Lions and Jackals
How to Play
- Place five plinths in the player’s Home Row on each side.
- Each player casts a solid color stick. The player with the highest value goes first.
- Toss the casting sticks and move plinths forward according to the exact values (or totals) and colors shown. (Example: If a 2 and 2 and 2 are thrown, you can only move each of three plinths 2 spaces, or one plinth 4 spaces and another plinth 2 spaces, or one plinth 6 spaces. You cannot move 1 plinth 5 spaces and another plinth 1 space, or two plinths 3 and 3.) The value on the dual colored stick(s) can be used only by the matching player color in their turn.
- All available moves must be made, but it is up to the player in which order they are played. A player can not pass on a valid move. A player may make a move that will invalidate another roll value – then that value is discarded. Plinths can be moved over other plinths, but must land in an open space, or on an opponent that is not on a Safe space. Safe spaces are marked by the Sun, or the opponent’s Home Row. The player’s own home row is not a Safe space and can be attacked by an incoming opponent.
- If a player lands on an opponent that is not on a Safe space, the opponent’s plinth is removed from the board and place in their Duat (Land of the Dead). If the opponent’s plinth is on a Safe space and no other moves can be made, that move is discarded and the turn is over.
- Plinths can not move backwards (for that player’s direction of travel) except when landing on a river. Rivers must be used immediately if landed on directly at the end of a move or in the middle of a combination move (as long as it is on a roll value), but can not be used in the middle of a move (a roll value). Ex: If the roll is 5, 2, 4, and the river is on space 3, the river can not be taken. If the roll is 5, 3, 4, the 3 can be used to take the river and continue with the other rolls. If the player wants to bypass the river with that combination, the other roll(s) must be used first to skip over it, then the additional 3 may be played with that same plinth. If the only remaining valid roll is the 3 and the river would send the player back, the river must be taken.
- A plinth in the Duat can only Resurrected into an open space in the Home Row (or space 6). A combination of rolls can be used to exit the Home Row from the Duat as long as it lands first in an open space on an exact roll or combination of valid rolls, and each value of a combination lands on an open space. Home Row is Safe for opponent’s plinths that have landed there and they can not be attacked or taken off the board. A player’s own Home Row is not a safe space. A player approaching the opponent’s Home Row where the space is occupied can attack and send the other player’s plinth to the Duat.
- The first person to place all five plinths in the opponent’s Home Row or exile all the opponent’s plinths out to the Duat wins. (See Options.) Plinths that have already landed in the opponent’s Home Row can be moved forward first using a valid roll to make room for other incoming plinths, but can not be moved backward.
Options: To make the game move faster, use as many additional solid or duo-color sticks as desired.
Normal Mode: All five plinths must enter the opponent’s Home Row.
Quick Mode: First player to reach opponent’s Home Row wins.