Luzhanqi
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 A game of Luzhanqi | |
| Players | 2 |
|---|---|
| Setup time | Under one minute |
| Playing time | Informal games: less than 30 minutes. |
| Chance | Some, originating to the incomplete information of the game. |
| Skills | Tactics, strategy |
Luzhanqi (Chinese: 陆战棋; pinyin: lùzhànqí) (lit. “Land Battle Chess”) is a two-player Chinese board game . There is also a version for four players. It bears many similarities to Dou Shou Qi, Game of the Generals and the Western board game Stratego. It is a non-perfect abstract strategy game of partial information, since each player has only limited knowledge concerning the disposition of the opposing pieces.
Objective
The aim of the game is to capture the opponent’s Flag.
Board
The Luzhanqi board has a number of different features which affect how pieces move.
Soldier Station - a normal space. Pieces can move on or off these spaces at will, and can be attacked and captured on them.
Railroads – a piece can travel any number of spaces along a railroad in a straight line, as long as its path is not obstructed by another piece.
Campsite – a piece on a campsite cannot be attacked.
Mountains – pieces cannot move over these two spaces.
No-man’s Land – these three spaces are the only points at which a piece can enter the opponent’s territory. Pieces do not land on these spaces, they pass over them.
Headquarters – the Flag must be placed on one of these two spaces.
Pieces
Each player has 25 pieces, which are identical except for markings on one side. They are listed here in order of rank. Each player has:
one Field Marshal (司令) , rank 9
one Army Commander or General (军长), rank 8
two Division Commanders or Major General (师长), rank 7
two Brigade Commanders or Brigadier General (旅长), rank 6
two Regiment Commanders or Colonel (团长), rank 5
two Battalion Commanders or Major (营长), rank 4
three Company Commanders or Captain (连长), rank 3
three Platoon Commanders or Lieutenant (排长), rank 2
three Engineers (工兵), rank 1 (but see below)
two Bombs (炸弹) rank 1 (but see below)
three Land Mines (地雷)
one Flag (军旗)
Gameplay
Both players begin by arranging their pieces on their half of the board, with the markings that indicate rank facing towards them (and hence invisible to the opponent). Play then proceeds by turns, with each player moving one piece per turn. On each move a piece may move to any connected adjacent space, or use the Railroad lines to travel to more distant spaces. When a piece lands on a space occupied by an opposing piece, the respective ranks of the two pieces are compared (either by the players or by an independent referee). The lower-ranking piece is removed from the board.
Some pieces have special features and abilities:
The Engineers are the only pieces which can turn corners when travelling along the Railroad. Engineers can also capture Landmines without being removed from the board.
Bombs can capture any other piece, but are themselves removed from the board in the process. Bombs cannot be placed on the front line (the sixth rank) during the initial set-up.
Land Mines capture any piece that attacks them (except for the Engineers). Depending on the ruleset used, Landmines may or may not be removed from play following a capture. Landmines may only be placed on the first and second ranks during set-up. The Landmine cannot move from its original position.
The Flag must be placed on one of the two Headquarters spaces on the first rank. It cannot move. Its capture ends the game.