| The Rome at War series covers Roman battles against
both their neighbors and each other. The first game, Hannibal
at Bay, covered the last battles of Carthage’s
favorite son. Fading Legions focuses on the empire’s latter
years, when it was beset by barbarian invasion, an implacable rival, and
civil war.
At the close of the 4th Century AD, Rome faced its greatest danger in
over 500 years. To the east, the Sassanid Persian Empire presented a powerful
challenge to Roman dominance in the Middle East. To the north, German
tribes pressed against the Rhine frontier. To the northeast, Gothic tribes
also stirred. And rival Roman would-be emperors faced off against one
another.
Fading Legions covers these battles, when the last of Rome’s
legions faced hordes of enemy horsemen. The Romans are in a state of military
transition, adding more and more mounted and missile-armed troops to their
forces while retaining the heavy infantry that had formed the army’s
backbone for centuries.
Despite Rome’s undoubted cultural and scientific superiority,
the empire’s enemies have a decided edge in military technology.
The Persians, who face the Romans in five of the game’s scenarios,
have war elephants, but their real advantage comes from their “cataphract”
cavalry: big men on big horses, both protected by chainmail armor. The
Persians usually have large numbers of infantry, but these aren’t
very good.
Barbarians come in several flavors: Germans, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.
Ostrogoths (known as Greuthungi at this phase of their history) are almost
exclusively heavy cavalry, with some allied peoples tagging along as light
cavalry and mounted archers. The Visigoths (known as Tervingi in those
days) are primarily heavy infantry, with some mounted archers, light cavalry
and foot archers in support. And they have their famous wagon-forts to
wheel onto the battlefield. The Germans are also most heavy infantry,
but bring some heavy cavalry to the battlefield as well.
Rome’s striking power is in her legions, disciplined heavy infantry,
but these are vulnerable to arrows and heavy horse. There’s a whole
legion capable of missile fire, plus some auxiliary light infantry and
light cavalry capable of loosing arrows. Rome has but a handful of armored
cavalry, and only one of these units is as good as their Persian counterparts.
But they do have one unit of camel-mounted archers.
There are 11 scenarios, or game situations, included in Fading Legions.
Argentoratum (Strasbourg). August, 357 AD
A Roman army led by the future Emperor Julian the Apostate and 13,000
men face and defeat Chnodomar and his 35,000 German warriors.
Crossing the Tigris. 29 May, 363 AD
Julian seized the Imperial throne and enacted a series of reforms ensuring
religious tolerance in the Empire, earning him the hatred of fanatic Christians.
Turning next to the Persian threat, he determined to replace the King
of Kings with a puppet. Marching on the Persian capital of Ctesiphon,
the Romans made a daring nighttime assault across the river Tigris.
Ctesiphon. 29 May, 363 AD
With the Romans across the river, the King of Kings’ viceroy gathered
the garrison and all available troops to stop them outside the city. A
quick Roman charge broke the Persians before their superior missile capability
could wear down the legions, but the Persians managed to bar the city
gates before their enemies streamed through.
Maranga. 22 June, 363 AD
Julian did not besiege the Persian capital, instead seeking a showdown
with their field army. After the Persians tricked the Romans into marching
aimlessly about the desert, the Romans caught on and headed out of Mesopotamia.
The Persians finally offered battle, and saw their infantry slaughtered
by the hardened Roman veterans.
Phrygia. 26 June, 363 AD
Despite winning all the battles, Julian was losing the war. The Persians
continued to harass his army, and at the village of Phrygia (not the province
of the same name) attacked the Roman rear again. Julian led the counterattack
personally, leaving his breastplate behind, and fell with a spear in his
side. It may have been hurled by a Christian legionary — but regardless
of the source, Rome’s last pagan emperor died soon afterwards.
Sumere. 28 June, 363 AD
Learning of Julian’s death from a disgruntled deserter, the King
of Kings attacked the Romans again. For the first time, the Persians committed
their elite royal heavy cavalry. Both sides suffered heavy casualties,
and the new Emperor, Jovian, made peace with the Persians to allow him
to solidify his power in Rome. Despite their undefeated record on the
battlefield, the Romans clearly lost the war, turning over key territories
to the Persians in exchange for peace.
Nacolia. Spring, 366 AD
Jovian soon died under mysterious circumstances, and the army proclaimed
Valentinian as Emperor. Julian’s cousin Procopius seized Constantinople
and made his own grab for the throne. Bribing Roman units and hiring barbarian
mercenaries, he marched to meet Valentinian’s brother, Valens. The
Germans had not yet arrived, and without them Procopius’ Romans
defected to Valens and the usurper was put to death on the spot. This
scenario explores the battle that would have been fought had the Germans
made it in time.
Ad Salices. Spring, 377 AD
Invited to settle within Roman territory, the Visigoths led by their
Christian chieftain Fritigern soon fell victim to famine. Corrupt Roman
officials sold them rotting grain at inflated prices, forcing the Goths
to sell their own children into slavery to stay alive. Infuriated, they
rose in revolt, smashing the first Roman forces sent against them. At
Ad Salices near the mouth of the Danube, they met the Roman general Richomer’s
forces sent from the Western Empire. A furious but indecisive battle followed,
with casualties so heavy that for years the battlefield would be described
as “white with bones.”
Dibaltum. Summer, 377 AD
After breaking away from the Romans at Ad Salices, the Goths split into
several raiding bands. One of the larger bands made for the town of Dibaltum.
There, they surprised part of the Eastern Empire’s army making camp.
Barzimeres led his Scutarii heavy cavalry in a mad charge against the
Goths, saving his force at the cost of his own life.
Adrianople. 9 August, 378 AD
Spurning Fritigern’s peace offers and declining to wait for the
Western Empire’s army, the Emperor Valens deployed his army for
battle. The Roman left swept forward, but Gothic cavalry crushed the right
wing and rolled up the army. Valens and 35 senior officers lost their
lives in the worst Roman defeat since Hannibal’s time.
Adrianople Revised. Mid-August, 378 AD
Ah, but what if Valens had waited for the Western Army? A different version
of the scenario above, more to the Roman player’s liking.
 Fading
Legions includes:
• Three maps
• 88 large, 1 1/3-inch x 2/3-inch rectangular playing pieces
• 154 2/3-inch square playing pieces
• 11 scenarios
Links:
STK #0105
Price: $44.99
Status: Currently Available
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