Spartacus News

Spartacus Translated Rulebooks Available
We've started adding translated versions of the Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery Rulebook as downloadable PDF files to our Game Play section. First up, the German language translation - Spartacus: Ein Spiel Über Blut und Verrat
Click Here to download Translated Rulebooks

Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery Strategies Available
"I'm just a simple Roman trying to make his way against the whim of the gods, the politicians, the miscreants. So often you can't tell one from the other..." - Quintus Lentulus Batiatus Master Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery with our a series of House Strategy Articles. The Dominus offers insight and wisdom to those who seek Influence. Learn the secrets of House Batiatus; take control of your ludus and use your large stable of Gladiators to crush your rivals raising your House to glory and victory. Master House Glaber; take command of your Guards and enforce your will on your rivals. Gain the wisdom of House Solonius; ensure that your Influence is felt in all phases of the game. Leverage the power of the purse as the master of markets, House Tullius. Manipulate your rivals with the subtle power of the cunning House Seppius. All will tremble under the shadow of Rome and House Varinius. Aspiring Gladiators can learn the finer points of Combat under the watchful eye and cruel lash of the Doctore. Protect yourself in the Arena with stout Armor. Master the many Weapons common to gladiatorial combat. Become proficient with exotic Special equipment to gain advantage in the arena. Marvel at the subtle power of the Hardened Belt. Crush your enemies with the Hammer. Control the combat with the wicked Ball & Chain.
Click Here and Seek the Insights of the Dominus Click Here to Receive Instruction from the Doctore

29 May 2013 Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf shipping now!

Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf has arrived in our distribution centers! We have begun to ship the game to our customers, retailers and distributors worldwide. Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf expands Gale Force Nine’s original Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery with two new Houses, allowing for up to six players to vie for dominance in ancient Capua! The Expansion also adds new cunning Schemes, deadly Gladiators and the vicious spectacle of team combat in the arena during the Primus! Look for Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf at your favorite game and hobby retailer or order it direct from the Gale Force Nine Online Store!
NOTE: Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf is an Expansion Set and not a complete game. It requires Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery to play!

13 March 2013 *Play Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery* on Tabletop Day March 30, 2013!**

Geek & Sundry, the award-winning original YouTube channel, is proud to announce the first International TableTop Day on March 30, 2013. International TableTop Day encourages people from around the globe to participate in the joys of board gaming by empowering the community to host thousands of gaming events internationally. Participants can sign up at www.tabletopday.com for free events at their favorite local game stores or submit their own event at their home, community center or business. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtag #TableTopDay on social media to share and connect their own events on a global scale. Inspired by tremendous fan response to the critically acclaimed show TableTop co-created and hosted by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory, Leverage), Felicia Day and her team hope that the day will grow the gaming community by encouraging fans to come together and play more games. “Gaming is a huge passion of mine, and I’m thrilled to help launch this event that will allow gamers all over the world to celebrate their passions together in real life.” Felicia Day, creator and founder of Geek & Sundry said. “The response we’ve received around our show, TableTop, has shown us that tabletop gaming brings people together in a unique and powerful way. We want to celebrate this on a larger scale and give back to our wonderful community.” Gale Force Nine along with other industry-leading sponsors are offering free promotional items and games as part of International TableTop Day to over 1,000 game stores around the world. Select Game Stores and Event Organizers will receive the Legendary Gladiator Zephyros game card. Zephyros is one of the Legendary Gladiators of House Batiatus, a champion of the arena from Capua’s past. If you don’t live near or can’t attend a TableTop Day event at a Select Game Store you’ll still be able to obtain a Zephyros game card for Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery!

Play and see devotion rewarded!
Everyone who participates in International TableTop Day is encouraged to share their experience through social media using the hashtag #TableTopDay. Gale Force Nine wants to see your passion for Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery! Share your photos, videos and blog posts about your Spartacus activity on TableTop Day with us. If you post a photo or video of you and your friends playing Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery on TableTop Day we want to see it! Send us a link to your post to [email protected]. When you send us the link, include your name and shipping address and in return, we’ll send you a Zephyros Legendary Gladiator game card! If you don’t have a social media account, send us a digital photo directly to receive a card. Please send us your links and photos by April 8th, 2013 (links and photos received after that will not receive a game card). In the weeks following TableTop Day we’ll be sharing some of our favorite photos, videos and blogs on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/spartacusboardgame) and our Twitter feed (@SpartacusBoardG). For more information about International TableTop day, check out the official TableTop Day website – www.tabletopday.com
Rules of the TableTop Day Zephyros Redemption
Submissions must be received between 12AM EST March 29, 2013 – 12PM EST April 8, 2013 to receive a Zephyros game card. Submissions must be sent via e-mail to [email protected] to be eligible for a Zephyros game card. Limit one (1) game card per household. Gale Force Nine (GF9) reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, modify, or dispose of any entry, proper names, likenesses, videos and photographs for advertising and promotional purposes in all media (including, but not limited to, the internet) without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfer of the game card is permitted, except at the sole discretion of GF9, who reserves the right to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. All taxes, and any other costs and expenses associated with game card acceptance and use not specifically stated within these Official Rules as being provided, are the sole responsibility of the participant, including, without limitation, all foreign, federal, state, and local taxes. Please insure that you include your name and FULL and CORRECT SHIPPING ADDRESS. GF9 is not responsible for cards that are lost, misdirected, or for any other errors or problems of any kind, whether typographical, printing, mechanical, human, electronic, or otherwise, not received by the participant. In most cases cards will be sent via the US Postal Service.

17 January 2013 Spartacus Undefeated!
Michael Barnes at the website No High Scores states that Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery is “a game that beat the odds to emerge as one of the year’s top titles.” While No High Scores’ Bill Abner insists that Spartacus “simply HAS to be part of your library”. Dan Spezzano puts Spartacus on his Top 5 Boardgames of 2012 list at his blog at Maximum Pixelation saying “I had a really hard time putting this at number two instead of number one.” Robert Florence, in his Cardboard Children column at Rock, Paper, Shotgun names Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery the Boardgame of the Year! He declares that “…Spartacus stands alone. An underdog that stands undefeated in the arena. A champion. My Game of the Year 2012.”
Read all of the reviews here: BEST OF 2012 Lists No High Scores: Cracked LCD - Barnes' Best 2012, Analog Edition - Michael Barnes No High Scores: Bill's Top 10 Boardgames of 2012 - Bill Abner Maximum Pixelation: Top 5 Boardgames of 2012 - Dan Spezzano Rock, Paper, Shortgun: Cardboard Children Board Game of the Year 2012 - Robert Florence


30 November 2012 *Expansion Set for Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery* Coming Soon!**
The shadow of Rome falls over Capua. Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf expands Gale Force Nine’s Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery with two new Houses, and adds new cunning Schemes, deadly Gladiators and the vicious spectacle of team combat in the arena during the Primus! Two new Houses; the respected praetor, Varinius and the arrogant noble, Seppius, dramatically change the game’s Intrigues. Varinius imposes his will on the noble Houses while the meddling Seppius twists the plots of others to his own nefarious ends. Shrewd new Schemes and frantic Reactions will cause more treacherous assaults and desperate alliances between the Houses than ever before! Houses bid for new Slaves who add to the fortunes of their Dominus with new skills and talents. Combatants learn new brutal fighting techniques as new weapons and armor become available. Powerful new Gladiators stand among the other champions of Capua, ready to make their mark in the arena and earn glory and Influence for their Dominus. Teams of Gladiators battle each other in a grand spectacle of blood and strategy with the addition of the Primus. Two Gladiators are matched against another team of two. Bitter rivals may find themselves fighting side-by-side, seeking favor and reward during these brutal contests. While most Gladiators battle with honor and purpose, beware treacherous fighters who many turn on their teammate when the opportunity arises!

Spartacus: The Serpents and the Wolf adds more bloodshed and betrayal to the game in the spirit of the groundbreaking STARZ Original Series and will be released in early 2013! Look for it at game and hobby shops worldwide! Every week on the game’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/spartacusboardgame) we will reveal a new component from the Expansion set; such as a new Gladiator card or a new Scheme card. Make sure you’re a Fan of us on Facebook to be notified when these sneak peeks debut!

23 August 2012 Spartacus Goes International!
Gale Force Nine is pleased to announce that Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery will be available in multiple languages after its initial launch. Now more players will be able to bask in the glory of the arena while plotting to bring down their rivals’ houses. In Winter 2012 we will publish German and Spanish language versions. Those releases will be followed up in Spring 2013 with French, Italian, Polish and Russian language versions.

20 August 2012 Spartacus, Bringer of Rain and Champion of Gen Con!

*The debut of Spartacus: A Game of Blood* and Treachery was a HUGE success at Gen Con 2012! Gale Force Nine sold out of the limited number of preview copies that were available!** Our hardworking volunteers have earned the favor of Rome for their tireless efforts during the show; running demo games and playing full games in the Gaming Hall. Early reviews of the game are already beginning to appear online and Spartacus is a hit; with one reviewer calling it the “hidden gem of Gen Con”! Now our cunning lanistas have their sights set on SPIEL ’12 in Essen, Germany in October. Are you ready to step onto the sacred sands of the arena? Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery will be in stores late September / early October. Demand the game at your local game store so you don’t miss out on the intrigue, bloodshed and triumph! We are also taking pre-orders at the Gale Force Nine Online Store!