Introduction
Some of the best things in life come from those who are willing to ask the hard questions…

“Is there a more meaningful, entertaining and mentally healthy way of playing these games solo than the “dunce cap tango”? Is there a way to play CDGs in solitaire mode where the player will experience the story developing as they play along, while occasionally being surprised by unexpected events and forced to react to developing and changing situations, all while being unaware of all of the other side’s cards whenever playing one side? This is what the CDG Solo Method is all about.” - Stuka Joe, The Madness Behind a CDG Solo Method, Inside GMT, 2016

The CDG Solo System is a revised GMT Edition of Stuka Joe's CDG solo method, which streamlines two-handed solitaire gameplay by decreasing turn to turn overhead and maintenance. This method of play increases narrative immersion as the great battles of history unfold on your tabletop. The GMT edition of the CDG Solo System includes professionally printed components, a custom screen-printed die, an official ruleset, and Playsheets for seven of GMT’s most popular Card Driven Games.

Gameplay Overview
The CDG Solo System plays alongside your favorite CDG and is designed to enhance your solitaire experience by reintroducing many of the best parts of wargaming that fall apart in standard two-handed play, namely, as Stuka Joe mentioned above, the narrative flow and the fog of war. 

The CDG Solo System includes two Card Displays that are used to manage each side’s hand of strategy cards. At the beginning of each Side's turn, you will roll a Fate Die to determine which of the cards in one or more of the slots are available for play. Typically 2 or 3 cards are available at a time, but the final decision is ultimately yours. After a card is played, the marker on the Cards Remaining track slides one spot to the left, and then it’s time to roll the die for the other side’s turn.

Because the turn to turn maintenance level is so low, the rhythm of play quickly becomes second nature and allows for the game to shine. The combination play between the roll of the Fate Die and the layout of the Card Displays provides many great benefits for Solitaire CDG players. First, the singular die roll provides a nearly instantaneous result that limits the player’s options so a decision can be made quickly for each side. 

Second, because cards are only turned face-up when their lettered slot is rolled, the player doesn’t know all of the cards that will be available for each side. This combined with the Fate Die dictating which slots are available each turn effectively reinstates a reasonable degree of uncertainty and allows the player to focus on the options for the active side, instead of falling victim to the mental strain of trying to take every card into consideration while also pretending to not know what the other side is planning to do. 

Finally, the system allows for an element of surprise. Every once in a while, the perfect strategy hangs in the balance as the die rolls. Whether things look grim (until the die roll flips the perfect card) or everything feels like it's falling perfectly in line (until the card slot you need isn't rolled), the CDG Solo System reintroduces the fog of war to solitaire CDG wargaming. The moments that don't go as planned make for the best stories.

Playsheet Support
Along with a Rules Summary and the components we’ve talked about above, the system will launch with official Playsheet support for seven GMT games:

Caesar: Rome vs Gaul
Commands & Colors: Ancients
Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles
For The People
Illusions of Glory
Paths of Glory
Washington’s War

Playsheets are single sheets of rules, front and back, that contain all of the game-specific rules needed to use the system. These include a diagram of set-up, a listing of die result rulings, and modifications to the system that are necessary to meet the demands of unique game rules.

For those who are familiar with Stuka Joe’s original solo method, the Playsheets are based on the original “Tweak Sheets” and provide the same ease, simplicity, and clarity while aiding in the play experience. While the CDG Solo System is launching with support for the above-mentioned titles, the development team will continue to build more official Playsheets to support old and new CDGs in the GMT catalog.

Finally, we recognize that the CDG Solo System was a community effort and want to give back to the community that developed this system. So, GMT will make the rulebook, playsheets, and all needed files available as a free Print-and-Play download when the system is sent to the printer.

COMPONENTS:
* 2 Card Displays
* 1 Six-Sided Custom Die
* 4 Markers for the Cards Remaining Track 
* 1 Rules Summary
* 7 Playsheets (Caesar: Rome vs Gaul, Commands & Colors: Ancients, Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles, For The People, Illusions of Glory, Paths of Glory, Washington’s War)

Original Solo Method Design: Stuka Joe
Solo System Design: Ken Kuhn 
Developer: Ken Kuhn

Commands & Colors: Ancients allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world. Here the focus is on the two rivals for power in the Western Mediterranean: Carthage and Rome. Will you, as Hannibal, triumph over larger Roman armies; or as Scipio Africanus, will you beat Hannibal with newer tactics of your own?

Units in both armies can only move and fight when ordered. The command playing cards supply those orders, providing an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities. You must maximize your opportunities by playing your command cards judiciously. How well you handle the diverse units, their weapons, and the terrain, will determine victory.

Commands & Colors: Ancients contains the battles of Akragas, Crimissos River, Ticinus River, Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, Dertosa, Castulo, Baecula, Ilipa, and Zama.

Game Components
UNIT LABELS: Five full-color sheets of unit labels to affix to the 345 wooden blocks.
MAP: One 22"x34" full-color mapsheet + three sheets of Terrain Tile Overlays (double-sided)
CARDS: 60 Command Cards
OTHER:
* 7 Battle dice
* 28-page Rule and Battle book
* 2 full color Player Aid cards

Game Features
AGE: 12+
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2
PLAYING TIME: 1 hour per battle

Friends, Romans and countrymen lend me your ears...

Some of you have already discovered that Commands & Colors: Ancients is much more than a game. It is an expandable game system that allows players to fight historical Ancient battles.

Imperial Rome and The Barbarians is the second expansion to Commands & Colors: Ancients. In this second expansion you will find historical battles that focus on Rome and the early Gallic invasion, invasion of the Northmen, the Servile War (Spartacus), Caesar's conquest of Gaul, the Roman Civil Wars and much more.

Showcased in the second expansion, are over 20 scenarios that range from 390 BC (Allia River) to 9 AD (Teutoburger Wald), and all the blocks and labels you need to field the Roman and Barbarian forces to fight out these battles. By now, you know we can do this, because Commands & Colors: Ancients by design is a unique historical game system that allows players to effectively portray stylized Ancient battles that play to a conclusion in less than an hour.

Imperial Rome and The Barbarians will feature at least one new unit type as well as several "specialty" units and leaders (Briton Chariots, Legionaries using the pilum, and Caesar, for example). Each of these operates within the confines of the original system rules, with only slight modifications to reflect their historical abilities and importance. So, rules-wise, if you've played Commands & Colors: Ancients, you'll have no trouble at all learning the few special rules for these new types of units.

The battle dice resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory. Yet the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Ancient units, their weapons, terrain and the history.

ALEA JACTA EST!
(The die is cast - a phrase near and dear to wargamers). Julius Caesar spoke this phrase as his legions crossed the Rubicon, sparking the Second Roman Civil War. Leading the most capable combat-hardened veteran legions in the Roman Army, Caesar set out to subdue his numerically superior opponents - and succeeded!

The Roman Civil Wars is the third expansion to Commands & Colors: Ancients. In this expansion you will find historical battles that focus not only on the most famous of the Civil Wars, but also the earlier First Civil War, and the Sertorian War in Spain where Quintus Sertorius, a gifted soldier-in-exile, defeated several larger Roman armies sent against him, until killed in 72 BC by assassins.

Expansion #2: Rome and the Barbarians has been modified from its original configuration by the addition of a mounted battle board - an item requested by many of you - and a sheet of terrain tiles containing some new terrain types and some additional original tiles. To keep the P500 cost unchanged, the 110+ blocks needed for the Roman Civil War battles have been shifted to Expansion #3 set.

Expansion #3: The Roman Civil Wars will provide all the gray and red blocks and stickers needed to field two full opposing Roman armies when combined with the gray Republican Roman army from Commands & Colors: Ancients, and the red Marian Roman army from Expansion #2: Rome and the Barbarians. There will be at least 16 scenarios that range from 82 BC (Aesis River) to the Battle of Munda in 45 BC.

The Roman Civil Wars will feature familiar units with new capabilities. The Roman legions have evolved into the deadly fighting units of legend. In terms of Commands and Colors performance, the medium infantry units (representing less experienced legions) and heavy infantry units (representing the veteran legions) will now be able to move two hexes without engaging in close combat, or still move one hex and have close combat (as well as throwing their pilum - a capability acquired in Expansion #2: Rome and the Barbarians). You will be able to fight battles with medium and heavy infantry as you have never fought them before!

Rules-wise, if you've played Commands & Colors: Ancients, you'll have no trouble at all learning the few special rules for these legionary infantry units, for the basic mechanics remain unchanged. The battle dice resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory. Yet the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Ancient units, their weapons, terrain and the history.

But that's not all... GMT is also going to include another mounted mapboard in Expansion #3, configured to be mated to the mounted board from Expansion #2. In addition the Commands & Colors: Epic Ancients new Command rules for fighting large-scale historical battles will provide those of you interested in fighting truly large-scale, multi-player, ancient battles the perfect and unique opportunity to do so with a number of your friends.

Note on Combo 2 & 3 reprint Edition:
With both of these modules out of stock and the mounted map originally included in them now available in the main C&C: Ancients game (and separately), we have decided to combine the two modules into one boxed pack and remove the mounted board to get you guys as inexpensive a reprint edition as possible. Exact components are listed below. Enjoy!

COMPONENTS:
* 3" Box
* 457 red, green, gray and black blocks
* 1 sheet terrain tiles
* 7 sheets of labels
* 2 reference cards
* 1 combined rule and scenario book

We are Sparta...
More than a line from a movie, The Spartan Army is the sixth expansion for the Commands & Colors: Ancients game system.

The Spartan Army expansion features over 20 scenarios, which focus on a period of time from 669 BC to 338 BC. In the early battles of Sparta against Argive, we see the development of Hoplite armies. We then move onto the war with the Persian Empire and take a closer look at the battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC. During the Peloponnesian Wars, Sparta takes a leader position among the Peloponnesian states, which would last for almost two centuries. Finally there is a shift in power away from Sparta during the battles of the Theban Era and the rise of Macedon.

The Spartan Army expansion also provides all the blocks and stickers needed to field a Spartan Army and its allies to oppose the armies from Commands & Colors: Ancients - Expansion #1 - Greek vs Eastern Kingdoms. As well as one sheet of 15 new double sided Terrain Tiles.

Rules-wise, if you are familiar with Commands & Colors: Ancients, you'll have no trouble at all learning the special rules for Hoplite infantry, for the basic game mechanics remain unchanged. Battle dice still resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities for victory.

As with all Commands & Colors: Ancients expansions to date, the tactics you will need to execute with thees Hoplite armies will conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to these historical units, their weapons, the terrain and history.

A special thanks goes out to Pat Kurivial, Miguel Marqués, Dan Fournie and all at GMT for their efforts and enthusiasm to bring forth another outstanding expansion for Commands & Colors: Ancients. Welcome once again to the fun... Enjoy!

Contents:
* Rule/Scenario Booklet that features 26 historical scenarios
* 1 Reference Card
* 228 Blocks
* Block Label sheets
* 2 Terrain Tile Sheets: each contains 15 double-sided Terrain Tiles

Game Design: Richard Borg