Knowledge is power. -- FRANCIS
BACON (1597)
War is a matter of vital importance to the State; the
province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that
it be thoroughly studied. -- SUN TZU (ca 400 BC)
HOW TO PLAY
The game is divided into
turns. During each turn both players
get to move their pieces and attack the other player's pieces.
Player #1's turn
All
player #1's pieces may Move and/or Attack.
Player #2's turn
All
player #2's pieces may Move and/or Attack.
UNITS
Units can be almost anything:
armies, tanks, dragons, triremes, spiders, battleships, or headquarters. Units
move around, fight with other units, and die. They are the playing pieces of
the game.
Units have a location. There may be
more no more than one unit in a given location.
Every unit starts out with a number
of hit points or hp representing how much damage it can sustain before dying.
Each unit has a movement
allowance (expressed in movement points), which represents the distance it can
move in one turn. A unit expends movement points each time it moves from one
adjacent location to another. The cost
to enter a location is deducted from the unit's available movement points as it
moves from location to location. Each
turn, the player moves any or all of his units. Units move one at a time, from
location hex to hex, in any direction.
The terrain type of a location will affect how many
movement points a unit must expend to enter the location. Each game design will
define the actual cost of entering a terrain type, and whether or not any other
movement restrictions are in effect.
Restrictions: There can only
be one unit in a hex at the end of the phase. Depending on the game definition a
unit may or may not be allowed to pass thru locations occupied by either enemy
or friendly units.
If Zone of Control is in effect for a game, then each
unit, which enters an enemy zone of control, must immediately end its movement
for the turn.
Each unit has a zone of
control, which consists of the locations surrounding it (see the diagram),
including locations occupied by enemy units. Enemy zones of control have
important effects on movement.
If Zone of Control is in effect for a game, a unit entering an enemy
zone of control must immediately end its movement for
the turn.
Zone of
Control diagram for Hex Games
Movement Example
The above example shows different ways a unit could move in a particular
game. The numbers show the number of hexes it has moved. With a movement allowance
of four, the unit can move four hexes, as in path A. In path B the third hex
the unit enters is a forest hex, which costs two movement points, and the unit
must stop. In path C the unit enters an enemy zone of control in its first hex
and must stop. In path D the unit enters an enemy zone of control in its second
hex and must stop. In path E, the unit ends its movement in an enemy zone of
control in its fourth hex and must stop because its movement allowance is used
up. Path F is not possible: the unit would have to move 5 hexes (counting 2 for
the forest hex).
COMBAT
A unit can either attack, meaning
that it comes to grips with the enemy in some way, or it can fire, meaning that
it throws rocks or whatever at a target.
A successful attack causes damage
and destruction to the unit being attacked.
Combat Odds are determined by
comparing the attacking unit’s Attack strength against the defending unit’s
Defensive strength.
1.
Divide this attack
strength by the defense strength of the defending unit, dropping all fractions,
to get one of the odds levels given on the combat results table. For example, a
strength of 16 attacking 4 is 4:1 (four to one), while 15 attacking 4 is only
3:1.
2.
Determine if the
effects of terrain have reduced the odds
3.
Roll one die and
consult the combat results table; cross-index the number rolled with the odds
to determine the result.
4.
Apply the result
immediately.
Maximum
and Minimum Odds: In step 1, if the
odds are above 6:1, reduce them to 6:1. After step 2, if the odds are below 1
:2 then raise them to 1:2.
Terrain
Effects: Depending on the game
design, the terrain may, reduce the odds by one (or more) level (4:1 becomes
3:1, 3:1 becomes 2:1, and so on).
WINNING THE GAME
Victory at
all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the
road may be; for without victory there is no survival. -- WINSTON CHURCHILL
(1940)
The game ends when the maximum
number of turns is reached, when either player reaches the maximum score, or
when either player has no pieces.
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