Invasion
Invasion is a military inspired Chess variant played on a 84-spaces board.
Game invented in December 2001, it is an entry to the 84 Spaces contest. Invasion has an entry in D.B.Pritchard's "The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants" (2007).
The board has 84 squares formed by a 10x10 field with a central 4x4 sea where no piece can enter, stand nor play.
Two players are opposed and stand on their fortress on NW and SE respectively.
Each player has an army with :
- 1 Head Quarters, which capture is one goal of the game. The HQ is defenceles but is very mobile. The HQ is immune from Bomb explosion.
- 2 Flags, also defenceless, which play an important role as they can turn on the Bomb and even win the game !
- 2 Commandos, very mobile and which are able to shoot enemy pieces.
- 2 Paratroopers, which can make a long hop once in the game, being the only piece able to fly over the sea. They also shoot enemy pieces.
- 2 Tanks, dreadful pieces which slide several squares and crush all pieces, enemy or friend, on their road.
- 12 Troopers, defensive pieces, which can promote to either Commando or Paratrooper when reaching the opposing camp.
- 1 Bomb, which stands off-board at the beginning in an off-state. When set on by the Flag, it can be dropped anyway on the board and explode killing all pieces (except HQs), enemy or friend, around itself.
Goals
The game can be won by either :
- capitulation : checkmating or stalemating the opposite HQ or
- invasion : standing a Flag on the opposite HQ corner.
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Head Quarter: Moves 1 square or jumps on any 2 squares around, does not capture. Cannot fly over the sea. His capture (checkmate or stalemate) is one of the goal of the game. |
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Flag: Moves 1 or 2 squares in line in the 8 directions, only crossing empty squares and not flying over the sea, does not capture. Turns on the Bomb when reaching one of the 2 free red corner squares. Wins the game if it reaches the opposite HQ corner. |
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Commando: Moves without capture jumping like a chess knight, captures sliding all directions like a chess queen. |
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Paratrooper: Moves 1 square around like a chess king. Once in the game, can fly straight 5 squares or more landing on an empty square. Captures sliding all directions like a chess queen. |
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Tank: Moves sliding up to 5 orthogonally and killing all pieces, friend or enemy, on its road. The Tank does not need to stop at a square where it captures an enemy, within the range of 5 squares, it can continue to slide. |
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Trooper: Moves 1 step range, either orthogonally to move or diagonally to capture. (it is a 4 directions chess pawn). Promotes to Commando or Paratrooper when penetrating the opposite camp. |
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Bomb: Waits off-board to be turned on. Then, can explode anywhere on the board (except on HQs) removing all pieces except HQ within 3x3 squares. Obviously, it is forbidden to drop his Bomb on a square where it could result the immediate check of his own HQ |
Comment
Concept invented around the idea of battle around a forbidden area and a bomb which can drastically turn situations in the game. The Bomb was inspired by Stratomic, a game invented by Robert Montais-Marsay. Another strong conviction was to have two different ways of winning the game.
The Flags have the most important role in the game. Since they can only cross empty squares, try to open a road for them. Prevent opposite Flag to reach free red corners on NW and SE with your Tanks and Paratroopers.
Paratroopers and Commandos are very offensive pieces while the Troopers are strong defensive pieces which be should arranged in a proper battle order.
The Tanks are very powerful but it is better to prepare a path for them free of your own pieces since they can crush them as well. The Tanks have a limited range of action which should be planned in your strategy.
Playtested with Zillions-of-games.
Find the rules in the Chess Variant Pages.
