Author Topic: Preview of Jugula (Read 18189 times)

Hobbyone · « **Reply #45 on:** April 13, 2014, 03:48:06 PM »

I hope well that adds us friends!

Chesh · « **Reply #46 on:** April 13, 2014, 08:30:14 PM »

I have just looked through the box of models that I got yesterday and am really quite impressed.

I like the amount of options although it's going to be a hard choice ah to choose.

I also like he larger size.

Mahwell skel · « **Reply #47 on:** April 22, 2014, 12:25:28 PM »

Is anyone running a demo of this at Triples? I would like to try it (and make my mind up to buy it).

How long does a game last and how complex is it?

Centaur_Seducer · « **Reply #48 on:** April 22, 2014, 06:36:00 PM »

I've been looking forward to this for a while. But since it goes through GB, it's hard to find

Any online store that stocks it at the moment? I look forward to horrify fellow history loving LAF:ers with gladiators riding tigers and such...

alrith72 · « **Reply #49 on:** April 22, 2014, 08:41:45 PM »

Don't actually think it's available until next month. I think the copies at Salute were a pre release show thing. Might be wrong though.

MikeH · « **Reply #50 on:** April 23, 2014, 07:26:48 PM »

I think it goes on full sale tomorrow, so it should be in local stores fairly quickly

Mark McDaniel · « **Reply #51 on:** April 27, 2014, 08:30:52 PM »

I will definately give this game a go. I too, would have liked to see the figures in 28mm. Thank you for the review and pictures.

Too Bo Coo · « **Reply #52 on:** April 27, 2014, 09:56:42 PM »

I have a Playmobile Gladiator Arena for sale that would be perfect for this scale. It's brand new int eh box, 75 euro plus shipping to you!

alrith72 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 12, 2014, 09:05:46 AM »

Finally got round to playing a game of this, jumped straight into a 3 player game. Really good fun, movement gets a little bogged down with 3 players and maybe a multiplayer game would benefit from a larger arena. Going to get some 2 player games on the go as I'm sure these would flow better then look to start the campaign

Eithriall · « **Reply #54 on:** June 19, 2014, 07:40:38 PM »

Jugula is out now and it's no more a game preview.

This is a try to summarize the game and i apologize for my english writing.

"Jugula" is a good tactical game about gladiators but it's not a simulation of gladiatorial combats as the rule system Mr. FURT tries to develop with "Blood On The Sands".

This game is actually more a deck building game with miniatures than a rule to simulate combats. As such it does not thus need of historical accuracy (and it's not historical accurate for sure).

The Combat Mode :

The game takes place on a 8x8 square grid and each player (2 to 4) gets 4 miniatures on the board from a choice of 12 different armaturae depicted by cards (Murmillo, Threax, Retiarius, Secutor, Provocator, Hoplomachus, Scissor, Dimachaerius, Crupellarius, Sagittarius, Veles and Laquaerius).

The 4 chosen gladiators must be in different kind of armatura and each gladiator is represented by his figurine and a card with his statistics : movement points , attack/defense values and special trait (with an unhurt and a wounded side).

The gladiators are listed in two categories : "heavy" and "light" (what is, by the way, absolutely not historical). Each Gladiator has a value of attack according to the class of the target and a value of defense according of the attacker's class. For exemple : a Murmillo is considered "heavy" and have an attack value of +2 against "heavy" opponents and +2 against "light" opponents. He has a defense value of +5 against "heavy" and +4 against "light".

Each player also gets a deck of identical cards. There is a group of 12 "standard jugula" cards, and another group of 12 "prima jugula" cards that are a lot stronger and can be acquired during the game.

The rules are quite simple but players need some hard decisions to do because they can only do one thing per turn (some cards can let you do more) and there are a lot of options to chose from.

Each lanista aligns 4 different fighters in the arena and the players start with a hand of 4 randomly picked cards among the 12 "standard jugula" to act during the turn.

Every card allows the choice :
- To use the capacity described on the card,
- To move one or several gladiators,
- To gain some Vox Populi (popularity),
- To make fight one or several gladiators ,
- To draw cards from your "standard jugula" deck,
- To buy action cards of higher level of your "prima jugula" deck,

So, do you move, increase Vox Populi, attack, draw more cards, resolve special effects, or buy better cards ?

Depending on the tactical situation, your attack will reward a bonus ranging from +0 to +3 (added to the gladiator values). Positionning is really important, because if you pin your opponent against a wall you hold a significant advantage and if you can get behind opponents it becomes deadly...

Other aspects of the combat environment, as the presence of other gladiators allies or enemies (and eventually their special trait – like harassment), or the support of the crowd will also provide bonuses or penalties to resolve your fight. For example, increasing Vox Populi provides attack bonuses and increase the number of cards in your hand too.

To solve a fight, as there's no dice throw (different dice sides are drawn on the cards), each player will play one of his cards in hand or will pick one to use the dice drawn on this card (what's more unpredictable) and add to the result his glaadiator values and bonuses/maluses. It means you'll have to choose between using the card for its value, or for its effects.

Depending on the strength of your attack (+/- bonuses and maluses) and the skill of your defender (+/- bonuses and maluses), your target will be :
- without reaction,
- pushed back,
- wounded,
- knocked-out.

You will be declared the winner if you have :
- knocked-out two opponent gladiators on 4,
- or wounded 4 opponent gladiators,
- or knocked out one opponent gladiator and wounded two others.

The career mode (or campaign system) :

Your Ludus may include up to 6 gladiators, each of a different armaturae from the 12 available.

As part of a campaign, each meeting between Ludi is divided into 3 phases :
- The pre-munus sequence.
- The munus.
- The post-munus sequence.

The pre-munus sequence :
This step will set the context of the combat and allows Lanistae (the players) to make their Familia better ready for the arena :

1 - Determine the arena
2 - Determine reward
3 - Hire gladiators and servitors
4 - Start of combat

Your fight can take place in an illegal fit pit, a provincial or Italian arena or maybe, as you progress, the Colosseum ! Of course, depending upon your Ludus' reputation and the popularity of the chosen arena, you will have the opportunity to win more or less aurei (gold pieces).

The munus (combat) :
As in the "combat mode" each lanista aligns 4 different fighters in the arena.
Combat in careers mode is carried out using the rules explained above, however, when a gladiator is knocked-out, he has to determine his fate : Fatum ! What means granted missio or jugula (death).

The post-munus sequence :
As well as developing your fighters, you can hire and train up a staff of servants (doctore, unctor, manicarius, etc...who can bring various bonuses) to grow your business and make your ludus the best of Rome !

The Ludus can take stock and see what it has gained or lost via the following steps :

1 - Liberatio ! (Only after fights in the Coloseum and if a gladiator is rewarded by the Emperor with the Rudis).
2 - Rewards (aurei gains for the winner and the looser(s) of the fight).
3 - Treatment of wounds (some gladiators could die because of their wounds).
4 - Maintenance costs.
5 - Gladiator experience and rank updates.
6 - Gladiator or Servitor sales.
7 - Gladiator or Servitor purchases.
8 – Usury (you can borrow or lend money...with interest).
9 - Ludus popularity update (depending on the experience of you gladiators).
10 - Lanista glory update

All your fight results, your gladiators’ improvements, your ludus’s performance will be recorded on a ludus sheet.

The ultimate goal is to become the first lanista with 10 Glory Points.

Mr. Moderator : perhaps this thread could be linked with the main thread " Index Gladiatorium : All things gladiatorial on LAF" ?

Furt · « **Reply #55 on:** June 19, 2014, 09:39:59 PM »

That's an impressive an accurate review.

I played this (for purely research reasons of course

) and must say I totally agree with Eithriall's comment that this is a deck building game.

I enjoyed the tactics of positioning, as it was a little chess like, but apart from that, it was not for me.

We played a three player game and had one of the player just sit there for 3/4 of the game building up his deck and Vox Populi.

Maybe there is a way to avoid this, but we couldn't find one.

I also hated the "no dice", but that's just personal. Once you have built your deck properly, I believe you are left with all 4,5 and 6's, so you can almost calculate exactly what the end "dice roll" will be.

I liked the campaign rules a lot. Nice and simple, but well thought out.

And the book looks nice too, particularly the gladiator armatura cards.

Elbows · « **Reply #56 on:** June 20, 2014, 08:17:15 AM »

I'm sure it's a fun game in its own right, but when I read the initial review (on another site) and realized it was a card deck building game I was less inclined to pursue it. Likewise the figures would do me little good. Always nice to have options, and I'm sure plenty of people new to gladiator games will appreciate the new miniatures (modular miniatures is always fun). Thanks for the in depth review though!

Eithriall · « **Reply #57 on:** June 20, 2014, 08:45:33 AM »

Quote

That's an impressive an accurate review.

Thank you Mr Furt, i hope i've not forgotten something. This is a great game so far, perhaps more for boardgamers than miniature wargamers.

Quote

I enjoyed the tactics of positioning, as it was a little chess like (...).

Yes, nice comparison as it's very tactical and the technics to win more various that we can think on the first approach.

Quote

(...) one of the player just sit there for 3/4 of the game building up his deck and Vox Populi (...)

You can be aggressive right from the start and attack him without spending too much time to build a deck and let him doing the same. Building a deck and increasing Vox Populi is a tactic among others, but after playing different games against various opponents, nobody found one only way to win !

Quote

I also hated the "no dice", but that's just personal.

Yes, the thrill of dice trows is replaced by the thrill of cards picking....

Quote

Once you have built your deck properly, I believe you are left with all 4,5 and 6's, so you can almost calculate exactly what the end "dice roll" will be.

Think this summarize the "heart" of the game....the good balance between deck building, increasing Vox Populi or being early aggressive. Winner is the one who can do the better mix of these different technics...depending of what your opponents will do.
Everybody can wait and build, or being aggressive, or...mix.

A game to try if you're aware this is a card deck building game, not a wargame.

Too Bo Coo · « **Reply #58 on:** June 20, 2014, 05:35:05 PM »

This was my take on Jugula from their description. I wasnt sure exactly where the 'gladiator game' was, in a wargaming sense, in this card game. It looks like a good beer and pretzels style easy game to play in an evening, and even for a casual club day. I've yet to get a regular enough opponent to try the campaign competent out, but I see BoTS as having more 'staying power' and long term appeal. But only to my own tastes

I could even see Jugula being reviewed on something like the Dice Tower for wider appeal. Folks loved Spartacus.