Turncoat. Ages 8 and Up. 2 Players. CONTENTS: • Game Board. • 12 moving
pieces (6 round, 6 square). • Instructions. OBJECT. To be the first player to line up
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Turncoat Ages 8 and Up 2 Players CONTENTS: Game Board 12 moving pieces (6 round, 6 square) Instructions OBJECT To be the first player to line up four consecutive moving pieces of that players colour in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Moving pieces may be square or round, or any combination of the shapes, To win line up the same colour not shape. SET UP 1. Each player stars with six moving pieces of matching shapes, round or square. 2. Inside each moving piece is a disc, white on one side and red on the other. Round pieces always begin the game with the white side showing; square moving pieces always start the game with the red side showing. 3. To set the disc to the correct starting colour, place the moving piece on its matching shape and colour indicator (in the centre of the reserve pieces row) round pieces will always flip to the white on the round white indicator. Square pieces will always flip to red on the red indicator. 4. Once the pieces are all set to the correct starting colour, they are placed in their reserve areas. PLAYING THE GAME 1. The white pieces always go first, placing a round moving piece on any space in white’s base row (the row closest to whites reserve area). Red then places a square moving piece on any space in red’s base row (the row closest to red’s reserve area) 2. Moving pieces in the reserve area can enter the game board anywhere on the base row. Moving pieces may also enter the board by jumping a piece already on the base row. 3. After the first move, players may choose to enter the game board anywhere on the base row. Moving pieces may also enter the board by jumping a piece already on the base row 4. After the first move, players may also move any piece on the board, regardless of shape or the colour showing. The one exception of this – player may not move the last piece played. THE HIDDEN FORCE Hidden beneath the board is a magnetic force. The force can flip the disc inside the moving piece to the opponent’s colour, allow it to remain the same or flip the disc from the opponents colour to your colour. THE KEY TO THE GAME Players must remember; whenever a round piece is white on a given square, a square piece (on the same space) will always be red and vice versa. Try this now on several different spaces on the board to see; this will always be true, so remember this effect during the course of the game. At the beginning of each game, players do not know the effects of the different spaces on the round or square pieces. As play progresses each player learns the effect of each space (for each different game) as pieces move, players must try to remember these effects in order to develop a strategy.
WHICH MOVING PIECES MAY BE MOVED Once on the board, any piece may be moved by either player – no matter what shape or colour. The exception: a player may not move the last moving piece played by the opponent. Remember, the object of the game is to get the four discs of your colour in a row – not four of the same shaped pieces. Since any piece can be either colour, any shape can help you win! A piece may be moved one space at a time in any direction: horizontally, vertically or diagonally. STRATEGY NOTE When first learning the game, try to set up opportunities by establishing as many rows of two’s or threes as possible (in various directions). As players become experts in the game they will, of course, adopt their own strategies which may vary from this approach. A moving piece can jump over another piece in any direction, and may also make multiple jumps (similar to checkers – over one piece at a time). However, before a piece begins a multiple jump, the player must announce where the piece will finally end up. A piece making multiple jumps must always land firmly and pause on each in-between space to give both the player and the opponent the opportunity to see the colour reaction to those spaces. STRATEGY NOTE Look for and make multiple jumps, in order to learn the colour restrictions of as many spaces as possible. A MOVE IS FINAL Once a moving piece is played, the player may not change the move. A multiple jump move must be played out to its announced end. WINNING Line up four consecutive moving pieces (Square or round) of your colour in any direction to win. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT GAME Re-set the moving pieces using the shape and colour indicators, and place them back in the reserve area. After each game lift the removable blue playing grid using the two finger indentations and take out the 5 two-sided magnetic strips. Shuffle them and then randomly reposition them. The can be replaced wither horizontally or vertically. The result is 245,760 different board combinations to challenge you – and your opponent – in the next exciting game!
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