We’re breaking up: Rome II’s Imperator campaign map is a fractured mess of warring factions

Total War: Rome II Imperator Augustus

Total War: Rome II’s free Imperator Augustus campaign offers up one of the most interesting periods of antiquity as a stage for war. While Caesar established the foundations that would allow his adopted son, Octavian, to ascend to the position of Emperor, it was after the war between Octavian and Marc Antony that he would actually become ruler of the Roman world. And in the Imperator Augustus campaign, you can try to stop him if you want. 

Creative Assembly has released the campaign map, revealing the playable factions available in this war – which managed to be both a civil war and an international one. Slap your eyes on it below. 

(Larger version)

There will be 10 playable faction, accompanied by 65 minor powers. And making things a bit interesting is the fact that four of them are Roman. Each member of the Second Triumvirate – the alliance between Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus – is its own faction, along with the Roman general, Sextus Pompey, and his faction in Sicily. The latter was the father of Julius Caesar’s one-time ally turned nemesis, so he’s not a big fan of the Triumvirate. Historically, he committed quite a bit of piracy to piss them off.

Of course there’s Egypt too. That’s where Marc Antony met his end after unsuccessful wars in Greece and Parthia. The aforementioned eastern kingdom is present too, and will no doubt be a bit of a thorn in the side of anyone who plays as the Roman lothario.

It’s been a good long time since I’ve played Rome II. It didn’t have the staying power of its predecessor. But I’m a sucker for Augustus and the birth of the Roman Empire, so I might just have to jump back in again.

It’s due out next week, on the 16th.