Ombagi
Ombagi Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game for two players:
Setting-Up
Each player places his stones in their starting fields as shown in the picture, forming four stacks of three pieces each ('1' pieces below, '2' in the middle and '3' on top).
[Diagram: Setting-up. Each player's starting fields are shown in the printed picture.]
Game goal
The winner if the player who first rebuild his stacks ('1' below, '2' in the middle, '3' on top) on his opponent's starting fields.
Game play
Players alternate turns. The starting player is agreed upon.
'1' stones may only move one step onto an adjacent field, in any direction. Also, they can only occupy the lower level on any field.
The only exception: a 1-stone can jump over a three-stone stack (his or his opponent's stacks, or mixed ones) onto an adjacent empty field. Consecutive jumps are also allowed.
'2' stones move two steps per turn, up or down stacks (each level counts as one step) or onto adjacent fields [so, for example, a 2-stone on a two stone stack can move to an adjacent free field using two steps: one sideways and one down; or else, a 2-stone on level two can jump over an adjacent one-stone stack and be placed on level 2 of the next field, if a stone was already lying there]. '2' stones can only be found on low and middle levels.
'3' stones move three steps per turn. They can be found on level 3. '2' and '3' stones may change direction when moving, even ending their movement on their respective starting points.
Blocking
If a player jumps over an opponent's stone, this is considered blocked. The blockade must be abandoned if the opponent has no more free stones in the same row as the blocked piece, or behind it (seen from his goal fields).
A 1-stone is considered blocked if there are no more same-colored stones on the same row or behind it (also seen from his goal fields' perspective) and cannot move forward (even if it can move sideways). The opponent must free a field to allow this stone's movement (Obviously, this doesn't apply if one of the blocking stones is same color as the blocked one.
If a player has achieved the game goal, the loser can count how many moves are needed to build his four stacks on the goal fields.
A difficult game variant: during the game, the blocked stones are placed so that the numbers on them cannot be seen.
Game for three players:
The game is played using the same rules, but each player uses only 9 stones (three 3-stone stacks).
[Diagram: Setting-up and goal fields.]
For amusement, an ombagassian's rider with the national colors (red, green and gold) is here depicted [TN: a picture is shown nearby].
More Ombagassian games will appear in Edition Perlhuhn. The next one will be the game of the Dragon Prince Gillipilli.
Ombagi - A sample game
and also a suggestion to record good matches.
Notation
The board fields are numbered from 11 to 47 (see figure). The stones are called H (= Light) 1, 2 and 3, and D (= Dark) 1, 2 and 3. The lower level is designated as A, the middle one B and the higher level C. The level is indicated only for the field to which the stone moves. In this sample game, an asterisk marks forced blockade movements.
[Diagram: board fields numbered 11 to 47 as printed: row 11-14, row 15-19, row 20-25, row 26-32, row 33-38, row 42-40-41-42-43 (the source prints '42' twice in this row; likely a typo for the lower-board fields, not corrected here), row 44-47.]
Reading note (transcriber): the printed sample record is laid out in a grid of four move columns. Each printed row is kept as one line below, moves read left to right as printed, which alternates Dark and Light. Blank lines separate the printed blocks.
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(D3) 12 - A17 | (H3) 47 - A42 | (D3) 14 - A18 | (H3) 42 - A25
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(D2) 14 - A19 | (H2) 47 - A43 | (D3) 18 - B25 | (H1) 47 - A42
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(D1) 14 - A18 | (H2) 43 - A30 | (D3) 17 - B30 | (H1) 42 - A36
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(D1) 18 - A24 | (H3) 46 - A42 | (D2) 12 - A17 | (H1) 36 - A29
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(D1) 12 - A16 | (H3) 42 - B29 | (D3) 13 - A18 | (H2) 46 - A42
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(D1) 16 - A22 | (H2) 42 - A31 | (D2) 13 - B24 | (H1) 46 - A41
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(D1) 22 - A28 | (H1) 41 - A35 | (D3) 11 - A16 | (H3) 45 - A40
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(D2) 17 - A22 | (H3) 44 - B35 | (D1) 13 - A17 | (H3) 35 - A21
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(D2) 11 - B21 | (H2) 44 - B35 | (D1) 11 - A15 | (H3) 40 - A20
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(D1) 28 - A34 | (H1) 44 - A39 | (D1) 34 - A40 | (H1) 39 - A34
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(D1) 40 - A44 | (H2) 45 - A41 | (D1) 17 - A23 | (H3) 29 - A17
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(D2) 24 - B29 | (H1) 45 - A40 | (D3) 25 - C30 | (H2) 31 - B24
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(D1) 23 - A37 | (H1) 34 - A28 | (D2) 22 - B28 | (H1) 40 - A34
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(D2) 21 - A27 | (H2) 35 - B27 | (D1) 37 - A43 | (H3) 21 - C28
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(D1) 15 - A21 | (H1) 34 - A22 | (D1) 43 - A47 | (H3) 28 - B17
Complement to the Ombagi rules
Complement to the Ombagi rules: if a player completes the movement of three towers to their goal fields, he is not allowed to keep one of his opponent's goal fields occupied/blocked with his other stones.
Ombagassa games, only in Edition Perlhuhn!
The newest game (November 1981) is 'Wunderwatschler", a Dirk Hanneforth's brisk dice game for 3-5 players.
In March 1982 will appear the best game so far: 'Der Ombagassische Seiltrick' (original edition with lianas), a Reinhold wittig's solitaire game.
[Picture: a chameleon on a tree branch. The printed text refers to it as a sample of 'Der Ombagassische Seiltrick'.]
This is a small sample of 'Der Ombagassische Seiltrick'. Curious? [TN: This sentence refers to a nearby picture of a chameleon on a tree branch].
Gassen-Ombagi
Brought back from the last trip to Ombagassa:
A game for young Ombagassians.
Both players place their stones according to the image below (numbers upwards, any distribution).
The first player is agreed upon.
Players alternate turns.
The active player moves a stone to an adjacent field or else jumps in a straight line over an opponents' piece, which is then removed. Only one piece can be removed per turn. Capture is compulsory but the player is free to chose which piece to remove in case more than one possibility exists. The following rules must be observed:
- a '3' piece can capture a '3' or '2' piece.
- a '2' piece can capture a '2' or '1' piece.
- a '1' piece can capture a '1' or '3' piece.
If a stone in a corner field if surrounded by enemy pieces such that it cannot longer move, it's considered captured and removed from the board.
The game ends in a draw if just two equal numbered pieces, one of each player, remain in play.
If a player has no more pieces in play, the opponent is the winner. Also, if one player's remaining pieces are no longer a threat to his opponent, the latter wins the game (e.g. one player has one '3' piece, the opponent has two '2' pieces: the former is the winner).
[Diagram: Setting-up for Gassen-Ombagi.]