Like most Avalanche Press games, the components of Fading Legions are excellent, especially the unit counters. They are colorful and very easy to read and use. The maps are a little bare, but they too serve their purpose well. Where the components falter a little is on the rules booklet. The book is 16-pages of heavy text with few graphical examples of play. There are few examples at all, in fact, and this is always a problem for me, especially given the technology available to game studios these days. The lack of examples makes finding and absorbing rules difficult. Also, there is no reference sheet/card provided, so one must constantly jump around to ensure that he is not missing anything in the combat procedure or in the way command-and-control is handled. Indeed, the game isn’t very difficult and it doesn’t require enormous study, but a few more aides would have been helpful.

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The historical research that went into this game seems complete, and I enjoyed reading the pre- and post-history of the battles. The scenario booklets themselves are well done.

In the final analysis, however, I found Fading Legions a little bland. Though I liked the Persian scenarios the best, the overall gameplay left me wanting: Players simply line up their units on an empty field and attack each other. The maps are so small that there’s little room for maneuver, and the number of options within a given action phase is small. Granted, a lot of ancient battles were fought this way, but with the rise of card-driven systems, and ancient miniatures systems that provide more compelling command-and-control and maneuver options, Fading Legions tends to fade from memory.

Persons who really like this period of Roman military history may find some measure of enjoyment in Fading Legions. Alas, I did not.

Author Information

Robert has been in the gaming business for over 12 years, serving as the editor for Avalon Hill’s THE GENERAL magazine, and as a writer, designer, and producer for Stanley Associates, Interactive Magic, and Talonsoft. He currently works for BreakAway Games, and is also an assistant editor for the horror and fantasy magazine Weird Tales.

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