Sunday, November 25, 2012

Gruesome Gladiators

There's another Christmas Fair coming up at Millie's school and I'm expected to run another participation game for the kids.

This time I'm moving away from Song of Blades and Heroes.  I want to run a series of very short games and I've settled upon Alan Saunders's gladiatorial game Munera Sine Missione (a half decent English translation would be something like "Contests Without Hope of Quarter").

This idea came to me about ten days ago and I have another week to put it together.  Fortunately, I have some Gladiator models I was given by Alan Slater.  They are patly, but nicely, painted and just need a little finishing off.

Graccus the Velite
I plan to stick, for the start at least, with single pairs of gladiators fighting.  A single fight should last about five minutes.  I've cleared with the PFA and Head Teacher that gambling on the results of bouts for small stakes is OK.  I need to find out how to run a book with profits going to school funds!

Julius the Provocator
Tergavix the Gaul - one of my Sartarites transferred back to
his original race.
As well as these models I have three more of Alan's that need weapons and shields attaching and a Wargames Foundry Samnite that's currently on the workbench.

I've found out that the "Lunar Priests" I mentioned recently are in fact the chaps whose duties were to make sure no "dead" gladiators were playing possum.


4 comments:

Kaptain Kobold said...

I'm flattered you're using my rules! Thanks. It will be interesting to see how well the kids take to them.

I assume you're using v2.0 (the one linked to from my blog). It's worth a look, as it simplifies the fatigue system and reduces some of the issues heavy gladiators have in moving or, indeed, doing anything.

Counterpane said...

Yeah, thanks Alan. I was going to use ver 1 which I've had on file for ages without trying but in researching gladiator types for the game I came across ver 2.

I don't know how it will go with younger kids (probably 8+) but it's got to be good to give them another alternative to Warhammer.

Kaptain Kobold said...

Some kind of quick reference sheet would help, as would simple gladiator types. Version 1 may be OK, but heavy gladiators really suffer under it, and players may find themselves unable to move quite a lot.

Counterpane said...

I am going to use v2.0.

I'm producing a sheet for each gladiator with a picture of the figure and a space to write in Strength and Fatigue. There's a list of weapons and armour carried and then two panels showing how to get, and how to spend, Action Points. I can get them laminated at school so the kids can write on them with erasable pens.