COBI Gladiators Set 20066

COBI's Gladiators set contains 38 blocks making three figures, with weapons, helmets and shields that swap between them. All markings are printed onto the blocks rather than applied as stickers.

Why the equipment matters

Gladiators were not interchangeable fighters with the same kit. They were trained in named classes, each with a fixed set of arms, and matches were built by pairing classes that fought in opposite ways — heavy armour and a big shield against speed and reach.

The clearest example is the retiarius, who carried a net and a trident, wore no helmet and almost no armour, and depended entirely on keeping his distance. He was matched against the secutor, whose helmet was smooth and rounded with two small eyeholes for one reason: so the net had nothing to catch on. An entire helmet design existed to answer one opponent's weapon.

That is also why swapping the parts in this set is closer to the history than it looks. A Roman audience read the equipment the way a modern crowd reads a team shirt, and knew before the fight began what kind of contest it was going to be.

In the COBI range

The figures are built for COBI's Gladiator School, set 20070, which gives them a training ground and an arena. For opponents, the Imperium Romanum range also includes Romans (20067), Celtic Warriors (20074) and Germanic Warriors (20075), all at the same scale and the same three-figure format.

Specifications

Pieces: 38 · Figures: 3, with interchangeable weapons, headgear and shields