Balance of Power (1979) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Spielidee (Game Idea)
• Inhalt (Contents)
• Spielziel (Object of the Game)
• Spielvorbereitung (Setup)
• Spielablauf (Gameplay)
• Spieltips (Play Tips)
• Wie man das Spiel zerlegt bzw. aufbaut (Taking Apart and Assembling the Game)

Spielidee (Game Idea)

Almost everyone has once sat on a seesaw and tried to leave their seesaw partner "in the air". This is only possible if you are either heavier than the other, or you slide to the very end of the seesaw beam. So it is a matter of shifting weight.

Similarly, in "Auf der Kippe" (On the Tipping Point) there are 9 seesaw beams instead of one seesaw. If you tip more than half, i.e. 5, of the seesaw beams onto your side, you have won. However, this will only succeed if you move your game pieces tactically and distribute them skilfully. With some thought and a good sense of timing you will quickly win and throw your opponent off balance.

Inhalt (Contents)

• Seesaw holder with 9 seesaw beams
• 9 red game pieces
• 9 blue game pieces
• 2 dice

Spielziel (Object of the Game)

Whoever places their game pieces so that 5 of the 9 seesaw beams are tipped onto their side has won.

Spielvorbereitung (Setup)

The "Auf der Kippe" game is set up between the two players. All 9 seesaw beams are level. The players draw lots for colour and place their respective game pieces into the compartments provided for them. Red always begins. Both players receive one die.

Spielablauf (Gameplay)

1. Whoever has red begins by rolling the die, takes one of their game pieces from the compartment, and places it according to the die's value in the direction of the arrow on the seesaw beams (Abb. 1).
2. The player with the blue game pieces does the same, and so play alternates.
3. Every die roll must be carried out in the direction of the arrow, either with a piece from the compartment or with any game piece already on one of the seesaw beams. Occupied and unoccupied spaces are both counted.
4. A game piece may not be moved onto a space that is already occupied.
5. On each seesaw beam, the direction of the possible spaces to be occupied is indicated. Game pieces can be moved on continuously: a piece is taken off the last beam and placed back onto the first beam in the direction of the roll. For example, if a 5 is rolled, the 3 spaces on the last beam are counted, the game piece is taken out of play, and it is re-entered onto the first beam of the game, where the remaining 2 spaces are counted (Abb. 2).

Spieltips (Play Tips)

1. Place game pieces as close as possible to the ends of the beams. Here the game pieces have the most "weight".
2. Clear the front seesaw beams of pieces from the compartment, to make room for further game pieces.
3. Move 2 or more game pieces quickly forward and distribute them across the individual seesaw beams. Before your opponent notices what you are aiming for, you may already have won the game.

Wie man das Spiel zerlegt bzw. aufbaut (Taking Apart and Assembling the Game)

1. Each seesaw beam and each holder of the seesaw frame is marked A or B.
2. Place the A beams onto the A holders and the B beams onto the B holders. Make sure the letters on the beams are all on the same side (Abb. 3).
3. Turn the centre bar over. At one end is the fixing pin. Insert it sideways into the fixing hole, bend the rod slightly and let the other end snap in (Abb. 4).

"Auf der Kippe" is then immediately ready to play.

Transcription note: the scan of the assembly sequence begins at step 3 on the leaflet's back panel. The two scanned pages do not contain the preceding step(s) of the centre-bar assembly, so none are transcribed here.