Gladiator: Avalon Hill game system

I've not played this for many years yet it was the most played of all the board games my brother and I owned growing up. I have long played with the idea in the back of my mind of using this and other board game systems for gaming with miniatures. Now I am going ahead with the idea. My arena model is built, I have bought the large hex sheet and will base it. All that is left to do is buy and paint the figures.

I will be buying from the West Wind range - they look the best to me by far. I will review them fully when I get my first order in. The Avalon Hill game provides for Light, Medium and Heavy Gladiators as well as Retarius in the advanced section of the rules. Different armour types and distributions per type is covered in randomised tables, recorded on the character log sheet - see my attached pdf. The movement, combat and damage is quite detailed yet easily mastered.

I love this game and will generate some club league tables if there is enough interest for 'campaigns' to track the careers of our representative gladiators. The rules set does not provide for anything other than men or women fighting on foot. There is no provision for beasts or mounted combat but as many players may enter the ring at any time, making for some dynamic and unpredictable results.

When basing the figures, I just need to be able to clearly indicate the front and back of the model for facing and combat determinants. Whilst the original gladiators are flats, held upright in a plastic stand, the stands are square and there is only a front and back to the counters. A simple square base within the dimensions of the arena hexes and a correct orientation of the figure to the front edge should suffice. I may mark the front edge to avoid any doubts.