In 49 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon at the head of a legion of soldiers marching towards Rome, against the law. Though his army was small, few defenses on the Italian peninsula were prepared to stop him. Fresh legions training in the south would not be ready to intercept Caesar’s rebels in time.
As Caesar’s legion approached, the senate fled Rome to the East. Their last hope was general Pompeius, the only man who could match Caesar’s achievements on the battlefield. Pompeius set up in Greece, and mustered a large army to stop Caesar’s invasion.
Today, the forces of Caesar and Pompey will meet on the battlefield. You command one of their clashing armies. It will be a bloody fight—Roman against Roman. You must draw up your legions in battle formation, find ways to raise the morale of your legionaries, and win the battle before it even starts by out-thinking and outmaneuvering your opponent.
Para Bellum is a tableau-building card and dice game for 2-4 players, set during Julius Caesar’s Civil War in the Late Roman Republic. The players are military leaders loyal to either the senate and Pompeius, or to Caesar’s rebellion. Use your wits and resources to make sure that your troops are in high spirits and that the enemy is demoralized when the game ends… and the battle begins!