Overview

Britannia is a historical board game depicting the millennium-long struggle for control of England, Scotland, and Wales from the Roman invasion of 43 AD through the Norman Conquest of 1066. Each player controls several nations (17 total across all players), which enter and leave play at historically appropriate times. Players gain victory points by occupying specified territories at specified times, winning battles, and achieving nation-specific objectives. The player with the most victory points after 16 rounds wins.

Components

• 1 Game Board (map of Britain with 37 land areas and 6 sea areas)
• 251 Unit Markers in 4 colors (red, blue, yellow, green):
  • Infantry, Cavalry, Leaders, Roman Forts, Saxon Burhs
• 17 Nation Cards
• 175 Victory Point Tokens (1s, 5s, 25s)
• 16 Population Markers
• 1 Round Marker
• 5 Dice
• Rulebook

Setup

1. Place the game board. Set the Round marker to Round 1.
2. Distribute Nation Cards to players (varies by player count).
3. Place starting units on the board as indicated by Nation Cards (Romans off-board in Gaul, Welsh/Picts in their territories, etc.).
4. Give each player their nation’s unit markers.

Standard 4-Player Assignment

• Red Player: Romans, Romano-British, Scots, Irish
• Blue Player: Brigantes, Jutes, Saxons, Norse
• Yellow Player: Welsh, Picts, Dubliners, Norwegians
• Green Player: Belgae, Angles, Danes, Normans

Turn Structure

The game is played over 16 rounds (each ~75 years of history). Each round:

1. Round events: Check for nations entering/leaving play, leaders appearing, and special events based on the round number.
2. Each nation’s turn (in a specific order within each round):
   • Place new units (reinforcements based on population).
   • Movement: Move armies and leaders.
   • Combat: Resolve battles in contested areas.
   • Overpopulation check: Remove excess units if over area limits.
   • Score victory points: Based on Nation Card objectives.

Nations take turns in a fixed order each round, which changes as new nations enter play.

Actions

Placement (Reinforcement)

Nations receive new units based on their population points. Place units in areas you control.

Movement

• Infantry: May move 1 area per turn (2 if using roads in certain eras).
• Cavalry: May move 2 areas per turn.
• Leaders: Move with their armies.
• Difficult terrain: Some areas are rough/hilly; movement restrictions may apply.
• Sea movement: Some nations can move across sea areas (requires specific capabilities).

Combat

When armies from different nations occupy the same area, combat occurs:

• Each attacking unit rolls 1 die: A roll of 5 or 6 hits (kills 1 enemy unit). Some units may have modifiers.
• Defending units then counterattack with the same mechanism.
• Leaders in combat: Roll separately; leader killed only on a 6 if with other units.
• Forts/Burhs: Provide defensive bonuses (+1 to defender’s die rolls or similar).
• Difficult terrain: Defenders in rough terrain may receive combat bonuses.
• The attacker may continue attacking in subsequent rounds of combat or retreat.

Raiding

Some nations can conduct raids across sea zones without permanently occupying areas.

Submission

Some major powers (Romans, Angles) can accept submission from weaker nations, gaining VP without combat.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

VP Sources (nation-specific):

• Area control: Nations score VP for controlling specific areas at specific rounds (detailed on Nation Cards).
• Battle victories: Some nations score for killing enemy units.
• Bretwalda/King: Controlling the most English areas in certain rounds earns the title and VP.
• Submission: Romans and Angles gain VP for nations that submit.
• Special objectives: Nation-specific goals (e.g., Romans score for forts built, Normans score for controlling England at game end).

Game End: After Round 16. Total all VP. Highest total wins.

Typical game length: 3-5 hours for 4 players.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Romans

• Enter Round 1 from Gaul. Powerful early but must withdraw around Round 5.
• Can build forts (provide defensive bonuses).
• Roman forts remain on the board after Roman withdrawal and benefit Romano-British.

Leaders

• Named historical leaders (Arthur, Alfred, Cnut, William the Conqueror, etc.) enter at specific rounds.
• Leaders add combat bonuses to their armies.
• Some leaders have special abilities (e.g., Arthur can appear anywhere in Round 6-7).

Population and Overpopulation

• Each area has a population limit. After movement and combat, excess units must be removed.
• Population markers track each nation’s presence for reinforcement calculations.

Nation Entry/Exit

• Nations appear and disappear at historically designated rounds.
• Some nations (e.g., Romans) leave the game entirely; their areas become contested.

Three-Player and Five-Player Variants

• Nation assignments change based on player count.
• Three-player variant has a shorter game option (~2 hours).
• Five-player game takes slightly longer than standard.

Difficult Terrain

Areas marked as difficult terrain (rough, hilly, swampy) impede attackers. Defenders in these areas receive combat bonuses (typically +1 to defense rolls).

Sea Movement

Specific rules govern which nations can cross sea zones. Vikings and other seafaring nations have enhanced naval capabilities.

Player Reference

Round Structure:

1. Round events (reinforcements, leaders, nation arrivals/departures)
2. Nations take turns in fixed order
3. Each nation: Place units, Move, Combat, Overpopulation check, Score VP
4. Advance Round marker

Combat Resolution:

• Attacker rolls 1 die per unit: 5-6 = hit
• Defender counterattacks: 5-6 = hit
• Terrain and fort modifiers may apply
• Leaders: killed on 6 only (if with other units)

Movement Rates:

Unit Type	Movement
Infantry	1 area
Cavalry	2 areas
Leaders	Move with army

Game Duration: 16 rounds (43 AD - 1066 AD)

Regions: England (20 areas), Scotland (10 areas), Wales (7 areas)