OUR REVIEW
SPECTACLES IN IMPERIAL ROME
Munera
FamiliA Gladiatoria
Munera is a concept for a series of board game in a setting of the bloody and colorful world of Imperial Rome in the 1st and 2nd century A.D. The games intend to replay the pompous and cruel games in the arenas and also the technical, social and economic aspects of that ancient entertainment industry in the Coliseum at Rome or elsewhere. You must train gladiators, acquire the animals, organize the hunts, find challenges for the gladiators and prepare the chariots – all this for fame and glory and a bit of financial gain.
In the first game of the series, Familia Gladiatoria, players embody the role of a lanista. A lanista is or was an entrepreneur in ancient Rome, and you have decided to invest your money into setting up and running Ludus and Familia Gladiatoria, that is training and running of a gladiator school comprising the gladiators themselves and the necessary personnel.
In the course of the game each player runs his own Ludus to acquire glory points, these can be collected from participating in a spectacle or by using certain Eventum cards. The first Ludus/Gymnasium reaching 15 glory points wins the game. The gladiator duels are only part of the overall running of the Ludus.
Events during the game take place on two different boards – one is a map of ancient Italy and the other is the spectacle board which is used for the implementation of gladiator duels. All those mechanics in the game are implemented with the help of cards. Those cards show the individual gladiators with their personal specifications as regards to name, origin, cost and wages, his valor, that is his fighting skill, and his charisma, which is his ability to inspire the crowd. Other cards feature Ministers; ministers are employees looking after the gladiators, from doctor and trainer to armor manufacturer and cook. Then there are so called Munus cards representing the available spectacles which are ordered by magistrates, aristocrats and maybe even the emperor himself. Each of those cards is valid for two gymnasiums; they show the location of the arena, the location of the city on the map, the contract on the number of gladiators, the costs and also the number of Glory points that can be acquired in this spectacle. The 4th kind of cards is Eventum cards, these determine the events that are deployed or acquired in the event phase or during a gladiator duel.
This event phase starts each round of the game. Each player draws one such eventum card. This drawing of cards is followed by the Forum phase, all engaged gladiators are disengaged and the wound recovery is checked for all gladiators that cannot be disengaged. Then all cards in the Forum are discarded and you draw 1 gladiator card and 1 minister card per player and place them all in the Forum. Following this gladiators and employees now present in the Forum are auctioned.
The last phase of the game is the Munus phase – all cards in the Munus display are removed and new ones are drawn according to the number of players; then the spectacles on the Munus cards are played out. This is done by offering the spectacles, entering the Tender phase when you declare your intention to participate in a spectacle and acquire the right to participate. Then you pay the travelling cost for transferring gladiators to the arena of the spectacle, followed by the gladiator duel itself. Even the famous thumbs up / thumbs down coming from the spectators have been integrated into those duels. Players that are not involved in a spectacle can bet on the outcome or even try to influence the outcome.
What is special in this historic simulation is the extremely extensive research done on historic background information and the copious amounts of information presented in the game, including the consequent use of the Latin termini, supported and decorated by attractive and harmonious graphics. If is very rewarding to plough through the extensive description of components to familiarize yourself with them, the rules themselves are surprisingly simple and result in a well-working game that in the end boils down to an understanding of economic mechanisms and the best use of resources.
Munera is definitely not a game for beginners or a casual game, you must work for this game, but it’s worth its while.
If you like the topic and the game, you can download the first expansion: Munera Ars Dimicandi was developed in cooperation with the Institute of the same name, which engages in research the history of Gladiators. The expansion concentrates on the duels and provides new ways for lanistas to manage their champions’ duels and to plan them. A new feature are Pugna cards, comprising Player 1 cards, Player 2 cards and cards for classes of gladiators.
Dagmar de Cassan
Players: 2-4
Age: 10+
Duration: 90+
Designer: Matteo Santos
Artist: Jocularis
Price: ca. 40 Euro
Publisher: Albe Pavo 2010
Web: www.albepavo.com
Genre: Historic simulation
Users: For experts
Version: multi
Rules: en it
In-game text: yes
Comments:
First game of a series * Lots of information * needs intensive studying of rules and components * 1st expansion already available
Compares to :
Spartacus, Phalanx or Tribun, Heidelberger, for the era; first game with gladiator duels as an economics topic
Other editions:
Currently none
My rating: 5
Dagmar de Cassan:
At the start of the game Munera is hard work demanding dedicated and experienced players. Their reward is an interesting, well-moving game and lots of information on a fascinating aspect of ancient Roman history.
Chance: 1
Tactic: 3
Strategy: 1
Creativity: 0
Knowledge (yellow): 0
Memory: 0
Communication: 2
Interaction: 3
Dexterity: 0
Action: 0