My Favorite Game Cards: The Roman Militia Card from Stilicho

With this My Favorite Game Cards series, I want to show you a specific card from different games I’ve played and explain how it’s used. I’m not a strategy expert and I’ll admit I’m not the best at games, but I do understand how things should work. So here’s the next entry in this series.

#63: Militia from Stilicho: Last of the Romans from Hollandspiele

Stilicho: Last of the Romans is a well-designed and interesting solo game that takes about 60-90 minutes to play. But because the game uses random card draws and depends on dice luck, it can end very quickly. In fact, my first game a few years ago only lasted 2 rounds and was over in about 15 minutes. Remember that the real Stilicho only made it to Round 3! The cards are the heart of the game and make it very tense and full of decisions. You have to look at each card carefully, thinking about how useful it is right now, while also worrying about having to throw away a good card that you can’t use at this moment. I think this design works even better than its predecessor, Wars of Marcus Aurelius.

The cards are multi-use cards, like most card-driven games. You can either use the events printed on them or throw them away to take actions. It’s important to read every part of the card carefully because some cards have multiple effects, different effects depending on how the game is going, or may need certain conditions to be played.

Some events are too important to ever throw away for actions because they give you such great benefits and are better than taking individual actions. But whether a card is useful depends on when you draw it in the game. An example is the Militia Roman Card.

During the game, some cards will put Unrest Markers on the tracks that go through the provinces. These Unrest Markers show how Roman control is weakening, how fear is spreading among people because of threats from rebels, and the problems of defending against barbarian attacks. They act as a growing threat that, if not dealt with, can lead to revolts, which are one of the main ways you lose the game.

Unrest Markers are placed in Dioceses when certain enemy cards (especially the Vandals) are activated or reach the end of their movement tracks. If a Diocese already has an Unrest Marker when a new one is placed, it means things are getting worse, and you have to flip the existing marker to its “Revolt” side. Unrest/Revolt Markers make battles harder in that province. When fighting in an affected Diocese, the marker adds to the enemy’s strength. Also, having too many Revolt Markers on the board at once is a major way to lose. Managing and removing these markers is essential to survive. Unrest Markers are placed in a specific order across the board—starting from Hispania and moving through Gallia to Italia—which shows where the crisis is spreading. Players must spend valuable actions (usually by throwing away cards) or use specific Event Cards like the Militia card to remove these counters from the board.

Before the late 2nd century BC, Rome used citizen militias or levies of property-owning men aged 16-46, who served without pay during summer campaigns. Organized by wealth, they formed three lines—hastati, principes, triarii—and provided their own equipment. They were important for seasonal defense and expansion, as well as for patrolling and protecting supply lines, trade routes, and newly conquered territories. Eventually, this system was replaced by a professional army after 107 BC.

I wrote a series of Action Points about different parts of the game, and you can read them at these links:

Action Point 1 – looks at the Mapsheet focusing on the three Fronts where your enemies advance, but also covers the different spaces and boxes that affect play like the Olympius Track, Game Turn Track, Army Box, Leader Box and Recovery Box
Action Point 2 – examines the cards that drive the game and looks at both the Enemy Deck and the Roman Deck.
Action Point 3 – explores the Roman Phase and how cards are thrown away to take one of nine different actions.
Action Point 4 – looks at examples of Battles and how they are resolved.
Action Point 5 – shares some strategy points that will help you do better in the game.

I made a playthrough video for the game, and you can watch it at this link: