Gladiator Rules.

[Hunlion]

What is your recommendation for the best 'Gladiator game' old or new?

Hun Lion

[ithoriel]

At the moment? Blood on the Sands by Furt (of this parish) even though they are not yet published and still in development!

See: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=143053.0

Second would be the old Rudis rules by Tabletop Games - published in 1976

Possibly not the most useful suggestions but perhaps it will help get the ball rolling!

[SJWi]

The old Society of Ancients game "Gladiolus" is a fun 2-player game. Still available for £20 from their website. The "deluxe" version now comes complete with cards, coloured playing pieces and mat. I first played this back in the 1980s so it has stood the test of time.

[Easy E]

I am biased, but I like The Games: Blood and Spectacle on the Wargame Vault.

That said here are some others people talk about that have not been mentioned:
- Gladatoria Familia- Free online
- Jugula
- Sons of Mars

If you like a Fantasy bend to the proceedings:
- Arena Rex 
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand board game

For some reason, Gladiator games do not seem to have real sticking power in the market. 

[Hobgoblin]

Steve Jackson's Melee has stood the test of time pretty well. And it's free!

It's ostensibly a fantasy game (though a very low-fantasy one), but it's designed for gladiatorial combat and has a "secutor vs retiarius" foundation in that there are clear trade-offs between protection and manoeuvrability. And you can easily stat up all the classic gladiator types in a balanced manner.

It does use a hex board, but some people have managed to make it work well without.

[FierceKitty]

Talk me into it, folks. What element of skill makes this worth playing?

[ithoriel]

Talk me into it, folks. What element of skill makes this worth playing?

Combat at it's most basic. One on one. With a decent set of rules it's not just "5+ to hit plus one to the die for a longer weapon," or whatever. You are balancing the risks and rewards. Is a risky strike with a potentially bout winning outcome if it succeeds worth opening yourself up to a potentially fatal riposte? Can you play to the crowd without getting a dagger to the kidneys? That sort of thing.

There's the potential for multi-figure/ multiplayer games too.

And possibly lions and tigers and geeraffs ... aye an' brown ale and sandwiches too! OK cheap red wine, nuts and sausage inna bun.


Or, at another level you may be running a full stable of gladiators. Think of it as the Ancients equivalent of Fantasy Football 

 You only need a handful of figures and a small play area.

"Are you not entertained!?"

[SteveBurt]

Jugula is a great game, but it is not one on one. It is 4 gladiators per team. Lots of deck manipulation and lots of hard decisions; the actual board play is quite chess like, but every card having 7 possible uses certainly makes you think. More game than simulation, but it is a very good game.