Total War: Rome 2 tackles the Battle of Teutoburg Forest

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In the latest Total War: Rome 2 trailer, released this afternoon, Roman general Varus has lost his lesions, having presumably had them transferred to a stone wrapped in twigs and buried in soft peat by a witch – such was medicine in the year 9 CE. He seems really annoyed about it, which is odd – skins lesions are often very painful.

Oh. Legions.

Teutoburg Forest will be the scene of a scenario in Total War: Rome 2, as it was in 9 AD. The battle of Teutoburg Forest saw Arminius, the son of a Germanic chieftain taken as a child and raised as a hostage in Rome, turn against the Roman empire and administer a terrible defeat against Roman general Varus. Three entire legions, alongside their auxiliaries, were destroyed in the ambush. Hence the annoyance in Varus’ voice above.

The scenario will demonstrate features new to the series, including the true line-of-sight system, deployable battlefield technology, and a new ambush system.

I’ve never been one to delve into the historical scenarios in Total War, preferring instead to stick to the parallel half-histories of my campaigns. Have you?