Dominus Gladiatus Domini Guide: All Six Rivals

Dominus Gladiatus is a contest between six Domini, each with a different method and a different way of interfering with your Ludus. Their arena fighters are only half the threat. The other half is the power that rewrites match terms, raises taxes, poisons a fighter or sabotages your training grounds.

Quick answer

Scout each rival's trait before committing a key fighter, and build counters around the disruption rather than the arena matchup. Titus can outnumber you, Khepri changes market prices, Cassius can push you into debt, and Aurelia sabotages training. Livia and Decimus are poison- and mind-themed; their exact numbers are not fully documented, so read the in-game trait text.

Who are the six Domini?

The Steam achievement list names all six:

The first four effects are documented in patch notes or in-game text. Livia and Decimus are identified by their achievement names and power labels; their exact mechanics were not exposed in the sources I checked.

Official source: Dominus Gladiatus achievements ↗

What does Titus Aurelian do?

Titus's trait text: "His influence reaches beyond his arena, allowing him to rewrite the terms of the coming match and field one additional gladiator."

That is the most direct threat in the game. A 1v1 card can become a 2v1, and the terms you planned around can change. Counterplay:

• Build a second credible fighter before the Titus matchup.
• Do not put your only carry in a Titus card without a backup.
• Expect the extra body to be a support or a tank, not necessarily the strongest fighter.
• Check the card again after the terms change; the purse may no longer justify the risk.

The Grand Tournament guide → covers the final-week Titus preparation.

What does Khepri Setekh do?

Khepri's power reduces slave prices by 15% according to Patch 4. That is an economic power, not a combat one.

Use it when:

• You are ready to buy a 100-115 Health recruit.
• The discount turns an unaffordable 115-Health recruit into a reserve-safe purchase.
• You are replacing a dead fighter and the market has a suitable class.

Do not use it as an excuse to overbuy. A 15% discount on a fighter who adds 1 coin per day forever is still an upkeep commitment.

What does Cassius Lysandros do?

Cassius's taxes can push you into debt instead of forcing an immediate forfeit, according to the Day 1 notes. That makes him the economy-check rival.

Counterplay:

• Keep a reserve that covers several days of upkeep plus one tax.
• Sell a weak or duplicate gladiator before the tax lands.
• Avoid large purchases in the days before a known tax event.
• If debt appears, stop all non-essential spending and restore a positive margin.

Debt is survivable, but it removes the buffer that absorbs an injury. The money guide → has the full reserve model.

What does Aurelia Zahara do?

Aurelia sabotages training grounds. An in-game event I checked, "War of Exhaustion," says her agents have disrupted your training grounds.

The event offers a choice: offer praise and wine, or mock her. Offering praise reduces how often Aurelia sabotages your Ludus for 10 days. Mocking her is the aggressive option; it does not reduce the sabotage frequency.

Counterplay:

• If you are in a critical training block, pay the tribute.
• If you are between blocks, save the coins and accept the disruption.
• Keep a second fighter training so one sabotage does not stall the whole roster.

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The training guide explains how a lost training day compounds and when a sabotage event is worth paying to suppress.

Read Full Strategy Guide →

What do Livia and Decimus do?

Livia Calpurnia's achievement is "A Touch of Poison"; Decimus Amborix's is "Mind Games." Those names strongly suggest poison and psychological disruption, but the exact effects were not exposed in the build and patch notes I checked.

Treat them as unknown threats:

• Livia: check every fighter's Health and injury state before a match. Keep the Infirmary available.
• Decimus: protect morale. A psychological power is likely to target mood, refusal or training, so the Pleasure House and Temple are your insurance.

Do not assume the effect is harmless. Read the trait text on the rival card before committing a key fighter.

Are the six Domini playable?

The achievement list includes a victory achievement for each Domini, which implies each can be the player's patron or campaign leader. The exact campaign differences are not documented in the sources I checked.

If you are choosing a first campaign, pick the Domini whose power matches your preferred playstyle: economy (Khepri/Cassius), combat flexibility (Titus), or disruption (Aurelia/Livia/Decimus).

How does difficulty change the Domini?

Ruthless increases sabotage frequency and gives opponents 10% more Health and a 20% larger skill budget. It does not change the six powers' identity, but it makes every disruption more frequent and less forgiving.

On Ruthless:

• Keep a larger reserve for sabotage and taxes.
• Build two training paths so one sabotage cannot stall the roster.
• Scout every rival card before accepting a fight.
• Do not rely on crowd calls to swing a bad matchup.

A scouting checklist

Before a rival fight:

1. Read the Domini trait on the card.
2. Check whether the terms have changed (Titus).
3. Check the purse against the new risk.
4. Confirm the fighter is at Fatigue 0-2 and injury-free.
5. Confirm morale has no refusal/theft trait.
6. Confirm you have a replacement if the fighter dies.

If any line fails, skip the card. The tournament is long enough to wait for a better matchup.

Official source: Dominus Gladiatus patch notes ↗

Official source: Steam store ↗

FAQ

How many Domini are there? Six: Titus Aurelian, Khepri Setekh, Cassius Lysandros, Aurelia Zahara, Livia Calpurnia and Decimus Amborix.

Which Domini is the hardest? Titus is the most direct combat threat because he can field an extra gladiator. Cassius is the most dangerous to a fragile economy.

Can I reduce Aurelia's sabotage? Yes. Offering praise and wine reduces how often she sabotages your Ludus for 10 days.

Do all six have victory achievements? Yes. The achievement list includes a victory achievement for each Domini.