You are a gladiator fighting for Glory in the Roman arena. Savage beasts and vicious warriors are all that stand between you and eternal fame. Defeating your foes is not enough; you must win the crowd’s favor. In Gladiators, you can play as you want: from lightning-fast matches with simple rules to epic tournaments with extra components for added depth. Bravely attacking face-to-face earns the cheers of the crowd while attacking from behind is harder to block. To make things more interesting for the bloodthirsty mob, the arena is strewn with dangerous traps and helpful objects. The crowd’s mood changes throughout the match, and by entertaining them you can win their favor and eternal Glory. Even your glorious death can win you victory! The core of Gladiators is simple symbol-based play: Swords are your attack power Shields are your defense Feet are for movement Stars are for special skills When attacking and blocking, you compare swords to shields. If you have more swords than your foe has shields, you win and cause wounds. You spend dice symbols to move, use combat abilities, and play (optional) action cards – trips, head-butts and more that gladiators can learn above and beyond their core skills.