Aztec
Aztec Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- The wooden pyramid.
- 22 identical construction pieces.
- 1 starting block, which is placed in the centre of the pyramid.
Object of the Game
One player plays North/South, the other plays East/West.
Players score points for the blocks located on the third level, above their scoring areas. These areas are the rectangles marked with a line on the edges of the board, at the top of the pyramid.
Setup
- Take out all the "L" pieces. The pieces are all identical; the colour differences are only decorative.
- Place the starting square in the space provided in the centre of the board.
- The players sit at 90 degrees to each other, one at North or South, the other at East or West.
Course of the Game
The first player to say "Popocatepetl" starts. He plays a first piece respecting the construction rules, therefore with at least two faces touching the starting cube.
The opponents then play in turn, placing new pieces until all of them have been used.
Construction Rules
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Each new piece must touch the pieces already placed with at least two sides. The two contacts may be at different levels.
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No cube may protrude above the third level, which is the maximum construction height.
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No cube may protrude beyond the board.
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The structure must remain stable. Two consecutive blocks may not be above empty space, without support underneath.
Examples:
- Always allowed: only A is above empty space.
- Forbidden, unless A or B is supported.
- Allowed if AC, BD or BC are supported. Forbidden if AB, BC or CD are free.
NOTE: the structure is always considered unstable if a piece cannot stand up by itself.
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Pieces may, when possible, interlock with one another.
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Pushing a piece is forbidden, but it is allowed to move a piece temporarily in order to insert a piece into its new place, provided that the moved piece can return to its original place.
End of the Game
The game is over when all 22 pieces have been placed.
Points are scored as follows: each player counts one point for each cube on the third level above one of his scoring areas.
In case of a tie, the player who started is the winner.
In the example illustrated in the rules, nine points can be counted for East/West and 13 points for North/South.
Advice
Place your pieces to block the opponent's third levels while keeping openings for yourself. You are fully allowed to build in your opponent's scoring areas.
3-Player Game
The 3rd player plays the role of Oh Puch, the Destroying God. Oh Puch tries to prevent the two other players from achieving too high a score.
The construction rules are the same.
Oh Puch starts. He has 8 pieces with which to thwart the opponents' plans.
The role of Oh Puch is assigned before the game begins by a bidding system. A first player announces, for example: "nobody will manage to score 12 points". The next player may outbid by announcing a lower barrier. He may also pass. The player who announces the lowest number becomes Oh Puch.
Oh Puch wins if neither of his two opponents reaches the announced score. If at least one player reaches the announced number, the player who scores the most points wins.
Variant: Play three rounds, each player in turn playing Oh Puch. Then add up the points scored.