About game:

Great Battles of Julius Caesar Deluxe Edition brings together Caesar: The Civil Wars, published in 1994, and Caesar: Conquest of Gaul, published in 1996. These always were some of the most popular volumes in the Great Battles of History Series, following titles like The Great Battles of Alexander or SPQR.

The scenario book features 20 battles presented in a chronological order that traces the evolution of the Roman military system from early battles against various foreign foes (Marius and Sulla), Caesar’s wars in Gaul followed by Caesar’s wars against his Roman rivals, and culminating with the Roman invasion of Britain a century later.

As such, the Deluxe Edition uses the same “basic” system as the preceding titles in the series. Let me briefly point them out: Troops activation & sequence based on Generals ratings and initiative system (with possibility for trump and momentum!); Battle resolution based on units types, direction of attack, size of units, weapons system, etc.; Cohesion and Troops Quality as decisive metrics of soldiers experience and value in battle; Rout, Rally and Depletion aspects, allowing the broken units for return to fight and many more mechanics making this system pretty detailed simulation.

Would you stand-up to the task and manage to prevail against odds, leading your forces to the victory in the field?

Number of players:

This is a great 2-player tactical level game – I will go that far to call it almost a simulation. At the same time, it plays very well solo and can be used also in that mode.

Playing time:

To say “it depends” would be an understatement 🙂 The smaller scenarios – some of which I am presenting in the “Additional Materials” section – can be easily played in 2-3 hours. But there are also larger, where whole afternoon will be needed. Still, they are relatively smaller and less complex than grand battles of Alexander or SPQR.

Complexity:

Having played various wargames, I would rate this as a medium-complexity title. Indeed, the rulebook is pretty long and detailed; however, the game-play is relatively straightforward and some special rules – easy to remember. There is also Simplified GBoH version, but I am not fan of it as it kills a lot of subtlety from the full version.

What I like:
  • Reading my blog you for sure observed that I am fan of antiquity, with special focus on Rome. Thus game theme is very appealing to me – especially, as it takes you through various stages in Roman warfare development, from Sulla & Marius, through Caesar & Pompey up to Claudian conquest of Britain.
  • I truly appreciate the depth and breath of the design by Mark Herman and Richard Berg. From my perspective, authors went to great lengths to simulate the ancient warfare but still let the game be playable and fun.
  • Quality of the Deluxe Edition is superb – components, rulebook, maps – they all look splendid and does a great job of merging all the modules in one, coherent set of rules and scenarios.  
  • What I also like is variety of scenarios – we have smaller and larger engagements; we have amphibious assaults; there is even naval battle! You can really choose whatever suits you and start in place which interests you the most.

What I do not like or would like to see in the game:
  • One of the obvious things which Great Battles of History series features – and which is not so nice – is the clutter on the map – especially in larger scenarios. You would not only have the forces counters but also Cohesion Hits, No Missiles, Rout, TQ-Check, Leader Wounded, and many other markers. In such cases a good tweezer can be very helpful.

  • While not so big problem in Julius Caesar, still, the length of some of the scenarios makes them virtually unplayable – unless you have a table where you can leave the game and come back to it at the later stage.
For whom?

This is definitely title for experienced or even seasoned wargamers. Could be a little daunting for the new adepts of our hobby. Of course, if you are fan of Ancient History, especially Rome (as I am), this will be a great addition to your collection.  

More about the game:


And now let us have a look at the components – all pictures / videos taken during my plays:

UNBOXING
Set-up of Bibracte (58 BC) scenario.
Barbarians charging the Roman Legion.
Repositioning in the face of enemy.
Storage solution based on great Cube4Me trays! Check it out: https://cube4me.com/product/great-battles-of-julius-caesar-deluxe-edition/!

VERDICT:

I acquired Julius Caesar after buying Alexander, SPQR and Cataphract so have a decent comparison to some other, leading titles in the series. From complexity, scale and fun-to-play perspective I would position this game on my preference list somewhere in the middle. It is pretty playable, with battles which you can easily fit in one session. It also provides a naval scenario and amphibious landing one – which is a plus! All of this in new, beautiful and complete edition.

Now, you probably heard about Great Battles of History and you maybe was thinking this might be too overwhelming for you. Do not despair! The system is pretty straightforward, easy to grasp and learn. Another question is whether Julius Caesar should be the first title to bring to the table. Personally, I would suggest smaller designs like Hoplite or Cataphract. Whatever path you choose, I hope you will have fun with the game and system!

See you in another game review!