Last Thursday, Gordon invited us to play Gangs of Rome, a game from Warlord Games that I hadn’t tried before. I was very curious about it. In this game, each player controls a gang, and your opponent commands a rival gang. Typically, there is a mission to complete, which makes the scenario of the game very important. Interestingly, everything you need to know is included in the rulebook, including a painting guide.
UMPIRING: Gordon Smith, Jack Glanville
1. Introduction.
In our game, we observed a trial in which Marcus Tullius Cicero was opposing Caius Verres. Each of them hired two gangs to protect themselves and hinder their opponent's access to the court. My gang and Alasdair were working for Verres, while Ben and Tim were hired by Cicero.
2. The Game.
The rules of the game are straightforward. During each turn, you can perform up to four actions, such as moving, attacking, engaging in melee combat, or using ranged combat, etc. You declare your actions first, and then roll several dice equal to the character's attribute, which typically ranges from 5 to 7 dice.
After rolling, you compare the results against your declared actions. If the number of successful rolls (4 or higher) is equal to or greater than the actions you've declared, your character can be activated. It's important to note the order in which you declare your actions. For instance, if you say, "climb out the window onto the ledge, jump onto the wall, and then do something else." Still, you only roll one success for all three actions; you'll successfully reach the ledge but fail to make it to the wall, which could result in significant damage.
Combat is also quite simple: the attacking side rolls attack dice, while the defending side rolls their defence dice. The rolls are compared, and if the attacker has more successes (4 or higher) than the defender, the attacker inflicts wounds on the defender. Each character has a specific endurance limit; if this limit is exceeded, the character is eliminated from the game. That covers the basic rules.
In our game, my gang confronted Ben's gang while directly protecting Verres. I was able to eliminate most of Ben's gang quickly, but the situation became much more complicated when the crowd and the Roman police got involved. Despite these challenges, we managed to gain ground on Ben's gang, allowing Verres to reach the courthouse safely.
Tim attempted to protect Cicero from Alasdair's attacks. However, his job became significantly more challenging due to the angry mob, which had already slaughtered three of his gang members. This chaos made things easier for Alasdair, who ultimately killed Cicero with a barrage of arrows. As a result, no one could prove Verres' guilt, allowing our gangs to emerge victorious.
3. Links.
SESWC:
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720330982380
