Conspirateurs
| Years active | Late 18th century to present |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Board game, abstract strategy game |
| Players | 2 |
| Setup time | 5–10 seconds |
| Random chance | None |
| Skill(s) required | Tactics, strategy |
Conspirateurs (or the English spelling Conspirators) is a two-player abstract strategy board game from France. It was invented sometime in the 18th century. The game resembles Halma, Chinese Checkers, and Salta as players hop over friendly or enemy pieces to get to their destination.
There are two phases to the game: a drop phase where players place their men onto the board, and a move phase where players race their men to perimeter destinations.
Conspirateurs probably dates from the French Revolutionary Wars—"a period of feverish political activity with factions conspiring against each other".[1]
Contents |
[edit] Equipment
- The gameboard consists of 17×17 gridded lines. At the center of the board is a specially marked or colored area consisting of 9×5 intersection points (representing a "secret meeting place"). On the perimeter of the board, 39 of the intersection points are specially colored or marked for identification as shelters.
- Play pieces (men) are always placed on the intersection points, using either marbles (in holes), pegs (in holes), or flat-bottom pieces. Each player has 20 men; one side plays White, the other plays Black.
[edit] Game rules
The board begins empty. Players choose color, and which player has the first turn. Play alternates after each turn.
- Drop phase: Players first place one man per turn on any vacant intersection point on the special 9×5 center area of the board. Players cannot move a man until all of their 20 men have been placed.
- Move phase: Players may move one of their men to a vacant point one step in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally). Or players may jump over an adjacent man (friend or foe) and land onto a vacant point immediately beyond.
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- A jumped man is not captured (there are no captures in Conspirateurs). Multiple jumps are allowed: A man can continue to jump as long as there are jumps to be made, and can stop jumping at any point (jumps are never compulsory).
- Goal
Players attempt to race their 20 men from the "secret meeting place" into the 39 shelters on the edge of the board (a shelter may hold at most one man). The first to accomplish that feat wins the game. (A drawn result is not possible in Conspirateurs, since a total of 40 men and 39 shelters will always leave one unfortunate man without a shelter.)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bell (1983), p. 129
[edit] References
- Bell, R. C. (1983). "Conspirators". The Boardgame Book. Exeter Books. pp. 128-9. ISBN 0-671-06030-9.
