The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds
José Carlos de Diego Guerrero
a pyramid game based on the eponymous novel
:Players	Players:	2
:Time	Length:	Medium
:Complexity	Complexity:	unknown
Trios per color:		5
Number of colors:		3
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
Martian Coasters, Treehouse dice
Setup time:
Playing time:		30 Min
Strategy depth:		Medium
Random chance:		None
Game mechanics:		Elimination
Theme:		Space, War
BGG Link:		The War of Worlds
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2012
a.k.a. La Guerra de los Mundos

Outline

War of the Worlds is a game based on the 1898 science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, which describes a Martian invasion of Earth and the terrible battle that humanity has to fight to survive.

War of the Worlds is an abstract strategy game designed for the icehouse system, which requires reflection and large doses of tactics and strategy. The game board, in the shape of an "L", represents the Earth. One player will command the alien invasion (green pyramids), while their opponent will lead the human resistance (yellow pyramids).

To win, each player must eliminate the pyramids (units and war machines) of their opponent, to finally be the one who ends the game with the greatest number of their pyramids alive on Earth. Will your opponent know how to make things difficult for you?

Equipment

• 3 boards from Equipment/Martian Coasters
• 2 monochrome stashes (green, yellow suggested) and 3 large black pyramids
• (optional variant) 3 Equipment/Treehouse die

Setup

• Place the 3 boards to form an "L", with the 3 small corner circles adjacent to each other
• Place 3 large black pyramids (obstacles) in the central spaces of each board.

Strategic Game

Alien player starts then play alternates

On their turn, each player takes the following 4 actions in order:

1. Place a pyramid of any size from their supply on an empty space.
2. If the added pyramid is large (a War Machine) then you can rotate/move the board where it is placed.
3. Move, following the arrows on the board, another of their side's upright pyramids of the same size as the one added this turn or any of the upright obstacles to an adjacent empty square.
   • if in the immediately previous turn your opponent moved an obstacle, you cannot undo their move
4. Review destruction. The player whose turn it is decides the order.

Destruction

A pyramid (including obstacles) is destroyed when the following occurs:

• All spaces around it (orthogonally and diagonally) are occupied by pyramids (destroyed or not).
  • Warning: Depending on how the boards are oriented/placed, and where the defender is positioned, more or less pyramids will be needed to surround it (2, 3, 5, 7 or 8).
• The attacker's strength is greater than the defender's strength
  • Attackers strength is the pip count of the attackers (orthogonal and diagonal)
  • Defender's strength is the pip count of the defending pyramids adjacent to the one under attack. The defending pyramid itself does not add to the defence strength. It does not defend itself.
  • In case of a tie, nothing happens.
• When a unit is destroyed, it lies down on its square until the end of the game. It can no longer be moved, and does not count for attack or defence strength.

When adding a pyramid to the board, rotating or moving a board, more than one destruction may occur (domino effect). The attacking player chooses the order in which it is resolved.

War Machines

• Large pyramids symbolize war machines (Tripods for aliens, Battle Tanks for humans); more powerful units.
• A war machine can rotate 90° and/or move one of the 3 boards, both at the player's discretion.
• When a player places one of his war machines on an empty space of his choosing on that board, and only then, can they rotate and/or move the board.
• Players can play a war machine without using its special power.
• Warning: The game board should always form an "L" shape.
• Warning: Rotating or moving a board may trigger destruction of pyramids (domino effect).

Game End

The game ends when at the end of a player's turn all the squares on the 3 boards (27) are occupied by living or destroyed pyramids, from either side or neutral. Note: Each player will have 3 pyramids left over in their reserve.

1. The game ends when all the squares on the three boards are occupied by living or destroyed pyramids (27 squares).
2. The player with the greatest number of standing pyramids (live) on the three boards at the end of the game is the winner.
   • In case of a tie, add the pips on each side of the live pyramids, whoever has the lowest amount wins. (The person who has risked the most is rewarded)
   • If the tie persists, then add the pips of the losses each caused their opponent (the dead pyramids). Whoever has the largest sum wins (the person who has caused more damage).
   • If the tie persists, then it's a tie.

Variant

If you wish, you can replace phase 2 (STRATEGIC GAME with this one. To play it you will need 3 Equipment/Treehouse die. It will have a random factor that will make it much more chaotic and less controllable. Even strange situations can occur.

Tactical Game

The player rolls 3 treehouse dice, chooses the result of 2 of them (discards the third), and performs the actions associated with the dice in the order they want:

• Tip: Add a small or medium-sized pyramid from your side to an empty space on the game board.
• Swap: Rotate 90° or move one of the three boards.
• Hop: Add a large pyramid of your side (war machine) to an empty space on the game board.
• Dig: Move a pyramid on your side, following the direction of the arrows, to an adjacent square.
• Aim: Move a neutral black pyramid, following the direction of the arrows from the board, to an adjacent empty square.
• Wild: Choose any of the other five actions (wild card).

Sources of Inspiration

For the creation of this game I have had in mind games like Martian Coasters, Reiner Knizia's Samurai, Pentago or Lutinfernal.

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

External Links

• Game page (Spanish)
• Rules (Spanish)
• BGG page