Hoplomachus: The Lost Cities

About the game

What is Hoplomachus: The Lost Cities?

Hoplomachus [ha-ploh-ma-kuss], or "Hoplo" for short, is a hex-based tactical board game set inside a gladiatorial arena. One to three players, each representing an ancient city/civilization thought to have been lost to the world, are now on Rome's doorstep vying for a place in the prestigious arena games. Players have a very clear objective: Eliminate the opponent's champion. Champions start the game in the arena but are inactive and defenseless. They will not fight until the crowd is behind them. Each player takes turns drawing, playing and moving gladiators from their "hand" and assisting them with tactic chips. Based on opponent's moves and play style, each person will need to adjust their strategies. Defend your champ, take over and hold the crowd favor areas, assault opponent's champion, cover deployment zones, eliminate tacticians to reduce enemy options, fight beasts to gain crowd favor, the list of tactical possibilities is endless. Hoplomachus combines combat, tactics, chip (units) management, level progression (through crowd favor system), team play, player vs board, and so much more.

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

Categories

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in Hoplomachus: The Lost Cities?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?