New Building - Coliseum

[Barkhorn1x]

At the .COM.

It's MANIFICENT

Well, that's what the description says anyway.

And get this - w/ a Coliseum you can train 3 types of gladiators;
Velite
Samnite
Mirmillo

Interesting, yes?

Barkhorn

[Voigtkampf]

Our regular scout reports new findings What do you do, sleep on their doorstep?

Well done, thank you, I'm off to take a look

[Aelwyn]

It says something about the more often games are staged, the more it improves public order. Does this mean you decide when games are staged? hmm....

[Sir Robin]

It trains different types of gladiators?

Gladiators can be a part of your armies?

While visually it will be cool it makes me wonder...

Were there ever "gladiator" units in Roman armies?

I could see how this would be important for the Spartacus uprising but were they ever used by the "regular" factions in battle?

As far as improving public order maybe it will be something you can schedule like the Sierra games.

Very interesting...

[MiniKiller]

dont forget this game isnt supposed to be 100% accurate. I like the idea of gladiaters being in ur army, i brought this sugegestion up but someone told me it was a dreadful idea, apparently not to ca is isnt :)

[spmetla]

Oooooooooo........different Gladiators. Too bad they'll be in normal armies as well, but for Spartacus's sake I'm happy. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[Shamus]

There were actual units made up of gladiators in certain armies. The name of a general who commanded just such an army has slipped my mind, however the army he led was composed of slaves and gladiators, among other units. So yes, although rare, gladiator units did exist.

Edit: Posted this then saw the post above. That was the name I was trying to think of, Spartacus. Of course, Gladiators were slaves, but I digress...

[Knight_Yellow]

3 gladiator units?

*drools*

[Spino]

Quote[/b] ]And get this - w/ a Coliseum you can train 3 types of gladiators;
Velite
Samnite
Mirmillo

Interesting, yes?

Velite gladiators? Velites?? Is this an error by the official website's admin? Where is the logic in allowing users to produce a light, skirmishing javelin unit that is already a part of Rome's regular forces? Did they mean 'Thracian' and made a mistake? CA already made reference to the Thracian type gladiators in the Codex Imperia.

Since it's been such a slow day at work I thought I'd bring a little extra something to this thread...

Samnite

The Samnite took his name from those people defeated by Rome's Capuan allies in 312 B.C. and the armour he wore and the weapons he used were supposedly adopted as a sign of contempt for the Samnites. He used a large oblong shield (scutum) and wore a metal or boiled leather greave (ocrea) on his left leg. He also wore a visored helmet (galea) with a large crest and plume and was armed with a sword (gladius).

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/samnite.jpg

Mirmillo

"The Gladiator Mirmillo, was armed in Gallic fashion with helmet, sword, and oval shield and were so called from the name of the fish that served as the crest of their helmet. his main opponent was the Retiarius..."

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/mirmillo.jpg

Thracian

"The gladiator Thracian was considered lightly armored. He carried a very small round or square shield called Parma and a very curved sword called Sica. He wore a metal helmet with a large crest representing a mithological beast called Grifone.
He wore leg guards on both legs and these guards they were very tall, covering up to the tops of his thighs.
For contrast, the Thracian used to combat against an heavy armored gladiator as the Hoplomacus."

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/tracian.jpg

Secutor

"The gladiator "Secutor" (chaser in English), got his name from his fighting technique. Infact he used to chase his opponent around the Arena... He wore a round helmet with crest and two small round eye holes.
His principal opponent was the Retiarius...
so the rounded shape of the Secutor's Helmet was less likely to become entagled in the net of the Retiarius.
His right arm was protected with a leather or metal armor, and he carried a short sword called Spatha.
Also he had a large shield and his left leg was covered with a metal leg guard called Ocrea."

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/secutor.jpg

Hoplomacus

"The gladiator Hoplomacus was the most heavy armored of the gladiators. His weapons and fighting techniques were very similar to the Samnite. The Hoplomacus carried a large rectangular shield called Scutum, and the famous sword called Gladius (from which the word Gladiator was derived). Also the Hoplomacus wore a visored helmet with a heavy metal helmet and his legs and arms were protected by metal or leather protections. Especially his right arm was protected by a Manica, an armor that goes up to the shoulder.
The Hoplomacus was considered the bulldozer of the Arena, but he was also limited in his speed cause of the weight of his heavy armor."

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/hoplomacus.jpg

Retitarius

The gladiator Retiarius (net fighter in English), fought with a trident (a 3 pronged fishing spear) and a net His fighting technique was to entagle his opponent with his net and then skewer him as a fisherman with his trident. The retiarius, unlike other gladiators, wore almost no armor. He had only a on his left shoulder a metal shield protection called Galerus and his arm was protected with leather or metal. No helmet or shield... but he was very light and fast.
His main opponent was the Secutor.

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/retiarius.jpg

Personally I think the Retitarius with their tridents should be the third gladiator unit in the list but I can see how their nets would raise of some eyebrows when seen on the battlefield. The trident is probably one of the first weapons that comes to mind when you think of a gladiator. Beyond this perhaps the Hoplomacus would be a wiser choice, give them a spear and it could be the only gladiator unit suited for defense (and sporting a modest anti-cav rating to boot).

Here's a few websites that seem to capture the basics of all things gladiator...

http://www.gladiatorschool.tv/romangladiators.htm

http://www.legionxxiv.org/ludusmagnusold/

[RisingSun]

If they HAD to make another unit of gladiators, it should definitely not be the retiarius. It was the only gladiator that did not sport a real weapon and armor, but was rather fashioned in a mythical fashion after Neptune. (Who would have guessed) They would certainly NOT be caught fighting on a battlefield, though neither would the other gladiators... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Kraxis]

I don't think that these gladiators are meant to be battleunits. For the last few previews we haven't heard about teh gladiators on the battlefield, they might not be in anymore. Not that it matters to my point really.

I think that you use your money on the gladiators, when you have sufficient gladiators you can have games. Depending on the level of gladiators (from velites to mirmillos) they will last longer or be available in greater numbers for the next games.

That way you use your money to create games like the description mentiones.