If someone were to really corner me, and ask what my favorite subject in history was. It would probably be The Games. The games being Chariot Racing and Gladiatorial Combat. I have quite a few minis for Gladiator games and several rules sets, as well as two Chariot Racing systems. I am interesting in trying out what would be Warhammer Historicals last publication: Gladiator. One of the problems with simple gladiator games is the difficulty in making a 28mm miniatures game of what is often, one-on-one combat. Warhammer Historical games are often based on either 2nd ed Warhammer or Lord of the Rings, then modified to fit the flavor of the period they are trying to portray. This made me a little wary going into Gladiator as I felt that what worked for Old West Gunfighters and Pirates may not translate well to the arenas of ancient Rome. On the surface: The book is stunning. Hands down WHs best looking title. Ironic it would be their last. Great models and photography, and the rules cover a lot of ground, including many aspects of The Games that other rules sets ignore, or at best, pay lip service to. While individual one-on-one battle still may be a bit dry (just from a reading) with only a few decisions for players to make regarding a single fighters actions and how it will effect the game. However, the system really seems to come into its own with the not-unheard-of larger Gladiatorial combats, with half a dozen or so fighters per side. There are also rules for traps and special entertainments. As well as, of course, a myriad of animals for the Venators to take on, Pugilist matches (punching each-other to death), chariots, and the Naumachia or Mock Sea-Battles where they would flood the arenas with water and have sea battles with slaves and gladiators. Pretty sweet. The rules also cover chariot racing, however, I am not sure that this is a topic that can be successfully replicated as an after-thought in a Gladiator rules set, but I am also willing to give them a try. I have played several rules sets from a variety of publishers on Gladiatorial combat, and the Warhammer Historical rules definitely pasted the competition in quality, layout, and design aesthetic. The rules seem substantial enough to make the game fun, and they certainly cover more ground in regards to the various entertainments that had been on display during those crazy days. Most rules sets, in an attempt to focus on making one-on-one miniatures combat interesting, forgo a lot of the perimeter aspects to the Bread & Circus, focusing on a limited number of Gladiator types and their opponents. Warhammer Gladiator is the first comprehensive set of rules that allows players a lot of freedom in creating their own Bread & Circuses on the table-top. That said, Tomahawk Studios recently release Jugula. Their own new set of Gladiator combat rules. This system seems similar to Red Sands Blue Skies in that it has a grid for an arena, which allows for various mechanics in relation to movement that can make one-on-one combat more tactical. The game also has a card system, though I have not really had a chance to look into whether the cards drive the action or if they are just peripheral to the core rules. The grid system for the arenas also tells me that this will probably be another game focusing mainly on individual Gladiator combat, and may not have the capacity for the more esoteric entertainments such as the mock sea battles, wild animal hunts, and Sagittarius matches etc...... But, that is not to say it wont be good. I plan to get a few games of WH Gladiator in and see if that scratches the itch first. So, assuming there isnt much going on next weekend, I plan to bring my minis (I have about 8 painted Gladiators), arena board, and some made up roster sheets and see if anyone wants to check it out. What we do in life, echoes an eternity! - Maximus
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:02:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015