Luzhanqi
 |
|
| Players | 2 (3 with a referee) |
|---|---|
| Setup time | Under one minute |
| Playing time | Informal games: less than 30 minutes. |
| Random chance | Some, originating to the incomplete information of the game |
| Skill(s) required | Tactics, strategy |
Luzhanqi (Chinese: 陸軍棋; 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. Because of the Chinese nature of the game, terms used within the game may vary in translation.
Luzhanqi is mainly played by children as a precursor to games like xiangqi and weiqi, but people of other ages may also enjoy it as a game of leisure.
The aim of the game is to capture the opponent’s flag through penetrating his defenses, while trying to prevent him from capturing the player's own flag.
The Luzhanqi board has a number of features which affect how pieces move.
Each player has 25 pieces, which are identical except for markings on one side. They are listed here in order of order, where any piece of a higher order may capture one of lower order (if the enemy is of the same order, both pieces will be removed from the board). Each player has:
Some of these pieces have special features and abilities:
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). Some version allows the pieces to be placed face up, allowing both players to see them. Initially, all pieces must be placed on posts or headquarters; bombs may not be placed on the first rank, landmines must be placed on the last two ranks, and the flag must be placed in one of the headquarters spaces.
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 orders of the two pieces are compared (either by the players or by an independent referee). The lower-ordered piece is removed from the board; if the two are of equal order, both are to be removed from the board. Special pieces (see above) also play their respective roles.
...
Wikipedia