Era: Modern


Allied Army (WWI)

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF TRENCHES. Your troops need only to reach the enemy trench on the 6th row to obtain vital supplies


Starting configuration for Allied Army (WWI)

Whenever one of your pawns reaches the 6th row, it promotes to a queen, knight, rook, or bishop. You may only have one queen in play at a time.

At the start of your turn, you may have any number of your pawns "dig in," provided that none of these pawns have moved on your last two turns. These pawns cannot be captured, pushed, or pulled until the start of your next turn but may not capture on your next turn.


Australia

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF BOOMERANGS. Those blokes won’t know what hit ‘em!


Starting configuration for Australia

Boomerangs can move like rooks, or in a U-shape.

To move in a U-shape, move a boomerang as far as it can go in one horizontal or vertical direction without capturing, then make a left or right turn and move the boomerang in that horizontal or vertical direction without capturing, and finally make the same turn again and move the boomerang as far as it can move, capturing a piece if possible.

You cannot make rook moves two turns in a row.


Balkan States

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF ASSASSINATION. The countries of the Balkan region have constant conflict and one of the highest assassination rates in the world.


Starting configuration for Balkan States

At the start of your turn, if you have at least three pieces in play, you may target any enemy piece in your 4x4 area and roll a six-sided die:

  1. You misfire. If any of your pieces is horizontally or vertically adjacent to the target, it is destroyed; otherwise, nothing happens. If more than one of your pieces are adjacent, you choose which piece is destroyed.
  2. If the target is a pawn or knight, it is destroyed.
  3. If the target is a pawn, knight, or bishop, it is destroyed.
  4. If the target is a pawn, knight, bishop, or rook, it is destroyed.
  5. If the target is any non-royal piece (including special pieces), it is destroyed.
  6. The target piece is automatically destroyed. If it is a royal piece, you checkmate its owner.


Belgium

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF TREATY. When you are attacked, other countries rush to your aid.


Starting configuration for Belgium

Whenever a player (ex: Player A) captures one of your pieces, you may choose another player (ex: Player B). On Player B’s next turn, Player B must capture a piece belonging to Player A, if able.


Canada

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF HEALTHCARE. With free health-care, you can heal your troops from a state of near-death.


Starting configuration for Canada

Twice per game, you may take any piece that you lost at some point in the game and place it anywhere in your 2x4 starting area.


China

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF CENSORSHIP. You can prevent unfavorable moves from occurring.


Starting configuration for China

When any opponent moves a non-royal piece, you may “censor” that move: move the piece back, and let that player redo his move, but the piece that was censored may not move in the same direction that turn (this only applies to pieces who move only in one direction, so pieces such as knights are excluded from this restriction). Once you censor a move, you may not censor again until the end of your next turn.


FBI

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF DISGUISE. Your enemies can’t be sure that they are capturing the right piece.


Starting configuration for FBI

When one of your pieces is about to be captured, you can switch places between that piece and another piece you control within three squares of it.


Germany

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF BLITZKREIG. With unnerving swiftness, your army can suddenly reposition itself on the battlefield.


Starting configuration for Germany

On your turn, instead of moving, you may take a group of your pieces that forms a horizontally/vertically connected chain and move the whole group of pieces anywhere on the board. The pieces within the group must be placed on unoccupied spaces and retain the same arrangement as before. You may use this ability once per game, and you gain one additional use of your ability every time a player is checkmated by anyone (however, you do not have to use your ability immediately after the checkmate).

(In the diagram at right, the red group of pieces can be moved into the position outlined in blue.)

You may not use this ability to move a pawn to a square where it would promote or to move a piece into a square where it would cause check.


Guerillas

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF SUICIDE. You can use the threat of suicide bombing to bring the world to its knees.


Starting configuration for Guerillas

At the start of the game, take 8 small square cards (2 labeled "Bomb" and 6 blank) and put one facedown under each of your pieces. The pieces with a "Bomb" card underneath them are secretly carrying a bomb.

Each turn, instead of moving, you have the option of detonating a bomb carried by one of your pieces. If you do, that piece and all pieces horizontally, vertically, and diagonally adjacent to it are removed from the game.

If a piece carrying a bomb is captured, destroyed, or removed, then the bomb doesn’t detonate. Whenever one of your pieces is captured, destroyed, or removed, you can choose whether or not to reveal the card underneath it (however, you should keep all cards removed this way and reveal them all at the end of the game to prevent cheating).


Iraq

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF CHAOS. Your enemies are afraid to bring their pieces close to you, and for a reason.


Starting configuration for Iraq

At the start of your turn, if any opponent’s non-royal piece is horizontally or vertically adjacent to your bishop, knight, or king, destroy the enemy piece.


Israel

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF BARRICADES. You can predict your opponents’ moves in advance and build up barricades to hinder them.


Starting configuration for Israel

At the end of your turn, you may choose any unoccupied square on the board. Until the start of your next turn, non-royal pieces may not move into or through that square.


Japan

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF CAPITALISM. Once you take over an industry, your Western rivals are no match for you.


Starting configuration for Japan

If any of your pieces is the only piece of its kind on the board, that piece may move twice in one turn. However, if a piece’s first move results in a check, your turn automatically ends.

If an enemy controls a piece of a kind that you also control, you may sacrifice a non-pawn piece you control to destroy that piece.


Law Enforcement Agents

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF TASER. You can stun your opponents’ pieces so that they cannot move.


Starting configuration for Law Enforcement Agents

Only your king and your pawns may capture enemy pieces. However, whenever another player’s piece is within the standard capturing zone of any of your non-pawn pieces, that piece may not move.

Whenever an enemy piece is "frozen" by two or more of your pieces, remove it from the board.

Whenever an enemy player captures one of your non-pawn pieces, each piece that was removed from the game with this ability is placed by its owner into his 2x4 starting area, provided that that player is still in the game.


Luftwaffe

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF AIRPLANES. You can fly above and around other pieces including your own.


Starting configuration for Luftwaffe

Your rooks and bishops can ignore other pieces for the purpose of movement, but may not check, checkmate, or capture any piece other than a pawn when doing so.


North Korea

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF INSANITY. Your moves are wild and unpredictable, and it is this that makes you dangerous.


Starting configuration for North Korea

At the start of your turn, roll a six-sided die. If it lands on 1, 2, 3, or 4, your turn proceeds normally. However, if it lands on 5 or 6, do the following:

First, roll another die. If it lands on 1 or 2, you can move one piece this turn. 3 or 4: up to two different pieces. 5 or 6: up to three different pieces.

Then select the piece(s) you wish to move. For each piece, roll a die. If it lands on 1, that piece moves and captures as a pawn this turn, 2 – knight, 3 – bishop, 4 – rook, 5 – queen, 6 – king. After this, you can move your piece(s), ending your turn. You must select all of the pieces you wish to move before rolling dice for them.

Even if a piece temporarily moves as a king, you are not checkmated until your actual king is captured.


Nuclear Rogue

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE BOMB. Your army is small, but you have the capability to develop nuclear weapons.


Starting configuration for Nuclear Rogue

Once every three turns (starting on your third turn), at the start of your turn you can choose any 2x2 square in the center 4x4 area. At the start of your next turn, all pieces within this 2x2 square are destroyed.


Soviet Union

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF SECRECY. Nobody knows what’s happening behind the Iron Curtain…


Starting configuration for Soviet Union

At the start of the game, take 8 small square cards (3 labeled “Pawn,” 2 labeled “Knight,” 2 labeled “Bishop,” and 1 labeled “King”) and put one facedown under each of your pieces. The piece named on the card determines what each of your pieces actually is, but only you can look at the cards.

On your first three turns, you may not capture any pieces outside of your 3x5 starting area.

On your turn, you may move a piece wherever you want. However, any player may choose to challenge your move: reveal the card under the piece; if the move that you made was illegal, you lose that piece, but if the move was legal, then the player who challenged your move skips his/her next turn.

If you ever put an opponent’s king in check, or if an opponent’s king moves into check by one of your pieces, you must reveal that that player’s king is in check. If you do not, you may not capture the king with that piece.

Whenever one of your pieces is captured, the card underneath it is revealed. If it was the “King” card, you are checkmated, all of the cards underneath your pieces are revealed, and your pieces are replaced by their cards' equivalents and are under the control of the player who checkmated you.


Taiwan

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF INFLUENCE. You can call upon foreign aid for assistance.


Starting configuration for Taiwan

You start the game with five influence points.

On your turn, you may give any player one influence point to move one of that player’s pieces instead of one of your pieces. If that piece is captured before its owner’s next turn, you must give that player another influence point (if you have no more influence points, you skip your next turn).

Whenever any player has influence points, they may use Taiwan's special power. However, your own pieces are immune from being affected by Taiwan's power.


The Mafia

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF SNIPERS. Rather than use conventional methods of warfare, the Mafia prefers to pick off enemies from a distance.


Starting configuration for The Mafia

Your pieces do not move when they capture other pieces. Instead, if an opponent's piece is within capturing range of one of your pieces and you choose to capture it, you remove it from the board without actually moving your piece. This action counts as your movement even though you have not technically moved.

Your bishops and rooks may only move up to three squares each turn.


U.N. Peacekeepers

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF PACIFISM. Although you do not carry lethal weapons, you have other ways of ending wars.


Starting configuration for U.N. Peacekeepers

Your bishops and rooks may only move up to three squares each turn. Your pawns may move one square in any direction each turn.

Your pieces can only be captured within your 2x4 starting area, and you can only capture other pieces normally if they are within your 2x4 starting area, and only with your bishops and rooks. Your pawns cannot capture anywhere.

If an opponent’s piece cannot move at the start of its owner's turn, and at least one UN Peacekeeper is horizontally or vertically adjacent to it, that piece is removed from the game.

You are checkmated only if any opponent moves at least three of his/her pieces into your starting area.


United States of America

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF ESPIONAGE. You can attempt to steal your opponents’ secrets and use them to your advantage.


Starting configuration for United States of America

At the start of your turn, roll a six-sided die.

If the die lands on 5 or 6, choose any other player. For the remainder of your turn, you can use that player’s special ability (except of course the starting configuration).

If the die lands on 3 or 4, roll again. If it lands on 1 or 2, you can “steal” the ability of the player clockwise from you, as outlined above. If it lands on 3 or 4, you can “steal” the ability of the player across from you. If it lands on 5 or 6, you can “steal” the ability of the player counterclockwise from you. In all cases, you may choose not to “steal” if you don’t want to.

If the die lands on 1 or 2, you have no power this turn.

You may not the abilities of a country with special units (i.e. Sparta or the Carthagian Empire) or one that requires special setup (i.e. Guerillas or the Soviet Union). If the second roll gives you one of these countries, you may roll again.


Vietnam

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF TRAPS. You can plant mines to overpower enemy soldiers.


Starting configuration for Vietnam

At the start of your turn, secretly write down the location of any unoccupied square in the center 4x4 area; that square is trapped.

When a jumping piece (i.e. a knight) ends its move on the trap square, that piece may not move until two of its controller’s turns pass (not counting his current turn).

When a non-jumping piece (i.e. a rook) moves through the trap square without stopping there, that piece may not move until two of its controller’s turns pass (not counting his current turn).

However, if a non-jumping piece ends its move on the trap square, that piece is immediately destroyed.


West Germany

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF AIRLIFT. You can quickly move your forces on and off the field.


Starting configuration for West Germany

On your turn, instead of moving, you can choose to either:

  • take a piece you control off the board as long as it is within two squares of another piece you control, or
  • place a piece removed from the board with this ability onto the board as long as it is placed within two squares of a piece you control.
You cannot use either of these abilities to cause check.


WWII USA

YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE ATOM BOMB. You can easily destroy all your enemies at once.


Starting configuration for WWII USA

Instead of moving normally, your pawns jump one to two squares diagonally. They cannot promote.

The bomb moves like a king. If a pawn and the bomb are adjacent to each other, you may move both of them on the same turn, if they both move in the same direction.

On your turn, instead of moving you may detonate the bomb. All pieces within two squares of it except your pawns are destroyed.


Previous Era: Enlightenment Main Index Next Era: Future