Overview

Ludus Latrunculorum (“game of brigands/soldiers”) is a reconstructed ancient Roman strategy game for two players. Players manoeuvre pieces on a grid, capturing opponents by surrounding them. The goal is to capture all opponent pieces or render them immobile. Rules are reconstructed from historical fragments.

Components

• 1 Board (typically 8x8 or 8x12 grid)
• 16 pieces per player (distinguishable by colour)

Setup

Two players arrange 16 pieces each in two rows facing each other on opposite sides of the board.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On your turn, move one piece.

Actions

Movement

• Pieces move orthogonally (horizontally or vertically) any number of unobstructed spaces — similar to a rook in chess.
• Pieces cannot move diagonally.
• Pieces cannot jump over other pieces.

Capture

• Custodian capture: A piece is captured when it becomes trapped between two enemy pieces on opposite sides along a row or column.
• Capture only occurs when the trapping player actively moves a piece to complete the trap.
• A piece may safely move between two enemy pieces without being captured — capture requires the opponent’s active move.
• Multiple pieces can be captured in a single move if the moving piece creates multiple custodian captures simultaneously.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when one player:

• Captures all opponent’s pieces, OR
• Immobilizes all remaining opponent’s pieces (no legal moves)

That player wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Safe movement: You may voluntarily move a piece between two enemy pieces without being captured. Only the moving player’s action triggers captures.
• Edge captures: Board edges can serve as one side of a custodian trap in some rule variants.
• Stalemate: If neither player can make progress, the game may be declared a draw.
• Historical uncertainty: The exact ancient rules are not fully known; modern reconstructions vary. The most widely accepted version uses custodian capture on an 8x8 grid.
• Dux variant: Some versions include a special commander piece (Dux) with enhanced movement.

Player Reference

Movement: Orthogonal, any distance, no jumping

Capture: Surround one enemy piece between two of yours along a line (horizontal or vertical)

Win: Capture all enemy pieces or immobilize them