Beware - in case you didn't figure it out based on the name, this game involves a lot of strategy. It's the type of game you really need to play multiple times to figure out what strategy is going to work best in your favor!
The Point:
Find your opponent's flag.
Gameplay:
Place the game in between players and choose a side and a color. Each player gets an army of 40 pieces. This consists of the following pieces:
(Number on the piece / Title of the piece / Quantity of piece):
1/Marshal/1
2/General/1
3/Colonels/2
4/Majors/3
5/Captains/4
6/Lieutenants/4
7/Sergeants/4
8/Miners/5
9/Scouts/8
S/Spy/1
There are also 6 bombs and 1 flag which cannot be moved after the game begins.
The Marshal (#1) is the highest rank. The lowest rank is the Spy (S), although he has a special move (see "Rules for Striking").
Fill your side of the board with 10 pieces, 4 rows deep. Make sure the pictures are facing you so your opponent has no idea where your pieces are located.
In this game, players alternate turns. You may move one piece to one square on each turn (the exception is the "Scout"), and may move forward, backward, or sideways (NOT DIAGONALLY).
You may not move onto the lakes in the middle of the board.
You may not move onto a space that has a piece on it or jump a piece (this ain't Checkers, y'all).
You may NOT move the "flag" or "bomb" pieces.
The "Scout" (#9) may move any number of spaces in a straight line (as long as the squares are open), but beware - this clues in your opponent that this piece is a Scout, and he may come after you! The Scout can be very valuable for scoping out the other side of the board, so you may just want to move it one square at a time. (But don't take my word for it - try a different strategy every time you play!)
Pieces may not be moved back and forth between the same two squares in 3 consecutive turns. Come on, buddy, make up your mind and take a risk!
You MUST move or "strike" in your turn.
Rules for "Striking":
When your piece is in an adjoining square to your opponent's piece, you may strike (back to back, side to side, or face to face - not diagonal). You do not HAVE to strike just because you are adjoining an opponent's piece.
You may move on your turn or strike on your turn. You may not do both.
To "strike" (attack), the player whose turn it is picks up his piece and lightly taps the opponent's piece and says out loud the piece's rank (the number on the piece). The opponent answers by naming the rank of the tapped piece. The piece with the lower rank is removed from the board. If the attacked piece is higher, it stays in place. If the attacker's piece is higher, it moves into the now empty spot of the opponent's piece.
If you strike and both pieces are the same rank, both pieces are removed from the board.
A Marshal (#1) beats a #2-9, a General (#2) beats a #3-9, a Colonel (#3) beats a #4-9, and so on down to the Spy, which is the lowest ranking piece.
The Spy is special because it is the only piece that can remove the Marshal (#1) - IF he strikes first! If the Marshal finds the Spy first, the Spy must be removed from the playing board. The Spy loses to every other piece, no matter who attacks first.
When any piece (except a #8) strikes a bomb, that piece is removed from the board. The bomb does not move. When a Miner (#8) strikes a bomb, the bomb is removed from the board and the #8 piece moves into that position.
Remember that the bombs and flag cannot be moved.
As soon as a player "strikes" his opponent's flag the game is over and he is the winner.
If it's your turn and you realize you've boxed yourself in and can't make a move (been there, done that!) you forfeit the game.
Verdict:
This is such a great game, because you can try a different strategy every time. Then again... so is your opponent! It's a really quiet, thought-provoking game for two people, which I really enjoy. I like seeing my mistakes in strategy so I can improve the next time I play!
Great for Learning:
Strategizing, Critical Thinking, Resource Management
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