Lets skip the unboxing nonsense shall we? Yes Great Battles of History Caesar Deluxe edition, etc. 7.5 counter sheets a swag of maps, glorious full color etc,etc. And a box.

Marius is in Route March formation with four Legions.

 

Jurgatha and the skinnies on horse back are out for blood. “Flowing Robes, the Lama, striking” [Caddyshack] .

The Roman Legions all four of them, are early Marian reform. Some conscript and some recruited. Spread out and likely to get into trouble. The idea behind the Marian reforms was pretty interesting and somewhat less important today than when I first read about it. Gracchus made similar reforms. The idea being that smaller farmers and citizens were gone for longer and longer periods of time. Wars or campaigns could no longer be resolved in a single seasonal campaign, so conscripted loyal soldiers were having farms fall fallow, or incurring debts and losing the farms that were then consolidated by …..guess who? ; Yep the senatorial class. Thus creating mega farms which led oddly enough to a decline in the pool of eligible and available soldiers to fight. While wars were waged on the Italian Peninsula it was fine. But now troops were in Spain, Middle East and Gaul. All these places required garrisons too. Longer campaigns, more campaigns less troops to conscript as you had to be a citizen and land owner to be in the Legions. Anyway I digress. These chaps are strung out indeed.

BUT….

The Numidians must roll at or under Initiative rating to enter from a pre selected side of the map.

The first turn Marius is in RM formation they move, then we get to roll for Initiative. All fail except Jurgatha himself. He enters the map, on the North side. While the Numidians have a counter superiority, their strength and relative fighting strength is weaker. They will need to rely on Hit and Run tactics, there probably wont be much stand up fighting, unless the Legions can bring all four forces to heel.  Rome wins if they get everyone off the west edge….. OR route the bad guys and finish of this protracted highly political little scuffle.