The COIN Series is similar to Card-Driven Games (the CDG System) in leveraging event cards to bring political, diplomatic, economic, and other non-military aspects into a wargame without muss.  (Consider, in this regard, the lineage from 1994’s “We the People” by Mark Herman to today’s Liberty or Death.)  Falling Sky,is no different.  Here we preview a few of the events in the deck that help depict the politics and diplomacy of 1^st-Century BC Gaul. Background notes are from the game’s Playbook (thanks to additions from Marc Gouyon-Rety). Citations are from Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War in the format [book.chapter] with quotations as translated by Carolyn Hammond, Oxford University Press, 1996.

COIN Series Volume VIII, Falling Sky, casts players in the roles of great leaders during the Gallic revolts against Roman occupation:  Ambiorix of the Belgae, Vercingetorix of the Celts, and of course Caesar.  But the next tier of great personages appears in the game also—in the Event cards.  Here we present just a portion of the cards that showcase the individuals of each faction in Gaul that help propel the drama of Falling Sky.  To the card images we add historical background notes from the game’s Playbook (with thanks to Marc Gouyon-Rety for his assistance), citations from Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War in the format [book.chapter], and sometimes quotations (as translated by Carolyn Hammond, Oxford University Press, 1996).

Falling Sky—The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar depicts each of its factions’ personalities in war and diplomacy—as in the all the COIN Series volumes—mainly through its diverse menus of commands and special abilities.  But the card deck adds more such personality to each player role.  Here we present just eight Falling Sky events that display particular ways and means of the Gauls to combat the Romans and, of course, one another.  With each card, we add background from the game’s Playbook, which provides historical notes on each of the 72 event cards (with thanks to Marc Gouyon-Rety for his assistance there and in suggesting several of the events that are in the deck).  Citations below are from Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War in the format [book.chapter], quotations as translated by Carolyn Hammond, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Following up on our earlier article on overall Roman strategy in COIN Series Volume VI Falling Sky, here is a much closer, blow-by-blow examination of just a portion of the tools in the legionaries’ and auxiliaries’ kit bags….