Dictator introduces two key battles from the fading years of the Roman Republic, when Rome was faced with three major outside threats -- the Numidians under King Jugurtha; the Germanic invasion of the Cimbri, Teutons, and Ambrones; and the threat from the east of King Mithridates of Pontus -- and wracked with civil wars and the conflict for power between the two leading men at the turn of the century -- Gaius Marius and L. Cornelius Sulla -- all leading to the brutal dictatorship of Sulla. The outside threats led quickly to the establishment of the army as a political power base; the day of the military dictator was at hand, and the Republic was entering its death throes.

Dictator allows the Great Battles of History series, once again, to compare tactical systems. Here we show the legion against the frightening but undisciplined barbarians hordes (Vercellae), as well as the last true appearance of the Macedonian system (granted, gone to Asiatic seed), the Pontine army.

The legion has now fully eschewed the velites-hastati-principes system of the Punic era, a change started by Scipio and fully and officially implemented by Marius. Each legion now has ten equally-armed cohorts (the basic tactical battlefield formation), allowing field commanders to use a variety of linear/depth formations, from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 to 5-3-2 ... even the Nickel Defense. This is the Roman army in transition to its ultimate embodiment in the legions of the early Caesars.