• 1 board, showing 6 starting spaces (mountains) for three colors, (A-B-C) enclosing 54 triangular spaces called "fields." (See below for image of board.)
• 6 harvesters in each color. Domination pawns are great; checkers or chess pieces are OK. Note: 7 harvesters for the chessboard variant.30 seeds of each color. Risk wooden bits are great, any small marker or coins will do.
• 14 points of movement chips for each player: 2 reds, worth 5 each, 4 whites. We use mini-poker chips. Or use 2 nickels and 4 pennies each.
• Some way to keep score. (We use more poker chips.)

Tribes of oak harvesters line a small valley, preparing to plant their trees in the fields below. They come to the valley in two waves, seeking to control the fields and to capture opponents' seedlings.Points are scored for controlling the planted fields. Most points at the end of the second round wins. Captured seeds are used as a tie-breaker. Two or three can play, using the same rules.

Setting Up

Place your harvesters in the six mountains (start spaces). Place your seeds near the board, and take your movement chips in hand. This example is shown for a two player game. The green mountains are not used.

Order of Play

1. Plan move
2. Move harvesters
3. Check for collisions, captures
4. Plant seeds
5. Take up movement chips; repeat from #1
6. Score (at end of each round)

1. Plan Your Move (Simultaneous)

Player A plans to move her harvester "A2" and Player B plans to move his harvester "B6." Each places chips next to the mountain for that harvester. Players place their movement chips on the board simultaneously.

All players move their harvesters the number of fields shown by their chips out into the fields. You move where you intended to go when you placed your chips.

The harvester "A2" can go to either of the fields shown as "T" since they are 5 fields away in a straight line from the mountain. The first field crossed counts as "1", the second "2", etc. "B6" can move to either "O" field.

You can't place a harvester where another one already rests. If two or more harvesters land in the same field this turn, a collision occurs. The harvesters involved are removed from the board for this round. One seed of that color replaces each harvester in the target field. No planting occurs for these unlucky harvesters.

3b. Check for Capturing Seeds

If there are already seeds in the field where your harvester lands, pick them up and return your own color to your supply. Any other seeds are now "captured" and held by you. They are used as a tie-breaker at the end of the game.

4. Planting (Simultaneous)

Each harvester plants seeds in each field adjacent to it, shown here as lower case letters. No seeds are planted in the harvester's location.Seeds are not planted in fields where another harvester rests, or in a mountain space. Control of each field is determined by greatest number of seeds of one color.

Play continues until all harvesters have been moved. This ends the first round, when you will score the board and record your points.

Second turn in this sample game:

1. Plan Move

6. Scoring

Fields with a harvester of any color are not scored.

A controlled field is worth 2 points. A tie is worth 1 point to each tied player. Scoring is done at the end of each of two rounds.

Preparation for Round Two

Return all harvesters to their mountains (starting spaces). All planted seeds remain in place.

Play continues as before until all harvesters have been moved. This round will usually have many more seeds captured as opponents try to maximize their plantings and control.

Round Two Scoring As before, fields containing a harvester are not scored. A controlled field is worth 2 points. A tie is worth 1 point to each tied player. Add scores for rounds 1 and 2.

Tied total scores are resolved by who has the most captured seeds of other colors. If the score is still tied, most live seeds on the board wins.

Chessboard Variant for 2 Players

2 players can play Acorn on a chessboard. One player places 7 harvesters where the X's are shown, on the edge of the board. The second player uses the Y's. There are 49 (7x7) planting fields in this version.

Example: The X player chooses to move harvester X4 for 3 fields. X4 may move to any of the targets shown as "TT."