Sixteen Soldiers

How to play

A war game of Sri Lanka and South Asia on a lined board with a triangular fort at each end. Sixteen soldiers a side slide along the lines; you capture by leaping straight over an adjacent enemy into the empty point beyond, and may chain several leaps in one turn.

Rules

  • Tap one of your pieces, then a highlighted point to slide it one step, or leap straight over an adjacent enemy into the empty point beyond to capture it.
  • A capturing leap that lands somewhere with another leap available forces you to keep leaping with that same soldier.
  • Whenever any capture is available anywhere on the board, you must make a capturing move rather than a plain slide.
  • Wipe out every one of the AI’s sixteen soldiers, or leave it with no legal move, to win.

Tips

Set up chains — line your soldier so that one leap lands it right beside the next enemy with an empty point behind, and you can sweep two or three in a single turn. Because captures are compulsory, you can offer bait: leave one soldier takeable so the AI’s forced leap lands it where your chain devours several in reply.