Rules
V starts, thereafter players take turns adding a stone of their colour to the board. Stones are either sarsens (1 unit) or lintels (3 units).
+-----+
/| |
|| | Sarsens are single unit cubes.
|+-----+
/-----+
+-----+-----+-----+
/| |
|| | Lintels are three units long.
|+-----+-----+-----+
/-----+-----+-----/
Sarsens can be placed directly on the ground, or on top of any same-coloured stone.
Lintels must lie flat, be supported at both ends, and rest on exactly two units of same-coloured stone. Lintels therefore cannot be placed directly on the ground. The following examples show legal lintel placements for V.
+-----+-----+-----+
+-----+ +-----+ /| v v v v v v |
/| v v | /| v v | /|| v v v v v v |
|| v v | || v v | ----> ||+-----+-----+-----+
|+-----+ |+-----+ |/-----+-----+-----/
/-----/ /-----/ /-----/ /-----/
+-----+-----+-----+
+-----+-----+-----+ /| v v v v v v |
/| h h | v v | v v | /|| v v v v v v |
|| h h | v v | v v | ----> ||+-----+-----+-----+
|+-----+-----+-----+ |/-----+-----+-----/
/-----/-----/-----/ /-----/-----/-----/
+-----+-----+-----+
+-----+-----+-----+-----+ +-----/| v v v v v v |
/| v v v v v v | h h | /| v v || v v v v v v |
|| v v v v v v | h h | ----> || v v |+-----+-----+-----+
|+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |+-----/-----+-----+-----/
/-----------------/-----/ /-----------------/-----/
There can be gaps left underneath lintels (unless the -nogaps option is used), however only the topmost stone at each square counts in any connection. In other words, upper stones cut all lower connections that they cross over.
V wins by connecting the top and bottom sides with a continuous path of V stones. H wins by connecting the left and right sides with a continuous path of H stones. Two stones of the same colour are connected if they are orthogonally (squarely) adjacent, and do not have to be the same height.
Players may choose to pass on their turn rather than move. The game ends in a draw if all players pass in succession.
Notes
The following board shows a sample game won by V.
A +-----+ C D E F G H
+-----/| v v |----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
8 | || v v | | 8
| |+ + |
+ /| v v | + + + + + +
7 | ||+-----+ | 7
| |/| v v | |
+ /|| v v | + + + + + +
6 | ||+ + | 6
|+-----/| v v |----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
/| h h ||+-----+-----+-----+ h h h h h h h |
5 || h h |/| v v v v v v | h h h h h h h |5
|+-----/|| v v v v v v |---+ +-----+-----+
/-----/||+-----+-----+-----+--/| h h |----/-----/
4 | ||/-----/-----/-----/ || h h | | 4
| |/-----/ |/-----/ |+-----+ |
+ /-----/ /| v v | /-----/ + +
3 | || v v | | 3
| |+ + |
+ + + /| v v | + + + +
2 | +-----+-----+-----+ | 2
| +-----/| v v v v v v |----+ |
+ /| h h || v v v v v v |h h | + +
1 | || h h |+-----+-----+-----+h h | | 1
| |+-----/-----/-----/-----/-----+ |
+-----/-----/-----/-----/-----/-----/-----+-----+
A B C D E F G H
A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H
8 . v . . . . . . 8 8 . 1 . . . . . . 8
7 . v . . . . . . 7 7 . 1 . . . . . . 7
6 . v . . . . . . 6 6 . 2 . . . . . . 6
5 h v h h h h h h 5 5 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5
4 . v v v . h . . 4 4 . 3 3 3 . 1 . . 4
3 . . . v . . . . 3 3 . . . 1 . . . . 3
2 . . . v . . . . 2 2 . . . 1 . . . . 2
1 . h v v v h . . 1 1 . 1 2 2 2 1 . . 1
A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H
Below the main board there are two board summaries showing: 1) the current owner of each square, and 2) the current height at each square. These summaries can be helpful if any part of the main board gets obscured by excessive monument growth.
Druid's Hex
Two (or sometimes three) different sects of Druids prefer to build their monument at the Giant's Causeway, which is composed of hexagonal columns of stone. Druid's Hex is played on the hex hex board; use the -hex option to start a game.
Two-Player Druid's Hex: The game is won by the first player to connect any three alternating (non-adjacent) sides with a path of their stones. The following example shows a game won by X, who has completed a path of X stones between three alternating sides.
E9
_____
D8 / \ F8
_____/ \_____
_____/ \ G7
/ \ . . \_____
B6 / x x \ \ H6
_____/\ x x / . . . \_____
A5 / \ \_____/ \ I5
_____/ \/ \ . . . . \_____
/ _____/ x x \ \
/ / \ x x / . . . _____ . \
\ / o o \_____/ / \ /
\ /\ o o / \ . . _____/ o o \ . /
/ \ \_____/ x x \_____ / o o /____ \
/ \/____/\ _____/ \ _____/ o o _____/ \ \
\ \ \/ \ x x \/ o o / \ o o \_____/
\ . \/ o o \x x / o o _____/ x x \o o / \
/ /\ o o /____/\ o o / x x /____/ x x \
/ . /\ \_____/ \ \_____/ x x _____/ \ x x /
\ \ \/ \ x x \/ x x /____/ x x \_____/
\ . \/ x x \x x / x x _____/ \ x x /____/
/ _____/\ _____/____/\ x x /____/ o o \_____/ \
/ / \ \/ \ \ \_____/ /\ o o /____/ \
\ _____/ x x \/ o o \_____/____/ \ \_____/ /
\/ \ x x /\ o o \___/ \/____/ . /
/ o o \_____/\ \_____ o o \_____ \
/\ o o / \ \/____/\ o o \ . . . \
\ \_____/ x x \/ \ \_____ o o \ /
\/____/\ x x / x x \/____/\ o o /____ . _____/
\ \_____/\ x x /____/\ \_____/ \ /
A1 \/____/\ \_____/____/\ \/____/ o o \ _____/ I1
\ \/____/ \/____/\ o o / /
B1 \/____/ . /\ \_____/____/ H1
\ \ \/____/
C1 \_____ \/____/ G1
\ /
D1 \_____/ F1
E1
The following diagram shows two possible winning paths for O:
. .
. . . .
o . . . . o
. o . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . o .
. o . . . . o .
. . o . . . . . . .
. . . . o o o .
. . o o o o o o . .
. o o o . . . .
. . . . . . . o . .
. o . . . . o .
. o . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . o .
o . . . . o
. . . .
. .
The alternating-sides winning condition is not usually found in connection games played on the hex hex board, as players can spoil the game by cutting off opposite sides of the board, making it impossible for either player to win:
.
. .
o . x
. . . .
. o . x .
. . . .
. o . x .
. . . .
. o . x .
. . . .
. o . x .
. . . .
. o . x .
. . . .
o . x
. .
.
However, this is not a problem in Druid as players can build over enemy blocks to resolve potential deadlocks. In fact, such deadlocks are good for Druid; they build tension and define hot spots where players must concentrate.
Three-Player Druid's Hex: The aim is the same as that of standard Druid; a player wins by connecting their opposed edges with stones of their colour. The following example shows a three-player game won by X, who has completed a path of X stones between the X sides.
O E9 X
_____
D8 / \ _____
_____/ \/ \
C7 / / o o \ G7
_____/ . /\ o o /____
B6 / \ \ / \ _____
_____/ . . \/ \ \/ \
A5 / _____ / o o \ / x_____ I5
_____/ / _____ . /\ o o / /\ / \___
/ / o/ \ \ \ / _____/ X X \ \
/ . _____/ y y \ . _____/ \ / X X / \
\ / y y / / \ o_____/ X X _____/ /
\ _____/ y y _____/____/ y y \/ X X /____/ /
/ / y y /____/ y y / X X _____/____/ \
/ / y y _____/____/ y y _____/\ X X /____/ \ \
\ /\ y y /____/ _____/____/\ \_____/____/ y y \ /
\/\ \_____/ \/ y y / \ \ \/____/____/\ y y / /
/\ \/____/ /\ y y / x x \ x \/ \ \ \_____/ \
Y /\ \/____/ /\ \_____/\ x x /____/ o o \ \/____/ \ Y
\ \/____/ \ \/____/\ \ / o o /____ /
\/____/ \/____/\ \/ \ o o _____/ \ . /
/ \ \/ x x \o o /____/ o o \_____ \
/ . . \/\ x x /____/____/\ o o \ \
\ _____ /\ \ / \ \ \_____ o o \_____/
\/ \ . /\ \/ \ x x \ \/____/\ o o \
/ y y \ \ \/ x x \x x / \ \_____ o o \
/\ y y / . _____/\ x x /____/ . \/____/\ o o /
\ \_____/ / \ \_____/____/ \ \_____/
\/____/ / x x \/____/____/ . . \/____/
\ /\ x x /____/ /
A1 \_____/\ \_____/ . . . _____/ I1
\ \/____/ /
B1 \/____/ . . _____/ H1
\ /
C1 \_____ _____/ G1
\ /
D1 \_____/ F1
X E1 O
Druid's Walk
Druid's Walk can be played on any of the Druid variants except for Druid's Y and two-player Druid's Hex. In this game, a Druid hops onto the first stone of his colour to be played on one of his edges, and must step, climb or jump from one same-coloured stone to another to reach the opposite side. Use the -walk option to start a game of Druid's Walk.
Rules are as per standard Druid until a stone is placed on a friendly edge
for the first time, in which case a Druid is placed on top and each turn thereafter the player may either:
1) Place a stone as per usual, or
2) Move their Druid.
The Druid can only move to adjacent stones of the same colour (height differences are not important). Stones cannot be placed over any Druid, and Druids cannot move into gaps left underneath stones.
Each player can have only one Druid on the board. Each Druid's target edge
is marked '*', and each Druid's current position is marked as follows:
+-----+
/|*v*v*|
||*v*v*| Square version
|+-----+
/-----/
_____
/ \
/ *y*y* \
/\ *y*y* / Hexagonal version
\ \_____/
\/____/
The first Druid to reach the opposite side is the winner.
Druid's Walk adds a balancing mechanism to the game. A player might complete a connection between their sides but still require several moves to get their Druid home, giving the opponent a few moves' grace in which to cut the connection and keep the game alive. It is therefore good to get your Druid on the board early and advanced as far as possible. However this must be weighed against the importance of claiming central territory, especially in the early stages of the game.
Druid's Y
Druid's Y is played on a triangular Y board using the standard Druid rules and pieces. As in Y, a player wins by connecting all three sides of the board with a path of their stones. Use the -y option to start a game of Druid's Y.
The following example shows a game won by X:
A8
_____
/ \ B7
/ \_____
\ \ C6
\ . \_____
/ \ _D5__
/ . . \/ \
\ / o o \_E4__
\ . _____ /\ _____/ \
/ / \ \ \/ \ x x \ F3
/ ./ x x \_____/ o o \x x /____
\ _____/\ x x \ o o /____/ \ G2
\/ \ \_____ x x \_____/ \ \_____
/ x x \/ \ x x \ x x \ \ H1
/\ x x / o o \_____ x x \x x / . \_____
\ \_____/\ o o \ x x /____/ \
\/ \ \_____ o o \_____/ \ . . \
/ o o \/____/\ o o \ x x \_____ /
/\ o o /____/\ \_____ o o \x x / \ _____/
\ \_____/ \ \/____/\ o o /____/ x x \ /
\/____/ \/____/\ \_____/ \ x x /____/ H1
/ \ \/____/ o o \_____/
/ . . \/____/\ o o /____/ G1
\ \ \_____/
\ . . . \/____/ F1
/ /
/ . . _____/ E1
\ /
\ . _____/ D1
/ /
/ _____/ C1
\ /
\_____/ B1
A1
Syntax
V (or X) moves first. The move syntax is:
druid move board# userid password c3 (place
a sarsen at C3)
druid move board# userid password c3,a4 (place
a sarsen at C3 and move the Druid to A4)
druid move board# userid password b2-b4 (lay a
lintel between B2 and B4)
druid move board# userid password e (move the Druid East one step)
druid move board# userid password swap (swap
the opening move - available second move only)
druid move board# userid password pass (pass
this turn)
druid move board# userid password -- (pass
this turn)
The game ends as a draw if all players pass in succession.
References and History
Druid rules copyright (c) Cameron Browne, Jan 2004.
Implementation and help file by Cameron Browne, Feb 2004.