Nieuchess Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Playing Board and Movement
• Turns
• Combat
• Prepare for Play
• Routine of Play
• Replacements
• Invasions
• Hot Line
• Multiple Pawn Battles
• Combat Results Table
  • Combat Results Table (printed card)

Overview

NIEUCHESS is a 2-player game. Each player "commands" an army of 20 Pawns, all equal in movement and battle capabilities. The game ends when one player has completely destroyed his opponent's army.

Playing Board and Movement

The NIEUCHESS Board incorporates a unique principle of movement: Pawns move across hexagons (6-sided patterns), hereafter called "squares".

Both sides of the board are identical. Pawns may move through any square on the Board as follows:

1. PLAIN SQUARES: All Pawns may move up to 5 squares per Turn.
2. GRAY SQUARES: Pawns CANNOT move onto or through these squares.
3. RED SQUARES: Pawns resting adjacent to these squares may "invade" (move to) any RED squares on the 4 corners of the Board in the same Turn.
4. RED HOT LINE: Pawns resting on this line may move any number of squares unobstructed by other Pawns along this line in one Turn.
5. PURPLE SQUARES: Movement is the same as if they were plain squares. These squares are used for replacement purposes.
6. CENTER LINE: Distinguishes between friendly and enemy territory.

You may move all your Pawns during a single Turn, although you are not required to move any Pawn nor do you have to move a Pawn its full allowance of 5 squares. Pawns may move in any direction, or combination of directions per Turn.

Turns

NIEUCHESS is played in Turns. You move your Pawns and then resolve combat if any; that is a Turn. Your opponent moves his Pawns; then resolves combat if any; that is also a Turn. Together, these two Turns are called a Complete Turn. A Complete Turn is a 4-step procedure:

1. Player "A" moves all the Pawns he chooses, becoming the attacker; player "B" watches.
2. Player "A" resolves all existing combat situations one at a time. He rolls the Die once for each battle (1 battle, 1 roll; 2 battles, 2 rolls, etc.). Player "B" watches.
3. Player "B" moves all the Pawns he chooses, becoming the attacker; Player "A" watches.
4. Player "B" resolves all existing combat situations; Player "A" watches. The player taking his Turn is considered the attacker.

One player watches while the other takes his Turn. The defender cannot move his Pawns while his opponent is taking his Turn. There is no limit to the number of battles that can be fought in one Turn. A player cannot move his Pawns after combat until his following Turn.

Combat

All Pawns have a combat factor of 1. Each Pawn applies its combat factor to the square it is on and the 6 adjacent squares in all directions. When an enemy Pawn enters any one of these squares, combat must result. In combat, you compare the Combat Factors of the engaged Pawns (putting the attacker's factor first) and you arrive at an odds comparison, such as 1 to 1 in the example below. Pawns are not in combat unless they are adjacent.

Diagram: COMBAT POSITION. A BLUE Pawn and a RED Pawn are adjacent, so they are in combat.

Diagram: NOT IN COMBAT. A BLUE Pawn and a RED Pawn are separated by a square, so they are not in combat.

Although a Pawn automatically attacks when it moves adjacent to an enemy Pawn, such combat is not resolved right away. The attacking player may move other Pawns in other areas of the board and then return to resolve each and every battle, one at a time in the order of the attacker's choice. The player precipitating combat by moving his Pawns is always the attacker. To resolve such combat, an odds comparison is made and the Die is rolled. For instance, if 2 BLUE Pawns attack 1 RED Pawn, odds are naturally 2 to 1. The Die is rolled and the result can be found under the 2-1 column on the Combat Results Table.

There is no limit to the number of battles that can be fought in one Turn; but no Pawn may fight, or be forced to fight more than one battle per Turn. If an attacking Pawn finds itself adjacent to an enemy Pawn after combat, the enemy in its Turn has the option to attack or withdraw.

In attack, a player may move as many Pawns as he is able into an enemy zone of control before resolving combat.

However, a player may not pass through a square controlled by an enemy without fighting. A Pawn is in contact with an enemy when it reaches the FIRST square that the enemy controls and it must stop to fight on that first square.

If a losing Pawn's retreat is blocked by friendly Pawns, enemy zones of control, or gray squares, it is eliminated. Any Pawn forced off the board is also eliminated.

Prepare for Play

Each player rolls the Die once; the winner has the choice of whether or not he wants to move first in each Complete Turn. The player who elects to move first starts the game by placing all 20 of his Pawns on any squares (except GRAY) on his half of the Board. After all his Pawns are placed, his opponent does the same. Players cannot place their Pawns past the center line in opponent's territory at the start.

Routine of Play

The first player begins play by moving up to all of his Pawns in any direction to any square on both halves of the Board. After the movement portion, he then resolves each battle, if any. When all battle is finished, the second player takes his Turn likewise. Play continues in this manner throughout the remainder of the game until one "army" is eliminated.

Replacements

Each player has two Replacement Centers on his side of the board. At the END of each Complete Turn, each player may place on a purple-star on his side of the board ONE previously eliminated Pawn if:

1. He controls one of his two Replacement Centers, and
2. He has at least one Pawn on the enemy half of the board.

The Replacement Pawn is placed on the purple star not controlled by the enemy.

Each player may bring back TWO previously eliminated Pawns if:

1. He controls BOTH of his Replacement Centers, and
2. He has at least two Pawns in enemy territory.

A player has control of his own Replacement Centers merely by keeping enemy Pawns off the Purple squares. A player does not have to keep a Pawn in his own Replacement Centers to have control; he merely has to keep them out of enemy hands.

Each player can bring back no more than one Pawn per Replacement Center in a Complete Turn. Replacements do not accumulate from one Complete Turn to the next.

A player may move his Replacement Pawns off the purple stars immediately in his Turn following the replacement.

Invasions

Each player is allowed two invasions per game, up to 5 Pawns per Invasion. Both Invasions can be launched in the same Turn. Pawns must leave from embarkation squares (any squares adjacent to RED squares) and placed on any vacant RED squares anywhere on the Board in friendly or enemy territory. Invading Pawns may leave from one or both sides of the Board in the same Turn. Pawns may be placed on enemy RED squares on one or both sides of the Board in the same Turn. Pawns may also be transferred in friendly territory from one side of the Board to the other.

In an Invasion, Pawns are moved to embarkation squares in one Turn, transferred to any RED Squares preferred in the next Turn, and moved forward if desirable in the Third Turn. This action can be reduced by one Turn by placing the Pawns on embarkation squares earlier in the game and leaving them there until such time as an Invasion is desirable. Invasions are most desirable in conjunction with overland attack of the enemy's Replacement Center. TO REPEAT: Only two invasions per game, no more than 5 Pawns per Invasion are allowed. Combat on RED Squares is treated the same as on plain squares.

Hot Line

Once a Pawn reaches a square containing the hot line, that Pawn may ride to any square along that line. A Pawn may move onto, and then "ride" the line in the same Turn but may not move off the line until the following Turn. A Pawn may not move through hot line squares occupied by friendly or enemy Pawns. One Pawn may attack an enemy Pawn while one, or both are on the hot line.

Multiple Pawn Battles

When several Pawns in different squares attack several enemy Pawns in different squares, the attacker has the choice of dividing combat into more than one battle as long as three conditions are met.

1. He must fight every defending Pawn in whose controlled zone he has attacking Pawns.
2. He must be in the controlled zone of the defending Pawn(s) he is attacking.
3. No Pawn may attack more than once in the same Turn, even if it finds itself adjacent to an enemy Pawn after combat. The enemy has the option to attack or withdraw in its Turn.

Combat Results Table

When battle odds are determined (3 Pawns attacking 1 Pawn would be 3 to 1, etc.) the Die is rolled and the result of combat is obtained from the Combat Results Table.

For instance, if odds are 3 to 1 and a 6 is rolled, the defending Pawn is eliminated. A roll of 4 means the defending Pawn must retreat any 2 squares chosen by the winner. A roll of 5 means both players lose 1 Pawn, selected by attacker. Odds are always determined by the number of Pawns engaged in combat. Two Pawns against 1 is 2 to 1; 1 Pawn against 3 is 1 to 3, etc.

Combat Results Table (printed card)

The Combat Results Table is printed on a separate card. Its rows are numbered 1 to 6 down the left side, representing the figure rolled on the die. Its columns are the odds comparisons across the top, with attacker's odds given first: 1-3, 1-2, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1.

Die roll	1-3	1-2	1-1	2-1	3-1	4-1
1	A Elim	D back 2	D Elim	D Elim	D Elim	D Elim
2	A back 2	Exchange	Exchange	Exchange	Exchange	Exchange
3	A back 2	A back 2	D back 2	D back 2	D back 2	D Elim
4	A back 2	A back 2

The card's explanatory text reads:

Note that the Attacker has little chance when the odds drop below 1-1, and that his chances increase as the odds build in his favor. Odds against Attacker greater than 1-3 mean automatic elimination for the Attacker. Odds greater than 4-1 automatically eliminate the Defender.

A ELIM: All attacking Pawns eliminated.

D ELIM: All defending Pawns eliminated.

EXCHANGE: Each player loses one Pawn; attacker has choice of which Pawn to eliminate in cases where a player has more than one Pawn in combat.

BACK 2: All of loser's Pawns retreat 2 squares to any direction, or combination of directions determined by winner. Winner cannot move them back in a route that would automatically eliminate them if an alternate route of retreat is available.