Field of Glory II

Field of Glory II is a deep turn-based tactical strategy game set in the historical conflicts of the ancient world. Players command a vast array of historically accurate armies, from the legions of Rome to the phalanxes of Greece, in detailed, tactical battles that hybridize tabletop wargaming rules with digital presentation. The game challenges both new and veteran strategy gamers with its complex rule set, requiring careful planning and tactical ingenuity to achieve victory on its meticulously crafted battlefields.

Field of Glory II: A Historian’s Verdict on the Digital Rebirth of Ancient Warfare

The turn-based strategy genre is a crowded field, but few games dare to specialize with the unflinching, academic rigor of Slitherine Ltd. and Byzantine Games’ 2017 release. Field of Glory II is not merely a game; it is a meticulously researched digital artifact, a translation of tabletop miniature wargaming into a complex simulation that demands as much study as it does play. It stands as a testament to a niche within a niche, a title that forgoes mass appeal in favor of historical authenticity and tactical depth, carving its name not with flashy spectacle, but with the quiet, calculated precision of a well-ordered Roman legion.

Development History & Context: From Tabletop to Pixel-Perfect Replication

Field of Glory II did not emerge from a vacuum. Its lineage is crucial to understanding its design philosophy. The original Field of Glory was a highly successful tabletop miniature wargame ruleset, co-designed by Richard Bodley Scott and published in 2008 by Slitherine and Osprey Publishing. It was celebrated for its depth and historical accuracy but, like all tabletop systems, was constrained by physical components, setup time, and the need for a willing opponent.

The first digital adaptation, developed by Hexwar and released in 2009, was a faithful but technologically limited translation. By 2017, the gaming landscape was dominated by real-time titans like Total War and grand strategy behemoths from Paradox. Into this fray stepped Byzantine Games, a studio already respected for their deeply historical titles Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun and Pike and Shot: Campaigns. Their mission was audacious: to resurrect the Field of Glory franchise using a modernized, proprietary engine—the same one that powered their previous titles—and deliver an experience that captured the soul of the tabletop game while leveraging the advantages of digital computation.

The vision, led by legendary designer Richard Bodley Scott himself, was clear: prioritize accuracy and tactical nuance above all else. The technological constraints of the era were not a hindrance but a focus. The team opted for a clean, functional 3D presentation that prioritized clarity over graphical bombast, ensuring the game could run on a wide range of systems while keeping the player’s attention on the chess-like grid and unit statistics, not particle effects. This was a deliberate rejection of the trend towards cinematic real-time battles, a statement that deep, thoughtful, turn-based gameplay was not only still relevant but could provide a more authentic historical wargaming experience.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Unwritten Epic of History

To critique Field of Glory II for a lack of a traditional narrative is to misunderstand its purpose entirely. Its narrative is the narrative of history itself. The game does not tell a story with characters and dialogue; it provides the tools to explore the “what-ifs” and realities of ancient military history.

The “plot” is the rise of Rome, the grim determination of Hannibal, the brilliant maneuvers of Belisarius, and the chaotic fury of Gallic warbands. This narrative is conveyed through its immense scope: 48 factions and 75 meticulously researched army lists covering the period from 280 BC to 25 BC. The twelve included “Epic Battles”—from the carnage of Cannae to the disaster of Carrhae—are chapters in a history book that the player is empowered to rewrite.

The underlying themes are those of command, logistics, and morale. The game explores the tension between the idealized, orderly lines of a Roman legion and the unpredictable, ferocious energy of “barbarian” tribes. It thematically contrasts the disciplined hammer-and-anvil tactics of Hellenistic phalanxes with the swift, harrying strikes of Numidian cavalry. Every battle is a lesson in the military doctrines of the era, a theme of order versus chaos, discipline versus fervor, and technology versus numbers. The dialogue is the silent language of unit cards and tooltips; the characters are the named generals whose presence on the field can bolster the resolve of nearby troops, their leadership a tangible, gameplay-affecting resource.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: The Art of Ancient War, Deconstructed

At its heart, Field of Glory II is a system of interlocking rules and probabilities, a digital manifestation of a complex tabletop ruleset. The core loop is simple: deploy, maneuver, engage, and break the enemy. The brilliance lies in the staggering depth of each step.

The Core Loop: Players command cohort-sized units on a hex-based grid. Each turn, units can move and attack, with their effectiveness dictated by a myriad of factors: unit type (Legionaries, Hoplites, Elephants, Horse Archers), experience level, formation, facing, terrain, leadership, and morale state (Steady, Disordered, Fragmented, Routed). Combat is resolved through a combination of these factors and hidden dice rolls, creating a predictable yet tense uncertainty.

Combat & Morale: This is the game’s masterstroke. Units don’t simply lose hit points. They degrade in cohesion. A unit charged in the flank or rear suffers massive penalties and is likely to become “Fragmented,” making it vulnerable to complete collapse. This creates a cascading effect; seeing allies break can shatter the morale of adjacent units. Victory is often achieved not by annihilation, but by breaking the enemy’s will to fight, a profoundly historical concept.

Army Building & Customization: The game offers near-limitless replayability through its Custom Battle mode. Players can build armies from the vast historical lists, point-based like a tabletop game, and face off against AI or human opponents on randomly generated, historically plausible maps. This system is a sandbox for military historians, allowing confrontations between nations that never historically met.

Campaigns: The five campaigns, particularly the four general-specific ones (Hannibal, Caesar, etc.), offer a curated narrative experience. Between battles, simple strategic decisions affect the forces available in the next engagement. Victories allow core units to gain experience, creating a personal attachment to your veteran legions or cavalry wings.

UI & Accessibility: This is the game’s greatest barrier and, for its audience, one of its strengths. The UI is information-dense, presenting a wealth of data clearly for veterans but overwhelming newcomers. The tutorials are functional but cannot fully prepare a player for the sheer depth of situational rules. Mastery requires reading the manual and learning through defeat—a hardcore ethos that proudly defines its target audience.

Flaws: The AI, while competent and capable of delivering a challenge, can sometimes be exploited by a savvy player. The initial release was critiqued for underutilizing its vast faction roster in pre-set scenarios, a gap later filled by a robust DLC roadmap and community mods.

World-Building, Art & Sound: A Functional Aesthetic

Field of Glory II’s presentation is best described as functional and respectful. It understands that the “world” is the historical Mediterranean, and its job is to represent it clearly, not romanticize it.

Visuals: The switch to 3D models from the first game’s 2D sprites was a significant leap. The 86 unit types are rendered with commendable detail and variety. Animations are simple but effective—the crash of a cavalry charge or the bristling of a phalanx’s spears carries visual weight. The isometric perspective is clean and can be rotated, allowing for clear assessment of the battlefield. The terrain is appropriately varied, and its impact on movement and combat is instantly visually communicated.

Sound Design: The soundscape is sparse but purposeful. The pre-battle din of troops is oddly muted, often described as sounding like “office chatter,” which can be immersion-breaking. However, the audio comes alive in combat. The clash of metal, the thud of arrows, the trumpeting of enraged elephants, and the desperate cries of routing troops are all well-executed and provide crucial auditory feedback. The score by Alessandro Ponti is suitably epic and martial, swelling appropriately during key moments without becoming intrusive.

Atmosphere: The overall atmosphere is one of scholarly contemplation rather than frenetic action. The game feels like a detailed historical model brought to life. The aesthetic choices all serve the gameplay; there is no flash for flash’s sake. It builds a world of dust, iron, and courage, evoking the feel of a historical text rather than a Hollywood film.

Reception & Legacy: A Critical and Cult Success

Upon its release in October 2017, Field of Glory II was met with strong critical acclaim within the wargaming sphere. It holds a Metacritic score of 84/100 and an OpenCritic score of 85%, with reviewers from IGN Italia calling it “for PC wargames what Destiny 2 is for online FPS” and GameWatcher praising its “sheer technical depth.”

Commercially, it found its intended audience. While not a blockbuster, it was a solid success for Slitherine, bolstered by a dedicated fanbase and a robust post-launch plan. Its legacy, however, is where its true impact is felt.

Influence and Evolution: Field of Glory II solidified the “Byzantine Games” formula of deep, accessible (within the genre) turn-based tactical gameplay. It directly led to the development of the grand strategy title Field of Glory: Empires (2019), which could export battles into FoG II for tactical resolution—a dream feature for historical grognards. Its success also paved the way for the natural evolution of the system into the medieval era with Field of Glory II: Medieval (2021).

The game’s most significant legacy is its stewardship of a community. It became a cornerstone of digital historical wargaming, supported by an active modding community that creates new units, factions, and historical scenarios, extending its life far beyond its initial release. It proved that there is a sustainable market for highly detailed, thoughtful tactical games that respect both history and the player’s intelligence.

Conclusion: A Definitive Digital Tome of Ancient Warfare

Field of Glory II is a masterpiece of its specific genre. It is not a game for everyone, and it makes no apologies for that. It is a game for the armchair general who revels in the intricacies of military history, for the tabletop veteran seeking a digital outlet, and for the strategy player who believes that victory is earned not through quick reflexes, but through careful planning and a deep understanding of complex systems.

Its flaws—a steep learning curve, occasionally underwhelming audio, and an AI that can be predictable—are noticeable but ultimately minor in the face of its monumental achievements. It delivers an unparalleled level of historical detail, tactical depth, and replayability. It successfully translates the feel of a tabletop miniatures game into a digital format, removing the friction of setup while retaining the intellectual satisfaction.

In the pantheon of video game history, Field of Glory II may not be the most famous strategy title, but it is undoubtedly one of the most respected. It is the definitive digital simulation of ancient tactical warfare, a scholarly and deeply engaging experience that stands as a high-water mark for historical accuracy and turn-based design. For those it calls to, it is not just a game; it is an endlessly fascinating historical instrument.