Shuffle the dominoes face down and set them aside in a pile. This
is now the resource pool.
Spent resources (i.e. used boats, destroyed bridge sections, etc)
will form a resource discard pile.
Set aside the coins in a pile. This is the coin pool.
Players start with nothing.
Attacker always takes the first turn. Players alternate turns until
last domino is drawn from resource pool.
ATTACKER TAKES TURN:
These steps should be performed in sequence.
Step 1 : Income : Take 3 coins from the pool to add to your
reserves. You may spend them or save them as you please. Put all spent
coins (and dead soldiers) back in the coin pool.
Step 2 : Purchase Resources: You have the option of buying
resources (dominoes). Each domino from the resource pool costs 2 coins.
Return spent money to coin pool. You may save or use resources as
you please. You may keep the facing of the dominoes secret until activated.
Remember the game ends immediately when the last domino is
taken from the resource pool.
Step 3: Build with Resources: Attacker Resources can be used
to build a section of bridge or used to build boats. You may
only build one bridge. You may build as many boats as you can afford.
BUILDING THE BRIDGE: Each domino becomes a bridge section
when laid FACE DOWN flat on the table. The river is six dominoes
wide laid lengthwise. You can build or repair as many bridge sections
as you can afford until the bridge is complete. You must always
repair the sections closest to your side of the river first. You
can't dismantle a bridge section to build a boat or get a refund.
BUILDING BOATS: Each domino becomes a newly built boat when
placed on your bank of the river (imagine). You can't dismantle
a boat once built. Boats are kept face down and sideways until they
launch, whereupon they are flipped face up.
Step 4: Deploy Soldier Units: Your unspent coins become soldiers
once you attempt to send them across the river. You may save them
and wait for a mad rush near the end game or send them slowly.
SOLDIERS CROSSING THE BRIDGE: A complete bridge is 6 dominoes
long face down. Each domino has 2 spaces on it so the bridge is
12 spaces long. More than one soldier may not occupy the same space.
They have not crossed the bridge until they have moved off the last
domino on the bridge. Soldiers can only move forward on the bridge
one space on a single turn (i.e. half a domino). They can't move
backward (unless forced backward by an enemy strike). Moving on
and off the bridge counts as one move. For ease of maneuvering you
must move your furthest ahead soldiers before moving those behind.
If there is a bridge section destroyed by the enemy blocking forward
movement, the soldiers must wait until it's repaired. Soldier movement
does not cost coins so up to twelve soldiers can be resting on a
complete bridge at any one time. The soldiers need not wait until
the bridge is complete before moving onto it. All soldiers who successfully
cross by bridge are placed in the attacker's victory pile for the
endgame scoring.
SOLDIERS CROSSING ON BOATS: Boats are kept face down and
sideways until they are loaded with soldiers, whereupon they are
flipped face up. Boats hold up to two soldier units each. They attempt
to cross the river under cover of dark. Once a soldier is sent aboard
a boat he doesn't leave until he has crossed the river or died.
The boat is flipped face up once a soldier enters. However a boat
may embark at any time after at least one soldier has come aboard.
It is announced by the attacker when this happens and the boats
are turned to become perpendicular rather than parallel to the bank
to show they have launched. There may be a strategy in loading boats
but not sending them off immediately. Boats may not go forth empty.
The values on the upside of the domino will determine whether a
boat succeeds in crossing. However, this happens during the defender's
turn. Once announced boats are immediately floated all the way across
the river to the enemy's riverside. You must now wait for the enemy's
turn to determine if the cannons sunk the boat(s) or not. If the
boats are not destroyed by defensive cannons then your soliders
may unload on your following turn. (See below for cannon resolution.)
All soldiers who successfully cross by boat are placed in the attacker's
victory pile for the endgame scoring. Once boats move across and
unloaded they are used up and the dominoes are placed in a discard
resource pile.
Step 5: Declare end turn.
DEFENDER TAKES TURN:
These steps should be performed in sequence.
Step 1 : Income : Take 3 coins from the pool to add to your
reserves. You may spend them or save them as you please. Remember
to save some as money equals victory points for you. Put all spent
coins back in the coin pool.
Step 2 : Purchase Resources: You have the option of buying
resources (dominoes). Each domino from the resource pool costs 2 coins.
Return spent money to coin pool. You may save or use resources as
please. You may keep the facing of the dominoes secret until activated.
Remember the game ends immediately when the last domino is
taken from the resource pool. To separate dominoes in your resource
pool from planes in your air base and river cannons it's a good idea
to line them up on side in a wall for secret viewing.
Step 3: Build with Resources: Defensive Resources can be used
to build planes or cannons. You may build as many planes and
cannons as you can afford.
BUILDING PLANES: Build a plane by placing a domino (from
your reservers) FACE UP at your air base. The value represents the
skill of the pilot. Once planes are created they may not be destroyed
or converted.
BUILDING CANNONS: Build a cannon by placing a domino (from
your reservers) FACE DOWN alongside your riverbank. Not to be confused
with dominoes at your airbase. Once created planes and cannons are
not interchangeable.
Step 4: Deploy Planes and Fire Cannons:
BOMBING THE BRIDGE WITH PLANES: You must pay 1 coin per
plane that goes on a bombing mission (except ghost pilot which is
free and ace-pilot which costs two). Return the coin to the coin
pool. You don't have to send all your planes but they must all fly
together. You can't attempt a bombing with one and then try with
another depending on the results. Decide how many planes leave on
the day's bombing run and move them near the bridge. Resolve the
bombings one by one and return the exhausted planes back to the
air base. To see if a plane successfully bombs a bridge section
roll 2 dice. If the value of the dice equals the sum of value on
your plane domino, then the bridge is struck. If the pips
of the dice exactly matches the numbers on either side of the domino
then it is an a deadly strike. Otherwise the plane has missed
its mark and returns to the air base. To determine which bridge
section is hit roll 2 dice again. If the resulting sum is 2 then
the bridge section closest to the attacker is destroyed. If the
resulting sum is 3 or 4 then the next bridge section closest to
the attacker is destroyed. And so on until 11 or 12 is the last
bridge section closest to your side of the river. Destroyed bridge
sections are placed in the resource discard pile. Any soldiers on
the bombed bridge section are killed and returned to the coin pool.
If it is a deadly strike then any soldiers on either adjacent
bridge section are also killed. Each plane can only fly one bombing
run per turn, but planes are never discarded. Once one plane is
resolved move onto the next plane that was designated to participate
in the bombing run. Surviving stranded soldiers must stay where
they are until the bridge section is repaired. You may not bomb
boats. If the plane value is double blank then it is an ghost
pilot and although it may never bomb the bridge, if it is sent
on a bombing run it allows one reroll (of a single die) for any
plane (location or chance-to-hit). Once the reroll is used the ghost
plane returns to the airbase. It also doesn't cost anything to send
the ghost pilot on the run. If the plane value is a blank-one then
it is an ace pilot, and it always hits successfully, though
bridge section location must still rolled. And he costs two coins
instead of one to send on a bombing run each time.
SINKING THE BOATS WITH CANNONS: If boats arrive on your
side of the river you have an opportunity to sink them with your
cannons. If you have no cannons then there is no obstacle and the
soldiers may unload when it is the attacker's turn again. Cannons
automatically fire and only at boats on your side of the river.
For each cannon you own you may roll a single die. If the resulting
die roll matches one side of the boat, then the boat is sunk and
the soldiers killed (returned to coin pool). Repeat this for each
cannon you own. If the boat(s) are spared then they may unload on
the attacker's turn. If the boat has a blank side or a double then
it is less likely to be sunk. If the boat is the double blank, then
it can't be sunk. All boats go to the discard pile once unloaded
or sunk.
Step 5: Declare end turn.
Again this game came to me in a flash. I think I was mulling about
such concepts as "2 player-game with dominoes, dice and coins".
I thought about abstract games where both players race to build chains
across to the other side of the board. But I wanted each side to have
different goals. I then though if one side was building a bridge to
get to the other side, maybe it could actually be a bridge crossing
a river. Then I thought about that movie: Bridge On the River Kwai
(sp?) and also about Force 10 From Navarone (with Harrison Ford).
Yeah! One side could have soldier's trying to cross the bridge, while
the enemy could be trying to blow it up with planes. Then I thought
it needed another layer of strategy and so I came up with boats. Then
I needed a defensive counterpart so that's where the cannons came
in. As far as mechanics go I still can't get enough of the dice and
domino pips working well together. The hidden faces of the dominoes
are also amazingly useful. Sadly, I haven't playtested this game squat
so it may be out of whack. To balance power between the sides it I
could adjust the income of defense. To balance value of bridge versus
boat I could raise the cost of using either or speed up movement along
the bridge. I hope it's not more fun for the defender than the attacker
as the defender gets to roll all the dice. I guess the defender doesn't
get to move any soldiers around other than flying the planes. Odd
that the attacker is really just moving, while the defender is doing
all the attacking.
Note (2007): I added a diagram to show layout.
Please, please let me know if you actually played this game. Email:
tomgale@)yahoo.com
