So what exactly happens when the most sophisticated army of its time decides to take a stroll in the beautiful German forests without asking permission from the local druid? Well, you could ask the soldiers of the XVII, XVIII and XIX legion but sadly, Publius Quinctilius Varus happened to be one of those fellows that forgot to ask.

Enshrined in history as one of the most shameful and devastating defeats of the Roman Empire, the Battle of the Teutenburg Forest is both a textbook example on how to set up an ambush and how to conveniently run into one.

Do you think you could have changed the outcome? Well, you can try to put deeds to your words for Total War: Rome II will feature the legendary ambush as a playable battle. Take command of the stoic roman legions and fight the barbarian horde while you attempt to escape the carnage. Above, you’ll find some footage on how the battle might look in the final game but keep in mind that it’s still an early version which explains the obvious mistakes...such as escaping roman soldiers.

And while we talk about ‘keeping things in mind’, when actually playing the battle, remember that it’s one thing to beat pixels and polygons and another thing entirely when you are truly up against an enraged 6-foot German of the time. In that case, the best solution is to run. Oh wait, we have dogs...