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Author Topic: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?  (Read 6877 times)

Offline Bloodaxe

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Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« on: March 04, 2018, 01:33:03 AM »
Hello gents (and the rest of you)

Im looking for a set of Gladiator rules so I came to the #1 place for miniatures, & games knowledge LAF !
What Im looking for.....
-I'll probably be using some Crusader and Foundry miniatures since I have a few. So 28mm or so, if scale matters.
-Id like there to be some difference in the Gladiator types/equipment , but to not be too complicated, easy to pick up & learn, play.

So if you can point me in the right directions, tell me a bit wabout what the rule set offers and where to get it, Id greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for your help.


Offline matakishi

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2018, 08:15:17 AM »
I started with the Two Hour Wargames Blue Sky Red Sand and duly painted my gladiators and built my arena. But after actually playing the rules found them to give a very dull game.

So I switched to Jugula which is a great multiplayer arena fighting game that gives a really good gladiator-like feeling. It's not a simulation, however. It's fast, easy to learn, has tactical depth and the varied types of gladiator are suitably different to make choosing which to field a real decision. My best description would be that it puts the Spartacus series on the tabletop.

As an addendum, I've also played Avalon Hill's Gladiator game from long ago which would translate well into a miniatures game. Back in the 80s we loved it but by today's standards it has too much crunch for me and the action is slow due to the necessary planning of moves.

Here's my Jugula in action:







Details here: https://www.matakishi.net/gladiators.html

Offline Irregular Wars Nic

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2018, 08:32:49 AM »
If you're interested in a tactical card and dice driven game that is easy to pick up but tricky to master, you could look at Blood, Sweat and Cheers. Disclaimer - it's my game, but some people like it despite that. Published by Ganesha, cards available from Drivethru Cards.


Offline Orchomeno

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2018, 12:11:01 PM »
I just got BSC in the post this morning. I'm planning to use it to tempt my wife in before I've got her Sellswords warband ready...

Offline YPU

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2018, 12:18:09 PM »
I can't recommend it since its still not available in any form, but forum member Furt has a great gladiator ruleset called blood on the sands that REALLY needs to get published one of these days, however, IIRC its stuck in agreements with a boardgame company for now...  :'(
3d designer, sculptor and printer, at your service!



3d files! (here)

Online OSHIROmodels

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2018, 12:39:15 PM »
Here’s a second for Blood on the Sands. Great rules but can be a bit heavy on the book keeping side.
cheers

James

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/

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Offline Mad Doc Morris

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2018, 01:17:20 PM »
You may also refer to previous discussions on the same topic collected here.

While Blood on the Sands was a very promising draft, it never made it to a polished release version. Thus, any recommendation is based on test runs only – and ultimately of little use to people asking for available sets. ;)

Offline YPU

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2018, 02:03:37 PM »
You may also refer to previous discussions on the same topic collected here.

While Blood on the Sands was a very promising draft, it never made it to a polished release version. Thus, any recommendation is based on test runs only – and ultimately of little use to people asking for available sets. ;)

You are entirely right but I will forever lament the lack of BotS news given half a chance.  :'(

Online OSHIROmodels

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2018, 02:10:56 PM »
Hoping it’ll get it going again  ;)

Offline Kugelfang

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2018, 02:56:05 PM »
I just recently updated my set 'Familia Gladiatoria'. It's free and located at: https://sites.google.com/site/petiteguerre/home/familia-gladiatoria .

I'd love to get some feedback.
http://www.petiteguerre.blogspot.com

"The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."
    -- 'The Go-Between', Leslie P. Hartley (1895-1972)

Offline Mad Doc Morris

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2018, 03:08:34 PM »
You are entirely right but I will forever lament the lack of BotS news given half a chance.  :'(

So do I!
However, topics like this come up frequently, so let's avoid going in circles. Perhaps by testing Kugelfang's rules instead? Thanks for the hint. :)

Offline SteveBurt

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2018, 03:56:38 PM »
I really like Jugula.
It's unusual in that you fight with a team of 4 glaiators, and that it's more a deck building game with figures than a pure gladiator game.
But it is a very good game; works well for 2,3, or 4 payers, too.

Offline nic-e

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2018, 07:39:19 PM »
I'm gonna throw you a curveball here...

Gorechosen from GW.

at the moment you have choice of 11 pre built charcters to go from in the rulebook, and you can easily build more.

The rules are designed for cinematic pit fighting and manouvering, and it works really really well.

You probably won't want the age of sigmar bits but you can ebay the miniatures and keep the rules and counters.

never trust a horse, they make a commitment to shoes that no animal should make.

http://mystarikum.blogspot.co.uk/

Offline Bloodaxe

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2018, 02:23:28 AM »
Thank you all for the help.  Now i have to decide what i want to do for an arena. I have a few ideas.

Besides Crusader and Wargames Foundry-  what other good Gladiator miniatures are out there?   Im in the USA.

Thanks!

Offline steeldragon

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Re: Recommendation for Gladiator rules? Help?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2018, 02:52:23 AM »
I like the Arena Rex miniatures a lot... but I still can’t find a good excuse tobget them as no one in my club is interested in the period....

Link: https://arenarex.com/

Andres