Pax Romana's Land Combat offers the best of both worlds

Naval combat has always been a key part Anna franchise. In the majority Anna Players start with a ship and an island and are tasked with building and defending their new utopia against their AI rivals. This usually involves the creation of a small fleet of ships built with the sole purpose of destroying any adversaries who wish to claim the land for their own. Anno 117: Pax Romana continues this tradition of naval combat, but for the first time since 2009, puts players in charge of a land army as well.

Released in June 2009, Anno 1404 was the last entry in the franchise to feature specialized ground combat mechanics, and the execution of the system was far from perfect. Now, 16 years later, Anno 117: Pax Romana decided to give ground combat another shot, and while it's certainly a substantial and worthy addition to the series, those looking for traditional Anna experience, you don't have to worry about its inclusion.

Anno 117: Land Combat Pax Romana is exactly what you make it

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Land Combat adds a new layer of strategy to Anno 117

Get involved Anno 117: Pax RomanaGround combat is easy once players know how, but it can take a while to get to that stage. A quick step-by-step guide is as follows:

Start by creating a small fleet of ships capable of carrying troop units, such as a Penteconter or Trireme
Build barracks and start training soldiers
Once formed, lead the army from the barracks to the shore and load them onto the ships
Send those ships to the enemy island
Land units, set their 'Stance' to aggressive and unleash them on the enemy

Anno 117Ground combat is nowhere near as complex as the game Total warand the variety of units is not as extensive as the game Age of Empiresbut it still adds a surprisingly substantial layer of strategy that wasn't present Year 1800. Rather than just creating a fleet of ships and sending them out to do their thing, Anno 117Ground combat encourages players to be more actively involved in the ship building process, with players having to choose the right modules for the job. For example, players can equip their ship with an Onager to better bombard enemy defenses and ensure safe passage for their troops, or equip an Archer Tower to provide more accurate support during ground battles.

Actually commanding troops on the battlefield also brings more variety, challenge and general strategy Anno 117: Pax Romana. Although the combat isn't very deep, players still have to actively decide where their troops will land and how to approach enemy fortifications, paving the way for exciting tactics like flanking maneuvers. For those who want to get involved Anno 117's ground combat, there is more than enough to justify its inclusion.

Ground combat doesn't interfere much with the classic Anno experience

But at the end of the day, Anno 117: Pax RomanaGround combat is mostly optional. The game continues Anno 117On the easiest difficulty, players will rarely need to engage in ground combat, as they will never be forced to engage AI opponents and will be able to rely mostly on the usual diplomacy and trade mechanics. Anna is known above all. On higher difficulties, players will need to make sure their own island has sufficient defenses to repel an invasion, but this shouldn't detract too much from the traditional Anna gaming experience.

Ground combat is also generally much easier to control Anno 117: Pax Romana than it was in Anno 1404will ensure that it does not take more time than necessary. Training an army does not require a complex military budget, players simply need to produce weapons and train workers to be soldiers. Anno 117 also removes Anno 1404's confusing camp system where players would have to set up camps close enough to enemy territory before they could issue any orders. Now players simply click on their units and click on the enemy to watch a bloody battle ensue.