This adaptation of Battle Sheep (2010, Francesco Rotta) was suggested by Sveinmain from Preikestolen Gamers. Just like “Hey, that’s my fish”, Battle Sheep is an elegant abstract tactical game disguised as a children’s game, and it is a good fit for the Green Box.

At a glance:

Players:2-4

Time: 10 min

Complexity: Low

Components used:

9 tiles pr player

9 cubes pr player

Setup:

mainbattle_1
Setup for three players

Select the tiles you need. You might want to balance the number of each symbol available, but a completely random selection can provide a more unpredictable experience and add replay value.

Build some kind of hexagonal board with the tiles face up. A compact symmetrical board is probably best for the first game, but you can experiment to add freshness.

Give each player 9 cubes of their chosen colour and select a starting player. Starting with the last player and moving counter-clockwise the players now select a starting position where they place all their 9 cubes.

Play:

Taking turns, each player can move any number of cubes in a straight line in any direction. The cubes must move as far as they can before stopping. They can not pass over the cubes of another player. You must always leave at least one cube in the space where you are moving away from.

Winner:

The game ends when no players are able to make any more moves. Count 1 point for each space occupied by a player, and add 1 point for each set of 3 symbols the player controls. The winner is the one with the most points.

Variations:

The two-player game is rather small and short, but you can try playing with all 36 tiles and 18 cubes pr player. We recommend using two starting positions pr player, as moving 17 cubes around in the beginning can be quite difficult. 3 players can similarly use 12.