Gaming Weekend - Pt.1 - The Circus

The past weekend was a long overdue meet up with some long-time wargaming friends, Steve and Martin, at Steve's place - unfortunately the fourth, Keith, couldn't make it.  Martin and I arrived Friday evening and after a good supper (Green Curried Fish and beans) we moved on to the beer and a couple of quick games of Ludus Gadiatorius using my mini-amphitheatre featured in an earlier article: When it's Too Hot to Paint.

In the first game our randomly selected characters ...

   Me             Steve           Martin

... sized each other up across the sands of the arena.

But why am I not looking at my two opponents you ask?  Well, my attention had been seized by a couple of lions that someone had let loose to enhance the entertainment. 

As a Bestiarius, I decided I would take on the lions and leave the other two to their classic gladiatorial match up.  This was a mistake, as apart from encouraging the lions to take chunks out of me they also seized the opportunity to stab me in the back when opportunity presented.

Then, as they realised that I, in my badly wounded condition, offered little threat they turned on each other.  At the same time the lions also decided that I wasn't the one they wanted to eat, and so down went Steve ...

... shortly followed by Martin as I carefully backed away towards the exit.

Being munched by lions, meant the Emperor's thumb could not influence their fate and both were ruled dead.

For the second game, we randomly selected some new personas:

  Me             Steve          Martin

This time there was only one lion, which Steve rapidly dispatched while Martin and I hammered away at each other to little effect.

I succumbed next as I recklessly neglected my defence to put everything into an all-out attack on Martin, not helped by a dart in the back from Steve.

Steve might've regretted his choice of target as Martin made short work of him once he managed to catch up with him.

So, with Martin declared the winner (sole survivor) the Emperor, clearly entertained, gave both Steve and myself the Thumbs Up to fight another day.