19 November 2025

Pax Romana’s Land Combat Offers The Best of Both Worlds

By newsgame

Naval combat has always been a key component of the Anno franchise. In most Anno entries, players start with a ship and an island, and they’re tasked with building and defending their new utopia against their AI rivals. That usually involves the creation of a small fleet of ships made with the sole aim of destroying any opponents looking to claim the land for their own. Anno 117: Pax Romana continues this tradition of naval combat, but for the first time since 2009, it also puts players in charge of a land army.

Released in June 2009, Anno 1404 was the last entry in the franchise to feature dedicated land combat mechanics, and the system’s execution was far from perfect. Now, 16 years later, Anno 117: Pax Romana has decided to give land combat another go, and while it’s certainly a substantial and worthy addition to the series, those looking for a traditional Anno experience don’t need to worry about its inclusion.

Anno 117: Pax Romana’s Land Combat Is Exactly What You Make It

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Land Combat Adds a New Layer of Strategy to Anno 117

Engaging in Anno 117: Pax Romana‘s land combat is easy when players know how to do it, but it can take a little while to get to that stage. A brief step-by-step guide is as follows:

Start by creating a small fleet of ships capable of transporting troop units, such as the Penteconter or Trireme
Build a 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 an enemy island
Unload troops, set their ‘Stance’ to aggressive, and unleash them on the enemy

Anno 117‘s land combat isn’t nearly as complex as a game like Total War, and the troop variety isn’t as expansive as a game like Age of Empires, but it still adds a surprisingly substantial layer of strategy that wasn’t present in Anno 1800. Rather than just creating a fleet of ships and sending them off to do their thing, Anno 117‘s land combat encourages players to engage more actively with the shipbuilding process, with players needing to choose the right modules for the job. For instance, players can equip their ship with an Onager to better bombard an enemy’s defenses and ensure safe passage for their troops, or equip an Archer Tower to provide more accurate support during land battles.

Actually commanding troops on the battlefield also brings more variety, challenge, and general strategy to Anno 117: Pax Romana. Though combat isn’t too deep, players still need to actively decide where their troops will land and how they’ll approach the enemy’s fortifications, paving the way for exciting tactics like flanking maneuvers. For those wanting to engage with Anno 117‘s land combat, there’s more than enough there to justify its inclusion.

Land Combat Doesn’t Interfere Too Much With The Classic Anno Experience

But at the end of the day, Anno 117: Pax Romana‘s land combat is mostly optional. Playing on Anno 117‘s easiest difficulties will rarely see players needing to engage in land combat, as they’ll never be forced to invade AI opponents and will be able to rely predominantly on the usual diplomacy and trade mechanics Anno is primarily known for. On higher difficulties, players will need to make sure their own island has enough defenses to quell an invasion, but that shouldn’t take away too much from the more traditional Anno gameplay experience.

Land combat is also generally much easier to control in Anno 117: Pax Romana than it was in Anno 1404, ensuring it doesn’t take up more time than it needs to. Training an army doesn’t require a convoluted military budget, players simply need to make weapons and train workers to be soldiers. Anno 117 also does away with Anno 1404‘s confusing camp system, whereby players would need to set up camps close enough to enemy territory before they could issue any commands. Now, players simply click on their troop units and click on the enemy to watch a bloody battle ensue.