Caesar: Epic Battle of Alesia is a two-player wargame originally self-published as “Alesia” by Robert Bradley in 1970, then revised and republished by Avalon Hill in 1976. It simulates the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, where Julius Caesar’s Roman legions besieged the Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix. The game features a double siege: Roman fortifications face both inward (containing the Gauls in Alesia) and outward (against Gallic relief forces). The game lasts 20 turns representing approximately 2 days of battle.
Components
1 game map (depicting Alesia, Roman siege works, and surrounding terrain)
Approximately 400 die-cut counters (Roman and Gallic units)
Dice
Rules booklet
Charts and tables
Setup
Place the map between both players.
The Roman player deploys units along their inner and outer siege lines according to the setup instructions.
The Gallic player places the garrison of Alesia inside the fortified town and the relief army forces in their designated starting areas.
The Roman player’s defensive lines include both the circumvallation (inner wall facing Alesia) and contravallation (outer wall facing the relief army).
Turn Structure
The game is played over 20 turns. Each turn includes:
Gallic Player Phase: The Gallic player moves units and initiates combat.
Roman Player Phase: The Roman player moves units and initiates combat.
Units move a number of hexes up to their movement allowance.
Terrain affects movement costs (hills, forests, fortifications).
Roman fortification lines provide defensive bonuses but can be breached.
Combat:
Combat occurs when units from opposing sides are in adjacent hexes.
Combat is resolved using a Combat Results Table (CRT).
The attacker totals the combat strength of all attacking units and compares it to the defender’s total strength to determine odds.
A die roll cross-referenced with the odds ratio on the CRT determines the result.
Results may include defender eliminated, defender retreats, attacker retreats, exchange (both lose units), or no effect.
Siege Operations:
The Gallic garrison in Alesia can attempt to break out through the Roman inner fortification line.
The Gallic relief army attacks the Roman outer fortification line from the outside.
Roman units must defend both lines simultaneously, creating the central tension of the game.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Gallic Victory: The Gallic player wins if Vercingetorix escapes from Alesia and is moved off the edge of the board.
Roman Victory: If during Vercingetorix’s escape attempt the Roman player places a Roman unit adjacent to Vercingetorix, the Roman player wins. The Romans also win if Vercingetorix has not escaped by the end of turn 20.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
Double Siege Dilemma: The Roman player cannot defend everywhere at once, making the game a fierce struggle of sudden attacks and strategic allocation of forces.
Fortification Lines: Roman siege works provide significant defensive bonuses but must be manned to be effective. Breaches allow Gallic units to pour through.
Vercingetorix: The Gallic leader Vercingetorix is a special counter that must escape for the Gauls to win. His movement and protection are critical Gallic concerns.
Relief Army Coordination: The Gallic player must coordinate breakout attempts from Alesia with attacks from the relief army to overwhelm Roman defenses.
Supply: Units cut off from supply may be degraded or eliminated.
Historical Accuracy: The game closely follows the historical double siege, with the terrain and force dispositions modeled on the actual battle.
Player Reference
Faction
Objective
Key Challenge
Roman
Prevent Vercingetorix from escaping
Defending two fortification lines simultaneously
Gallic
Move Vercingetorix off the board
Coordinating breakout with relief army attacks
Game length: 20 turns (representing ~2 days)
Map: Alesia and surrounding terrain with Roman siege works
Combat: Odds-ratio CRT with die roll