Classical Hack Scenarios: Rome Scenario Booklet Review By Neal Smith

Several years ago, a group of us were lamenting the lack of suitable ancients rules for historically based games. We were on the verge of writing our own set when we stumbled upon a set of rules called Classical Hack. We immediately noticed the special rules for simulating the tactics of the various armies and we were hooked! We also like the fact that the rules didn't try to cover 4,500 years of history in one ruleset. Jump ahead several years and you have Classical Hack Scenarios, Rome. This is more than just a scenario booklet. This is a history lesson and staff ride in one easy to read and useful package! It not only contains scenarios, it has rule clarifications, historical commentary, army lists, and rule variants, and even a mini campaign! This is well worth the $18.95 you spend on it! Let's get all of the fluff out of the way and then get onto the real review! Classical Hack Scenarios, Rome is written and compiled by Philip J. Viverito, published by L.M.W. Works (PO Box 844, Amherst, NY 14226), has 51 pages, and is listed under ISBN 1-889584-04-5. In general, it is produced as a glossy, staple bound booklet. The cover has beautiful artwork of the siege of Alesia. The text of the booklet is in black and white and has the usual advertisements. Its layout follows the general pattern of a historical description of the Roman army at the scenario's time period, followed by one or more scenarios. The last sections include army lists (for people just starting the period) and rule variants. The scenarios run from 750 BC to 250 AD. I have always disliked reviews that didn't tell you about the negative aspects of what it reviewed. Believe me there isn't that many, but with any effort of this nature, there are bound to be some! I am a real stickler for proofreading! I hate paying money for something that is so full of spelling and other errors that I truly cannot read it. This booklet has some twists of grammar that make you go back and read the section again, but these are generally easy to figure out. There are very few blatant misspellings or omissions of text. Some of the scenario descriptions might leave Roman novices with a feeling of discontinuity. These could use a little more background description to bring some of them into the context of the events immediately surrounding them. It would also be nice to have a little more on the enemy that are being fought against, but that's probably a subject for the next booklet! Now, on to the good stuff! First, each period is preceded by a discussion of the army and Roman society, during the time of the scenario(s) that follow. These sections have a description of what lead to the changes from the previous incarnation of the army, the tactics the army used against various opponents, and a typical deployment for the army. The scenarios themselves begin with a description of the battle being played. The various forces are then described, with all of the unit's ratings, weapons, etc. This is followed by an excellent map of the battlefield that shows deployment of the forces and terrain involved in the battle. Most scenarios contain special rules modifying certain rules or provide objectives for the scenario. In addition to the scenarios, there is a campaign game covering the maneuvers in Spain (76-75 B.C.) and beginner army lists. The first two scenarios, of the campaign game, are played individually, but the last four can be played as a campaign where losses from an earlier battle affect the starting forces of the next. The beginner army lists are descriptions of what people, new to the Roman periods, should strive to collect first. These lists give a description of the types of units needed and their typical ratings. Mr. Viverito has always maintained that Classical Hack should be modified to fit the needs and desires of the players playing it. In this vein, the last sections are devoted to variations proposed by Grant Forsythe. Most seem to be designed to speed up game play and smooth through some of the wrinkles of the original rules. The modifications seem to produce the same basic results while going through a slightly different path to get there. Overall, this scenario booklet is worth it's price! It is nice to finally see a scenario booklet that not only provides scenarios, but also includes the army background and tactics that are so necessary for designing your own scenarios. This booklet is less about scenarios, then it is about educating gamers about various periods of Rome and it's struggles. This is the kind of resource material that ancients gaming has been needing for quite some time… Buy it today! Link to Viverito's Classical Hack Page Back to Historical Game Review List Back to Master Game Review List Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com