is a two-player abstract wargame. The game equipment consists of a board of 145 holes in the overall shape of a trapezoid,
95 black and 95 white tiles,
75 yellow and 75 blue round promotion tokens, 75 movement markers, three rings for holding these pieces during the game, and two player aid cards.
When the tiles are placed on the board with the Y-shaped pegs in the holes, they fit together on the board in a pattern which produces more holes. When the tiles move, they are allowed to climb up and down levels, as long as there are always at least two tiles supporting the moving tile at each movement step, and the tile ends its move supported by three tiles or the board surface. A tile supported by only two tiles is called an overhanging tile. The diagram below shows a tile which begins its move on the board surface adjacent to a black and a white tile, moves up one level, and then moves horizontally (which means on the same level) to a position supported by three tiles, where it stops.
The board is empty at the start. If white sits at the long end of the trapezoid and black sits opposite, the player aid cards make more sense. The circles in the board diagram above indicate the entry regions for each player. Each player has 95 off-board tiles of their color, but neither player owns any promotion tokens initially. The rings for holding their tokens are empty.
White has the first turn. Players alternate turns. Each turn has three phases:
The small round tokens are used as promotion tokens in this game. Neither player has any tokens initially. Tokens are purchased in exchange for captured tiles. Your collection of tokens should be visible to your opponent. 3 yellow tokens are equivalent in value to 1 blue token.
A tile with no token on top of it is a troop. Each troop has 5 movement points or MPs, requires two supporting tiles of the same color to effect a capture, and may capture only one opposing tile at each capturing step.
A tile with a yellow token on top is a leader. Leaders have 8 MPs, require one supporting tile of the same color to effect a capture, and may capture only one opposing tile at each capturing step.
A tile with a blue token on top is a commander. Commanders have 10 MPs, require one supporting tile to capture, and may capture up to two opposing tiles at each capturing step.
To promote a tile of yours, place a token from your collection on top of it. Only tiles which have no other tile on top of them may be promoted. A promoted tile in your off-board supply must be visible to your opponent. A troop may be promoted directly to a commander. When you promote a leader to a commander, return the yellow token which was on the leader to your supply of tokens. This is the only instance where a token returns from a tile to that player's collection. In all other cases, promoted tiles keep their rank until demoted or captured, in which case that token is returned to the bank or common supply, not either player's collection. No tile may ever have more than one promotion token on top of it. You may not move a token from one tile to another. You may not promote on that turn after moving or capturing with any tile.
Any tile of yours which has no other tile on top of it may potentially be moved. Tiles under another tile or tiles may not move. Each tile is moved as far as desired within its MP allotment to its destination position before moving your next tile. Once you move a tile to its chosen destination, it may not use any more MPs during that movement phase. If, as a result of moving or capturing with a tile, a tile of yours which did not move yet in this phase becomes completely uncovered, then any such uncovered tile may be subsequently moved during that movement phase, although it may not be promoted on the same turn. This may uncover more tiles which could move, etc.
Any space adjacent to an enemy tile, either on the same level or an adjacent level, is part of that enemy tile's zone of control, or ZOC. A tile must stop when it reaches an enemy ZOC, unless the tile overhangs in that space, in which case the tile must continue its movement. If a tile begins movement in an enemy ZOC, its first move step must take it out of any enemy ZOC or to a space where that tile would overhang. If there is no such adjacent space, then that tile may not be moved at that moment.
There are three ways to move, which may be combined in any desired fashion:
At each movement step, any moving tile not on the board surface must be adjacent to at least two tiles beneath it. Tiles must always end their move not overhanging. If a tile cannot end its move this way, then it may not be moved from its starting position.
At any time during a movement phase, up to two off-board tiles may enter the board through that player's entry region, as shown above. It costs 1 MP to enter any of your entry region holes from off the board. If all four of your entry region holes are occupied, then you may not bring any tile onto the board at that moment. Once an off-board tile enters the board, if it is not in an enemy ZOC, it may continue to move as far as desired within its remaining MP allotment, according to the rules of movement. White may bring only one tile onto the board in the first turn of the game.
Any promoted tile, either white or black, becomes demoted to a troop when another tile ends its move on top of it. The promotion token is removed and placed in the bank, not either player's collection. Tiles that finish movement above the board surface always rest directly on three other tiles, never on top of any token. Demotion occurs even if the covering tile performs a subsequent capture of another tile in the same movement phase which uncovers the covered tile.
At the end of movement for any of your tiles, or at the beginning of your movement phase, any tile or tiles of yours on the board, not just the one that moved, may perform a capturing step if the following criteria are met:
If all these conditions are met, a capturing step may take place. The capturing tile moves into the space vacated by the captured tile.
A commander may capture two enemy tiles at once, if desired, if the above conditions are met for both tiles to be captured. If two tiles are captured, the commander moves down to either vacated space, at the capturer's choice.
You may not capture any of your own tiles. Capturing is optional, not mandatory.
If, at the end of a capturing step, the capturing piece again meets the criteria for capturing, another capturing step may take place, and so on. Once a tile performs a capture, it may not subsequently use any of its MPs in that movement phase, even if it did not move prior to capturing.
Each captured tile is exchanged with the bank for one yellow token, which is added to the capturer's collection. The captured tiles are then removed from play, not returned to the opponent's supply of off-board tiles. The capturer may exchange with the bank yellow tokens for blue tokens, or blue for yellow, at the ration of three yellow tokens for each blue token. This exchange with the bank may also take place during a promotion phase.
The object is to place one of your tiles in the acute corner space of the board which is further from your entry region, or any space which ultimately rests on that corner space. This diagram shows the set of all such goal spaces for white.
The tenth level is not legally attainable with just 190 tiles. Black's goal spaces are similarly located at the other acute corner of the board. Your tile must be resting on top of three tiles (or be on the board surface) to win, not overhanging. Once a non-overhanging tile is in one of its goal spaces, the game ends. You also win if your opponent is unable to move any tile during the movement phase. Players may agree to a draw if they wish. Either player may of course resign at any point.