You are feeling pretty good. You have spent a few weeks gathering the nearby clans and tribes to repel those evil Romans who are moving into your lands. Your men are swaggering around in high spirits, boasting of their prowess with exaggerated stories and drinking. They are a motley group, but big and strong, inspiring confidence in their abilities. Your expression changes to puzzlement when you look across the field at the Romans, who are advancing in even ranks with a steady clank. They sure are wearing a lot of metal, and those shields almost hide them from view. Not only that, but how in the world do the Roman chiefs get them to move so precisely? It is enough to make you scratch your lime-spiked scalp. How are you going to defeat these ... machines?

This article will give you some The rest only have clubs burnt at the recommendations on how to get end, or with short metal points. the most out of a barbarian army. Physically they look formidable and are good for a short rush, but they I will concentrate on the Gauls cannot stand being hurt. They quit and Germans from CONQUEST and run unashamedly, regardless of OF GAUL (CoG), but will touch their commanders. on Britons as well as the earlier Germans from Dictator. Admittedly, Germanicus was trying to raise the morale of his How are you going to take this troops, but archaeological motley group and stand up to the evidence suggests that this type legionary system which has been of armament was far more likely honed through centuries of than the gear described by warfare against the Italians, Plutarch. The Gauls were a little Carthaginians and Greeks, and better equipped than the Germans tested against leaders like (after centuries of trade, war and Hannibal and Pyrrhus? other contact with Greeks and Romans), but not significantly so for game purposes.

If you still believe Plutarch's Your barbarians have some pretty description of the armor-clad nifty advantages, especially in the sword-wielding Germans at early stage of a battle. Barbarian Vercellae, note this passage out of Impetuosity (6.8) will really help Tacitus, from Germanicus' speech get you going. It adds 1 MP to all to his troops before the Battle of infantry units, and subtracts one Idistaviso (117 years after from all first-try momentum die Vercellae and 74 years after The rolls. This can often let you beat Rhine): the Romans to the punch in getting in the first hit, plus some The Germans wear no breastplates or successive strikes, but watch out helmets. Even their shields are not for a trump! Its usually wise to reinforced with iron or leather, but forgo momentum attempts while are merely plaited wicker-work or Impetuous, since the Roman flimsy painted boards. Spears, of a sort, are limited to their front rank.

player would be foolish not to column shift, but only if you are remember that they cannot trump and restrict all the rest of the attacker (see 8.36[2]). BI also orderly withdrawal from you your chiefs from attempting take no cohesion hits from since your movement allowance momentum. Impetuosity will also movement of any type (6.23)! You is effectively raised to 6. let your light infantry conduct can run these guys through orderly withdrawal (6.5) before terrain where formation troops those advancing cohorts. These dare not tread, and launch an You are under the Tribal benefits will cease at the end of attack while a Roman force would Command System (4.5). The first the turn where two or more of still be redressing its lines. If you thing you notice about your chiefs your units are in ZOC of a Roman are still Impetuous and your is that they have two ranges. The unit. In most cases, it means you opponent is unwary, this can let first, shorter one is for individual will lose the benefit at the end of you flank the Romans fairly the first turn. quickly. orders. The second is for line commands, and you don't have much restriction on what is a line! Now that your mass of screaming However, your BI have a couple The only qualifications for a unit warriors is charging headlong at of specific disadvantages. They to be a member of a line are: the Romans, Barbarian Ferocity cannot conduct orderly ƒ The units must be either foot (8.5) can carry you. This helpful withdrawal, so even if Impetuous state of mind adds a hefty +2 to (hence faster), they can't back or cavalry, not both. all Roman pre-shock troop quality away from those steadily ƒ The units must be adjacent. (TQ) checks, and subtracts one approaching attack-superior ƒ The Chief must be within two from your own pre-shock TQ veteran cohorts. In addition, BI hexes of at least one unit of checks. This can be devastating to pay 1 MP per vertex when the line. the line of Romans if done right, pivoting. This cancels your but remember that your light Impetuosity advantage when not Theoretically, an average chief infantry attacking frontally will already pointed in the right with a line range of 5 could give a not cause a pre-shock TQ check direction. single line command to move a for veteran or recruit cohorts solid block of ninety-one infantry (9.2). Ferocity is only in effect units. This is every infantry unit when you attack, not when the in your army. Of course, it would Romans move and initiate shock. be useless to use such a single Ferocity can potentially continue huge mass, but the example for several turns, and ends when suffices to show you the potential your Tribal Chief (TC) fails a of your command ability. Ferocity check. Any time a unit routs, the TC rolls against his initiative. If the roll is greater, In the first turn, all of your chiefs Ferocity is immediately and can automatically issue a line Your army may also have large command, regardless of whether permanently lost. numbers of Light Infantry (LI). they are in range of the TC. In These don't have the above listed every other turn they can also Because of this potential mid-turn advantages or disadvantages of automatically issue a line loss, to the extent that you can, the BI, but they can still benefit command regardless of range to you should be careful about the from Impetuosity and Ferocity. their TC. The only restriction is order in which you resolve your But, when attacking frontally, LI that if they do so, they may not attacks. Since Ferocity is don't force veteran or recruit attempt momentum. Since most immediately lost when the cohorts to check TQ. chiefs only have a 30% chance of Ferocity check is failed, you gaining momentum (which risks should resolve attacks with a Your cavalry will usually be being trumped), I don't consider lower risk of routed attacking similar to the enemy (see German it much of a handicap. units before attacks where there is Cavalry below for the major a higher risk. exception). Impetuosity and If you wish to try for momentum, Ferocity do not apply to cavalry. and the chief is outside of their The next advantage is Barbarian TC's range, you have to roll less Infantry (BI). These troops are Your army is also notably lacking than or equal to their initiative, functionally similar to recruit in skirmishers. At first you may because chiefs have no strategy cohorts, except that you will tend think "so what?" but it nearly rating. to do better against light infantry, eliminates your ability to deny and worse against a phalanx or the Roman the opportunity to You should try to concentrate on non-light cavalry. Except for recover from cohesion hits, or re Ariovistus' troops, your BI will using line commands to the best arm his missile units. The Romans of your ability. Individual orders usually be larger than the will get their Auxiliares Phase. Of opposing cohort, gaining you a are much less useful for course, if you are still Impetuous, barbarians because:

ƒ Your initiative is usually low, attack frontally they don't have to giving you fewer orders. make a pre-shock TQ check, so ƒ You can only attempt to rally a For simplicity's sake, lets assume you'd be wasting half of the routed unit if it is adjacent to you have a mix of BI and LI, and Ferocity benefit (the -1 to your your chief (same hex rally is opposite you is a set of Roman own roll still applies). If you get automatic; 10.41). veteran and recruit legions. Even the chance to attack a cohort in ƒ You cannot recover cohesion more so than in previous games, the flank or rear, never pass it up, hits from your units (10.14). CoG rewards the player who but an alert Roman won't give attacks. If at all possible, you you such opportunities. Instead, That last one can definitely give want to be the one to initiate you might consider using LI to you a problem. The first thing it shock on as large a scale as attack recruit cohorts frontally. should tell you is that time is on possible, because: They aren't DS, but they still the Roman player's side, not ƒ Ferocity only applies if you don't have to check TQ. A valid yours. Even with the Helvetian move and initiate shock, not if option if you are still Impetuous Withdrawal and Regroup rule the Romans do. is to chase down and crush those from the Bibracte scenario, you do ƒ Roman veterans are attack irritating skirmishers. While you are Impetuous, they can't use not remove any hits. Even if you superior to your BI, but not are using the suggested balance orderly withdrawal to get away provision of allowing removal of defense superior. They are to from you. This can clear the way one cohesion hit, it isn't much LI! for the charge of your BI against gain for the expenditure of a ƒ Roman recruits are attack the regulars (and it is a waste of valuable order. superior to your LI, but not resources to use BI against skirmishers). defense superior.

Additionally, use Harassment and The real scary guys are those Your biggest problem now is Dispersal (8.6) against cohorts. veteran cohorts. They're short, Caesar himself. If he is on the Move your LI close to the Roman have no sense of humor, and they field, his elite initiative can line, preferably screening your BI don't have a lot of men per sometimes cause attack superior against flank attacks from counter, but darned if they aren't Romans to power into your line adjacent legions. Stand on the attack superior even to your before you can get moving. This defensive (yes, barbarians can do "heavy" BI. Both veterans and can seriously derail your this). Even veteran cohorts must recruits are attack superior to offensive, so be on guard for it. make a pre-shock TQ check when your light infantry. Luckily, attacking LI (though Ferocity neither is defense superior to Having given a line command to won't apply). Both veteran and your BI, and only veterans are to your bunch of whooping recruit cohorts will be attack your Ll. barbarians, how do you allocate superior against your LI, so it your attacks? Again, assuming doesn't matter against whom you The Roman command system is a you have both veteran and recruit put up a screen for your BI. If pretty good one too, but it has cohorts to face, you have some they don't attack you, you can one problem compared to the difficult choices to make. If your utilize Harassment and Dispersal hierarchal command system in BI is going to take out the veteran to get some javelin shots off at Volume IV (CAESAR: THE CIVIL cohorts, the first charge is your them. WARS). In CoG, the Romans have best and sometimes only chance. no section commanders to extend You'll take heavier losses, but Most likely, your initial attack the automatic legion command Ferocity can sometimes spell the will do some significant damage, radius. They strictly dependent difference. You have to minimize but you won't be close to routing on the proconsul (PC). In the ability of those veterans to use the Roman army. At this point, "normal" conditions, this means their attack superiority against Ferocity and Impetuosity are usually the legates of four legions you to double your cohesion loss. gone, and many of your units of the front line will be in range of If you have the chance to conduct have cohesion hits which you the PC (fewer if a PC "lesser" repeat attacks against already can't remove. Roman cohorts are than Caesar himself is in weakened veterans either using moving smoothly into position command). Even if the Roman momentum or another chief to and are chopping into your army is bigger, it isn't necessarily bring in fresh BI, by all means do massed barbarians. This is where better, since more legates will be it. You want to hammer those you must feed more troops into on their own. Those legions are Romans and break them in the the meatgrinder and push the the ones you might want to first turn if at all possible. Romans towards army collapse. consider taking down. If unable As formations become to effect a legion command, that As for your LI, do not employ intermixed, you will see legate could be in serious trouble. them against veteran cohorts. opportunities to make isolated First, the Romans would be attacks on the flanks of cohorts. defense superior (DS), tripling your losses. Secondly, if you

Take every one you are offered. spread out army would face Attack and eliminate every routed under CoG command rules. cohort you can reach. If offered These barbarians are a bit the chance to take a legionary different. You have no BI, plus On the other hand, Ferocity Aquila (Eagle), do not hesitate to Impetuosity and Ferocity don't (called Furore Teutonicus) can be sacrifice units to do so. apply. Fortunately, these lightly applied selectively in this battle, armed troops aren't facing giving you a bit more flexibility. Romans in battle order. Instead, You also have the ability to form Finally, you should consider you are defending the beach moving one leader to the wagon your units into "The Wedge", against an amphibious assault. If which allows you to use laager, if you have one. Camp the Roman galleys run aground Rally (10.45) offers you the ability successive attacks on the same offshore, you can do some point of the enemy line, to rally units within your laager. damage as the legionaries are Your routed units will be potentially breaking through struggling though the surf. They several lines of cohorts. You can retreating into it. A chief in the (and you) will take cohesion hits laager can attempt to rally every also recover hits from your from moving through water and troops, but the scarcity of leaders routed unit inside the laager. across the sand. Note the column Usually, you'll be rolling against will make this difficult. shifts in your favor as they slog the leader's charisma of 1 (20% towards you, but never forget chance) but every rallied unit You also have a huge army, that you are still matching your causing both pluses and minuses. reduces your army rout tally. light infantry against cohorts. Incidentally, this is effectively the On the minus side you only have only way to remove cohesion hits. three chiefs to manage one Once the Romans have struggled hundred infantry, only ten of ashore into some semblance of which are BI. Your command order, your only real hope is to system is identical to CoG. The rout already damaged units with chiefs tend to be a little better Ariovistus has about the only Harassment & Dispersal. Your than in CoG, with longer ranges, weapon system which might chariots can let you do this for a but you'll need those ranges to make the Numidians envious. period of time before the control the large army. The This German combination of light legionaries drag your warriors scarcity of BI means your infantry cavalry and light infantry can down. If you can't manage that, will not be the winning arm of offer you some advantages in the then it is best to head inland and your force. On the plus side, you Battle of the Rhine, but at the cost wait for Caesar to go away have an incredible amount (30 of reducing your available unless hand grenades are units) of "heavy" Barbarian infantry force. The vaunted available (treat as foot javelin but Cavalry (BC). With three cavalry German Cavalry intimidated the inflict five cohesion hits). chiefs plus Beorix they can do Gauls for good reason. The LC some major damage. Lastly, you and LI are considered one unit if have some skirmishers of your they are stacked, or adjacent. This This article concentrates on own, using longbows superior to what the Roman Auxiliares have. gives them an effective size of 9 CONQUEST OF GAUL, but the or 10, which can give a column Vercellae battle from Dictator is shift in their favor against any CoG's parent, and should be They key to winning, as ever, is to cohort, and a three-column shift if addressed briefly. Here, you are attack first. With the setup as it is, attacking Roman cavalry. In going back in time to a slightly your best bet is to try what Beorix addition, they can: different game system. For the apparently tried to do. Launch ƒ Assault veteran cohorts battle of Vercellae, disregard most your infantry against the center of frontally without Romans of the preceeding. You have some the Roman line under Catulus being DS. German Cavalry significant problems here. with flankers to keep Sulla busy, ignore all DS results when Barbarian Impetuosity is now the while your larger mass of cavalry attacking, and all AS results ability of a Roman missile unit to attempts to flank Marius. He can when defending. goad your rather uncontrollable refuse the flank, but that will ƒ Divide all hits between the two barbarians into rushing after strain his command system. units, giving them more them instead of following the staying power. "battle plan." You have a Heat ƒ Use H&D tactics, hurling the rule that severely affects your The Romans are hefting their pila javelins once for each unit if staying power (beg the Roman adjacent (once total if stacked). in anticipation of your charge. I player to ignore it for competitive hope that this piece has given you ƒ Take only one order to move play). You face a huge Roman each unit. You should be using a better idea of what your men, army with a capable commander now roaring their defiance, can line commands, but there are (ten legions under Marius), and times when you cannot. do. The only question remaining section commanders which take is, "Can you break through?" away the liability that a large,