Republic of Rome

Overview

Republic of Rome is a grand political strategy game for 1-6 players covering 250 years of Roman Republican history, from the Punic Wars (264 BC) through the assassination of Julius Caesar (44 BC). Players lead political factions in the Roman Senate, competing for influence, offices, and military glory while cooperating enough to prevent Rome from falling to external threats and internal crises. The game captures the tension between personal ambition and collective survival: if Rome falls, everyone loses.

Components

• 1 Game board (Senate, Forum, provinces, and war tracking)
• Senator cards (historical Roman senators)
• Statesman cards (famous historical figures)
• War cards (military threats)
• Concession cards (sources of income)
• Intrigue cards
• Province cards
• Event/random event cards
• Faction markers and tracking tokens
• Combat units
• Money tokens (Talents)
• Dice

Setup

1. Separate cards by type: Senator, Statesman, War, Concession, Intrigue, Province.
2. Deal Senator cards to players to form starting factions.
3. Place the Republic’s starting treasury.
4. Set up initial wars and threats per the chosen scenario.
5. The game offers three scenarios covering different eras: Early Republic, Middle Republic, Late Republic.
6. Determine the initial player order.

Turn Structure

Each game turn represents several years and follows this sequence:

1. Mortality Phase: Roll to determine if any Senators die of natural causes.
2. Revenue Phase: Collect income from provinces, concessions, and personal revenue. Pay for maintained troops. State taxes are collected.
3. Forum Phase: Players draw cards from the forum deck. New senators, wars, events, and concessions enter play. Players may attempt to persuade unaligned senators to join their faction.
4. Population Phase: Determine the state of public opinion. Unrest may grow if the people are dissatisfied.
5. Senate Phase: The Senate convenes. Players propose and vote on:
   • Consul elections (2 Consuls lead Rome each turn)
   • Dictator appointment (in emergencies)
   • Provincial assignments
   • Military deployments
   • Tax rates
   • Land reform
   • Other legislative actions
6. Combat Phase: Resolve ongoing wars using assigned commanders and forces.
7. Revolution Phase: Check for civil war, proscriptions, and faction elimination.

Actions

• Persuade Senator: Attempt to recruit unaligned senators or steal them from rival factions using Influence and Oratory.
• Propose Legislation: In the Senate, propose elections, military deployments, taxes, and other actions.
• Vote: Each senator has votes based on Influence and Oratory. Factions negotiate and trade votes.
• Deploy Forces: Send legions and fleets to fight wars under appointed commanders.
• Conduct War: Commanders roll for battle results, modified by their Military ability and force strength.
• Intrigue Cards: Play cards for espionage, assassination, bribery, or other covert actions.
• Govern Provinces: Assigned senators collect provincial revenue (and may be corrupt).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Faction Victory: A player wins if one of their Senators achieves enough Influence (35+) and is elected Consul for Life, OR achieves a specific combination of offices and popularity.
• Collective Loss: ALL players lose if Rome is destroyed by unresolved wars, bankruptcy, or total civil collapse.
• Balance Required: Players must cooperate enough to keep Rome alive while positioning their faction for individual victory.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Cooperative-Competitive Tension: Players must work together against external threats but compete for individual victory. Too much competition lets Rome fall; too much cooperation prevents anyone from winning.
• Assassination: Players may attempt to assassinate rival senators, but failure has severe political consequences.
• Civil War: If a faction leader gains too much military power and the Senate fails to check them, civil war can erupt.
• Dictator: In dire emergencies, the Senate may appoint a Dictator with supreme authority, but this concentrates dangerous power.
• Land Reform: Failure to enact land reform increases unrest; too much reform reduces faction income.
• Multiple Scenarios: Early, Middle, and Late Republic scenarios offer different lengths and challenges.
• Statesmen: Historical figures (Scipio Africanus, Cato, Caesar) have unique abilities that can dramatically affect play.

Player Reference

Turn Sequence: Mortality -> Revenue -> Forum -> Population -> Senate -> Combat -> Revolution

Victory: Get a senator to 35+ Influence and Consul for Life

Defeat: Rome falls (wars, bankruptcy, civil collapse) = everyone loses

Key Resources: Influence, Oratory, Military, Loyalty, Talents (money), Popularity