One player is the defiant Rebels, trying to establish a network of cells throughout Imperial-held sectors.
The other player is the Imperium, defending its domain.
Components
- 10x10 board (an 8x8 board can be used, but the game is cramped)
- 2 Imperial Command markers
- 1 Rebel Command marker
- About 40 Force Counters for each player
The board is separated into four equal sectors. Each sector is a square containing 25 spaces. The borders between sectors should be marked. The game is played on the diagonal, so the players sit at opposing corners of a diamond-shaped board.
The Command markers can be anything, as long as they fit on the points of the board (e.g., a white knight and two black rooks).
The Force Counters must fit into the spaces on the board, and they must be marked with an arrow or point that shows which side is the Line of Attack (which is described later). Checkers can work if each has the points of a crown molded on top.
Objectives
The Rebel player wins as soon as he controls one key point in each of the four sectors on the board. In order to control a key point, the Rebel player must place four Rebel Counters in the spaces that surround a point. Key points are the 16 central points that make up the internal grid of each sector (nine on an 8x8 board). Points along the sector borders and the points along the edge of the board are not key points.
The Imperial player wins as soon as he captures the Rebel Command with one of their Imperial Commands. To capture the Rebel Command, the Imperial player must move one of their Commands onto the same point the Rebel Command currently occupies.
Setup
The Imperial player places their two Commands on the left and right points of the central space in the sector closest to their corner of the board.
The Rebel player places their Command on the back point of the central space in the sector closest to their corner of the board.
Players should sit at opposing corners of the board with their respective Commands set up in the sector closest to them. The other two sectors remain empty.
If using an 8x8 board, both Commands are placed on the center point of each starting sector. (Both Imperial Commands start on the same point, so push them together. For their first move, they both count as starting from that one point.)
Basic Rules
The Rebel player moves first.
Play alternates between the Rebel player and the Imperial player. No passing is allowed. During a turn, a player does the following in this order:
- Place one of their Counters with its Line of Attack pointing to one of the four sides, or four corners of the space it is placed in; OR
Rotate one of their Counters already in play so that its Line of Attack faces a new direction. A player may place a Counter on any space and in any sector so long as it is empty and not a dead zone (dead zones are described later).
A player must make one of the above actions, but not both in the same turn.
- A player may move one of their Commands one point with the following restrictions:
Imperial Commands may only move from point to point in straight lines, no diagonals. An Imperial Command may not end its move on a point currently controlled (as described above) by the Rebel player, unless it results in the capture of the Rebel Command. Meaning the Rebel Command is on that controlled point.
The Rebel Command may move either straight or diagonally. However, the Rebel Command may not move over (diagonally) Imperial Counters, between Imperial Counters that are in adjacent spaces, or between the board edge and an adjacent Imperial Counter. The Rebel Command may move between Imperial Counters that are adjacent on the diagonal.
Note that the Rebel Command can be trapped if it becomes surrounded by Imperial Counters. If the Rebel player moves their Command onto a corner, only one Imperial Counter, placed in the corner space, is needed to trap it.
Command Movement
Command markers move on the points of the grid (where the lines cross) as described above, not in the spaces.
When a Command ends its move on one of the points that make up the borders between sectors, that Command is not in any sector. This is important and described in more detail later.
Force Counters - Placement and Capturing
Force Counters are placed in the spaces of the board and can not be moved, only rotated so their Line of Attack points to one of the eight directions in a space (four sides, four corners). When placed, a Counter may have its Line of Attack pointing in any direction a player wishes.
A Counter is captured and removed from the board when it is flanked on two sides by enemy Counters with both Lines of Attack pointing at it. The flanking Counters must be adjacent to the targeted Counter and in a straight line.
The edge of the board is neutral and may not be used for capturing.
The space left after a capture, or any space flanked on two sides in a straight line by friendly Counters that both have their Lines of Attack pointing at it, is called a dead zone. No enemy Counters may be placed in a dead zone, even if it would cause the capture of one of the flanking Counters. Friendly Counters may be placed in a dead zone.
Generally, capturing may only be done in a straight line, no angles or diagonals. However, if a Command is in a sector all friendly Force Counters may capture on diagonals as well as in straight lines. This also applies after the fact. If a diagonal capture is possible, but no Commands are in that sector, as soon as a Command friendly to the diagonal-capturing Counters enters that sector, the enemy Counter is captured and removed. (A player can capture more than one enemy Counter per turn.)
Diagonal capturing may not be used across sector borders. Only straight line captures are possible across borders.
If both Rebel and Imperial Commands are in the same sector, both players may capture diagonally.
Captures are not tracked. All captured Force Counters go back to the other player's Force Counter pool.
Defiance and Domain © copyright 2002 Arin Sandhop.
