The new "Civ"?

"Conquest Of The Empire" has the most gorgeous gameboard this ancient history buff has beheld - a massive, richly coloured map of the known world during the Roman Empire (circa 200 AD).

SC, TC, LPO and I played rival caesars vying for ultimate power. Our generals led armies into new provinces, boosting silver and gold reserves which were then used to purchase infantry, cavalry, catapults and galleys. Or, for the peaceable, to build cities, fortifications and roads. Or when generals were taken hostage, to ransom them back.

While not up to "Nexus Ops" standard, the pieces were attractive. I liked the way the cities slotted into their fortifications.

Conflicts were resolved with simultaneous dice rolls by attacker and defender (factoring in number and variety of troops). This step was repeated until one side was vanquished or fled the field.

When an empire reached a certain size, inflation kicked in and the costs of everything doubled.

"C/O/T/E" reminded me of the games of "Civilization" I played at JH's and PG's places in college. After hours of to-ing and fro-ing, there was no clear winner and we were too tired to continue. But as with "Civ", the streamlined rules and strategic scope should keep us returning.

Our tabletop war was fuelled by the de rigueur beer and pizza. Maltida Bay's Rooftop Red Lager and Bohemian Pilsener proved popular, especially the pils. Y'know, it's amazing how many jalapenos a would-be Roman Emperor can consume while inebriated :-)