Spider Wars
Spider Wars Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Web Assembly & Labeling
- Green Nest Labels: Apply green labels to both sides of higher nest. (Web is marked with a "G" for green.)
- Orange Nest Labels: Apply orange labels to both sides of lower nest. (Web is marked with an "O" for orange.)
- Name-of-Game Labels: Apply green label over the "G" to identify Green Player's Side. Put orange label over "O" on the other side to identify Orange Player's Side.
- Pads: Attach pads to bases.
- Base Attachment: Slide bases onto web.
Figure 2 (Ready the Spiders for Play): Twist spiders off connectors. Then label them. Apply label here. Match it to leg color.
Setup
- Choose a color to play: green or orange. Take 3 small spiders and 1 Daddy Longlegs that match your color.
- Sit opposite your opponent and position the web so that you're facing your color side (identified by the "Spider Wars" label color).
- You and your opponent attach your spiders to the web as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.
Figure 3: To attach spider to web, just insert each leg's peg into a webhole!
Spider Starting Positions
Figure 4 (Green Player's Side): Place green spiders in these webholes.
Figure 5 (Orange Player's Side): Place orange spiders in these webholes.
The Figure 5 webholes are keyed by number, as printed in the legend:
- Daddy Longlegs (marked 1, 1)
- Small spider (marked 2, 2)
- Small spider (marked 3, 3)
- Small spider (marked 4, 4)
Object
Two ways to win:
- EITHER be the first to knock all of your opponent's spiders off the web;
- OR place 1 leg of any of your spiders into your opponent's nest!
NOTE: Green spiders move only on the Green Player's Side; orange spiders move only on the Orange Player's Side.
Game Play
- Choose one player to go first. Players move only their own color spiders.
- THE SPECIAL OPENING MOVE: The first player moves just 1 leg to a nearby webhole and his or her turn is then over.
- The second player then moves 2 legs. The second player's turn is then over.
- Both players continue to play, alternating turns and moving 2 legs per turn.
How To Move Your Spiders On Your Turn
Spiders are allowed to move in any direction, but only as far as they can reach! Never S-T-R-E-T-C-H your spiders' legs! A small spider's leg can reach only one webhole away from its other leg. A Daddy Longlegs can reach one or two webholes away from its other leg. Overstretching your spiders could cause damage to spiders.
On your turn, decide which 2 legs you want to move:
- You may choose to move both legs of one of your spiders as shown in Figure 6.
- OR you may decide to move 1 leg of one spider and 1 leg of another spider! See Figure 6A.
You CANNOT move the same leg twice during the same turn!
Figure 6: The Green Player could move both legs of this small green spider!
Figure 6A: Or the Green Player could move 1 leg of this green Daddy Longlegs and 1 leg of this small green spider!
Where To Move On A Turn
You can move a leg EITHER to a webhole occupied by an opponent's spider OR to an unoccupied webhole.
Creating A Dangler: On your turn, if you move 1 leg into one of the webholes occupied by an opponent's spider, you'll make your opponent's spider a Dangler by pushing one of its legs off the web! See Figures 7 and 7A.
Figure 7 (The Move): The green spider attacks an orange spider! Green places 1 of its legs into an orange-occupied webhole!
Figure 7A (The Result): The orange spider's leg is pushed out! It's a Dangler!
Knocking Out An Opponent's Spider: If you move 1 leg into the webhole of an opponent's Dangler, you will knock your opponent's Dangler off the web and out of the game! See Figures 8 and 8A.
NOTE: If you're lucky, you could create a Dangler with your 1st leg move and then knock out the spider with your 2nd leg move, all on the same turn!
How To Knock Out A Spider
Figure 8 (The Move): The green spider finishes the attack! Green places its other leg into the orange Dangler's remaining webhole!
Figure 8A (The Result): The orange spider falls to the ground! It's a Knockout!
Replanting a Dangler's Leg
On your turn, if one of your spiders is a Dangler, you may replant that Dangler's leg in a webhole to try and prevent it from being knocked out by your opponent.
IMPORTANT: Replanting 1 Dangler's leg uses up your complete turn!
To replant, always move the dangling leg to an UNOCCUPIED webhole. Do NOT advance towards your opponent's nest as you replant. You can replant your dangling leg above or below your Dangler's other leg, or back towards your nest, but NEVER towards your opponent's nest. See Figure 9.
Figure 9 (Green Player's Side): This small green Dangler can only replant its dangling leg in one of the purple webholes! It cannot move to either of the crossed-out webholes because that would move it closer to the opponent's nest! All other webholes are out of its reach.
Legend: LEGAL MOVES (filled circle); ILLEGAL MOVES (crossed-out circle).
Winning The Game
To win the game, you must be the first to EITHER knock all of your opponent's spiders off the web OR place 1 leg of any of your spiders into your opponent's nest!