Crossing the Rubicon with Columbia’s Julius Caesar

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49BC following his victory in the Gallic Wars, the act was treasonous and his intentions clear. Standing between Caesar and empire, however, was Pompey the Great. The two men, along with Crassus, had formed the first triumvirate ten years earlier. But now it would be war.  

The Roman Civil War (49-45BC) is brilliantly immortalized by the block wargame Julius Caesar from Columbia Games. Released back in 2010, the game is still considered by many to be Columbia’s best introductory block game. A perennial favorite, it firmly resides in the top 50 for war games at BoardGameGeek.com. 

The game benefits immensely from its utilization of Columbia Games’ standard block mechanics for representing fog of war and step reduction. The quality of components, both blocks and board, are immediately evident upon opening. Contents include: 

• 63 large wooden blocks (31 brown for Caesar, 31 green for Pompey, 1 blue for Cleopatra)
• Mapboard (17 x 33 inches)     
• 8 page rules book   
• 27 Cards      
• 4 dice 

Julius Caesar has both a simplicity and elegance when played. As I have written about before, however, that shouldn’t lead you to think that the game is easy. Strategic decisions abound, as players seek to earn a minimum of 10 Victory Points. With only 13 VPs on the board (Rome & Alexandria are worth 2 each, Syracuse, Antioch, & Athens 1 each, etc.), this is no small feat. Enemy leaders killed in battle are also worth 1 VP each.   

The game recreates the war through five campaign years, each featuring five turns. The action begins immediately with Caesar’s  battle tested legions amassed to the North, in some instances only one city removed from Pompey’s. Movement in the game is city to city with limitations based on road type (4 blocks over major roads, 2 over minor).   

Julius Caesar is indeed a great block game. The theme is dramatic and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. 

Following a recent game against a friend brand new to block wargames, a game in which my forces (Pompey) defeated his legions (Caesar), the conversation immediately turned to his first impressions. He was surprised by how easy the game was, and yet equally surprised by how much strategic depth it had. He started revisiting all of the tactical mistakes he had made, the bad dice rolls which cost him valuable forces, and the failure to press the action when needed. He concluded his assessment by saying how much he looked forward to playing it again and beating me in the rematch! 

And that is the very definition of a great game.  

Photo credit: Brian Williams