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Home Gaming Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery

Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery

5/09/2014 12:34:00 pm Gaming Accept your fate or be destroyed by it: To a gladiator In the depths of depraved servitude this choice is all that remains before stepping onto the sands of the great arena. But what of their masters? The ones pulling the strings.

For every Dominus that seeks to elevate the position of their house and ludus, there is a rival lurking in the shadows, scheming to do the same, through blood and treachery. These dynamics of power are what made the Starz Tv series Spartacus: Blood and Sand so devilishly intriguing, and what would set the wheels in motion for one of the bloodiest slave uprisings in world history.

Gale Force Nine Games has partnered with Starz to harness the essence of the acclaimed tv series into an outrageous experience that provides up to four players with the clever mechanics to profit from the victories of their greatest champions while betraying their closest allies in the relentless climb for status. Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery truly embodies its namesake. Each exciting turn consists of three phases designed to immerse players in the tense lifestyle of running an ancient ludus in a corrupt city. The first phase is the aptly titled intrigue phase, during which players draw cards from the Intrigue Deck. This deck contains different schemes, reactions, and guards that can either be played against other Houses to rob them of gold and status or to protect your own fortunes depending on the amount of influence you wield. These cards can also be used to help other players if an alliance needs to be forged against the strongest house... But these should always be temporary at best. The Intrigue cards especially are a delightful tribute to the various phrases and plots hurled by Batiatus at his most memorable rivals from the TV series: Solonious, Tullius, and Glaber (All together the 4 playable houses). The cards impact so many different game elements in brilliant ways, that playing them at the right time is a challenge pivotal to strategy.

The next step is the market Phase, where gold speaks louder than words ever could. Players bid a closed fist of gold from their treasuries on Weapons, Armor, Slaves, and Gladiators, including many of the famous titans from the show, each with their own strengths and contextual abilities. Also up for auction is the great honour of hosting the games the following turn. This automatically awards a point of influence to the highest bidder when their games are held, getting them that much closer to victory. Finally comes the Arena Phase where the Host for that turn invites two houses to take to the sands, for the glory of the Republic! Wagers can be placed on the outcome of the match, And the excitement of betting on and watching the epic arena matches unfold, knowing that your best fighter and lifeblood of your ludus may fall by the unlucky roll of a few dice, is riveting.

Refusing an invite costs influence so it is unwise to do so even if a you are without usable gladiators and must battle with terrified slaves in their stead. A gladiator's attack, defense, and speed are determined by stats on their card which allow the specified number of corresponding combat dice to be rolled or grid squares to be moved during battle. (These stats can be augmented by weapons and armor) Every time a player takes a hit they lose a dice and the match is over when one set or all combat dice are relinquished. In a moment befitting an emperor, the host can then give the infamous thumbs up or down to determine the fate of the defeated and the value of the victor; strategic in itself if a rival has been brought to their knees. The three phases together weave a complex web of strategy in which many of the variables at stake for the Houses in the show must be considered in order to achieve maximum influence and win the game: When to spend gold on champions, how much to gamble on the outcome of a match (with the potential for huge payouts for the most vigilant Dominus), who to align with to secure position, how to use the character-driven special abilities of each ludus, and when to unleash the intrigue that will burn a rival house to the ground or raise your own from the ashes. In true Spartacus form careful planning must be embraced to ensure enough gold is secured to buy and bribe your way to the top, enough skills are present in your warriors to let them survive and thrive on the sands, and enough status is commanded to outwit your allies and adversaries into a state of total ruin. To say Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery is entertaining is an understatement. To say it makes the player feel exactly like a rising Domnius prior to the outbreak of a massive slave rebellion would be more accurate. After all the intrigue and treachery is thwarted or succumbed to, there remains but one path to absolute victory: kill them all!
 Reviewed by Jade GamingNews on 5/09/2014 12:34:00 pm Rating: 5






