The Year of the Four (or More) Wargamers: Four Emperors Campaign

The first emperor is chosen by ballot (suggested via painting competition) and holds Rome. If the emperor loses a battle, the victor may challenge: both roll off, emperor +2; if the challenger wins he becomes emperor, the old emperor is slain and loses Rome and another province, and may retire or name a successor.

A challenge is resolved between the current emperor and the victor of the last game by a dice roll-off, with the current emperor adding 2 to his result.

Rounds last two to four weeks of real time. Non-emperor players must issue an invitation (defaulting to the emperor); the emperor may issue one after receiving others. Every player must fight at least one battle per round or opponents who invited them are counted as winners.

Players must play at least one battle per round; failure to do so will result in any and all opponents who issued an invitation to that player (or received an invitation from that player) being considered to have won a battle.

Each player starts with one province. Battle winners gain one adjacent province (or one across the Atlantic or Mediterranean seas); an enemy-held province can only be taken from a player defeated that round or who declined an invitation. Draws risk devastation (5-6 on a D6), removing the province's bonus and count. Most provinces after the agreed rounds decides the winner, against the emperor if necessary.

A player will gain a province of their choice at the end of a round by winning a battle, subject to the following restrictions: i. The province gained must always be one that is adjacent to one already controlled

Armies are limited to legionaries, raw legionaries, auxilia, auxiliary cavalry and archers, and artillery. Controlled provinces unlock types such as Praetorians (Roma), cataphracts (Asia), elephants (Africa), heavy armour (Fabrica provinces); points must still be paid. A temple gives D3 one-use +1 combat bonuses.

Additional choices will be gained by control of certain provinces, representing the player being able to recruit troops for which that province is famous.

Battles use an agreed points limit; a player controlling more provinces than his opponent gets an extra 10% points, and Aegyptus (grain) always gives a 10% bonus.

Any player who controls more provinces than his opponent is entitled to field an additional 10% points in addition to the points limit agreed with his opponent for that battle.