The Roman Empire is flourishing. News of the famous arena games

A game by Adam Carlson and Josh Carlson
1-3 players / Age 13+
The Roman Empire is flourishing. News of the famous arena games are reaching every corner of the
globe. But this renown may be having some undesired effects, as it has attracted the attention of
some unusual parties. Legendary cities from the far reaches of the earth, each thought to have been
lost forever, are sending emissaries to Rome. These are not ordinary cities. Each represent an
advanced civilization with warrior types, skills, and tactics unknown to the Empire. How these
cities and cultures exist remains a mystery… one the Empire intends to uncover.
In order to study and determine the threat level of these potential adversaries, the Roman Empire
reacts quickly. Each of the emissaries have been sent home with a challenge in hand that will take
place in the arena. It reads:
“Gather your elite, your best Champion and fighters,
set your strategists to work and join us.
Battle in the arena and prove to the world
you are worth its notice.”
Three cities have responded…
1
Setup
Roll out the game board in the center of the play area. Place a few stacks of health chips
on either side of the game board. Also, place the crowd favor beads at “0” for both players.
For Solo and Co-op modes, refer to the “Game Modes” section for additional setup details and
specifics.
NOTE!! Arenas may have special rules, setup instructions, and additional ways to win or lose the game.
These rules will be posted on the “Battle Scroll” found in the upper left corner of the arena, so be sure to
familiarize yourself with these rules and conditions when setting up the board.
Goal
A player must eliminate their opponent’s Champion to win. If you are playing a solo or
co-op game, you must eliminate the arena Boss(es) with at least 1 Champion remaining.
NOTE!! As we move through this rulebook, we will be doing it from a PvP (Player vs Player) perspective
and then adding variation comments for solo and co-op modes when necessary. There will also be a solo and
co-op overview section at the end which will summarize the differences.
2
How to Play
To start the game, select a City to represent. All cities consist of 1 Champion, 3 special
gladiators, 12 basic gladiators, and 8 tactics.
***The following instructions have terms you have not yet learned - please refer to the “Crowd Favor” section if this
is confusing. Place the Crowd Favor (CF) Tactic chips (white chips) face down and mix them.
Players will each draw a Level 1, 2, and 3 CF Tactic chip plus one of the CF Gladiator
chips and place them face down on their respective levels of the CF Meter. You may look
at these Tactics and Gladiator but they will remain hidden from your opponent.
Place all of your gladiators and tactics into your chip bag except for your Champion and
shake up your bag to mix the chips. Roll 1 black, 1 blue, and 2 yellow “hit” dice - the one
who lands the most hits starts the game.
Player 1 will place their Champion face down, along with its health chips, in a desired
location within the Champion placement area. Player 2 now does the same. At this point
both Champions cannot move or take action, however, they can take damage.
Players take consecutive turns. If arena units (beasts and criminals) are being used and
are in play, they take their turn together after all other players have gone. ***For first time PvP
games, it is recommended to play without the beasts and criminals.
Refer to our “Game Modes” section for more on how to set up a game using arena units.
Player 1 Champion Placement
Player 2 Champion Placement
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A player’s turn is broken down into 4 Phases. Once you move to a new phase, you
cannot go back to an earlier one. These phases must be completed in order and once
finished, your turn is over.
Phase 1: Draw Chips
To start this phase, a player must draw enough chips to fill their prep area. If at the start
of the game you draw 5 tactics (no gladiators), show them to your opponent, place them
back in your chip bag and redraw. These chips serve as your “playable hand” for this
turn. They will be spent and replenished throughout the game. After you have drawn the
last chip from your chip bag, you must keep all 5 circles occupied by chips or else your
Champion will begin to take 2 damage at the start of each of your following turns until
defeated.
END GAME TIP: A player may choose to play some of these last remaining chips knowing that he/she
will take damage the following turn. A few well-played tactics may allow you to overwhelm your opponent
before your health runs out.
Also in this phase, record any crowd favor you have earned from occupying a CF (crowd
favor) Stone at the start of each of your turns. Crowd favor is tallied on the swords on
either side of the arena.
Phase 2: Deployment & Tactics
A player now has the option of playing chips from their prep area. The first player, on
their first turn, can play only one chip. After this, each player may play up to two chips
per turn for the rest of the game.
If you have a gladiator chip, you have the option of
placing it onto any one of your available unoccupied
deployment hexes (place health chips underneath the
gladiator in the amount indicated on the chip). If all
your deployment zones (6 to start) are in use, you will
be unable to deploy a gladiator. If a gladiator comes into
play this turn, it cannot move or take action until the
next turn. There are a few exceptions, such as the
Archer’s ‘First Strike’ and the Tactician’s ‘Initiative’
abilities.
Attacker on deployment hex
4
Also during the deployment phase, you may choose to play a tactic chip if you have one.
A tactic can be played on any unit except Champions and Bosses. A tactic can only be
played on units within your tactical range. This range is indicated by a spyglass on each
unit chip. A unit with
‘Tactical Range 3’ must
be within three hexes of
the target unit during this
phase. A gladiator may
play a tactic on itself so
long as it has a tactical
range of 1 or more. If a
friendly gladiator does not
have a tactical range, then
it must be in range of
another friendly unit.
Once a gladiator is
deployed, it’s tactical range
is immediately available to
the player.
NOTE!! Single turn effects (Stun) are placed on top of the affected unit. Permanent effects (Hamstring,
Adrenaline) are placed between the unit chip and it’s health chips. Hamstring will remove any Adrenaline
effects (remove the Adrenaline chip). Adrenaline only increases move range by one, even if that unit is Hamstrung (in this case, keep both Adrenaline and Hamstring chips under unit).
Phase 3: Movement
During this phase you may move your units based on each unit’s move range. You do not
have to move the full range of the unit. Once you choose to move, you cannot ‘save’ part
of the unit’s movement for later during the same movement phase (i.e.: You cannot move
a Tactician out of the way for other units to pass through, and then step back where it
was). Be sure to check for any modifiers under the unit chip.
NOTE!! If your unit is engaged with an arena beast, your unit is locked in combat with the beast and
cannot disengage by just moving away. Certain abilities may allow you ways to get away however.
5
Move and Attack Examples
In order to move to another hex, that hex must not
be occupied. It’s not possible to move “through”
another unit unless a specific ability allows for this.
There must be hexes available between your
current position and your move-to position.
During this phase, abilities that allow special
movement or unit displacement (i.e. Hurl, Pull), may
be used. Please refer to these abilities for further
details. All abilities are limited to one use per turn.
Phase 4: Attack
5/6 Hit
Attacker’s can move a distance of 2 hexes.
Brawler’s ‘Hurl” ability can flip Defender
over the Brawler - away from protection.
3/6 Hit
2/6 Hit
After you have completed the move phase, you
may choose to attack, if possible. Each of your
units may use it’s basic or alternate attack, not
both, if they are within range (refer to each unit’s
attack range to determine this).
Damage is based on your unit’s attack power. You
will roll the appropriate dice for each attack. The
damage is immediate and your opponent must
respond with a defensive ability (i.e. Intercept Blow)
or remove a corresponding number of health chips
from under the unit that was attacked and hit.
Take note of the attack dice colors on each chip.
These are the dice to be rolled during attacks. Each
‘H’ that comes up is a HIT of 1 damage, and each
blank is a MISS.
When all health chips have been removed from a
unit, that unit has been eliminated and is removed
from play.
Brawler and Attacker both focus their
attack on the unprotected Defender.
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NOTE!! It is considered proper etiquette to state
your attacks loud and clear, along with a pointing of
the attacking unit followed by the unit being attacked.
Also, should you roll a successful attack, allow your
opponent to remove his/her own health and unit chips.
It is the responsibility of your opponent to make any
ability declarations during this time.
Crowd Favor
CF (Crowd Favor) is earned a number of ways:
1. Killing an opposing gladiator grants you 2 CF (points for
kills are taken immediately when the kill happens).
2. Beast and Criminal kills grant you 2 CF per kill.
3. You gain 1 CF if you occupy a CF Stone at the center of arena
and 3 CF if you occupy both stones at the same time (These
stones must be in your control at the start of your turn which is also when
you should mark them on your CF meter).
TIP: It’s important that you keep a constant awareness of where you are at
with the crowd. CF rewards unlock the instant the level is reached. A Champion
unlocked on your opponent’s turn can move and attack on your turn! A deployment
zone unlocked at the start of your turn can be used in the same turn! Remember, it is
your responsibility to calculate and take credit for CF you have earned. Once the
current phase ends, you cannot go back and adjust for missed CF.
Reaching a new CF level grants you 2 rewards. The first is a CF
Tactic that is now available for your use.
This area will contain a list of specific
Crowd Favor Tactics along with a picture.
These tactics are still being finalized.
The other reward for each level is an arena effect. These effects are the
same for both players and are instantly activated once reached:
Level 1: Your Champion is activated. *If this level is reached on your
turn - your Champion cannot move, attack, or use abilities this turn.
Level 2: All deployment zones (12 total) are now available for use.
Level 3: All units gain “Initiative” ability (can move first turn)
Level 4: CF Gladiator is unlocked and can be deployed
during your next deployment phase.
7
Arena Units (Beasts, Criminals, and Bosses)
When a B/C (Beast/Criminal) is drawn from someone’s bag, a basic D6 will be rolled to
determine which Trapdoor (1-6) it will deploy from. If a Player’s unit is standing on that
Trapdoor hex, a second D6 will be rolled to determine which hex the player’s unit will be
forced to move to, in order to make room for the newly deployed B/C (use the dice legend on
board game mat). The B/C will be granted a free attack against units standing within attack
range before Player continues their turn. The Player will draw an additional chip for each
B/C drawn and continue their phase.
Unit displacement example:
Image 1: Player moves onto a Trapdoor (numbered as 1). Image 2: On the next draw phase,
Player ends up drawing a beast. Player rolls a basic D6 to see where the beast will deploy. The
roll is a 1, right where the Player’s Attacker is positioned. Image 3: The Player rolls another basic
D6 and gets a 6. Checking the dice legend on the arena - the Player now moves his Attacker to
this spot indicated by the 6. Image 4: Beast is immediately placed on trap door #1 and gets a free
attack on all units within range. Player redraws to replace the drawn beast and continues turn.
8
Beast/Criminal Turn Sequence
Beasts and Criminals take their turn after all players have gone.
Beast Movement
Beasts use the ‘Beast Move D6’ to move in the direction rolled (use the
same dice legend). Beasts move their entire move range or until met with
resistance. Once a Beast is adjacent to (has engaged) a Player unit, neither
Beast nor unit can disengage until a kill has been made. Other Beasts
and/or Player units may join the fight, but each contact made will lock
them in place until the battle(s) is resolved. Special abilities such as
Pull or Hurl CAN disengage units.
Arena Move and
Attack Dice
Beast Move D6
Beast Attack D6
Beast Attacks
After all Beast movement has been resolved, a Player must roll the
‘Beast Attack D6’ for each beast to determine it’s action. If a base
attack is rolled, Player must roll all attack dice indicated on the chip to
determine damage. Base attacks hit all Player units in range. Refer to
each chip and/or reference sheet for other skill explanations.
Criminal Move D6
Criminal Movement
This unit uses the ‘Criminal Move D6’ to determine whether or not it Criminal Attack D6
advances towards your closest unit. If there are 2 or more units that
are equally close to the Criminal, the Player will choose one of those
units to attempt to ‘taunt’ the criminal toward. Roll the ‘Taunt D6’
and if you succeed (by rolling a “T”), the Criminal will advance as you
Taunt D6
planned. If you fail the taunt roll (continue to taunt with each unit until you have
one unit left), the Criminal will automatically move towards the last unit.
Criminals move their entire move range or until met with resistance. In the event that
there are 2 ways in which to advance toward a single unit, the player gets to decide which
hex the Criminal ends up on. Criminals will not move as long as they are engaged, however, a Player may disengage and re-engage as they please.
Criminal Attacks
After all Criminal movement has been resolved, a Player must roll the ‘Criminal Attack
D6’ for each Criminal to determine its action. If a base attack is rolled, Player must roll all
attack dice indicated on the chip to determine damage. Base attacks hit all Player units in
range. Refer to each chip and/or reference sheet for other skill explanations.
Bosses
Bosses function like all other B/C with one exception. Bosses perform an attack roll even
when not in attack range as certain abilities, if rolled, can have arena-wide effects.
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Game Modes and Setup
Player vs Player
To win: Eliminate opposing Champion.
Setup: Use main rule set.
Player vs Player with Arena Opponents (Beasts and Criminals)
To win: Eliminate opposing Champion.
Setup: Use main rule set, then add 2 criminals and 2 beasts to each Player’s bag.
Player vs Board: Basic difficulty level
(other levels and scenarios are available at www.hoplomachus.com/pages/extras)
To win: Eliminate the arena Boss. Eliminate all criminals to get Boss to deploy.
Setup: 4 random Beasts will start the game on Trapdoors 1, 2, 3, and 4. The other 4
Beasts are placed on the CF Meter (levels 1-4). Place 1 of the 4 Criminals on Trapdoor 6. As
criminals are eliminated, another immediately deploys (roll a D6 to determine which Trapdoor
it uses). Once all 4 Criminals have been eliminated, the Boss is deployed. Mix and draw an
arena Boss (from the 3 Criminal and 3 Beast Bosses). Use main rule set to set up CF Rewards.
10
Co-op (2) vs Board: Basic difficulty level
To win: Team must eliminate both of the arena Bosses. One Champion must survive.
Setup: Same as Player vs Board setup with these exceptions - Players only play with
their Champion, two of each gladiator, and one of each tactic. Players will start on one
end of the arena, will share 6 deployment zones, and can play just one chip per turn. If a
Champion is eliminated, the owner may no longer deploy gladiators or use tactics but
can still play out existing gladiators. Crowd Favor is shared as are the CF Rewards. Beasts
from the CF meter must be put in the current players bag when level is reached. Draw 2
Bosses - deploy in the order drawn as the basic Criminals are eliminated.
Co-op (3) vs Board: Basic difficulty level
To win: Team must eliminate all 3 of the arena Bosses. One Champion must survive.
Setup: Same as Player vs Board setup with these exceptions - Players only play with their
Champion, two of each gladiator, and no tactics. Players will start on one end of the arena,
will share 6 deployment zones, and can play just one chip per turn. If a Champion is
eliminated, the owner may no longer deploy gladiators or use tactics but can still play out
existing gladiators. Crowd Favor is shared as are the CF Rewards. Draw 3 Bosses - deploy
in the order drawn as the basic Criminals are eliminated.
FAQ: Are you stumped on a specific rule or a odd situation in the game? Please check
our FAQ page at www.hoplomachus.com/pages/faq for answers!!
A Game by:
Publisher:
Box Art:
Adam Carlson
Josh Carlson
Chip Theory Games
Trey Ratcliff
Beastmaster:
Graphic Design/Artwork: AstralWanderer
Josh Carlson
Public Domain
Prison Key Keeper:
David Cornell
www.hoplomachus.com
www.chiptheorygames.com
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Gladiator and Champion Abilities
Boss Abilities
Initiative: Unit can move
Hurl: Hurl can ‘pick up’ an
Assassinate: Move to
the same turn it is deployed.
adjacent unit (friend or foe)
and ‘throw it’ to a different
available, adjacent hex.
furthest opponent (use Taunt)
and do 6 damage. (Player can
choose Boss’s placement hex
next to unit)
First Strike: Unit can
attack the first turn it is
deployed.
Retaliate: When attacked
and hit, unit can do 1 damage
back to the attacker.
Intercept Blow: When an
adjacent friendly unit is hit,
this unit can intercept the
entire hit instead of the
intended target. This ability
only works with base attacks.
Pull: Unit is pulled in a
straight line inward toward the
puller (up to 2 hexes inward
and from up to 3 hexes away).
Uber Pull: Unit is pulled in
a straight line inward toward
the Champion (up to 3 hexes
inward and from up to 4 hexes
away).
Fury Aura: Fury Aura does
1 damage to all opposing units
1 hex away. This damage is
not part of this units attack but
is performed during the attack
phase.
Uber Fury Aura: This
aura does 1 damage to all
opposing units up to 2 hexes
away.
Strategic Attack: All
friendly adjacent units gain an
additional yellow die to use
with their base attack this
turn.
*abilities usable once/turn
Shadow Spear: Roll a basic
D6 twice, a spear is thrown in
those directions doing 2 dmg
to each unit in its path.
Ground Pound: All
opposing units within 4 hexes
are stunned for 1 turn.
Strike Fear: All adjacent
opposing units must retreat 1
hex straight away if possible.
Acid Spray: All opposing
units are hit for 1 damage.
Snared: Gladiators and
Champions within 2 hexes of
unit cannot move for 1 turn.
Regen 3: Unit regains 3
health not exceeding max HP.
*Boss abilities usable only
when rolled
Gladiator & Champion Alt Attacks
Boss Alt Attacks
Whirlwind: Roll 3 yellow
dice, hits are applied to every
adjacent opposing unit.
Reposition: Instead of
attacking, unit may move 1
hex (during it’s attack phase).
Stun: Roll 1 yellow die to
Long Shot: Roll 1 yellow
die to attempt a 1 dmg ranged
attack from 3 hexes away.
Chase Down: If not
engaged, move directly to
closest opposing unit and do
4 dmg. (use Taunt if needed).
attempt to Stun an adjacent
unit. A stunned unit cannot
move, attack, or use abilities
for 1 turn.
Note!! Champions CAN be
stunned by a gladiator (not a
tactic).
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Uber Hurl: This hurl can
‘pick up’ an adjacent unit and
‘throw it’ up to 3 hexes away in
any direction.
*Alt Attacks are used in place
of a base attack
*Boss Alt Attacks are usable
only when rolled
Frenzy: All opposing
adjacent units must reduce
their existing health to 1.
Death Coil: Single adjacent
unit (use Taunt to decide)
is permanently stunned and
loses 2 health per turn.