I SAW, I BOUGHT, I ENJOYED

S.P.Q.R by MARK HERMAN and RICHARD BERG

from GMT GAMES

Two 22” X 34” maps, backprinted; 800 counters; one rule book; one scenario book; four cardstock sheets of tables; one 10-sided die; boxed. Published by GMT Games, 310 W. Lacey Blvd., Hanford, CA 93230. $40.

Reviewed by DAVID SPANGLER

I grew up in Morocco on an Air Force base where my parents were stationed. Not far from where we lived were the ruins of a small Roman town, complete with well-preserved baths and a triumphal arch (recently used as the setting for the encounter between Jesus and St. Paul in Martin Scorcese’s movie The Last Temptation of Christ). These ruins were Morocco's most spectacular, but the country is dotted with decayed reminders of the Roman presence. Driving out in the countryside, it was not unusual to come across a lonely column rising from a meadow, or the remains of a wall, undulating across the curve of a hill. These ruins fired my imagination; in my mind’s eye, I could see the legions tramping into battle in far-off lands, myself in their midst. While other kids my age back in the States probably played cowboys and Indians, I played legionnaire and barbarian! (Ed. Hmmm … I preferred the Consul and the Vestal Virgins.)

It was with a sense of nostalgia, then, that I acquired GMT’s new game of Roman Legions in battle, S.P.Q.R. , the Roman republic's power-symbolic acronym for Senatus Populsque Romanus - the Senate and the People of Rome. It had everything to recommend it to me. It was a tactical game of Roman warfare; it was designed by Mark Herman and Richard Berg (two game designers for whom I have the utmost respect, based on the quality of their past work); it had graphics by one of the best graphic artists in the industry, Roger MacGowan; and it was published by one of the best new companies in the hobby. As it turned out, the only thing it didn’t have was barbarians! (Ed. Note: Actually, not true. There are a whole slew of Gauls and Celts, considered by the Romans of the era to be barbarians non plus ultra. )

This is a game, as the cover proclaims, covering “…the art of war in the Roman Republic.” As such, SPQR contains five battles that show the development of the manipular legion and its tactics over an eighty year period, from 275 to 197 BCE, as it evolved away from the phalanx of classical Greek warfare to become the hammer that forged the Empire: Beneventum, pitting the newly-developed legions against the Epirote Mercenary, Pyrrhus (whose victories were so costly); Bagradas Plains, wherein Carthage hands Rome its military head in the First Punic War; Cannae, one of the most famous battles in ancient history, in which Hannibal crushed an army twice his size; Zama, in which Scipio Africanus finally defeated Hannibal; and Cynoscephalae, legion against phalanx and Phillip V of Macedon for control of the Mediterranean.

SPQR is the second in GMT’s Great Battles of History series, of which the first was The Great Battles of Alexander. There have also been two modules published, Juggernaut (for GBA) and War Elephant (for S.P.Q.R.) ,which add additional battles and counters to the series in much the same vein as the Squad Leader series. The basic rules remain the same from game to game, but new rules are added to account for changes in military technology and tactics over the years.

When you open the box, you find two 22” X 34” backprinted maps, each side being used for one of the five battles (the battle of Bagradas Plains uses either the Zama or Cannae map). You get a 22-page scenario booklet with historical notes for each of the battles, alternative set-ups for historical variants, rules for combining GBA and S.P.Q.R. (to see what might have happened if Alexander had invaded Rome), and two pages of advertising! (Ed. Note: Waste not, want not..) There is also a 24-page rulebook— about which more in a moment— and four cardstock sheets covered with all the tables and charts needed to play the game (two for each player).

Then there are the counters. These are among the most colorful counters I have seen in any game. They are not only beautiful to look at, but they are also highly functional, using color to convey important information for combat types, stacking, Legion affiliation, and so forth. In play, they are exceptionally easy to use and give the whole game the feel of playing with miniatures. There is also a sheet of equally well-designed and colorful strength markers, information counters, and the like. Everything about the graphics and presentation of this game makes it user-friendly.

Well, almost everything. There is that rulebook. Not that the rules themselves are unclear; they are well-written, with numerous examples and design notes to explain why a particular game mechanic is the way it is. There is no table of contents (which would have been helpful), but there is an index which is arranged by rules section. If you’re trying to look up a particular topic, you must first know which major rule it falls under (like Movement or Shock Combat). This was a good arrangement, sometimes, but other times it made it harder to find specific topics… and some items (such as the definition of different unit classes and types) are not included at all. Moreover, the layout and presentation of the rules (small-print and tightly packed lines) gives an impression of density and complexity which is actually not warranted. I found the rules visually hard to read and at times confusing during the first couple of readings. It was hard to pick out simply and easily the basic or principle key rules from the secondary rules and amplifications and exceptions that surrounded them. Of course, I may simply need to get glasses to correct this problem! Still, I found the rules booklet the least attractive and most challenging part of the whole package.

There are some significant changes in, and additions to, the rules since GBA was published, notably the ability of the era's leaders to give Line Commands. Also, there is no personal combat allowed (no going mano à mano with Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, I’m afraid). In order to replicate the particular tactical skill of the manipular legion that allowed one line of troops to withdraw and their place be taken by the next line in the rear, there are special Roman stacking rules (which at first look complex but are actually quite simple), coupled with a Manipular Line Extension rule that allows stacked units to unstack automatically and create a solid line when their zone of control is approached by an enemy force. The rules changes from GBA are well-marked, so someone familiar with the previous game could identify them quickly and begin playing SPQR in a short time.

Also included is a learning scenario, representing a simple meeting engagement between Roman and Carthaginian forces. Even though I had played GBA, I still found this a useful exercise in learning how the particular units worked in this game … and especially in practicing with the stacking and line extension rules, which form the heart of the unique character of the manipular legion.

For those not familiar with the GBH system, the game's units represent leaders, phalanxes, heavy, medium, and light infantry (the legions are sword-and-pila equipped Heavy Infantry, for the most part), skirmishers (mostly missile units), heavy and light cavalry, and the much-beloved elephants, for whom there are a whole series of fun rules. Units are rated according to size, movement allowance, class, type, and, most importantly, their TQ, or Troop Quality. This latter value is used throughout the game - particularly in combat but also for certain kinds of movement and for rally attempts, - to determine if a unit suffers a Cohesion Hit or if rally attempts are successful.

The heart of the system is Leader Activation, which alternates (but not evenly) between leaders of the opposing sides, which sequence may be further changed by leaders' ability to go again (Momentum) or go before they were supposed to (Trumping), the latter which also serves to stop the other leader from going. Trumping, while imparting the perception and flavor of authenticity, seems present more for gaming enjoyment than for reasons of historical simulation.

Once a leader is activated, he may be able to give Line Commands, which affect all the troops in a given line, or he can give individual orders to specific units. Units may be order to move and/or fire by Line Command, or to move, fire, rally, or perform other actions by an Individual Command. There are no set number of game turns. Play continues until one army is routed or fulfills other victory conditions.

The rest of the mechanics cover a host of items familiar to any veteran ancient gamer. There are, of course, both Missile and Shock Combat, the latter more involved and colorful, than the former, moving, as it does, through a series of steps that sound complex when you read them but, in play, are quite simple. Combat depends on a number of factors - mostly unit type and angle of attack - which are cross-referenced for results using three charts: the Clash of Spears and Swords Chart, the Shock Superiority Chart, and the Size Ratio Difference Chart. The usual consequence of combat is reduction of TQ through "Cohesion Hits". When a unit absorbs too many hits, it routs. There are no "casualties", as such … although there is an optional rule which does employ body count losses.

Much attention is paid to the unique abilities of each type of unit, including special rules for such units as skirmishers and, of course, the elephants. Usually it is the Carthaginians or the Epirotes who have the elephants, although the Romans use them at Cynoscephalae. Elephants are powerful weapons, but they are truly a double-edged tusk. If they rout - which they tend to do a lot - they Rampage, in which case they rattle around the map like errant billiard balls, attacking any units - friendly or enemy - in sight. Rampaging elephants are great fun, as long as they are tearing through your opponent’s ranks. It is somewhat depressing, though, to watch a horde of pachyderms tear into your finest cavalry, scattering an entire wing and often taking a leader with them. More importantly, it is very instructive to play the opening minutes of Zama to see exactly what Hannibal intended - and what Scipio was trying to avoid.

The SPQR price-tag may seem a bit steep, but you get a lot of circus for your bread in terms of scenarios. The classic Hannibal-Scipio match-up at Zama has proven to be the most played of the battles, the one for which the players swear they've got the strategies down pat … only to learn differently next time out. Beneventum and Cynoscephalae both provide some unusual exercises in terrain problems, Bagradas Plains is pretty much an introductory scenario, albeit one not without its charms, and Cannae … well, Cannae is Cannae. It's huge, with 300+ combat units to move around. It also seems pretty much improbable that any player will repeat Hannibal's success.

Having played GBA, I found SPQR's mechanics fairly straight-forward, even though I had to struggle with the rule book a bit. However, learning to sagaciously use the unique qualities of the Roman manipular legion takes some time. The shorter scenarios (Bagradas Plain and Cynoscephalae) are especially good for gaining experience without having to deal with a lot of units. The basic rules soon become second nature, allowing you to concentrate on the tactical questions before you. The system that Mark originally designed and which he and Richard have refined in S.P.Q.R. , is excellent in capturing the flavor, intensity, and challenge of battle in the era of the Roman Republic.

For a game with such detail and chrome, S.P.Q.R. is a blast to play. I can't wait for the sequel.

CAPSULE COMMENTS:

Graphic Presentation: Outstanding. With the exception of Beneventum, the maps are fairly plain (after all, most of these battles were fought over empty plains), but the multi-colored, information-laden counters are beautiful … surely some of Roger MacGowan’s best work. Using them is like playing with miniatures - a feast for the eye; but they are also functional and easy to read, greatly simplifying game play.

Playability: Unless you are familiar with the GBH system, don’t expect to play this one right out of the box. It does get much easier as you play, and the game mechanics quickly become second nature. Ultimately, very playable. It is also an excellent game solitaire.

Replayability: Very high. Each of the battles has variant set-ups, and the tactical challenges are high enough - and the different choices and possibilities for play numerous enough - so that each battle can be enjoyably played more than once.

Historicity: Seems very accurate to me. Sources are well researched, and the designers provide an extensive bibliography. Also, where information is lacking, they let you know and give you grounds for exploring your own interpretation. S.P.Q.R. is probably as close as you’ll get to controlling a legion without a time machine.

Playing Time: About 2 1/2 to 3 hours per game, although Cannae and Zama can run easily twice as long.

Comparisons: SPI’s Legion (from the old Prestags series) was too generic. Decision Game’s Four Battles of the Ancient World and Good Industry's Ancients (soon to be reprinted by 3W) sacrifice (perhaps "demolish" is a better word) historicity for playability. Though aspiring to more historicity, the rather inelegant Men at Arms (S&T) attempts to cover nearly 3000 years of warfare with one set of rules, gaining breadth at the expense of depth. Avalon Hill’s Siege of Jerusalem, another excellent and attractive game, deals with a much later period and with a very different tactical situation. It also insists on cross-dressing the velites as velitae.

Overall: S.P.Q.R. is the best game available for a serious and exciting simulation of Republican Roman battles. It offers excellent play value for a modest investment in time and learning. It is well worth the rather high price tag if you have any interest at all in this era. Even if you don’t, I highly recommend it simply as a fun and exciting game.