play
each team begins
a game of STAR HEX
with the 7 original pieces
1 KING, 1 QUEEN, 2 ACES,
2 JACKS, and 1 JOKER
arranged in the CENTER SYSTEM
of your HOME CONSTELLATION
KING on SUN,
QUEEN towards CENTER,
2 ACES forward, 2 JACKS rear,
and JOKER away from CENTER
with your QUEEN and JOKER,
on your NATIVE ELEMENT
remembering the outer CONSTELLATIONS
- NU, XI, OMICRON, PI, RHO and SIGMA -
LAND'S HOME is NU - left side of the board
AIR home is OMICRON - in the upper right
and SEA home is RHO - in the lower right
a line of WORLDS
of your NATIVE ELEMENT
passing through the
CENTER SYSTEM
the object of the game is to gain ASCENSION
attained by arranging a full population of 21 pieces
in a specific configuration, in CENTER CONSTELLATION
in order to accomplish this, you will have to either
utterly defeat both opposing teams, or gain their
CONSENSUS - the latter option, most plausable.
but your first objective should be
to secure your home constellation
to see who goes first
each team rolls their KING
deciding beforehand, high or low
odds or evens, common denominators
- in this case, LAND has won the honor -
LAND moves its QUEEN to the ALPHA STAR
of the CENTER CONSTELLATION, ALPHA PRIME
rotating clockwise
...it's AIR'S turn next, moving an ACE...
at full starting face value, his maximum range is 8 hex
but must avoid SUNS, unless he means to land on one
in this case, the XI DELTA star
where he is SAFE from attack
but free to attack another piece
in effect, this ACE has secured this SYSTEM
and this entrance to his native CONSTELLATION
SEA team is not interested in security just yet
the first order of business, produce a DEUCE
in just 2 moves, QUEEN and JOKER
may find a system all to themselves
and, if undisturbed, the third turn
brings a new piece into play
on the star between them
both on their NATIVE ELEMENT
they also HEAL 7 points each per turn
the earlier stages of the game
all but ensure untroubled repose
from any piece but a JOKER
...but more on mating later...
after securing your home
CONSTELLATION well enough
your next objective should be to establish
territory in neighboring CONSTELLATIONS
to both attack from, and repair to quickly
...also, you will want to align your pieces...
so that they may INTERACT with each other
pieces in such alignment with
each other are said to be in FOCUS
in INTERACTIONS, pieces combine their scores
to be more effective, in various excursions
should one piece be eliminated
another piece in the INTERACTION
may opt to be eliminated in its place
thereby maintaining
an effective presence
in the contested SYSTEM
this is known as a SACRIFICE
and while it will most likely result
in the termination of an INTERACTION
if the sacrificed piece's hex is a STAR
and you are able to MATE
to produce that piece
on the next turn
the reborn piece may automatically STARHOP to its
original position before any real damage can be done
INTERACTIONS create LINES of POWER
which may act as the border for your territory
or simply a safe haven for your team to MATE
only pieces from your own team
may cross your POWER LINES
when a POWER LINE is created
any piece on a HEX which that LINE runs
directly through is immediately eliminated
these NEBULAE have been made into DEATH TRAPS
any opposing piece SLIDING in from a BLACK HOLE
is immediately eliminated
this is known as
FREE BURNING
placing a POWER LINE through a BLACK HOLE
causes the corresponding NEBULA to become a
DEATH TRAP - this is known as AFTER BURNING
a clever player can also eliminate
multiple pieces in one move
here, AIR'S JOKER catches
the other 2 teams off guard by
TELEPORTING to a strategic position
JOKER (lower left) completes an INTERACTION
by FOCUSSING with his own ACE, (upper right)
taking out both SEA'S QUEEN and DEUCE
but also, LAND'S JOKER (on the NEBULA)
thereby disconnecting an INTERACTION
which LAND had running across
the CENTER CONSTELLATION
but, for there to be an INTERACTION
at all, a jack must be in FOCUS
the face of a JACK is a square
therefore, to FOCUS a JACK
he must be aligned on RIGHT angles
no matter who else he is INTERACTING with
here, 6 JACKS align to each other side to side
arranged in a straight line, or on RIGHT angles
now they may combine their scores together
all six JACKS in tandem
each with a score of 5
their combined total is 30
KINGS, ACES and JOKERS have triangular faces
and must be aligned to each other on HEX angles
but still FOCUSSED on any JACKS by RIGHT angles
but, different teams FOCUS their JACKS differently
on RIGHT angles relevant to ELEMENTAL direction
or, from that particular player's perspective
seated behind home CONSTELLATION
as natural cubes
JACKS are considered
to be in HARMONY with
their NATIVE ELEMENT
thus, if the last JACK is removed
the entire INTERACTION is dissolved
the face of a DEUCE is a pentagon
and as such, DEUCES act as NODES
extending or connecting INTERACTIONS
and may align on either HEX or RIGHT angles
to help create or extend an INTERACTION
but they do not participate
in the combining of scores
and still must align to JACKS
only on RIGHT angles
the face of a QUEEN is more of a DIAMOND
accordingly, QUEENS are POWER SOURCES
and while they may connect an interaction
and add their total to the combined whole
they do not have access to that total
thus, even INTERACTED
when QUEENS duel
they're in it alone
...their real strength is in rallying...
when an INTERACTION loops back on itself
it becomes a CLOSED CIRCUIT
and with a QUEEN inside the LOOP
her score becomes a multiplier
...in this example...
JOKER 2, JACK 5, ACE 3
their combined total is only 10
but with a QUEEN inside, at a full 10
the sum total becomes a formidible 100
aside from TELEPORTATION, only your TEAM
may move in our out of your CLOSED CIRCUIT
in most cases, the moving of but a single piece
causes the CLOSED CIRCUIT to become OPENED
and the POWER SOURCE becomes disconnected
under special conditions
and with each player's consent
INTERACTIONS may also occur
between 2 different TEAMS
but that approval extends
across the full board
and is limited to one full ROUND
whereafter it must be RENEWED
be careful and fair in such ALLIANCES
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