SPARTACUS: A GAME OF BLOOD AND TREACHERY In the game, each player takes on the MARKET DECK INTRIGUE DECK role of Dominus, the head of a house The Market Deck The Intrigue in Capua, a city in the era of Ancient contains Assets that Deck includes all Rome. Each house is competing can be acquired manner of plots for influence. Fight for dominance by each Dominus and machinations through a combination of political to advance their each Dominus will schemes and glorious battles on the standing in Roman launch against sands of the arena. society. Assets include Gladiators, their rivals. The Intrigue Deck includes As Dominus, you have a variety of Slaves and Equipment. Schemes, Reactions and Guards. resources at your disposal. Guards protect you from schemes launched GLADIATOR CARDS SCHEME CARDS by rivals. Slaves run your household Gladiators are Schemes detail and earn gold for you. You also exceptional a variety of control a Ludus, a gladiator training slaves, trained underhanded school. Gladiators compete to bring to fight in the maneuvers. You may glory to themselves and influence to Arena to bring also Cash In Schemes their Dominus. Influence and for Gold. All Schemes glory to your have a minimum House. Maintaining a large stable required Influence. of Gladiators is one way to gain Influence. REACTION CARDS Reactions are BOX CONTENTS SLAVE CARDS powerful counter Rulebook Slaves are maneuvers played in response to other Market Deck (62 cards) servants of the Dominus; events in the game. Intrigue Deck (104 cards) earning coin Some Reactions are House Cards (4) and performing Foils which are used to stop Schemes Tokens (148) other services. Slaves increase played by other Houses. Dice (26) the wealth of their House. GUARD CARDS Gladiator Figures (4) EQUIPMENT CARDS Guards are a special Game Board Equipment Cards type of Reaction that represent arming may only be used and training all of a to stop Schemes House’s Gladiators in targeting you. Guards the use of specialized have a chance to equipment (rather fail. If you fail you than a single sword may use additional or helmet). There are three types of Guards. Guards may be held in your Equipment: Weapons, Armor and hand or deployed on the table as an Special. Only one card of each type Asset. may be used in each Arena Match. 1 HOUSE CARDS GAME BOARD GAME OVERVIEW SPARTACUS: A GAME OF BLOOD AND TREACHERY Each turn begins with Upkeep and is then divided into three Phases: 1) Intrigue Phase 2) Market Phase 3) Arena Phase The Intrigue Phase is when Houses play their Schemes, hoping to raise House Cards serve as the center their fortunes while undermining their of your play area and track your rivals. Influence during the game. House The Market Phase is when players Cards also detail your House’s buy, sell and trade Assets (Gladiators, Starting Assets: Gladiators, Slaves, Slaves and Guards). Players also bid Guards and Gold. Each House has against each other to acquire new different Special Rules and Starting Assets at Auction. Assets. The Game Board serves as the Grand The Arena Phase is when the Arena where the Gladiators ply their bloody games are held. Two Houses’ DICE bloody art. Wagers are placed on the Gladiators are pitted against each There are three board corners. other in a brutal fight for Favor and colors of dice in the Influence. game: red, black and GLADIATOR FIGURES The goal of the game is to become blue. Each color is These figures the most influential house in Capua, used for a different represent your securing your family’s power for years chosen combatant attribute: red for to come. Attack, black for in the arena. Each Defense and blue for player will use the Speed. In combat, same figure SPIRIT OF THE GAME the number of dice throughout the During the game, players will bribe, you have determines the health of game. poison, betray, steal, blackmail, and your Combatant. undermine each other. Gold will change hands again and again to TOKENS buy support, stay someone’s hand or influence their decisions. Will you be the honorable player whose word is their bond or the treacherous schemer whose alliances change with the wind? BUT – don’t be an ass about it. Everyone plays games to have a good time. Ultimately, you’re playing to have fun with your friends – keep that in mind as you’re plotting to destroy their House. Game Tokens 2 GAME SET UP Each House has its strengths and weaknesses. Some Houses rely on their stable of Gladiators to lead them to victory. Other Houses depend on a strong defense. Utilizing your strengths is a key to victory. HOUSE SELECTION Each Dominus rolls a dice. The Dominus with the highest dice takes their choice of House Card and Gladiator figure and receives the Host token. Going clockwise, the remaining players each choose a House Card and Gladiator figure. Each player also receives their matching House tokens. In the Intrigue Phase, play begins with the Dominus with the Host Token. GOLD CARD DECKS STARTING ASSETS Give each Dominus their starting Shuffle the Market Deck and Intrigue Each Dominus receives the Starting Gold. The remaining Gold is the Bank. Deck thoroughly. Place the decks face Assets described on their House You may have one player act as the down on the table. Discarded cards Card. banker or all the players can share the will be placed face up next to their responsibility. deck. GLADIATORS & SLAVES Note: Gold may change hands Separate the white bordered “Starting between players at any time! There Gladiators” and “Starting Slaves” are no restrictions on when Gold READY TO PLAY! from the Market Deck. There are 8 of may change hands. You’re now set up and ready to play! each. Shuffle the Starting Gladiators Let the deals and machinations begin! and deal each Dominus their starting CHOOSE A GAME TYPE number of Gladiators. Do the same with the Starting Slaves. Any Quick: Players start with 7 Influence. GOAL OF THE GAME remaining Starting Gladiators and Quick games usually take under two hours. Quick games are The goal of the game is to raise your Slaves are returned to the Market House to an impressive 12 Influence. Deck. recommended for the first few times you play. For detailed victory conditions, see the “WINNING THE GAME” rules on GUARDS Standard: Players start with 4 page 17. Give each Dominus their starting Influence. Standard games usually number of Guards, taken from the take between two and three hours. Intrigue Deck. Starting Guards must Advanced: Players start with 1 be placed face up on the table (rather Influence. Advanced games often run than in your hand). over three hours as each Dominus rises from obscurity to supremacy. 3 UPKEEP BALANCE THE LEDGERS Training, feeding and equipping Upkeep is when all the maintenance elite Gladiators is expensive. Slave SAMPLE UPKEEP and preparation for game’s three ownership helps offset that cost. You 1) Pete starts Upkeep with one ready main phases occurs. Each game turn receive 1 Gold for each Ready Slave (face up) Gladiator, two Injured begins with Upkeep. you posses. You must pay 1 Gold for Gladiators and two Exhausted Slaves. each Ready Gladiator. Pete flips over the two Exhausted If a player is unwilling or unable to pay Slaves. They are now available to use UPKEEP SUMMARY for their Gladiators, they must discard again this turn. 1) Refresh Cards a Gladiator for every unpaid Gold, 2) Pete makes a Healing Rolls for 2) Heal Injuries setting the Gladiator free. his 2 Injured Gladiators. He indicates which Gladiator he’s trying to Heal 3) Balance the Ledgers first and rolls a “3”: that Gladiator Pete has 3 Gladiators and 2 Slaves so remains Injured and the card stays Note: During each stage of Upkeep, he pays the Bank 1 Gold. face down. He indicates the second all players may perform their Gladiator and rolls a “5”: success! He actions simultaneously. Sally has 2 Gladiators, one of which removes the second Gladiator’s Injury is Ready, one of which is Injured. In token and flips the card face up. REFRESH CARDS addition, she has 4 Slaves so she receives 3 Gold from the Bank. 3) Pete now has 2 Ready Gladiators At the beginning of Upkeep, all and 2 Ready Slaves. The cost of his players flip any uninjured “Exhausted” John has 1 Gladiator and 1 Slave; he Gladiators equals the income from his (face down) Asset Cards face up. doesn’t pay or receive any Gold from Slaves, so Pete doesn’t owe the bank Refreshed (face up) cards are the bank. any gold this Upkeep. considered “Ready”. For details on Liz has 3 Gladiators, no Slaves 4) He’s done – once all the Players Exhausted cards, see the special and only 2 Gold. She must pay the have finished their Upkeep, play rules on page 17. After Refresh Cards, Bank 2 Gold and choose one of her moves on to the Intrigue Phase. move on to Heal Injuries. Gladiators to discard. HEAL INJURIES For each Exhausted Gladiator or Slave with an Injury token, roll a dice to make a Healing Roll. On a roll of 4, 5 or 6, remove the Injury token and Refresh the card. On a roll of 2 or 3 the Gladiator or Slave remains Injured this turn. You may attempt to Heal their Injury again next round. On a roll of a 1, the Gladiator or Slave has died from their Injury and is placed face up in the Market discard pile.