4th Dimension
4th Dimension Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
The game consists of the rules folder, a circular board divided into 60 spaces, and two armies of 13 pieces each. Each player has:
- 1 Time-Lord
- 2 Guardians
- 3 Rangers
- 6 Warriors
- 1 Time-warp Marker
How to Win
The object of the game is to win by capturing the enemy Time-Lord.
How to Play
The game is played in turns. Each player's turn consists of three actions: a single move, a beam-down, and a Time-warp.
The actions just described may be done in any order, except that a Time-warped piece must be beamed down before another piece can be Time-warped. A particular piece may carry out only one action per turn.
A move is always obligatory. A Time-warp is also obligatory unless: (1) a player is reduced to the Time-Lord and one other piece, or (2) a player wishes to keep a piece in Time-warp from a previous turn. At any given time, only one piece per player is ever in Time-warp.
When each action has been made and the piece released, the action cannot be changed. If a Time-Lord is in Time-warp when the last piece of its army is captured, it is itself considered captured and the game is lost.
Move
Move — All pieces move in the same way, one space in any direction except diagonally. No diagonal movement is permitted. Each player may only move one piece per turn (Time-warping and beaming down are not considered moves). Two pieces may not occupy the same space, but any piece may enter any square containing a Time-warp marker (simply place it on top of the marker in the space). The marker is not considered a piece and is present only to provide a reference for the Time-warped piece's beam-down.
Time-warp
Time-warp — This is the removal of any single piece from the board, and the placing of the Time-warp marker in the square where the piece was. The removed piece is placed in Time-warp circle 1 at the edge of the board. A piece that has moved in the current turn may not enter Time-warp. In the next turn, the piece that has entered Time-warp may beam down, but if not must go on to circle 2. In the following turn the piece may beam down or go on to circle 3. In the next turn, the piece must return via beam-down. If it cannot do so due to no available spaces (an unlikely event), it is captured.
Beam-down
Beam-down — The return from Time-warp is known as the Beam-down. This return must be on the space the piece originally left from (designated by the Time-warp marker (M)), or up to two spaces, not diagonally (i.e., up to two ordinary moves), from the Marker's square. Possible beam-down positions are shown in the illustration, based on the fact that the returning piece originally left from the space containing the Time-warp marker (M). A piece returning from Time-warp via a beam-down may not move until a subsequent game turn.
[Illustration: the board with the Time-warp circles at the edge and the possible beam-down positions shaded around the Time-warp marker (M).]
Capturing
A piece captures by getting adjacent (not diagonal) to a suitably valued enemy piece. The capturing hierarchy is as follows:
- The Time-Lord captures Guardians and Rangers;
- The Guardians capture Rangers and Warriors;
- The Rangers capture Warriors;
- The Warriors capture the Time-Lord (and hence win the game).
Thus, bigger pieces capture smaller pieces, except for the Warrior/Time-Lord reversal. Two similar pieces have no effect on each other. If all the Warriors of both sides are captured, the game is a draw.
Unlike chess, when one piece captures another it does not move into the square vacated thereby. The captured piece is immediately removed from play. A player is never obligated to capture an enemy piece if he doesn't wish to. If a piece is moved adjacent to an enemy piece of greater value (thus in a 'suicide' position), it may be captured only after the victim's turn has been completed.
Pieces may capture in response to 'suicide' positioning by opposing pieces, or by a move, or by a beam-down. Each player can only capture one enemy piece by each method per turn (except for 'suicide' captures; any number of these may be made per turn). Thus, three or more captures per turn are possible: a capture by normal move, a capture by beaming down from Time-warp adjacent to a suitable enemy piece, and an opposing piece captured due to its previous 'suicide' positioning (there could be several such pieces on different parts of the board). Note that although a piece is limited to but one action per turn, it may make up to two captures — a 'suicide' position capture (before any other move or action is made) as described earlier, and a capture during its regular move. Illustrations of these methods are shown in the EXAMPLE OF A WINNING MOVE section.
Starting Position
To begin the game, the board is set up and the pieces are placed as illustrated. Blue pieces are shown as solid; white pieces are shown as outlines.
- T = Time-Lord
- R = Ranger
- M = Time-warp marker
- G = Guardian
- W = Warrior
[Illustration: the starting position, with the Blue and White pieces placed on the board.]
First Turn
Blue starts, making a move, and then a Time-warp. White then makes a move and a Time-warp. From then on, ordinary Turns alternate. A player may not move an opponent's piece except to remove it from play when captured.
Example of Play
For the purposes of this explanation, as well as for play-by-mail, the following standard notation will be used (as illustrated): the spaces are numbered counter-clockwise, from 1 to 32 for the outer circle, 1 to 16 for the next circle, and so on. The circles are designated a, b, c, and d; the outermost circle is "a", the next inner circle is "b", etc. Thus, in the example shown, the Time-Lord (T) is at c2, the Timewarp marker (M) is at b3, and the Warrior (W) is at b4; the Ranger (R) is in Time-warp circle 1. The Warrior (W) can therefore move to: a7, a8, b3, b5, and c2. However, moving the Warrior (W) to c2 is possible only if warping the Time-Lord from c2 is done first.
[Illustration: the example position on the numbered board.]
The beam-down of the Ranger (R) can be to: a3, a4, a5 [printed as "as"; corrected to a5 in transcription], a6, a7, a8, b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, c1, c2, c3, and d1 (the Time-Lord (T) — or any other piece — does not block a beam-down if it is in between the Marker (M) and the destination). A Ranger beam-down to b4 is possible only if the Warrior (W) at b4 is moved first. Beam-down to c2 is not possible if Time-warping the Time-Lord (T) at c2 is to be done. (This violates several laws of the game: two pieces cannot be in the same square at the same time or in Time-warp at the same time.) However, beam-down to c2 can occur if the Time-Lord (T) is moved first.
4D Shorthand
Taking a brief time to learn the 4D shorthand notation will lead to a quicker understanding of the rules, and will allow for play-by-mail games using a system similar to postal chess. The abbreviations ("T" for Time-Lord; "W" for Warrior, etc.) and the board designation system (a2, b4, etc.) have already been explained; all that remains now is to know that a "+" designates a Time-warp, and a "-" designates a beam-down.
Using the illustration above, if the Warrior (W) at b4 wished to move to a8, one would write W(b4)a8; if it was to go to b5, W(b4)b5 would be written (parentheses indicate the piece's current position). If the Ranger (R) wanted to beam down to a3, the notation would be -Ra3. If the Ranger wanted to stay in Time-warp and move on to circle 2, R ①→② would be written. If the Warrior (W) at b4 decided to Time-warp instead of move, one would write +W(b4).
Thus, a typical Turn might be written:
- -Rb1 (Beam-down of Ranger to b1)
- T(c2)d1 (Time-Lord at c2 moves to d1)
- +W(b4) (Warrior at b4 enters Time-warp)
Capturing is designated by writing an "X" after the action, followed by the captured piece's type and position. Example: -Rb5 × W(b6) means that the Ranger beamed down to b5 and then captured the Warrior at b6; T(c2)d1 × G(d4) would designate that the Time-Lord at c2 had moved to d1 and then captured the Guardian at d4.
When there is only one type of piece left on a side, the current position designation becomes unnecessary. Since there is only one Time-Lord, for example, line 2 might have been written simply as Td1 with no loss of clarity. Either method is correct.
Example of a Winning Move
The blue pieces are shown as solid figures; it is white's turn to play.
[Illustration: the winning-move position, with blue pieces solid and white pieces outlined.]
White wins by doing the following:
- G selects W(b3) for capture, as it is one of the pieces which is in a 'suicide' position. G is still free to move or to Time-warp.
- G moves to b3 (which can be done because it is now a vacant space), and selects to capture R at c2.
- Since c2 is now vacant and the Time-warp and beam-down actions have yet to be made, the Warrior in Time-warp beams down to c2 and "TimeTraps" the opposing T, thereby winning the game.
If the game had not been won, a white Time-warp would also have been necessary.
Blue G cannot stop white W, but could capture W at the beginning of the blue turn; however; this is too late to save the blue Time-Lord.
The beam-down -Wc2 from b2 (the Marker's space) is not diagonal, as it can arrive at c2 via c1 or b3; remember, any destination within two ordinary moves of the Marker is legitimate.
Summary
The object of the game is to capture the opposing Time-Lord; this is done with the Warriors. In each turn there are three actions: move, beam-down, and Time-warp. Any one piece may carry out only one action per turn. Capturing may be in response to an opponent's 'suicide' positioning, by a move, or following a beam-down; however, only one piece may be captured per method in a given turn (except 'suicides'). Bigger pieces capture smaller pieces, except for the Warrior/Time-Lord reversal.
The sands of Time are beginning to shift, and the fabric of reality is altering. Your army stands ready. It is your move . . .