Yes it's the time of year for the type of game that Bryan enjoys, show the natives the benefits of living under Roman rule by killing several of them, looting all their goods and setting fire to their homes. I think if some of the local authorities took a similar punitive measures they'd have better council tax collection rates.
We used Pig Wars but with adaptations for Rome v Barbarians, unit card draws and smaller forces.
On the side of the sadistic forces of an overbearing empire/ the shining beacon of civilization in a barbaric world (delete as appropriate) was the centurion Optimus Nastius with four legionaries, the tax collector, Greedius Maximus with his two assistants and Fritzi and Hansi his two over sized Rottweilers. Leading them through the forest paths was the leader of a neighboring tribe and Roman lick spittle/loyal subject (delete as appropriate) Chancerix Del Monte and four of his boys.
On the side of the heroic freedom fighters/ anarchic trouble makers (delete as appropriate) was the feisty female leader of the village, Vitalstatistix and a barbarian outlaw leader Bagotrix each with a few doughty followers including the elderly druid Gog the malodorous.
As the tax column approached the village Vitalstatistix urged her followers on and they pelted the column with rocks. As a measured response the Romans killed several of them starting with children and elderly!
Things soon deteriorated into a large scrum at the village entrance and there were casualties on both sides before Fritzi displayed an extremely anti-woke attitude by killing the valiant Vitalstatistix. Clearly this this was not a Disney scripted game.
The game ended with Bagotrix and a couple of followers (including the totally useless druid) fleeing the board leaving Optimus and Chancerix to fire and pillage the village.
Those natives would know better next year and pay their taxes (if only they weren't dead already).
The Pig Wars adaptations worked well and gave a fast play and enjoyable game.
