Colosseum: The Grand Spectacle Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Winning the Game
• Playing the Game
• Phase 1: Make Investments
  • Buy a Gate (10 coins each, max 2)
  • Hire a Promoter (7 coins each)
  • Plan a Spectacle (Varies)
  • Build a Temple of Fortuna (7 coins, max 1)
• Phase 2: Hire Performers
  • Star Performers
  • Auction Tips
  • Example of a Hire Performers Phase
• Phase 3: Trade Performers
  • Trading Tips
• Phase 4: Perform a Spectacle
  • Step 1: Move Nobles
    • Example of Moving Nobles
  • Step 2: Choose a Spectacle
    • Example of Choosing a Spectacle
  • Step 3: Perform a Spectacle & Win Acclaim
  • Gain Gifts
    • Example of Performing a Spectacle & Winning Acclaim
• Phase 5: Closing Ceremonies
  • Step 1: Retire A Performer & Wrap Spectacle
  • Step 2: Least Acclaimed Steals a Performer
  • Step 3: Least Acclaimed Chooses First Player
  • Begin the Next Round
• End of the Game
• Reference
  • Performer Tiles & Star Performers
  • Balatro Tiles
  • Star Performers
  • Aquilas
• Playing the Classic Game
  • Component Changes
  • Setup Changes
  • Gameplay Changes
    • Phase 1: Make Investments
    • Phase 4: Perform a Spectacle
      • Step 1: Move Nobles
  • Game End Changes
  • Performer Changes
    • Construction Tiles
    • Aquila Changes

Components

• Game board
• 2 supply boards
• 5 impresario boards (1 per player)
• First player (gladiator) marker
• Mercury pawn
• 6 Noble pawns (3 bronze senators, 2 silver consuls, 1 golden emperor)
• 1 "Escaped Lion" module meeple

Note: more information about the "Escaped Lion" module will be revealed throughout the campaign.

• 12 Small Spectacle tiles
• 10 Medium Spectacle tiles
• 12 Large Spectacle tiles
• 172 Performer tiles
• 12 Star Performer meeples
• 12 Promoter meeples
• 4 Gift tokens
• 20 Aquila tokens
• 5 Temple of Fortuna (1 in each player color)
• 20 Gates (4 in each player color)
• 5 Pillars (1 in each player color)
• 5 Acclaim markers (1 in each player color)
• 80 Coins (20 × 1-value, 15 × 3-value, 15 × 5-value, 15 × 10-value, and 20 × 20-value)
• 2 dice
• Cloth bag
• Player aid
• Rulebook & Solo rulebook
• Solo / 2 player components

Note: more information about the Solo and 2 player variant will be revealed throughout the campaign.

Setup

1. Place the game board within reach of all players.

2. Put a Noble pawn in each of the corresponding starting spaces of the Noble track (senators in the bronze spaces, consuls in the silver spaces, and the emperor in the gold space). Place the Mercury pawn in the center of the Colosseum.

3. Place 3 Gift tokens next to the game board.

4. Set the 2 supply boards on opposite sides of the game board. Place the Star Performers and coins on the wider supply board; and the coins, Aquila tokens, and Promoters on the slimmer supply board. The coins on the supply boards are referred to as the bank.

5. Separate the Spectacle tiles according to the number or icon in the middle of the tile, on the back side:

   • Set aside all the small tiles with an icon (no number). These will be used in Setup Step 13.
   • Create a Spectacle display by placing the medium tiles with numbers 1-10 face down (side without artwork) next to the wider supply board, and the large tiles with number 11-22 face down next to the slimmer supply board.

6. Choose a first player at random or by any method you prefer. That player gets the First player (gladiator) marker.

7. Each Player: Select an impresario board and take the 4 Gates, 1 Pillar, Temple of Fortuna, and Acclaim marker in that player color, plus a reference card and a total value of 30 coins from the bank.

8. In reverse player order, take turns choosing 2 adjacent starting Gate spaces showing a number of dots corresponding to the game's player count. Place one of your Gates in each of these spaces.

   This space may only be chosen in a game with 3, 4, or 5 players. Example placement of gates for a 3 or 5 player game.

You are now ready to play Colosseum!

Winning the Game

In Colosseum, you must produce Spectacles to earn money and win the Acclaim of the crowd. Recruit and trade Performers, secure top-tier Star Performers, plan and execute ever more thrilling Spectacles, and attract influential Nobles to your section to best your rivals and potentially receive Gifts from the emperor himself. After 4 rounds, the impresario with the highest Acclaim wins the game!

Playing the Game

Colosseum is played over 4 rounds, each broken up into 5 phases:

• Phase 1: Make Investments
• Phase 2: Hire Performers
• Phase 3: Trade Performers
• Phase 4: Perform a Spectacle
• Phase 5: Closing Ceremonies

In each phase, players take turns in clockwise order from the first player. You may always skip your turn during any phase if you wish.

At the close of the 4th round, the player with the highest Acclaim wins the game!

Phase 1: Make Investments

At the beginning of each round, players invest in their troupe, whether purchasing new Spectacles to produce, hiring promoters, expanding your seating, or paying homage to Fortuna.

On your turn, you may make 2 investments from the following options, paying the cost in coins from your impresario board to the bank:

• Buy a Gate (10 coins each)
• Hire a Promoter (7 coins)
• Plan a Spectacle (cost varies)
• Build a Temple of Fortuna (7 coins)

You may only make each investment once per turn, meaning that you may not hire 2 or more Promoters, or plan 2 or more Spectacles in the same turn.

All investments are component-limited: if there are no more of the component you want, you may not make that investment. For example, once you have built both of your additional Gates, you may not invest in Gates again.

Buy a Gate (10 coins each, max 2)

By purchasing additional gates, you increase your footprint in the Colosseum. Pay 10 coins to the bank, then take an available gate from your impresario board and place it in an empty space adjacent to one of your existing Gates.

With more Gates, you may perform larger Spectacles (see page 16). You also increase the chance that Nobles will visit your section when you put on a Spectacle (see page 15).

Hire a Promoter (7 coins each)

By hiring Promoters, you increase the Acclaim you earn each round. Pay 7 coins to the bank, then take 1 Promoter meeple from the supply and place it on the Promoter space of your impresario board.

Each Promoter grants you +5 Acclaim when you perform a Spectacle (see page 17).

Plan a Spectacle (Varies)

By investing in new Spectacles, you create new ways to win Acclaim during Phase 4. Choose a Spectacle from the display around either supply board, pay its cost in coins to the bank (the number in the gold coin in the lower right), and place the Spectacle face down below your impresario board.

Important: You will need a total of 3 Gates to perform a medium Spectacle (numbered 1-10), and a total of 4 Gates to perform a large Spectacle (numbered 11-22). Budget accordingly!

Spectacle tile anatomy:

1. Face down side
2. Face up side
3. Spectacle title
4. Required Performers
5. Acclaim reward
6. Spectacle number
7. Required Gates
8. Investment cost

Build a Temple of Fortuna (7 coins, max 1)

By paying tribute to Fortuna, the goddess of chance, you benefit more than others from the whims of fate. Pay 7 coins to the bank, then place your Temple of Fortuna in the space closest to your gates on the game board.

When your Temple of Fortuna is on the game board, you may treat your dice rolls when moving Nobles as a range rather than a set number (e.g. a result of 3 is treated as 1-3, rather than exactly 3). This gives you far greater control over how Nobles move when you perform a Spectacle (see page 15).

Phase 2: Hire Performers

Next, players hire groups of performers to enact their grand Spectacles — gladiators, comedians, fire eaters, charioteers… even lions and ships!

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, players take turns running auctions and bidding for lots of Performer tiles.

On your turn, choose whether to conduct an auction or pass, ending your turn.

• If you pass, refill any empty markets. Play then continues with the next player in clockwise order.
• If you conduct an auction, take the Mercury pawn and become the active player.
• Place the Mercury pawn next to a market containing 3 Performer tiles. This becomes the active lot.
• Make an opening bid of 8 or more coins for the active lot.
• Then, in clockwise order, each player with a pillar on their impresario board chooses whether to raise the bid, or pass. The active player may bid again. A player without a pillar on their board or who cannot raise must pass. A player who passes cannot bid again for this lot.

Important: Your Aquilas are also considered to have a value of 6 coins when opening or raising a bid to hire Performers. In essence, an Aquila is treated as 6 coins in "credit" when bidding. Aquilas used as "credit" for bidding are not spent, though if you win an auction and do not have sufficient coins in your supply, you must spend Aquilas for coins in order to pay for the lot.

Bidding continues until all but one player has passed. This winner pays their bid to the bank, collects the active lot, and places their pillar in the emptied market. Without their pillar, the winner may not bid on another lot in the active player's turn.

• If you won the active lot, your turn ends. Return the Mercury pawn to the center of the Colosseum, and refill all empty markets with 3 tiles drawn from the bag. All players collect their pillars and the next player in clockwise order becomes the active player.
• If you did not win the active lot, restart the auction process. Choose whether to conduct another auction at a different market, or pass.

Place all Performer tiles you collect in the corresponding space at the top of your impresario board. The Performer tiles you have is public information.

If at any time you have 3 Performers of one type, and you have the most of that Performer type, immediately collect the corresponding Star Performer meeple (see page 22).

Once all players have completed their turns (once each player has had an opportunity to be the active player), proceed to Phase 3.

Star Performers

As you collect Performers, you will eventually attract the new stars of the Colosseum.

Performer tiles / Star Performers: Charioteer, Comedian, Decorator, Elephant, Fire Eater, Gladiator, Horse, Lion, Musician, Priest, Scenery Builder, Shipmaster.

Whenever you have at least 3 Performer tiles of one type, and you have more of that tile than any other player, immediately take the matching Star Performer meeple (either from the game board or an opponent). Star Performers most typically change hands when players gain Performer tiles in Phases 2 and 3, or lose Performer tiles in Phase 5.

You lose a Star Performer as soon as an opponent exceeds the number of Performer tiles you have of that type. For example, if you have 4 Lions, you lose the Lion Star Performer as soon as an opponent has 5 or more Lion tiles. Give the Star Performer to the player who now holds the majority of that Performer type. If two or more players are tied for this new majority, return the Star Performer to the game board instead.

If at any point you have a Star Performer and 2 or fewer Performers of the corresponding type, and no other player has 3 or more Performers and the majority of that type, immediately return that Star Performer to the game board.

A Star Performer earns you +4 Acclaim when you perform a Spectacle that includes that Performer type (see page 17).

Auction Tips

• There are 24 Gladiator tiles, 6 balatros (wild Performers), and 12 of every other Performer tile. These totals are printed on your impresario board for reference.
• Missing an opportunity to hire Performers severely hampers your ability to trade Performers and perform a Spectacle later in the round. Aspire to always have at least 8-10 coins at the beginning of Phase 2 to ensure you can expand your options for trade and Spectacles.
• It's common to conduct more than one auction on your turn, particularly when your opponents are wealthy. Leaving your most desired markets for later auctions, when there are fewer opponents to bid against, may let you secure those tiles for less money.
• Try not to spend all your money on your own turn! You have more chances to win auctions during opponents' turns than your own, and saving some coins for those opportunities can really help you build your troupe.
• Having more Performer tiles than you need is useful, since you can trade them to other players in Phase 3.

Example of a Hire Performers Phase

Becky (16 coins), Kat (9 coins), and Laura (12 coins) begin the Hire Performers phase.

Becky is the first player. She chooses to conduct an auction for the lot of tiles in Market A. She moves the Mercury pawn next to Market A, making it the active lot, and announces an opening bid of 8 coins.

Kat chooses to pass, preventing her from making further bids on this lot. Laura raises the bid to 12. Becky chooses to pass.

Laura wins the lot. She pays 12 coins to the bank, collects all 3 tiles from Market A, then places her pillar in Market A. She will not be able to bid on further lots until everyone collects their pillars at the end of Becky's turn.

Becky then chooses to conduct a second auction, identifying Market B as the active lot. She makes an opening bid of 9 coins because she knows she will not be opposed. Kat cannot raise the bid to 10 or more, so she must pass. Laura does not have her pillar, so she can't bid either. Becky wins the auction. She pays 9 coins to the bank, collects the 3 tiles from Market B, and places her pillar in that Market space.

Two of the Performers Becky just hired are comedians, which brings her total comedians to 4. As both Kat and Laura have fewer comedians, Becky also claims the comedian Star Performer.

Since Becky was the active player, winning this lot also ends her turn. She returns the Mercury pawn to the center of the Colosseum, refills Markets A and B with new tiles from the bag, and then all players collect their pillars.

Kat then becomes the active player. She chooses to conduct an auction, places the Mercury pawn next to Market C, and makes an opening bid of 8 coins. Laura is out of coins, so she must pass. Kat only has 7 coins left, so she must pass as well. Kat wins the lot, refills Market C, and collects her pillar.

Laura becomes the active player but doesn't have the 8 coins required to make an opening bid, so she must skip her auction and ends her turn immediately.

All players have now had a turn, so the phase ends.

Phase 3: Trade Performers

In this phase, players cut deals with one another, swapping Performers, money, and Aquilas to execute their grand plans.

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, players then take turns trading with each other.

On your turn, take the Mercury pawn and place it in front of you to indicate you're the active player. At this point you may freely negotiate deals with other players, subject to the following rules:

• The active player directs all trades. They may solicit or receive offers of trade, include or exclude any opponents they wish, and choose when to cease negotiating and attempt to close a deal.
• All trades must include the active player. While players can triangulate a trade (e.g. a deal where the active player gives a tile to one opponent, who pays money to another opponent, who then gives the active player a tile), opponents cannot conduct "side deals" which do not involve the active player.
• Players may only trade Performer tiles, coins, Aquila tokens, and promises. Acclaim and other components like Spectacles, Gifts tokens, Star Performers and Promoter meeples, or pieces in a player color may never be traded.
• Only trades executed during your turn are binding. Promises of future actions or "loans" to be repaid in future turns can be offered, but do not have to be honored!
• No player can be forced to trade. All parties must agree to the terms before a deal is closed and components exchange hands.

You may end your turn as the active player at any time you like. This may include ending your turn without making any trades at all.

Add all the Performer tiles, coins, and Aquila tokens you gain to your impresario board, and confirm whether any Star Performers need to change hands. Then the next player in clockwise order takes their turn as the active player.

Once all players have completed a turn as the active player, proceed to Phase 4.

Trading Tips

• Don't drag this phase out. In most cases, 3-4 minutes per player is more than enough time to reach any potential deals.
• Trading is as much about social interaction as it is about math. Table-talk, haggling, and deduction are all part of the process, so speak up and have fun!
• While tiles are often the focus, trades for money or Aquilas can set you up nicely for future rounds.
• Don't forget that Star Performers can move from player to player when Performer tiles are traded. Reminding a potential trade partner that your offer of a tile can also net them a Star Performer is a perfectly legitimate (and shrewd) negotiating tactic.
• While deals don't always have to be equitable, you should always be fair to the other players. Don't speak over or dismiss your opponents, keep side-talk to a minimum, and invite new and shy players into negotiations on their own terms. No one wants to play with a bully.

Phase 4: Perform a Spectacle

In this phase, players choose and perform a Spectacle for the arena's plebian and Noble guests. This wins them money and Acclaim in the bloody sands of the Colosseum.

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, players may each perform one of their Spectacles as follows. Each player takes all of these steps before the next player in clockwise order may perform a Spectacle.

• Step 1: Move Nobles
• Step 2: Choose a Spectacle
• Step 3: Perform a Spectacle & Win Acclaim

Step 1: Move Nobles

On each player's turn, one or two Nobles — a combination of senators, consuls, or the emperor — move clockwise around the Colosseum, mingling with the plebians.

First, roll the dice and choose one of these options:

• Move one Noble pawn the result of one die, and a different Noble pawn the result of the other die. For example, if you roll 2 and 6, you may move one Noble 2 spaces and a different Noble 6 spaces.
• Move a single Noble pawn the sum of both dice. For example, if you roll 2 and 6, you may move a single Noble 8 spaces.
• If you've built your Temple of Fortuna, you may treat each dice result as a range of 1 up to the result. For example, if you roll 2 and 6, you may choose to move one Noble 1-2 spaces and another Noble 1-6 spaces, or you may move a single Noble 2-8 spaces.

Nobles must move clockwise along the Noble track. Spaces occupied by a Noble pawn are skipped and do not count against pawn movement.

After moving Nobles, you may spend 1 or more Aquila tokens to move any Noble up to 3 spaces clockwise or counter-clockwise per token spent. This is the only way to move a Noble counter-clockwise!

When a Noble ends its movement on a space containing an Aquila icon, you receive an Aquila token. Take the token from the supply and add it to your impresario board.

Exception: If you spent an Aquila token to move a Noble into this space, do not collect an Aquila token.

A Noble that ends its movement at one of your Gates earns you additional Acclaim for your Spectacle, depending on the Noble's importance (see Step 3, page 17).

Example of Moving Nobles

Kat rolls the dice and gets 3 and 5. She sees the emperor is just 4 spaces away from her Gates. She uses the 5 to move the emperor to her second Gate. She would have preferred to move the emperor to her first Gate to stymie other players from moving the emperor further around the track, and potentially other players' Gates, but Kat has not yet built her Temple of Fortuna, this is not an option.

With no way to use the 3 to get another Noble to her Gates, Kat instead uses it to move a senator past both Gates belonging to two of her opponents.

Step 2: Choose a Spectacle

Identify one of your Spectacles to perform. This Spectacle may be face up or face down.

You may only choose a Spectacle for which you have the minimum required Gates and Performers.

Spectacle Size	Required Gates	Minimum Performers
Small	2	1
Medium	3	5 fewer than shown
Large	4	6 fewer than shown

Place the chosen Spectacle face up within the brackets on the left side of your impresario board, then proceed to Step 3.

Example of Choosing a Spectacle

Neptune's Fury, a large Spectacle, requires a total of 13 Performers. You may perform this Spectacle so long as you have all 4 Gates and at least 7 of the 13 Performer tiles shown on the tile.

Step 3: Perform a Spectacle & Win Acclaim

Finally, perform your chosen Spectacle to earn money and Acclaim. Calculate your winnings by following the track at the bottom of your impresario board in order:

1. Spectacle: Confirm whether you can meet the full Performer requirement. If you can, gain the large Acclaim reward shown in the laurel wreath.

   Fewer Performers: If you cannot meet the full Performer requirement, gain the Acclaim corresponding to the number of Performers you're missing. For example, if you are 3 Performers short, gain the Acclaim shown under "-3" on the Acclaim reward strip.

   Reminder: Balatro tiles are wild and can fill the role of any Performer type!

2. Previous Performances: Gain +5 Acclaim for each face-up Spectacle beneath your impresario board. These are the Spectacles you've previously performed. You gain no Acclaim from face-down Spectacles below your board.

3. Star Performers: Gain +4 Acclaim for each Star Performer you have matching a Performer type in your Spectacle. You gain no Acclaim from Star Performers whose Performer type is not used in this Spectacle.

4. Nobles: Gain bonus Acclaim for each Noble at one of your Gates: +7 Acclaim for the emperor, +5 Acclaim for each consul, and +3 Acclaim for each senator.

5. Promoters: Gain +5 Acclaim for each Promoter meeple you have.

6. Gifts: Gain +3 Acclaim for each Gift token you've collected.

7. (Optional) Spend Aquilas: You may spend any number of Aquila tokens, gaining +3 Acclaim for each token spent.

If the Acclaim scored is higher than your marker's current position on the Acclaim track, move it to the new, higher score. Your Acclaim marker will never move backwards; if you generated less Acclaim than your current position on the track, it remains in its current position.

If your Acclaim marker moves to an occupied space on the track, stack your marker on top of any other markers in that space.

Finally, gain money from the bank equal to the Acclaim you generated this turn. Once you collect your money, the next player in clockwise order takes their turn, moving Nobles, choosing a Spectacle, and then performing it.

Keep the Spectacle you just performed on your impresario board until Phase 5.

Gain Gifts

Once all players have taken a turn or passed, the player who is furthest along on the Acclaim track gains a Gift token from the supply and adds it to their impresario board. In the event of a tie for highest Acclaim, the tied player with the bottommost Acclaim marker gains the Gift.

If there are no Gift tokens left to take, the game ends instead (see page 20). Otherwise, proceed to Phase 5.

Example of Performing a Spectacle & Winning Acclaim

It's Becky's turn to perform a Spectacle. She has 3 Spectacles: Ships of Triton, Amphitryon (which she performed last round), and Satyricon of Momus. She has the following Performer tiles: 4 comedians, 1 priest, 1 fire eater, and 1 decorator, plus the comedian Star Performer.

First, she moves Nobles. She rolls the dice, getting results of 1-3 and 3. As she has built her Temple of Fortuna, this lets her either move one Noble 1-3 spaces and another 1-3 spaces, or move a single Noble 2-6 spaces. She chooses the first option, moving a consul 3 spaces to end at one of her Gates, and moving a senator 2 spaces to end on an Aquila space. She collects an Aquila token from the supply.

Next, she chooses a Spectacle to perform. She doesn't have any tiles needed for Ships of Triton. She could perform Amphitryon again, but she wouldn't gain bonus Acclaim for having another previous performance. Fortunately, she has built 3 Gates, so she can perform Satyricon of Momus.

Becky assesses the Satyricon. She has 2 of 2 comedians, 1 of 1 fire eaters, 1 of 2 priests, and the decorator, though she lacks the scenery builder. With no balatros available, she is 3 tiles short of the full requirements. According to the Spectacle's Acclaim strip, she starts with 9 Acclaim.

Becky previously performed Amphitryon, so she gains 5 more Acclaim.

Since the Satyricon includes comedians, Becky scores 4 more Acclaim for having the comedian Star Performer.

A consul is at one of her gates, so she gains another 5 Acclaim.

Becky has no Promoters or Gifts, so she gains no bonuses from them.

She chooses to spend the Aquila she just earned to gain 3 more Acclaim.

Totaling her Acclaim, Becky earns 9 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 0 + 0 + 3, for a grand total of 26 Acclaim. Her marker is at 7 on the Acclaim track, so she moves it up to 26.

Finally, Becky collects 26 coins from the bank. Play then passes to Kat, the next player in clockwise order.

Phase 5: Closing Ceremonies

With the day's games finished, the emperor blesses the most successful impresario and the players manage their troupes before starting the next round.

Step 1: Retire A Performer & Wrap Spectacle

In turn order, each player who performed a Spectacle this round chooses 1 Performer tile used in the Spectacle and returns it to the game box.

After this choice, move the Spectacle you just performed to below your impresario board, face up. This Spectacle will grant 5 additional Acclaim when you perform other Spectacles in future rounds.

Don't forget discarding Performers may also change control of Star Performers (see page 22).

Step 2: Least Acclaimed Steals a Performer

The player who is farthest back on the Acclaim track steals a Performer tile from the player who is farthest forward on the Acclaim track. The stolen tile may be of any type, including a balatro. Remember this may cause a Star Performer to move as well (see page 22).

Only one player may be the "least acclaimed." If multiple players share this position on the Acclaim track, the tied player whose marker is on top of the stack is considered the least acclaimed.

Step 3: Least Acclaimed Chooses First Player

The least acclaimed player also declares which player will be the first player for the next round. They may choose themselves. The new first player takes and places the first player marker in front of them.

Begin the Next Round

Finally, the first player begins Phase 1 of the next round.

End of the Game

The game ends after 4 rounds are complete (when no player can take a Gift at the end of Phase 4). All players with Aquila tokens remaining immediately return them to the supply, gaining 3 Acclaim for each returned.

Compare positions on the Acclaim track. The player with the most Acclaim is declared the Great Impresario and wins the game!

In case of a tie, the tied player with the most money wins. If there is still a tie, the tied player with the most Star Performers wins. If a tie still remains, the player with the bottommost Acclaim marker in the tied stack wins.

Reference

Performer Tiles & Star Performers

These are 13 Performer types in the game, plus the Aquila tile:

Performer	Count	Star Performer / Effects
Charioteers	12	Has a Star Performer
Lions	12	Has a Star Performer
Comedians	12	Has a Star Performer
Musicians	12	Has a Star Performer
Decorators	12	Has a Star Performer
Priests	12	Has a Star Performer
Elephants	12	Has a Star Performer
Scenery Builders	12	Has a Star Performer

Balatro Tiles

These special Performer tiles are "wild" and can be used in place of any Performer type when performing a Spectacle (see page 17).

However, as jacks-of-all-trades, balatros have no associated Star Performer, and are not wild for any other purpose. For example, you cannot include them when determining if you may claim a Star Performer meeple.

Star Performers

Whenever you have at least 3 Performer tiles of one type, and you have more of that tile than any other player, immediately take the matching Star Performer meeple (either from the game board or an opponent). Star Performers most typically change hands when players gain Performer tiles in Phases 2 and 3, or lose Performer tiles in Phase 5.

You lose a Star Performer as soon as an opponent exceeds the number of Performer tiles you have of that type. For example, if you have 4 Lions, you lose the Lion Star Performer as soon as an opponent has 5 or more Lion tiles. Give the Star Performer to the player who now holds the majority of that Performer type. If two or more players are tied for this new majority, return the Star Performer to the game board instead.

If at any point you have a Star Performer and 2 or fewer Performers of the corresponding type, and no other player has 3 or more Performers and the majority of that type, immediately return that Star Performer to the game board.

A Star Performer earns you +4 Acclaim when you perform a Spectacle that includes that Performer type (see page 17).

Aquilas

Aquila (eagle) tokens are multi-use tokens you may spend for bonuses at several points in the game. You can gain Aquilas in:

• Phase 2, by purchasing a lot including an Aquila tile (see page 10)
• Phase 3, by trading for them with an opponent (see page 14)
• Phase 4, by landing on an Aquila space while moving Nobles (see page 15)

When you gain an Aquila tile in Phase 2, immediately discard the tile to the game box and take an Aquila token from the supply.

You may spend an Aquila to:

• When making investments in Phase 1, or after winning an auction in Phase 2, to gain 6 coins
• When moving a Noble in Phase 4, to move any Noble up to 3 spaces clockwise or counter-clockwise on the track
• When performing a Spectacle in Phase 4, to gain 3 additional Acclaim
• At the end of the game, to gain 3 additional Acclaim

Your Aquilas are also considered to have a value of 6 coins when opening or raising the bid to hire Performers (see page 10). In essence, an Aquila is treated as 6 coins in "credit" when bidding. Aquilas used as "credit" for bidding are not spent, though if you win an auction and do not have sufficient coins in your supply, you must spend Aquilas for coins in order to pay for the lot.

Return all spent Aquilas to the supply. The supply of Aquilas is unlimited; if you run out of tokens, use a suitable substitute.

Playing the Classic Game

This edition of Colosseum includes a number of changes and updates from the original version released in 2007. We have included additional components and instructions for players who wish to play the "classic" version of Colosseum instead.

When playing the "classic" game, make the following changes:

Component Changes

Remove these components from the game:

• Small Spectacles: Pugnae Bestiae, Ships of Triton
• Standard (light back) Performer Tiles: 2 charioteers, 2 decorators, 2 elephants, 4 gladiators, 2 lions, 1 priest, 2 scenery builders, 1 shipmaster, 2 balatros, 2 Aquilas
• Star Performers: Charioteer, decorator, elephant, fire eater, scenery builder

Add these components:

• the fourth gift token
• 4 construction Performer tiles

Setup Changes

• Step 3: The classic game plays in 5 rounds rather than 4, so include the fourth Gift token in this step.
• Step 10: Ignore the standard procedure. Shuffle all small Spectacles and deal 2 to each player.
• Step 12: Add the 4 new "construction" Performer tiles to the bag during Step 7 (see page 25).

Gameplay Changes

Phase 1: Make Investments

You may only make a single investment during this phase. You may make an additional investment by either spending 2 Aquila tokens or discarding one of your construction Performer tiles from the game.

This additional investment is unrestricted and may be in the same type of asset. For example, you may purchase 2 Promoters or 2 Gates in the same turn.

Phase 4: Perform a Spectacle

Step 1: Move Nobles

When moving Nobles, roll a single die. By default, you can only move a single Noble on your turn.

If you have built your Temple of Fortuna, roll 2 dice instead. You may then move 1 Noble the result of 1 die and a different Noble the result of the other die, or move a single Noble the sum of both dice.

Finally, when moving, do not skip spaces occupied by other Nobles. You may end a Noble's movement in an occupied space. A space may be occupied by any number of Nobles at once.

Keen-eyed Colosseum veterans may note that we elected not to include the Phase 2 auctions from the 2007 printing. This is because the "intense auctions" variant added to later printings is Wolfgang's & Markus' preferred version, and the basis for the second edition's auction system.

If you wish to play with the 2007 auction system, make these three changes to Phase 2:

• You may not conduct an auction unless you have your pillar at the beginning of your turn.
• Do not collect your pillar at the end of each player's turn. Place any pillars on markets in the center of the Colosseum, instead of returning them to their owners.
• At the end of the phase, all players collect their pillars from the Colosseum.

In practice, this means you can only win a single auction during Phase 2 — either on your turn, or an opponent's turn.

Game End Changes

The game ends after the 5th round, rather than the 4th.

At the end of the game, players may not spend Aquilas for 3 additional Acclaim. Aquila tokens are simply discarded.

Performer Changes

The classic game includes a different mixture of Performer tiles and Star Performers, as follows:

Performer	Count	Star Performer
Charioteers	10	—
Lions	10	Has a Star Performer
Comedians	12	Has a Star Performer
Musicians	12	Has a Star Performer
Decorators	10	—
Priests	11	Has a Star Performer
Elephants	10	—
Scenery Builders	10	—
Fire Eaters

Construction Tiles

These special tiles may be spent in one of two ways:

• During Phase 1, to make a second investment (see above)
• At any time, to gain an Aquila token

Discard spent construction tiles back to the game box.

Aquila Changes

You may also spend 2 Aquilas to make an additional investment during Phase 1, as described above.

You may not spend Aquilas for 3 Acclaim each at the end of the game.