Tara: Ireland's Royal Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Quick-start game - Level 1
  • Contents
  • Preparation
  • Aim
  • First Phase - Manoeuvres
  • Linking
  • Second Phase - Battle
  • End of the Game
  • Scoring
  • Strategic Tips
• Advanced game - Level 2
  • First Phase - Manoeuvres
  • Linking

Quick-start game - Level 1

Contents

• 1 board
• 60 ringforts (30 red/30 blue)
• 80 bridges (40 red/40 blue)
• 6 kings (3 red/3 blue)
• 8 variant cards
• 1 rule booklet
• this rule leaflet

Preparation

• Pop out and discard the punched squares from the board; the holes locate the ringforts.
• Sit opposite your opponent with the empty board set squarely between you.
• Determine which colour you are playing with.
• Each of you takes:
  1. 23 ringforts, fig. 1
  2. 35 bridges, fig. 2
  3. 1 king
  4. 5 enemy bridges
• The enemy bridges are to be used as 'counters'. Keep them in full view of both players.
• Draw lots to determine who starts.
• Ignore the variant cards for now.

(fig. 1: A ringfort. fig. 2: A bridge.)

Aim

• A match comprises two games; each player taking turns to start.
• The player with most points after two games wins the match. At the end of each game the player with the fewest kingdoms, fig. 3, receives points for this.
• In case of a tie, the player with most territory (i.e. the one who does not have the spare ringfort, see Second Phase) receives points.

(fig. 3: Five examples of kingdoms. A kingdom is a group of ringforts of the same color; either one isolated ringfort or any number which are linked together.)

First Phase - Manoeuvres

• The first player builds (places) a ringfort anywhere on the board and places their king into it.
• Thereafter, each player builds one ringfort 1 or 2 holes away from the enemy king, fig. 4, and moves their king into it. This continues until the board is full.
• If you have nowhere to build, start again anywhere.
• Note: this phase should be played quickly and does not require the use of bridges.

(fig. 4: Blue may build a ringfort 1 or 2 holes away from Red's king horizontally, vertically or diagonally.)

Linking

• Linking ringforts will start in the second phase - Battle.
• The small ridges on top of the ringforts indicate the positions of the bridges, fig. 5.
• One bridge is clipped on in-between adjacent pairs of the same colour.
• Bridges will only fit one way round; lining up with four sets of ridges (making a 'figure of 8' initially).
• Enemy ringforts must never be linked.

(fig. 5: Linking ringforts with bridges.)

Second Phase - Battle

• Now, there will only be one spare ringfort left; this player starts the Battle.
• Passing is not allowed.
• On your turn you must do the following in order, fig. 6:
  1. Remove any unlinked enemy ringfort (except for the one in which the king stands) and give it to your opponent.
  2. Replace it with your own (the spare) ringfort.
  3. Move your king into your new ringfort.
  4. Link any two of your own ringforts with one bridge (not necessarily with your new one). Note: if you swap a ringfort that is not adjacent to any of yours, you will not be able to link that particular ringfort. If this happens and there is nowhere else to link, you do not use a bridge in this turn.
• Alternatively, you may first move any enemy bridge to any other pair of unlinked enemy ringforts. You then pay for it by giving back one 'counter' to your opponent (you may move up to 5 enemy bridges per game). You then take steps 1-3 as above (not 4), fig. 7.

(fig. 6: 1) Blue removes a Red ringfort then - 2) replaces it with the spare Blue ringfort then - 3) moves his king there and - 4) links two ringforts.)

(fig. 7: M) Blue moves a Red bridge then - 1) Blue removes a Red ringfort then - 2) replaces it with the spare Blue ringfort and - 3) moves his king there.)

End of the Game

• All legal moves must be taken, whether or not it is advantageous. The game ends immediately when one player no longer has a legal move, fig. 8.
• All remaining unlinked pairs must now be linked with bridges so that each kingdom is fully linked within itself.

(fig. 8: Blue cannot swap a ringfort; he has used all his 'counters', so no Red bridges can be moved and the Red king protects the only unlinked ringfort.)

Scoring

• The winner is the player with the least number of kingdoms. The winner scores 2 points plus the difference in the number of kingdoms.
• If you both have the same number of kingdoms, the winner is the player with the largest territory. The winner scores 2 points plus the difference in the territory (in Level 1 it will always be 1 point, 23-22=1).

(fig. 9: Finished game: Red has 1 kingdom and Blue has 3, so Red wins. Red scores 2 points (for the win) plus 2 bonus points (for the difference between 1 and 3) which equals 4.)

(fig. 10: Finished game: both Red and Blue have 2 kingdoms each, so territory must be counted. As Red has the spare ringfort, Blue has 23 and so wins. Blue scores 2 points (for the win) plus 1 bonus point (for the difference between 22 and 23) which equals 3.)

Strategic Tips

• Try to split the board up with one large kingdom so that your opponent has many more smaller scattered kingdoms.
• Protect your important ringforts with two bridges; if your opponent really wants them he will first have to move one bridge away and then use a second turn to remove the second bridge and then swap the ringfort. You may also defend it by replacing the first bridge moved.
• Hold off from using your 'counters' until absolutely necessary; if you have more than your opponent towards the end of the game, you have an advantage.

Advanced game - Level 2

For more information visit the website.

Play the same as Level 1 except for the following:

First Phase - Manoeuvres

• If the enemy king is standing on a ringfort which is not adjacent (meaning horizontally or vertically) to another of his own colour, and you besiege the king on your turn by surrounding him on all available adjacent sides with your ringforts, you have the 'skip option' (i.e. you may force your opponent to miss a turn). Important: you may move to a hole that is already besieged by the enemy king and ringforts without consequence.
• If you decide to take the skip option, you play the next turn and pay for it by returning one 'counter' to your opponent.
• Note: if the first player takes one skip more than his opponent, he is guaranteed to have more territory; this is needed if the game is drawn in kingdoms. However, the second player will need to take two skips more than his opponent to be guaranteed.
• You will need more than 23 ringforts if you take skips. Once the board is full, the player to start Battle will need his spare ringfort, but return any other ringforts to the box.

Linking

• When linking your own ringforts in Battle, you must place the bridge so that it links two ringforts that are in line horizontally or vertically (in the king's lines) with your own king's new position.
• Similarly, when moving an enemy bridge, you may pick it up from any position, but you must place it in the enemy king's lines. Remember: before you move an enemy bridge, you must first check if there are any unlinked ringforts in the enemy king's lines.