PLATEAU(tm) http://www.plateaugame.com The Official Rules: Copyright Jim Albea, 1986 All rights reserved. ************************************************************************ The Pieces The players , White and Black, each have twelve pieces. Name Markings Value (used in a Prisoner Exchange) 1 Ace red/blue 21 pts 1 Twister orange/blank 15 pts 1 Red Mask red/blank 10 pts 1 Blue Mask blue/blank 8 pts 2 Reds red/red 5 pts each 2 Blues blue/blue 4 pts each 4 Mutes blank/blank 1 pt each ************************************************************************ Object A player wins by either: Holding six or more captured pieces, or Forming a "unit" of six of his own pieces. ************************************************************************ Definitions stack A pile of pieces on the board. unit A part of a stack (may be the whole stack) that is unbroken by enemy pieces. weapon A unit with a marker facing up. blank A unit with a blank side facing up. ************************************************************************ Play Black and White begin with all pieces off the board. The opponents pieces are concealed from view. Play begins as follows: 1. Black places a two-piece unit on a perimeter square of the 4x4 board. 2. White places a two-piece unit on a different perimeter square. Black and White alternate turns for the rest of the game. On his turn a player may either: "Onboard" one piece held off the board, Move the top unit in a stack, or tender Prisoners for exchange ************************************************************************ Onboarding An onboarded piece may be placed anywhere in the playing arena except: inside an enemy unit, or on top of a stack topped by an enemy unit. ************************************************************************ Movement A player can flip the top piece of a unit before moving it. The size of a unit and color showing on its top determine how it can move. A red, blue, or blank unit moves in a straight line in a single direction. It moves up to one space for each piece in the unit. red units move straight (horizontally or vertically), blue units move diagonally, and blank units move straight or diagonally An orange unit (Twister) moves to a square that is two squares straight in one direction and one square at 90 degrees. It reaches this square by traveling first one square straight then one diagonally. A piece's movement is not affected by the presence of friendly or enemy units along its movement path. Before leaving any square on its movement path (including the initial square), a unit may drop off any number of pieces from the bottom of the unit. Dropped pieces land on top of the stack on that square. You are restricted from dropping blanks on top of (touching) enemy units: A blank unit may not end its move on top of any enemy unit. No unit may "drop off" a blank subunit on top of an enemy unit, except on its initial square. After arriving at any square on its movement path, a unit may pick up and add to its bottom any number of friendly pieces from the top of the stack on that square. Dropping off and picking up (from different squares) may be combined on a single move. The maximum distance a non-Twister unit can travel is determined by its size at the beginning of the turn. The distance it can travel is unaffected by how many pieces it may drop-off or pick-up. ********************************************************************** Capture Once a unit arrives at its final destination, it may capture enemy pieces there, provided it is a weapon (has a marker showing). A unit may travel zero spaces and capture on the initial square. A unit captures up to one piece for each piece it contains at the moment of the first capture in the stack. The captured pieces must be taken from the top of the stack down. Pieces dropped-off during a unit's movement may not capture in that turn. Captured pieces are displayed off the board where both players can see them. *********************************************************************** Prisoner Exchange Instead of moving or onboarding, you may tender any or all captured enemy pieces for exchange. The prisoners you tender have some point value. If your opponent has an equal or lesser value, then he must exchange. He can give a greater value if he wishes. The point value of his response must be at least equal to your offer if he has an equal value. If he does not have an equal value then his response cannot be lower than the next closest value below your offer. If your opponent makes a response, you must accept it - the prisoners are exchanged and your turn is over. If your opponent does not have an equal or lesser value and chooses not to exchange, you may tender a different group of prisoners or you may take your turn by onboarding or moving. ********************************************************************** Inspection (for "live" play with a physical game set) Each player may inspect both sides of any captured piece, both sides of any of his offboard pieces, and any friendly top unit in a stack any time. Other inspections are carried out by common agreement of the players. All onboard manipulations and inspections are carried out using the "One Hand Rule". ********************************************************************** One Hand Rule (for "live" play with a physical game set) All manipulations of pieces including onboarding, moving, capturing, and inspection should be done with one hand and in full view of the opponent. ********************************************************************** General If a player has no legal moves, then his turn is forfeited. A draw can be called by mutual agreement of the players.