NXS
NXS Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About NXS
So what makes NXS special?
NXS was invented in 1995 by Kevin Kane. Work refining the game continued on and off over the next two decades, culminating in the release of NXS online in 2015.
Game Style
Most abstract strategy board games fall into one of two broad categories:
Two opposing "armies" line up facing each other. The players capture each other's pieces and attempt to achieve some objective (such as capturing a key piece, or reaching a certain space on the board). Chess falls into this category.
The game starts with an empty board. The two opposing players alternately place pieces onto the board in an attempt to capture more territory, or to get a certain number of pieces in a row. Games like Go or Reversi fall into this category.
In NXS, you line up two (or three) opposing armies across the playing surface from each other. You can capture each other's pieces, but the goal of NXS is to capture a certain amount of your opponent's territory before they can capture yours.
NXS is also unusual because each player has his or her own board, and the board itself can be rotated as a move.
Flexibility
Setup flexibility: NXS has three standard board setups; the short game, the medium game, and the long game. Having a different number of pieces on the board makes the play style quite different between the two setups. The short game is much more about maneuver. Captures are somewhat rare. Rather capture threats are often used to force the other player to move a piece. In the long game, capture is common. Play is more "chess-like". Players set up pieces in a support structure, attempting to trade pieces with their opponent(s) to their advantage, either in material strength or position. The medium game falls somewhere in between.
In addition to the standard game setups, players are encouraged to come up with their own starting board arrangements and share them with others.
Goal flexibility: While the default captured territory goal is 10 spaces, players are free to choose any reasonable amount needed to win. Choosing 8 spaces will give you a faster paced game where defending your territory carefully is key. Choosing 13 spaces will make winning the short game much more difficult. Reserve 19 space goals for the long game setup, and prepare for a challenging game lasting hours.
Alternative play: Check out the sequence page for optional rules and the alternate games page for even more variety.
Details
Is it difficult to learn?
Not at all! There are only a few simple rules, and all the pieces move by the same rules.
How long is a game?
The length of a game is very flexible; from 15 minutes to several hours. Both the number and types of pieces on the board, and the amount of territory required to win can be changed based on the player's desire.
How many people can play?
NXS can be played by two or three people. Four-player games are also possible with additional equipment.
Is it like playing chess?
Game play is quite different from chess and chess variants. While you do place two "armies" on the playing surface and try to capture each other's pieces, there is no "king". The way you win NXS is by capturing your opponent's territory.
Pieces
Pieces are hexagonal (six sided). They are made up of sides with arrows and sides with dots. In NXS: Man-o-War, arrows are represented by sails, and the dots are represented by cannon balls or barrels.
NXS pieces have some of their corners marked with bold lines. These lines represent an attack direction. In NXS: Man-o-War, the bold lines are represented by cannons.
The point values shown below do not have any bearing on the outcome of the game, they are simply a guide to relative value in a piece exchange.
5-4 — Man-o-War
This piece has 5 movement directions (one space at a time), and 4 capture directions. It is referred to as the "five four" piece.
Point value: 8.5
4-3 — Frigate
This piece has 4 movement directions (two spaces at a time), and 3 capture directions. It is referred to as the "four three" piece.
Point value: 9.5
4-2 — Corvette
This piece has 4 movement directions (two spaces at a time), and 2 capture directions. It is referred to as the "four two" piece.
Point value: 9
4-2s — Brigantine
This piece has 4 movement directions (two spaces at a time), and 2 capture directions. It is referred to as the "four two s" or "four two split" piece.
Point value: 8
3-2 — Cutter
This piece has 3 movement directions (three spaces at a time), and 2 capture directions. It is referred to as the "three two" piece.
Point value: 10
3-0 — Merchant
This piece has 3 movement directions (three spaces at a time), and can't capture other pieces. Because it cannot capture, it cannot be captured.
It is referred to as the "three zero" piece.
Point value: N/A
Moving
Pieces can move in the direction of their arrows. They can move as far as their number of dots. A piece cannot move through another piece.
Pieces can move in the direction of their arrows (or sails). They can move as many spaces as they have dots (or cannon ball piles, or barrels). A piece that can move in three directions, up to three spaces at a time, could move into any of the hexes reachable that way.
Note that pieces must maintain their original facing as they move. You cannot rotate a piece as it moves.
A piece that can move in four directions, up to two spaces at a time, cannot move through another piece. If an opposing piece is in the way, the moving piece is not able to move past it into the hexes beyond.
Rotating
Pieces can rotate one facing at a time. Pieces can make one 60° rotation clockwise or counterclockwise.
Capturing
Pieces capture by making a diagonal jump in the direction of their marked corners. The 3-0 piece cannot be captured.
Pieces capture in the direction of their marked corners (cannons) by making a short diagonal jump. A piece can capture an enemy piece occupying either of the two hexes reached this way. The captured piece is removed from the board and replaced with the capturing piece. The capturing piece maintains its orientation (do not rotate pieces when capturing).
The 3-0 (Merchant) piece does not have any bold lines (cannons), therefore it cannot capture. However, it cannot be captured. It is invincible. In NXS: Man-o-War the Merchant piece has barrels instead of cannon ball piles to help identify it.
Blocking
You cannot jump over an enemy piece to capture.
You can block your opponent from capturing your pieces. For example, a piece in the center of the board may have the option of capturing any of several enemy pieces around it. But if capturing one of those pieces would require the capturing piece to jump over another enemy piece standing in the way, that capture is blocked — the piece would have to jump over an enemy piece in order to capture, and that is an illegal move.
Territory
Territory is captured by occupying an enemy hex, by having an unbroken line between your piece in enemy territory and your board edge, or by having an unbroken line between two pieces in enemy territory. Captured spaces are only counted once.
The object of NXS is to capture enemy territory. Territory can be captured in one of three ways. The first is just by occupying the enemy board with one of your pieces. A piece placed on an opponent's board captures one space of that opponent's territory just by being there.
If that piece moves farther into enemy territory and has an unbroken line to its own player's board edge, the player captures all of the spaces along that line.
A piece belonging to the defending player that is sitting in the attacker's territory has no effect on the territory the attacker is capturing — territory capture is to the edge of your board.
If the defending player moves a piece into the line between the attacker's piece and the attacker's border, the attacker no longer has an unbroken line to the border, and only has the one space captured by occupying it.
If the attacker then moves a second piece onto the defender's board so that it has an unbroken line to the first piece, all of the territory between the two pieces is captured, plus the territory between the second piece and the attacker's home border.
If the defender then moves a piece in between the two attacking pieces, the attacker no longer has an unbroken line between them, but regains the territory between the first piece and the attacker's home border.
Game Setup
Decisions
Before setting up, a few decisions need to be made.
Who goes first? Traditionally white moves first, but players may use any method to decide the first player. Play progresses clockwise from the first player.
How many pieces are you using? Typically you choose from a "short game" setup of 7 pieces, a "medium game" setup of 10 pieces, or a "long game" setup of 13 pieces (14 in the three-player game). However, one of the fun things about NXS is that you can really use any board setup you like. Try playing with 9 pieces and your own custom setup.
How much territory is required to win? The default is 10 spaces, but any reasonable amount could be used. Want a short, fast-paced game? Play to 8 spaces. Want a longer, more difficult to win game? Try 13 spaces (or even 19 when playing the long game). A more experienced player can even offer a handicap to a less experienced player (for example; the less experienced player might need 9 to win, while the more experienced player would need 10 or more).
Setup
Each board is marked with a center-line.
The long center-line marking on the board is a guide to help arrange the pieces. It demonstrates how the center-line helps you arrange the pieces for the standard short game setup.
The center-line is also a guide to arranging the boards relative to each other. To begin a game, push your board together with your opponent's board so that your opponent's center-line lines up with the small alignment mark on the left side of your board (the angled mark on the right is only used in the three player game).
This same approach is used for the standard setup for the medium game, and for the standard setup for the long game.
Sequence of Play
You must do one of the following during your turn.
Move a piece (a capture counts as a move), then rotate a piece.
After your move, you must rotate a single piece. It can be the same piece you just moved.
Optional Advanced Rule: Rotate two pieces
If you do not wish to move a piece, you must rotate two pieces. You cannot rotate the same piece twice. You may not do this more than one turn in a row.
Optional Advanced Rule: Rotate your board
Instead of either of the above, you may rotate your board by one facing (60°) clockwise or counterclockwise.
Winning
How do you win the game?
Game play continues until a player captures at least the minimum number of enemy spaces required to win the game. The winning player must announce that they have a "nexus".
nex·us — noun — a connection or series of connections linking two or more things
It is illegal to move in such a way that you give your opponent enough territory to win, except:
Close call victory
If moving one of your pieces will give your opponent the requisite number of spaces to win, but will also give you more territory than your opponent, you still win the game.
Example: Moving your piece gives your opponent 10 spaces, but also gives you 11 or more. You win the game in a close call.
Rare game endings
No legal moves: If a player cannot make a legal move, they lose the game.
Stalemate: In the very unlikely event that both players can make legal moves, but neither has any way to capture enough territory to win the game; the player that has captured the most territory wins. If they have the same amount of territory, the player that has captured the most pieces wins. If they have both captured the same number of pieces, the game is a draw.
Game Play Notation
How to record moves
As with any strategy game, it is useful to record a game in notation format. In NXS, the coordinate system begins in the center of the board, with the a hex, and expands in concentric rings. The first position in each ring is on the center-line hex, and increases clockwise. Each coordinate also requires the color of the board, to distinguish it from the other player. When playing the standard black and white, only the first letter is needed. Otherwise the whole name of the color would be used.
- The d1 hex on the White board —
W:d1 - The b4 hex on the Black board —
B:b4 - The c3 hex on the Red board —
Red:c3
Long form notation
- Black's 3-2 piece on Black b4 moves to Black c1 —
B3-2,B:b4/B:c1 - White's 5-4 piece on White d16 rotates clockwise —
W5-4,W:d16>
Short form notation
In most cases, only the hex coordinate need be used:
- The piece on White hex a moves to White c7 —
W:a/c7(the color of the second hex is omitted if it is the same) - The piece on White c1 moves to Black d16 —
W:c1/B:d16 - The piece on Black b4 captures a White 4-3 piece on Black b6 —
B:b4/b6!W4-3 - The piece on White c7 rotates clockwise —
W:c7> - The piece on Black hex a rotates counterclockwise —
B:a< - The White board is rotated clockwise —
W>
Setup notation
When describing a board setup, or game in progress, you must note not only the location of each piece, but the direction that each piece is facing. Each piece has a standard "forward" direction (relative to the center-line of the board).
For reference, the notation for the setup of the standard short game is shown below:
W,1 (the white board is facing direction 1)
W:d15,W4-3,1 (white d15 space has a white 4-3 piece facing direction 1)
W:c10,W3-2,1
W:b5,W4-2s,1
W:b4,W3-0,1
W:b3,W4-2s,6 (white b3 space has a white 4-2s piece facing direction 6)
W:c4,W3-2,1
W:d5,W4-3,6
Three+ Player Games
Three Player
Full games of NXS can be played with three players. Players set up their pieces around the center-line of the board just like with a two person game. The players then push their boards together so that the small alignment marks line up (note that the center-lines will not line up).
Any of the standard setups (short, medium, or long game) can be used for the three player game.
Special rules for three player games
You must capture at least 1/3 of the needed territory from each enemy player.
For example: If you are playing to 10, then you must get at least 4 of those spaces from each enemy.
Two players can capture the same enemy space.
For example; if both white and black have captured one of red's spaces it will count towards both black's and white's total captured spaces.
You can capture territory across multiple enemy boards.
If a player has two pieces in enemy territory across different opponents' boards, that player captures all of the uninterrupted spaces between its pieces.
Four Player
Full games of NXS can be played with four players. Players set up their pieces around a neutral fifth board. Any of the standard setups (short, medium, or long game) can be used for the four player game.
Special rules for four player games
You must capture at least 1/4 of the needed territory from each enemy board that is not touching your board.
For example: If you are playing to 10, then you must get at least 3 of those spaces from each enemy whose board is not touching yours. The rest could come from any board, including the neutral center board.
Two players can capture the same enemy space.
For example; if both white and black have captured one of red's spaces it will count towards both black's and white's total captured spaces.
You can capture territory across multiple enemy boards.
This works exactly like three player, but you can also capture territory across on the neutral middle board.
Variants
Random Opening
Randomize your opening setup for a new game each time.
Place one player's set of pieces into a bag. If you are playing with two players, you should only place two of the 3-0 pieces in the bag. Draw out the desired number of pieces one at a time. Place them on the board, left to right, in the order that they are drawn. You can use the standard setup diagrams as a guide to different board setups. Your opponent(s) set up their board the same as yours.
Attack the middle
Both players try to capture a neutral board.
Two players arrange their boards around a third neutral board, and try to capture the empty territory. Only spaces captured on the neutral board count toward victory.
Double Agent
Two players use three sets.
Double Agent is a two-player game, but players set up for a three-player game as usual (using any board setup). The third "player" is the Double Agent, a hostile third party.
Special rules for Double Agent:
- All special rules for three-player games apply (e.g. you must capture at least 1/3 of the needed territory from your opponent, and at least 1/3 from the Double Agent).
- Double Agents are always considered enemy pieces. You cannot jump over them to capture. They block you from capturing territory if they are in the way.
- Players take turns controlling the Double Agents. Assuming that Black and White are the two players, and that Red is the Double Agent:
- White moves a white piece, then rotates a white piece
- Black moves a black piece, then rotates a black piece
- Black moves a red piece, then rotates a red piece
- White moves a white piece, then rotates a white piece
- White moves a red piece, then rotates a red piece
- Continue alternating play (moving and rotating your pieces, and then the double agents) until someone has enough territory to win
- You cannot move a Double Agent piece in a way that would put it (or another Double Agent piece) in danger of being captured.
Be Nice
Ignore piece captures and focus on maneuver.
Only for the short game setup, and especially good for kids just learning the game. Players set up their pieces and boards as normal. All other rules apply, but you don't capture your opponent's pieces. You just try to outmaneuver your opponent and be the first to capture enough of their territory to win the game.
All Aboard!
A major departure.
All Aboard! is a two player variant of NXS played on a single game board. It is recommended to select two colors for pieces (use all 14 pieces for each player), and use the third color for the board.
Players take turns either:
- Placing one of their pieces on any vacant board space, or
- Moving one of their pieces by the standard movement rules of NXS, or capturing an enemy piece using the standard NXS capture rules. If you move or capture, you must then rotate one of your pieces.
Players are trying to capture territory by using a modified territory capture rule:
Territory is captured by occupying an enemy hex(does not apply in this variant)By having an unbroken line between your piece in enemy territory and your board edge(does not apply in this variant)- By having an unbroken line between two pieces in enemy territory
- Captured spaces are only counted once
You no longer get credit for just having your piece on the board, and obviously there is no home territory to connect to.
Play continues until someone captures enough territory to win. 13-16 spaces is recommended.