn Five with all units. If possible,
\ndelay landing the final Jute until after Hengist’s invasion; that way you might just
\nget Kent or somewhere adjacent on Turn Seven. Remember, if you land in a coastal space
\nyou can probably reach Kent by boats later, so stay out of the way of the Saxons.<\/p>\n
The Welsh are more complicated and offer a good possibility for long term strategy. As
\nwith the Brigantes, submission to the Romans is, in the final analysis, better than being
\nsmashed to (practically) nothing. Don’t let that stop you taking any chance to raid
\nCheshire, York or Essex, should the chance arise: by building your first armies in Powys
\nand Clwyd this is often easy to accomplish. When the Romans withdraw, Romano-British
\nforays may leave areas to York open. Seize these early (especially Pennines) to make it
\neasier to get your 6 points in Turn Eight or Nine.<\/p>\n
Your main opponents are the Red faction, so ruthlessly quash any Irish settlers and
\ntake the opportunity to nibble at the Saxon kingdom and slow its expansion. Devon and
\nGwent are worth defending. In the mid game, occupying one or two English areas can make
\nall the difference in Bretwalda elections. However, the main concentration must be on
\nmaintaining the integrity of Welsh territory and reaping maximum victory points every
\nthree turns.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Danes also call for careful consideration. In the initial raid, look for
\nopen areas you won’t have to fight over and be careful to preserve maximum numbers of
\nunits for the Turn 12 invasion. Raid Angles or Saxons depending on who holds the stronger
\nhand and then follow this up with a good invasion (at least 16 points worth). Try to end
\nthe invasion concentrated either north or south of York – if north, aim to eliminate the
\nAngles entirely – so that you can hold a sensible kingdom.<\/p>\n
Use the Welsh to soften opponents and take the odd area so the Danes get a chance to
\nbe King, but don’t let them get in the way of scoring points during the invasion.
\nLater hang on as well as possible and press the advantage wherever you can. You should
\nmake deals with the Saxons and Angles if necessary at the end of the game in order to
\nstand off the Normans and Norwegians wherever possible.<\/p>\n
Step Back Into Those Dark Ages<\/i><\/h3>\n
One of the attractions of Britannia is that it does not exactly simulate the history
\nof Britain. After all, this would be very tedious and unrewarding, and we would all know
\nwho was going to win. (Actually, portraying history with the game is impossible in places
\n– for example, Harold cannot defeat Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge (in York) and then
\nreach William in Sussex next turn.) However, the game must of necessity simplify things
\nsomewhat and leave out some rather interesting bits of British history.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, the only units in the game are armies, and only armies are deemed
\nto control areas. There are no civil populations to hold an area peaceably (although a
\nleader can control an area on his own) and thus every part of the realm must be
\ngarrisoned – and this is not an accurate reflection of the settlement of Britain other
\nthan in Roman and late Saxon times. Additionally, it means that the Normans, with their
\nrelatively small band of men, cannot win control of the land by placing a few men in
\ncommand over a subject population.<\/p>\n
Additionally, a dimension of historical realism is lost by the amalgamation of many
\npeoples into different nations. The many tribes constituting the Belgae, for example,
\nwere belligerent towards each other – often more than the Romans, and some actively
\nsubmitted to the Romans (whom they knew from Julius Caesar’s invasion and withdrawal
\nninety years earlier) and attacked their ‘fellows’. The Welsh were related Celtic
\ntribes: Ordovices, Silures and Deceangli for example, who were led by the fleeing Belgae
\nleader and hero Caractacus (or Caradoc) in defiance of the Romans.<\/p>\n
Throughout the rest of history, nations were split by internal strife on a regular
\nbasis as successions were disputed and lesser nobles tried to seize power. There were
\nalso rebellions by peoples who had been subjugated and effectively ‘wiped out’
\nbut who nevertheless regained a national identity and rose up. The first example of this
\nwas Boudicca and the Iceni who had been semi-Romanised; they took up arms when greedy
\nadministrators raped their lands and daughters and drove a path of destruction to
\nColchester, St Albans and beyond before being utterly defeated by Suetonius.<\/p>\n
There are a few historical inaccuracies which are easy to correct. Two of these
\nconcern the provision of boats – a very useful commodity in the game. I would certainly
\nallow the Saxons boats under Alfred, who was the constructor of the first English navy
\n(one might even think about rules for naval combat).<\/p>\n
I would also give boats to the Norwegians in Turn 16, enabling them to land forces
\nfurther south than York. Turn 16 could be further enlivened by the addition of a Danish
\nleader King Swein (also with boats and a few boatloads of troops) who raided the east
\ncoast of Britain and, assisted by Hereward the Wake, laid up in the Wash during 1070-1. I
\nam also tempted to add other leaders, such as Caractacus, Boudicca, Hereward, other Welsh
\nand Scottish princes down to Macbeth and so on, but this side of the game is more
\ndangerous to tamper with, as one might upset the game’s innate balance.<\/p>\n
There are some nations I feel have been treated a little harshly – the Jutes for
\ninstance, unable ever to score any points except for areas in the south-east of England
\nwhen, given the opportunity, they might have settled in any convenient spot and survived
\nwith a greater cultural identity. I believe there is also room for more rules covering
\nsubmission, a Scottish King and so on.<\/p>\n
The Wider World<\/i><\/h3>\n
Britannia is a good game, destined to become a popular favourite with boardgamers and
\nwargamers alike. However, as a games designer, I’m not content to let it stop there,
\nand neither are other busy inventors I know.<\/p>\n
Already existing as a prototype are Britannia variants covering the whole of Europe,
\nfrom Persia to Britain (a six player, 36-faction game taking about 12 hours to play) and
\nalso a Middle-earth variant of my own design. This latter has some 20 factions and a
\nrather longer time span than Britannia – it starts with the war of the Elves and Sauron
\nin the Second Age and ends with the War of the Ring over 5000 years later!<\/p>\n
In addition I have devised some alternative historical scenarios to add to the
\noriginal game. These start with the Huns under Attila reversing their defeat by the
\nFranks at Chalons and sending a raid against England. The Huns are followed by a possible
\nresurgence in Roman fortunes, then later by Arabs spurred on by victories in France and
\nMagyars raiding beyond their battles in the Low Countries. Finally there are ex-Danish
\nVikings who can choose either to settle in France and become the Normans, or land early
\nin England – but this will indubitably let in the Franks, now French, under Philip
\nI…<\/p>\n
I also have plans for introducing some fantasy elements to the game, with Merlin,
\ngiants, dragons, faeries, goblins and all the other traditions rife across so many parts
\nof the country that to leave them out would do serious injustice to the tale of Britain
\nthat Britannia tries to tell. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy playing Britannia,
\none of the best new games for a long time. There are thrills enough in just getting to
\ngrips with a game where hidden danger or success can be revealed with every new turn,
\nevery surprise move, and every roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
A Final Note<\/i><\/h3>\n
The first edition rules published by Gibsons were atrocious. Most of the ambiguities
\nwere cleared up in the second edition, though there are still some anomalies.<\/p>\n
A copy of the second edition rules can be obtained by sending an SAE to Gibsons.
\nAvalon Hill, who licensed the game from Gibsons for the American market, corrected all
\nthe errors in their set of rules.<\/p>\n
If you’re using the second edition rules you may find some eventualities which are
\nnot covered, or which seem confusing. As with any game, these are not difficult to come
\nto agreement over after careful assessment of all applicable rules. There are some
\nsuggestions in this article which may seem contrary to the rules, and the latter should
\nbe always be taken as relevant to your games, until or unless you agree otherwise.
\nUnfortunately, the author cannot let well alone and will always tamper with things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally published in “Games International”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker, the former GI editor) Britannia Graham Staplehurst gives one man’s angle on a popular historical game that is already regarded as a classic. Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four … Britannia<\/span> weiterlesen
The Blue faction is hard to play well, but don’t despair! It can win, and does so
\nmore often than you might imagine. It starts by watching the Belgae being annihilated by
\nmerciless waves of Roman invaders. All you can do is pray to roll some sixes and slow the
\nRomans down. Always retreat immediately you get the opportunity, preferably to hiland
\n(Downlands or Lindsey). Then attack any undefended fort or, failing that and if you are
\ncaught in open terrain, forts with single armies. Always attack the forts of greatest
\nworth to the Roman, even if this leaves you in a worse defensive position (as the Belgae,
\nyou couldn’t have a worse defensive position). Just go for kill points.<\/p>\n
The Picts however should do everything possible to survive as widely spread as
\npossible. Don’t retreat from Dunedin until you have to and build in the north, ready
\nto squeeze the Caledonians before they start to double up their armies in areas.
\nDon’t hold back against the Caledonians if you can put three or preferably four onto
\none. Turns Four and Five are especially useful and you can often eliminate the
\nCaledonians by sending in every single piece to raid and leaving just one behind. The
\nPicts and Angles can often help each other across Dunedin\/Lothian\/Strathclyde. If the
\nPicts do get control of the islands, remember to garrison them later against the
\nNorsemen. Do remember, it’s better to stay alive and make a deal with the Brigantes
\nor Scots than to be reduced down to a miserable couple of units; and also ensure you get
\nthe most points in the last turn.<\/p>\n
The Angles have a hard time. Lacking a leader with which to invade, their only
\nadvantage is moving last, and even this means they tend to have their breeding cut down
\nby others, especially Saxons. However, it is still possible to score lots of points and
\nsurvive, despite being assailed by Romano-British, Welsh, Saxons, Irish, Danes, Dubliners
\nand Norwegians. Try to hold the balance of power in England and deprive the Saxons of
\nBretwalda and Kingship as often as possible. Strike at weak Saxon points to deprive him
\nof victory points as well, for example Essex in Turn Seven. Take any hiland areas as soon
\nas you get the chance and don’t risk big attacks except perhaps to take out Arthur
\nwith an army or two -that’s four or five points’ worth.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Angles have a good points-per-area score late in the game, so they are
\nworth preserving rather than throwing away. They can also help Duke William (the
\ntraitors!).<\/p>\n
The Normans get the chance to move and act last of all in the game. Be prepared to
\nface Saxons, Danes, perhaps even some Welsh or Irish in the west, all intent on murder.
\nIt is absolutely essential to get maximum points from the first invasion turn and to
\nprotect William, for reinforcements will be worthless without him alive. The best points
\ncome from an east-side attack but except in very unusual circumstances you should always
\nendeavour to kill Harold as soon as you land. Don’t bother to spread out after Turn
\n15; stay compact and harder to attack. Encourage everyone else to harry the Norwegians!
\nMix your cavalry and ordinary armies to give the latter best protection and leave William
\nbehind at least one rank of defenders.<\/p>\n
THE RED FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Brigantes<\/li>\n
- Irish<\/li>\n
- Saxons<\/li>\n
- Norsemen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Red faction is big, bad and thoroughly mean. At least, that’s my unbiased
\nopinion. To be honest, any of the factions can be played as ‘spoilers’ to some
\nextent; it’s just that often the Red faction seem to be better at it than others.<\/p>\n
As enduring as the Picts (with luck) are the Brigantes. By the time the Roman reaches
\nthe Brigantes’ real heartland of Galloway and Strathclyde, he should be struggling a
\nbit, and the Red player should certainly encourage the Roman to go for the big points in
\nDunedin, Alban and Dalriada.<\/p>\n
If necessary, submit to the Romans. Fighting it out is usually not worth it: although
\nyou gain perhaps 6 points for luckily killing a couple of armies, it would be much better
\nto preserve your integrity and pick up more points later on. Try to submit with maximum
\npopulation (6 armies in three areas) and remember that you move after the Roman so when
\nhe counts Limes on Turn Five, you can try to vacate point-scoring areas. With five or six
\narmies, you should be able to hold the heartland and progress from there, especially with
\nthe early leaders. Do any deal to stay alive and help the Saxons and Norsemen later:
\nSaxons by voting for them in Bretwalda elections; Norsemen by clearing Cumbria.<\/p>\n
The Irish have a hard time of it. As suggested for the Scots and Dubliners, don’t
\nalways land armies the turn they arrive at sea. Wait until you have a couple to be more
\nuse, unless you want to risk the odd Roman fort in Avalon or Hwicce, for example, or
\noccupy an empty area. With a few armies on the board and the Welsh busy elsewhere, a
\nuseful attack is one focusing on Devon then Cornwall. Although harder to penetrate, they
\nalso offer better long-term security and will be hard for the Welsh to retake. Even
\nbetter, it could well distract the Welsh from attacking Norsemen or Saxons elsewhere, and
\nstrengthen your faction as a whole. An alternative Irish kingdom to aim for stretches
\nfrom Cumbria to Gwynedd; again this is quite hard for the Welsh to attack, however it is
\nmore vulnerable to later attacks from Danes and Dubliners.<\/p>\n
The Saxons are quite simply the biggest nation (potentially) on the board. Only the
\nDanes with 18 armies approach the Saxon total of 20, and the Danes are unlikely to grow
\nlike the Saxons do. The initial Saxon advantage is the early invasion against a
\nrelatively empty southern England, with Hengist as leader. This should enable you, with
\nluck, to score a good few points killing Romano-British as well as wiping out the Jutes
\n(this is highly recommended). Then spread out and maintain a few two-army stacks in the
\nmidlands, gradually swelling in size -you should quickly get two, then three builds a
\nturn – and taking out Angles in the Midlands and East Anglia, pushing back stray Welsh
\nand even making room for the odd Irishman if it scores more points. Use boats to catch
\nthe Angles off guard. If Hengist is unopposed in landing, an early foray to secure Devon
\nis also useful, but follow up in Cornwall sooner rather than later. With Irish and
\nBrigante help, the Red faction should make the Saxons Bretwalda and King more often than
\nnot. Once you gain momentum, you will roll on until the Danes strike. The answer is to
\nsecure your back (the West) so that you can fall back in good order and keep punching
\nback in any weak spot. Tell the Danes if they weaken you too much, it’ll be a
\nwalkover for William later. Do deals on non-aggression to get Bretwalda votes. Most of
\nall, bulk up your front line to make it sufficiently unattractive to attackers, even if
\nyou don’t want to attack anywhere yourself.<\/p>\n
At the end of the game comes the hardest part – defending against Duke William and
\nHarald. With any luck, the Angles and Danes should be Harald’s main opponents and may
\nwell prevent him from reaching Harold. Keep Harold as well defended as possible, such as
\nwith the maximum four armies in hiland, and scatter troops around to give you the best
\nchance of survival and a retributive strike against the Norman invaders.<\/p>\n
The Norsemen present a task of flowing where it is easiest. The initial strike must be
\nagainst Hebrides and Orkneys and holding them in Turn 13 for the best points opportunity.
\nIf you can end up with the ideal of two or three armies in Hebrides after Turn 12, these
\ncan join with the fresh invaders next turn to go for Skye and a solid base for reaching
\nall of Britain’s west coast; otherwise get points in Cumbria and annoy the Welsh or
\nDubliners, whoever looks the stronger. Don’t be too worried about getting every last
\nhalf point for visiting – the Norse are one example of where the armies are best used
\npreventing others from reaching juicy objectives, such as the Picts on the last turn with
\ntheir three 3-point areas.<\/p>\n
THE BLACK FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Welsh<\/li>\n
- Caledonians<\/li>\n
- Jutes<\/li>\n
- Danes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At first glimpse, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d been dealt a dud hand.
\nThe Caledonians can only get six armies on the board and stand fair to be wiped out by
\nPicts and Norsemen, but this seems an easy life compared with the Jutes’ five armies
\nand not even hilands to defend them.<\/p>\n
The Caledonians have little to do except sit there and try to resist the inevitable.
\nJust try to exist; honey the Pict with kind words and hope you get a build soon. As for
\nthe Jutes, their best chance for points lie in destroying Roman forts and stealing Kent
\non Turn Four. If Kent is defended by a Roman army and fort, go for any open Roman fort
\nyou can reach and raid it, then try for another on Turn Five with all units. If possible,
\ndelay landing the final Jute until after Hengist’s invasion; that way you might just
\nget Kent or somewhere adjacent on Turn Seven. Remember, if you land in a coastal space
\nyou can probably reach Kent by boats later, so stay out of the way of the Saxons.<\/p>\n
The Welsh are more complicated and offer a good possibility for long term strategy. As
\nwith the Brigantes, submission to the Romans is, in the final analysis, better than being
\nsmashed to (practically) nothing. Don’t let that stop you taking any chance to raid
\nCheshire, York or Essex, should the chance arise: by building your first armies in Powys
\nand Clwyd this is often easy to accomplish. When the Romans withdraw, Romano-British
\nforays may leave areas to York open. Seize these early (especially Pennines) to make it
\neasier to get your 6 points in Turn Eight or Nine.<\/p>\n
Your main opponents are the Red faction, so ruthlessly quash any Irish settlers and
\ntake the opportunity to nibble at the Saxon kingdom and slow its expansion. Devon and
\nGwent are worth defending. In the mid game, occupying one or two English areas can make
\nall the difference in Bretwalda elections. However, the main concentration must be on
\nmaintaining the integrity of Welsh territory and reaping maximum victory points every
\nthree turns.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Danes also call for careful consideration. In the initial raid, look for
\nopen areas you won’t have to fight over and be careful to preserve maximum numbers of
\nunits for the Turn 12 invasion. Raid Angles or Saxons depending on who holds the stronger
\nhand and then follow this up with a good invasion (at least 16 points worth). Try to end
\nthe invasion concentrated either north or south of York – if north, aim to eliminate the
\nAngles entirely – so that you can hold a sensible kingdom.<\/p>\n
Use the Welsh to soften opponents and take the odd area so the Danes get a chance to
\nbe King, but don’t let them get in the way of scoring points during the invasion.
\nLater hang on as well as possible and press the advantage wherever you can. You should
\nmake deals with the Saxons and Angles if necessary at the end of the game in order to
\nstand off the Normans and Norwegians wherever possible.<\/p>\n
Step Back Into Those Dark Ages<\/i><\/h3>\n
One of the attractions of Britannia is that it does not exactly simulate the history
\nof Britain. After all, this would be very tedious and unrewarding, and we would all know
\nwho was going to win. (Actually, portraying history with the game is impossible in places
\n– for example, Harold cannot defeat Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge (in York) and then
\nreach William in Sussex next turn.) However, the game must of necessity simplify things
\nsomewhat and leave out some rather interesting bits of British history.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, the only units in the game are armies, and only armies are deemed
\nto control areas. There are no civil populations to hold an area peaceably (although a
\nleader can control an area on his own) and thus every part of the realm must be
\ngarrisoned – and this is not an accurate reflection of the settlement of Britain other
\nthan in Roman and late Saxon times. Additionally, it means that the Normans, with their
\nrelatively small band of men, cannot win control of the land by placing a few men in
\ncommand over a subject population.<\/p>\n
Additionally, a dimension of historical realism is lost by the amalgamation of many
\npeoples into different nations. The many tribes constituting the Belgae, for example,
\nwere belligerent towards each other – often more than the Romans, and some actively
\nsubmitted to the Romans (whom they knew from Julius Caesar’s invasion and withdrawal
\nninety years earlier) and attacked their ‘fellows’. The Welsh were related Celtic
\ntribes: Ordovices, Silures and Deceangli for example, who were led by the fleeing Belgae
\nleader and hero Caractacus (or Caradoc) in defiance of the Romans.<\/p>\n
Throughout the rest of history, nations were split by internal strife on a regular
\nbasis as successions were disputed and lesser nobles tried to seize power. There were
\nalso rebellions by peoples who had been subjugated and effectively ‘wiped out’
\nbut who nevertheless regained a national identity and rose up. The first example of this
\nwas Boudicca and the Iceni who had been semi-Romanised; they took up arms when greedy
\nadministrators raped their lands and daughters and drove a path of destruction to
\nColchester, St Albans and beyond before being utterly defeated by Suetonius.<\/p>\n
There are a few historical inaccuracies which are easy to correct. Two of these
\nconcern the provision of boats – a very useful commodity in the game. I would certainly
\nallow the Saxons boats under Alfred, who was the constructor of the first English navy
\n(one might even think about rules for naval combat).<\/p>\n
I would also give boats to the Norwegians in Turn 16, enabling them to land forces
\nfurther south than York. Turn 16 could be further enlivened by the addition of a Danish
\nleader King Swein (also with boats and a few boatloads of troops) who raided the east
\ncoast of Britain and, assisted by Hereward the Wake, laid up in the Wash during 1070-1. I
\nam also tempted to add other leaders, such as Caractacus, Boudicca, Hereward, other Welsh
\nand Scottish princes down to Macbeth and so on, but this side of the game is more
\ndangerous to tamper with, as one might upset the game’s innate balance.<\/p>\n
There are some nations I feel have been treated a little harshly – the Jutes for
\ninstance, unable ever to score any points except for areas in the south-east of England
\nwhen, given the opportunity, they might have settled in any convenient spot and survived
\nwith a greater cultural identity. I believe there is also room for more rules covering
\nsubmission, a Scottish King and so on.<\/p>\n
The Wider World<\/i><\/h3>\n
Britannia is a good game, destined to become a popular favourite with boardgamers and
\nwargamers alike. However, as a games designer, I’m not content to let it stop there,
\nand neither are other busy inventors I know.<\/p>\n
Already existing as a prototype are Britannia variants covering the whole of Europe,
\nfrom Persia to Britain (a six player, 36-faction game taking about 12 hours to play) and
\nalso a Middle-earth variant of my own design. This latter has some 20 factions and a
\nrather longer time span than Britannia – it starts with the war of the Elves and Sauron
\nin the Second Age and ends with the War of the Ring over 5000 years later!<\/p>\n
In addition I have devised some alternative historical scenarios to add to the
\noriginal game. These start with the Huns under Attila reversing their defeat by the
\nFranks at Chalons and sending a raid against England. The Huns are followed by a possible
\nresurgence in Roman fortunes, then later by Arabs spurred on by victories in France and
\nMagyars raiding beyond their battles in the Low Countries. Finally there are ex-Danish
\nVikings who can choose either to settle in France and become the Normans, or land early
\nin England – but this will indubitably let in the Franks, now French, under Philip
\nI…<\/p>\n
I also have plans for introducing some fantasy elements to the game, with Merlin,
\ngiants, dragons, faeries, goblins and all the other traditions rife across so many parts
\nof the country that to leave them out would do serious injustice to the tale of Britain
\nthat Britannia tries to tell. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy playing Britannia,
\none of the best new games for a long time. There are thrills enough in just getting to
\ngrips with a game where hidden danger or success can be revealed with every new turn,
\nevery surprise move, and every roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
A Final Note<\/i><\/h3>\n
The first edition rules published by Gibsons were atrocious. Most of the ambiguities
\nwere cleared up in the second edition, though there are still some anomalies.<\/p>\n
A copy of the second edition rules can be obtained by sending an SAE to Gibsons.
\nAvalon Hill, who licensed the game from Gibsons for the American market, corrected all
\nthe errors in their set of rules.<\/p>\n
If you’re using the second edition rules you may find some eventualities which are
\nnot covered, or which seem confusing. As with any game, these are not difficult to come
\nto agreement over after careful assessment of all applicable rules. There are some
\nsuggestions in this article which may seem contrary to the rules, and the latter should
\nbe always be taken as relevant to your games, until or unless you agree otherwise.
\nUnfortunately, the author cannot let well alone and will always tamper with things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally published in “Games International”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker, the former GI editor) Britannia Graham Staplehurst gives one man’s angle on a popular historical game that is already regarded as a classic. Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four … Britannia<\/span> weiterlesen
The Red faction is big, bad and thoroughly mean. At least, that’s my unbiased
\nopinion. To be honest, any of the factions can be played as ‘spoilers’ to some
\nextent; it’s just that often the Red faction seem to be better at it than others.<\/p>\n
As enduring as the Picts (with luck) are the Brigantes. By the time the Roman reaches
\nthe Brigantes’ real heartland of Galloway and Strathclyde, he should be struggling a
\nbit, and the Red player should certainly encourage the Roman to go for the big points in
\nDunedin, Alban and Dalriada.<\/p>\n
If necessary, submit to the Romans. Fighting it out is usually not worth it: although
\nyou gain perhaps 6 points for luckily killing a couple of armies, it would be much better
\nto preserve your integrity and pick up more points later on. Try to submit with maximum
\npopulation (6 armies in three areas) and remember that you move after the Roman so when
\nhe counts Limes on Turn Five, you can try to vacate point-scoring areas. With five or six
\narmies, you should be able to hold the heartland and progress from there, especially with
\nthe early leaders. Do any deal to stay alive and help the Saxons and Norsemen later:
\nSaxons by voting for them in Bretwalda elections; Norsemen by clearing Cumbria.<\/p>\n
The Irish have a hard time of it. As suggested for the Scots and Dubliners, don’t
\nalways land armies the turn they arrive at sea. Wait until you have a couple to be more
\nuse, unless you want to risk the odd Roman fort in Avalon or Hwicce, for example, or
\noccupy an empty area. With a few armies on the board and the Welsh busy elsewhere, a
\nuseful attack is one focusing on Devon then Cornwall. Although harder to penetrate, they
\nalso offer better long-term security and will be hard for the Welsh to retake. Even
\nbetter, it could well distract the Welsh from attacking Norsemen or Saxons elsewhere, and
\nstrengthen your faction as a whole. An alternative Irish kingdom to aim for stretches
\nfrom Cumbria to Gwynedd; again this is quite hard for the Welsh to attack, however it is
\nmore vulnerable to later attacks from Danes and Dubliners.<\/p>\n
The Saxons are quite simply the biggest nation (potentially) on the board. Only the
\nDanes with 18 armies approach the Saxon total of 20, and the Danes are unlikely to grow
\nlike the Saxons do. The initial Saxon advantage is the early invasion against a
\nrelatively empty southern England, with Hengist as leader. This should enable you, with
\nluck, to score a good few points killing Romano-British as well as wiping out the Jutes
\n(this is highly recommended). Then spread out and maintain a few two-army stacks in the
\nmidlands, gradually swelling in size -you should quickly get two, then three builds a
\nturn – and taking out Angles in the Midlands and East Anglia, pushing back stray Welsh
\nand even making room for the odd Irishman if it scores more points. Use boats to catch
\nthe Angles off guard. If Hengist is unopposed in landing, an early foray to secure Devon
\nis also useful, but follow up in Cornwall sooner rather than later. With Irish and
\nBrigante help, the Red faction should make the Saxons Bretwalda and King more often than
\nnot. Once you gain momentum, you will roll on until the Danes strike. The answer is to
\nsecure your back (the West) so that you can fall back in good order and keep punching
\nback in any weak spot. Tell the Danes if they weaken you too much, it’ll be a
\nwalkover for William later. Do deals on non-aggression to get Bretwalda votes. Most of
\nall, bulk up your front line to make it sufficiently unattractive to attackers, even if
\nyou don’t want to attack anywhere yourself.<\/p>\n
At the end of the game comes the hardest part – defending against Duke William and
\nHarald. With any luck, the Angles and Danes should be Harald’s main opponents and may
\nwell prevent him from reaching Harold. Keep Harold as well defended as possible, such as
\nwith the maximum four armies in hiland, and scatter troops around to give you the best
\nchance of survival and a retributive strike against the Norman invaders.<\/p>\n
The Norsemen present a task of flowing where it is easiest. The initial strike must be
\nagainst Hebrides and Orkneys and holding them in Turn 13 for the best points opportunity.
\nIf you can end up with the ideal of two or three armies in Hebrides after Turn 12, these
\ncan join with the fresh invaders next turn to go for Skye and a solid base for reaching
\nall of Britain’s west coast; otherwise get points in Cumbria and annoy the Welsh or
\nDubliners, whoever looks the stronger. Don’t be too worried about getting every last
\nhalf point for visiting – the Norse are one example of where the armies are best used
\npreventing others from reaching juicy objectives, such as the Picts on the last turn with
\ntheir three 3-point areas.<\/p>\n
THE BLACK FACTION<\/h5>\n\n- Welsh<\/li>\n
- Caledonians<\/li>\n
- Jutes<\/li>\n
- Danes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At first glimpse, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d been dealt a dud hand.
\nThe Caledonians can only get six armies on the board and stand fair to be wiped out by
\nPicts and Norsemen, but this seems an easy life compared with the Jutes’ five armies
\nand not even hilands to defend them.<\/p>\n
The Caledonians have little to do except sit there and try to resist the inevitable.
\nJust try to exist; honey the Pict with kind words and hope you get a build soon. As for
\nthe Jutes, their best chance for points lie in destroying Roman forts and stealing Kent
\non Turn Four. If Kent is defended by a Roman army and fort, go for any open Roman fort
\nyou can reach and raid it, then try for another on Turn Five with all units. If possible,
\ndelay landing the final Jute until after Hengist’s invasion; that way you might just
\nget Kent or somewhere adjacent on Turn Seven. Remember, if you land in a coastal space
\nyou can probably reach Kent by boats later, so stay out of the way of the Saxons.<\/p>\n
The Welsh are more complicated and offer a good possibility for long term strategy. As
\nwith the Brigantes, submission to the Romans is, in the final analysis, better than being
\nsmashed to (practically) nothing. Don’t let that stop you taking any chance to raid
\nCheshire, York or Essex, should the chance arise: by building your first armies in Powys
\nand Clwyd this is often easy to accomplish. When the Romans withdraw, Romano-British
\nforays may leave areas to York open. Seize these early (especially Pennines) to make it
\neasier to get your 6 points in Turn Eight or Nine.<\/p>\n
Your main opponents are the Red faction, so ruthlessly quash any Irish settlers and
\ntake the opportunity to nibble at the Saxon kingdom and slow its expansion. Devon and
\nGwent are worth defending. In the mid game, occupying one or two English areas can make
\nall the difference in Bretwalda elections. However, the main concentration must be on
\nmaintaining the integrity of Welsh territory and reaping maximum victory points every
\nthree turns.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Danes also call for careful consideration. In the initial raid, look for
\nopen areas you won’t have to fight over and be careful to preserve maximum numbers of
\nunits for the Turn 12 invasion. Raid Angles or Saxons depending on who holds the stronger
\nhand and then follow this up with a good invasion (at least 16 points worth). Try to end
\nthe invasion concentrated either north or south of York – if north, aim to eliminate the
\nAngles entirely – so that you can hold a sensible kingdom.<\/p>\n
Use the Welsh to soften opponents and take the odd area so the Danes get a chance to
\nbe King, but don’t let them get in the way of scoring points during the invasion.
\nLater hang on as well as possible and press the advantage wherever you can. You should
\nmake deals with the Saxons and Angles if necessary at the end of the game in order to
\nstand off the Normans and Norwegians wherever possible.<\/p>\n
Step Back Into Those Dark Ages<\/i><\/h3>\n
One of the attractions of Britannia is that it does not exactly simulate the history
\nof Britain. After all, this would be very tedious and unrewarding, and we would all know
\nwho was going to win. (Actually, portraying history with the game is impossible in places
\n– for example, Harold cannot defeat Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge (in York) and then
\nreach William in Sussex next turn.) However, the game must of necessity simplify things
\nsomewhat and leave out some rather interesting bits of British history.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, the only units in the game are armies, and only armies are deemed
\nto control areas. There are no civil populations to hold an area peaceably (although a
\nleader can control an area on his own) and thus every part of the realm must be
\ngarrisoned – and this is not an accurate reflection of the settlement of Britain other
\nthan in Roman and late Saxon times. Additionally, it means that the Normans, with their
\nrelatively small band of men, cannot win control of the land by placing a few men in
\ncommand over a subject population.<\/p>\n
Additionally, a dimension of historical realism is lost by the amalgamation of many
\npeoples into different nations. The many tribes constituting the Belgae, for example,
\nwere belligerent towards each other – often more than the Romans, and some actively
\nsubmitted to the Romans (whom they knew from Julius Caesar’s invasion and withdrawal
\nninety years earlier) and attacked their ‘fellows’. The Welsh were related Celtic
\ntribes: Ordovices, Silures and Deceangli for example, who were led by the fleeing Belgae
\nleader and hero Caractacus (or Caradoc) in defiance of the Romans.<\/p>\n
Throughout the rest of history, nations were split by internal strife on a regular
\nbasis as successions were disputed and lesser nobles tried to seize power. There were
\nalso rebellions by peoples who had been subjugated and effectively ‘wiped out’
\nbut who nevertheless regained a national identity and rose up. The first example of this
\nwas Boudicca and the Iceni who had been semi-Romanised; they took up arms when greedy
\nadministrators raped their lands and daughters and drove a path of destruction to
\nColchester, St Albans and beyond before being utterly defeated by Suetonius.<\/p>\n
There are a few historical inaccuracies which are easy to correct. Two of these
\nconcern the provision of boats – a very useful commodity in the game. I would certainly
\nallow the Saxons boats under Alfred, who was the constructor of the first English navy
\n(one might even think about rules for naval combat).<\/p>\n
I would also give boats to the Norwegians in Turn 16, enabling them to land forces
\nfurther south than York. Turn 16 could be further enlivened by the addition of a Danish
\nleader King Swein (also with boats and a few boatloads of troops) who raided the east
\ncoast of Britain and, assisted by Hereward the Wake, laid up in the Wash during 1070-1. I
\nam also tempted to add other leaders, such as Caractacus, Boudicca, Hereward, other Welsh
\nand Scottish princes down to Macbeth and so on, but this side of the game is more
\ndangerous to tamper with, as one might upset the game’s innate balance.<\/p>\n
There are some nations I feel have been treated a little harshly – the Jutes for
\ninstance, unable ever to score any points except for areas in the south-east of England
\nwhen, given the opportunity, they might have settled in any convenient spot and survived
\nwith a greater cultural identity. I believe there is also room for more rules covering
\nsubmission, a Scottish King and so on.<\/p>\n
The Wider World<\/i><\/h3>\n
Britannia is a good game, destined to become a popular favourite with boardgamers and
\nwargamers alike. However, as a games designer, I’m not content to let it stop there,
\nand neither are other busy inventors I know.<\/p>\n
Already existing as a prototype are Britannia variants covering the whole of Europe,
\nfrom Persia to Britain (a six player, 36-faction game taking about 12 hours to play) and
\nalso a Middle-earth variant of my own design. This latter has some 20 factions and a
\nrather longer time span than Britannia – it starts with the war of the Elves and Sauron
\nin the Second Age and ends with the War of the Ring over 5000 years later!<\/p>\n
In addition I have devised some alternative historical scenarios to add to the
\noriginal game. These start with the Huns under Attila reversing their defeat by the
\nFranks at Chalons and sending a raid against England. The Huns are followed by a possible
\nresurgence in Roman fortunes, then later by Arabs spurred on by victories in France and
\nMagyars raiding beyond their battles in the Low Countries. Finally there are ex-Danish
\nVikings who can choose either to settle in France and become the Normans, or land early
\nin England – but this will indubitably let in the Franks, now French, under Philip
\nI…<\/p>\n
I also have plans for introducing some fantasy elements to the game, with Merlin,
\ngiants, dragons, faeries, goblins and all the other traditions rife across so many parts
\nof the country that to leave them out would do serious injustice to the tale of Britain
\nthat Britannia tries to tell. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy playing Britannia,
\none of the best new games for a long time. There are thrills enough in just getting to
\ngrips with a game where hidden danger or success can be revealed with every new turn,
\nevery surprise move, and every roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
A Final Note<\/i><\/h3>\n
The first edition rules published by Gibsons were atrocious. Most of the ambiguities
\nwere cleared up in the second edition, though there are still some anomalies.<\/p>\n
A copy of the second edition rules can be obtained by sending an SAE to Gibsons.
\nAvalon Hill, who licensed the game from Gibsons for the American market, corrected all
\nthe errors in their set of rules.<\/p>\n
If you’re using the second edition rules you may find some eventualities which are
\nnot covered, or which seem confusing. As with any game, these are not difficult to come
\nto agreement over after careful assessment of all applicable rules. There are some
\nsuggestions in this article which may seem contrary to the rules, and the latter should
\nbe always be taken as relevant to your games, until or unless you agree otherwise.
\nUnfortunately, the author cannot let well alone and will always tamper with things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally published in “Games International”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker, the former GI editor) Britannia Graham Staplehurst gives one man’s angle on a popular historical game that is already regarded as a classic. Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four … Britannia<\/span> weiterlesen
At first glimpse, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d been dealt a dud hand.
\nThe Caledonians can only get six armies on the board and stand fair to be wiped out by
\nPicts and Norsemen, but this seems an easy life compared with the Jutes’ five armies
\nand not even hilands to defend them.<\/p>\n
The Caledonians have little to do except sit there and try to resist the inevitable.
\nJust try to exist; honey the Pict with kind words and hope you get a build soon. As for
\nthe Jutes, their best chance for points lie in destroying Roman forts and stealing Kent
\non Turn Four. If Kent is defended by a Roman army and fort, go for any open Roman fort
\nyou can reach and raid it, then try for another on Turn Five with all units. If possible,
\ndelay landing the final Jute until after Hengist’s invasion; that way you might just
\nget Kent or somewhere adjacent on Turn Seven. Remember, if you land in a coastal space
\nyou can probably reach Kent by boats later, so stay out of the way of the Saxons.<\/p>\n
The Welsh are more complicated and offer a good possibility for long term strategy. As
\nwith the Brigantes, submission to the Romans is, in the final analysis, better than being
\nsmashed to (practically) nothing. Don’t let that stop you taking any chance to raid
\nCheshire, York or Essex, should the chance arise: by building your first armies in Powys
\nand Clwyd this is often easy to accomplish. When the Romans withdraw, Romano-British
\nforays may leave areas to York open. Seize these early (especially Pennines) to make it
\neasier to get your 6 points in Turn Eight or Nine.<\/p>\n
Your main opponents are the Red faction, so ruthlessly quash any Irish settlers and
\ntake the opportunity to nibble at the Saxon kingdom and slow its expansion. Devon and
\nGwent are worth defending. In the mid game, occupying one or two English areas can make
\nall the difference in Bretwalda elections. However, the main concentration must be on
\nmaintaining the integrity of Welsh territory and reaping maximum victory points every
\nthree turns.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Danes also call for careful consideration. In the initial raid, look for
\nopen areas you won’t have to fight over and be careful to preserve maximum numbers of
\nunits for the Turn 12 invasion. Raid Angles or Saxons depending on who holds the stronger
\nhand and then follow this up with a good invasion (at least 16 points worth). Try to end
\nthe invasion concentrated either north or south of York – if north, aim to eliminate the
\nAngles entirely – so that you can hold a sensible kingdom.<\/p>\n
Use the Welsh to soften opponents and take the odd area so the Danes get a chance to
\nbe King, but don’t let them get in the way of scoring points during the invasion.
\nLater hang on as well as possible and press the advantage wherever you can. You should
\nmake deals with the Saxons and Angles if necessary at the end of the game in order to
\nstand off the Normans and Norwegians wherever possible.<\/p>\n
Step Back Into Those Dark Ages<\/i><\/h3>\n
One of the attractions of Britannia is that it does not exactly simulate the history
\nof Britain. After all, this would be very tedious and unrewarding, and we would all know
\nwho was going to win. (Actually, portraying history with the game is impossible in places
\n– for example, Harold cannot defeat Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge (in York) and then
\nreach William in Sussex next turn.) However, the game must of necessity simplify things
\nsomewhat and leave out some rather interesting bits of British history.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, the only units in the game are armies, and only armies are deemed
\nto control areas. There are no civil populations to hold an area peaceably (although a
\nleader can control an area on his own) and thus every part of the realm must be
\ngarrisoned – and this is not an accurate reflection of the settlement of Britain other
\nthan in Roman and late Saxon times. Additionally, it means that the Normans, with their
\nrelatively small band of men, cannot win control of the land by placing a few men in
\ncommand over a subject population.<\/p>\n
Additionally, a dimension of historical realism is lost by the amalgamation of many
\npeoples into different nations. The many tribes constituting the Belgae, for example,
\nwere belligerent towards each other – often more than the Romans, and some actively
\nsubmitted to the Romans (whom they knew from Julius Caesar’s invasion and withdrawal
\nninety years earlier) and attacked their ‘fellows’. The Welsh were related Celtic
\ntribes: Ordovices, Silures and Deceangli for example, who were led by the fleeing Belgae
\nleader and hero Caractacus (or Caradoc) in defiance of the Romans.<\/p>\n
Throughout the rest of history, nations were split by internal strife on a regular
\nbasis as successions were disputed and lesser nobles tried to seize power. There were
\nalso rebellions by peoples who had been subjugated and effectively ‘wiped out’
\nbut who nevertheless regained a national identity and rose up. The first example of this
\nwas Boudicca and the Iceni who had been semi-Romanised; they took up arms when greedy
\nadministrators raped their lands and daughters and drove a path of destruction to
\nColchester, St Albans and beyond before being utterly defeated by Suetonius.<\/p>\n
There are a few historical inaccuracies which are easy to correct. Two of these
\nconcern the provision of boats – a very useful commodity in the game. I would certainly
\nallow the Saxons boats under Alfred, who was the constructor of the first English navy
\n(one might even think about rules for naval combat).<\/p>\n
I would also give boats to the Norwegians in Turn 16, enabling them to land forces
\nfurther south than York. Turn 16 could be further enlivened by the addition of a Danish
\nleader King Swein (also with boats and a few boatloads of troops) who raided the east
\ncoast of Britain and, assisted by Hereward the Wake, laid up in the Wash during 1070-1. I
\nam also tempted to add other leaders, such as Caractacus, Boudicca, Hereward, other Welsh
\nand Scottish princes down to Macbeth and so on, but this side of the game is more
\ndangerous to tamper with, as one might upset the game’s innate balance.<\/p>\n
There are some nations I feel have been treated a little harshly – the Jutes for
\ninstance, unable ever to score any points except for areas in the south-east of England
\nwhen, given the opportunity, they might have settled in any convenient spot and survived
\nwith a greater cultural identity. I believe there is also room for more rules covering
\nsubmission, a Scottish King and so on.<\/p>\n
The Wider World<\/i><\/h3>\n
Britannia is a good game, destined to become a popular favourite with boardgamers and
\nwargamers alike. However, as a games designer, I’m not content to let it stop there,
\nand neither are other busy inventors I know.<\/p>\n
Already existing as a prototype are Britannia variants covering the whole of Europe,
\nfrom Persia to Britain (a six player, 36-faction game taking about 12 hours to play) and
\nalso a Middle-earth variant of my own design. This latter has some 20 factions and a
\nrather longer time span than Britannia – it starts with the war of the Elves and Sauron
\nin the Second Age and ends with the War of the Ring over 5000 years later!<\/p>\n
In addition I have devised some alternative historical scenarios to add to the
\noriginal game. These start with the Huns under Attila reversing their defeat by the
\nFranks at Chalons and sending a raid against England. The Huns are followed by a possible
\nresurgence in Roman fortunes, then later by Arabs spurred on by victories in France and
\nMagyars raiding beyond their battles in the Low Countries. Finally there are ex-Danish
\nVikings who can choose either to settle in France and become the Normans, or land early
\nin England – but this will indubitably let in the Franks, now French, under Philip
\nI…<\/p>\n
I also have plans for introducing some fantasy elements to the game, with Merlin,
\ngiants, dragons, faeries, goblins and all the other traditions rife across so many parts
\nof the country that to leave them out would do serious injustice to the tale of Britain
\nthat Britannia tries to tell. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy playing Britannia,
\none of the best new games for a long time. There are thrills enough in just getting to
\ngrips with a game where hidden danger or success can be revealed with every new turn,
\nevery surprise move, and every roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
A Final Note<\/i><\/h3>\n
The first edition rules published by Gibsons were atrocious. Most of the ambiguities
\nwere cleared up in the second edition, though there are still some anomalies.<\/p>\n
A copy of the second edition rules can be obtained by sending an SAE to Gibsons.
\nAvalon Hill, who licensed the game from Gibsons for the American market, corrected all
\nthe errors in their set of rules.<\/p>\n
If you’re using the second edition rules you may find some eventualities which are
\nnot covered, or which seem confusing. As with any game, these are not difficult to come
\nto agreement over after careful assessment of all applicable rules. There are some
\nsuggestions in this article which may seem contrary to the rules, and the latter should
\nbe always be taken as relevant to your games, until or unless you agree otherwise.
\nUnfortunately, the author cannot let well alone and will always tamper with things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(This article was originally published in “Games International”, issue #5 and is reproduced here with the permission of Brian Walker, the former GI editor) Britannia Graham Staplehurst gives one man’s angle on a popular historical game that is already regarded as a classic. Britannia is a game for three to five players (but four … Britannia<\/span> weiterlesen