Spartacus a Game of Blood and Treachery

Much like a grievous wound suffered in the arena, this game is completely infectious. I have a small group of board gaming friends who were looking for something new to try, so I bought this masterpiece. We've played it multiple times a week for over a month now, and the game simply has continued to be a highlight of our week. There are three key phases to this game.Intrigue- You must use a set of cards that are randomly drawn, with some kept over from previous hands, to build up your house while bringing down others. It requires a lot of strategy both in what cards to use, and who you use them on.Market- You use the coins that you have made in the arena, more on that later, and through the intrigue phase to purchase slaves, gladiators, and equipment. This phase is where your strategy comes into play. Guys in my game group have won the game multiple ways in the market. Some have purchased every gladiator that came through, some every slave, some don't bit on anything at all. The market phase is where you will execute the strategy you have set for the game.Arena- This phase is for the fans of strategy, and a whole lot of luck. The dice are finally put into play in this phase, though some are used in the intrigue phase as well. Two gladiators enter the arena, and there is a decent chance that only one will come out alive. Gladiators can yield, be injured, or be decapitated in the arena based on the result of the fight.Overall this game, which doesn't take that long to learn if everyone reads the manual before playing, is excellent for a group of board game players.

This game is awesome. It inspires the very worst in people. The game rules are deceptively simple. One quick read through the manual and a round or two of play and you will understand all the rules without needing to check the manual anymore. This game is all about extortion, bribery, and treachery. You play as the head of a gladiator house trying to gain influence. The actual combat in the game is minor and almost devoid of strategy. The meat and potatoes of the game is an influence system that will force you to seek allies and a bidding system that will have you making some meaningful choices.What is great about this game is that it gives big rewards to those who cooperate, extort, bribe, and eventually backstab. This game gives you every single opportunity to collect bribes and backstab your fellows. It isn't uncommon for someone to smugly ask how much you are willing to pay to NOT have something nasty done to you, or telling your rivals that whoever throws out the smallest bribe is going to have something nasty happen to them. The influence lending system lets you setup some epic treachery. You can't be a treacherous bastard too often because you can't get too far in this game without cooperation, but an epic backstab at the right moment can win you the game.I know this is hard to swallow because this is a game built off a TV series, but seriously, this game is awesome. It is probably my favorite game right now. It gets bonus points for having a box that isn't massively over sized and that actually holds the pieces. Buy this game,

So epic.This game is an absolute blast. Even though it says you need at least 3 players minimum, this game works fine just 1 vs 1 and is so much fun either way.The arena phase is exhilarating. My friend/opponent went for the finishing blow and rolled a 6 on his attack dice to take out my gladiator, he was shouting with glee because he thought he won... until I rolled my defense dice and it landed on a 6 to block his attack! Then to his surprise I took him down with the next move. We both went wild with excitement, the thrill is unlike any other board game I've ever played. It multiplies when having more players and things get really crazy in the best way possible. A plus is that the sessions don't drag on and take forever like some board games, in 4 and 1/2 hours we played 3 full 1 vs 1 games, and that included taking breaks.You don't need to like or have watched the TV show to enjoy this, lots of people that didn't like the show love the board game. I like this game so much I'm going to be buying both the expansions for it which allows you to play with up to 7 people. The madness!Overall all the scheming, bribing, betrayal, haggling, table politics, extortion, strategy, and straight up arena brawls make this the coolest and funnest board game I've ever played. 10/10 stars.

Wow! What a game!I play a lot of board games, and this is beautiful in looks and in play. It's tightly themed to the show, if that matters to you, but the play is full of competition and fun. You represent a Roman family that is responsible for training and paying for gladiators. You compete against other similar house, each with its own bonuses, for status in the Roman society. Beautiful. There are many ways to compete including strength in the gladiator pits, money, intrigue, and influence. Ahhh great fun. In particular, I love how money is generated and spent in the game. You can even make a fortune on betting on the outcomes of battles! Spending is mostly done by a cutthroat auction mechanic, which I happen to love.Now, a few words of caution. It's a long game. Also, I'd carefully select with whom you play; it's not for everyone and if your fellow players aren't into the vibe, it may cause disappointment. There is a quality of "bash the leader" but I think it's of an acceptable degree.The expansion is worthwhile and adds some fine dimensions. Arguably, one of the new families is slightly imbalanced in power but not so much that it destroys the game.

This board game has lots of great elements - good political maneuvering, engaging gladiator fights, nice balance and a good quality of workmanship. I highly recommend.

Very enjoyable game that will stay in my collection for a long time. The combat mechanism is unique and adds greatly to the theme of the game.

Amazing board game. Lots of elements. Twists and turns.

Awesome game. Great twists and turns.