"Jugula" Topic

This is the new gladiator game from Studio Tomahawk, sold by Gripping Beast.
We played it for the first time last night, using 28mm gladiators (rather than the beautiful but very expensive 35mm chaps GB produce).
As it says in the design notes, this is not really a game which simulates gladiator combat (in fact in many ways the main focus of the rules is on the campaign game where you manage a school of gladiators, but we've not tried that yet).
This is really a good game that happens to have gladiator figures on the table. You get bonuses in combat for getting behind people, having friends also able to attack, opponent being hindered by a net, and so on.

In addition to the rules, each player needs a deck of 'jugula' cards. 36 cards – 12 double sided stats cards for the galdiators (1 side healthy, the other wounded), 12 jugula cards, 12 prima jugula cards (bonus cards you can buy)

It's a very interesting game. Each side has a team of 4 gladiators, chosen from the 12 types available (6 light, 6 heavy). So for a start it's not a 1 on 1 fight.
But the interesting thing is that it is driven entirely by cards; no dice at all.
You start with a deck of 12 Jugula cards; each card can be used in 7 (count em) ways, so you have lots of hard choices:
1. To move gladiators (0 to 4, depends on card)
2. To initiate combat with 0..4 gladiators (depends on card)
3. To increase your popularity with the crowd (allows larger hand size and increased combat bonus, and some abilities depend on you having the highest Vox Populi)
4. To buy 'Prima Jugula' cards. There are 12 of these costing 1 to 3; they are generally better than the cards you start with so you can improve your deck.
5. To draw cards (1 to 5). This is the only way to replenish your hand
6. To do the effect printed on the card – these do all sorts of useful stuff
7. As a combat modifier. Each card has a dice with 0 to 6 spots.

Cards good for one thing (e.g. high combat value) tend to also be good for everything else.

Some of the Prima Jugula cards allow you to winnow your deck and get rid of crappy cards.
Some effects take cards out of the game permanently.

There's lots of interesting decisions, lots of tactics.
Very good as a game indeed.
The campaign game adds a whole extra level, too.
We'll try it with 3 or 4 players in due course!

Thanks for the review, this is very helpful. I think I'll be buying this one.

Good review, I am sorely tempted (once I finish my Muskets and Tomohawks, Ronin, Fire and Sword, Crescent and Cross,…) :-)

Hmmm, wish they had the rules in pdf, dislike buying a book and then not liking the rules.

So prefer pdf to browse and decide.

May be some day.

The .50 cents a page seems really high for the book.

32 for rules 11 more per deck, 54 in rules before a single fig is bought, will have to pass.

Did research on the Schools a few years ago, that should be very fun, but they are just too proud of the rules.

There seem to be some interesting choices possible for figures:

link

This is a great game. I also use the 28mm figures. Played a few games now and its really quite addictive. The idea of not having dice is a little daunting to start with but after a few games you realise its all about what cards you have and what you know you have in your spare pile.
This is a great game for a few people to have a laugh and kill an hour. Nice for when you want to play something but not take up a whole room and evening. We often play on the coffee table whilst the rest of the family watch tv in the same room. Not something you can do with most wargames.