Sauerbaum
Sauerbaum Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Materials
1 game board 60 raindrops 1 blue die 3 green dice 7 figures in 7 different colours for the players
The Goal of the Game
The players seek to shake off the acid raindrops from the threatened tree before they can seep down to the roots, where they would damage the tree because of their acidity. The game is won if the players succeed in this. The player collecting the most raindrops earns the merit award for saving the tree.
Preparation for Playing
The players are to decide at the outset how many raindrops are in the raincloud threatening the tree. For beginners 40 raindrops is a good number to use; once proficiency is reached, then 60 raindrops.
The raindrops are placed together above the tree with one of the raindrops in the uppermost field of the tree. As the game goes on more and more drops fall into the fields of the tree. Each player chooses a coloured playing figure and places it in one of the open fields in the roots of the tree. From there, they move up during the course of the game through the trunk of the tree into the upper fields.
The Dice
The players take turns. When his turn comes each player throws all four dice. The blue die determines the number of raindrops which seep down into the empty fields of the tree before the moves are carried out. The player makes three moves. One for each of the three green dice which show the number of fields to move each time.
The Raindrops
By each turn the number of raindrops corresponding to the count on the blue die are to be removed from the area above the tree and placed in the tree beginning at the top and filling out the rows from left to right one after another downwards. When there are no more raindrops above the tree, the raindrops, beginning from the left in the uppermost row, are moved down into the first row that is still open further down in the tree. Fields which in the meantime had been freed from raindrops should first be filled gain (sic; "again" in the source) before filling in the lower rows.
Moving the Figures of the Players
In each turn, the players have three moves, one for each of the three green dice. The figures can move in all directions - horizontal, vertical and diagonal. The number of fields moved corresponds to the number on the die. At the outset of each move the player chooses the direction of movement anew. During a move, however, he can only change directions when his figure reaches a field at an edge of the tree or the field on the trunk of the tree with the small circle. The players may spring over the figures of the other players but not over the raindrops.
Collecting the Raindrops
When a player's figure lands with the last field of his move on a field occupied by a raindrop, that raindrop may be removed from the tree and set in his stack at the side of the board. The players should try to carry out their moves in such a way as to collect a raindrop by each move if possible. Once a raindrop has reached the roots, it can no longer be removed from the tree.
Encircled by Raindrops
A player who moves his figure too deep into the fields occupied by raindrops runs the risk of becoming encircled by the raindrops. In this case he may be unable to use his moves. As long as he remains in this situation he contributes only to the increase in the number of raindrops. If the other players leave such a player alone instead of seeking to free him, the chances are greater that the raindrops will eventually reach the roots and that the game will be lost.
Freeing an Encircled Player
A player can free himself, if he is able to use one or more of his moves when his turn comes. He will then be able to collect some of the drops which surround him and establish more room for his next moves. This is difficult, however, because the room around him may be filled up quickly again with raindrops. The other players should therefore come to his help. They should try to free a path for him so he can get out of the rain either by moving above or below the fields occupied by the raindrops.
The End of the Game
When the players have collected so many raindrops that it is evident the rain cannot reach the roots, the players have won the game. The player with the most raindrops gets the merit award. The game is lost if the raindrops can seep down and occupy the fields in the roots of the tree.