A few years back, me and my friend Rob came up with a game that only uses army men and dominoes to play. It's a strategy game that can be tweaked in different ways. You can mess with the size and/or shape of the playing field or add factions to the game. I'll post the rules as we created them, but feel free to play around with the rules after you've tried it our way.
The next blog post has pictures of two people playing the game.
Dominoes of
War
By Seth Lyons and Rob Deckard
Pieces
Dominoes – At least 80 dominoes all the same size and
color on the back, the front doesn’t matter.
Army Men – Must have 5 distinct types of army men
with at least 3 of each type.
(Optional) Cowboys – Also must have 5 distinct types
of people with at least 3 of each type.
(Optional) Indians – Also must have 5 distinct types
of people with at least 3 of each type.
Making the Game
If you’re going to play with two factions of army men, then
you’ll have to somehow mark them as different. We used red and purple nail
polish to color code the two different factions. Allow time for drying.
Set-Up
Step 1 – Count out
64 dominoes. Place them face down on the table and mix them up. Then place them
into an 8 by 8 grid pattern leaving enough space between them to be able to
flip each of them.
Step 2 – Flip a
coin or play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner gets to decide who goes first.
The player that goes first will set their base first and make the first moves
in the game.
Step 3 – The player
who is selected to go first will place their base. Choose anywhere around the
outside edge of the playing field (the dominoes set into a grid pattern) to
place your base. Put the dominoes of your base perpendicular to the tiles that
make up the playing field so that you can easily tell them apart. Your base must
have 1 or 2 entrances, be made up of exactly 6 dominoes which all have to
connect, and has to follow the same grid pattern as the rest of the board.
After the first player has placed their base, then it is the
second player’s turn to place their base following the same rules.
Step 4 – The first
player places a wall down. A wall is a domino set on its side in between any
two dominos in the playing field. Walls block troop movement and cannot be
attacked through. After the first player places their first wall, the second
player then places a wall anywhere they want. Then the first player places a
second wall, followed by the second player placing a second wall. Now that
there are 4 walls on the field, move on to step 5.
Step 5 – Stock your
bases. Select a troop from your army to place on each tile of your base. If you
want secrecy while you stock your base, you can put up a temporary divider and
then take it down after both players have stocked their bases.
After the bases are stocked, you’re ready to begin playing.
How to Play
On your turn you can perform 3
actions. These actions can each be used to move a troop or to attack with a
troop. You can only use one action on each troop per turn. For instance, you
cannot use two actions to move a troop and then attack with it, you can only
move or attack with each troop per turn.
Each type of troop has its own way
of moving and attacking. Troops can change direction in the middle of moving.
When a troop lands on an un-flipped
tile on the playing field (not in a base), you have to flip over the tile, then
check for an event.
If the tile
is a double (1-1, blank on both sides, etc.), then it is a mine. The troop that
landed on the mine explodes (take him off the board) and the tile gets replaced
with an extra tile. The mine tile goes to a discard pile where it stays for the
rest of the game.
If the tile
adds up to any of the following totals then you get a bonus. Bonuses must be
used immediately or forfeited.
Total Bonus
10 Spawn a troop in your base without using
an action.
12 Perform
an extra action on your turn. May use it on a troop that has already used an action on that turn.
17 Add
an extra tile to your base. May be an entrance. Has to be attached to base.
20 Move
a wall of your choice to anywhere on the field.
After a player has used all three
actions, it is the other player’s turn. A player does not have to use all of
their actions. They can pass without doing anything if they wish.
A players troops can enter the
enemy's base. Troops can attack from inside the base or shoot into the base.
Goal
Victory is achieved when a player eliminates all enemy
troops on the field and in the bases.
Troop Types
Army Men
General
Move: 1 space in any direction.
Attack: 1 space in any direction.
Other: Can use an action to spawn a troop into the base. The
General must be out of the base to spawn a troop.
Grunt
Move: 3 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: 4 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Sniper
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: Infinite in the direction it is facing.
Other: At the end of your turn, you must choose which direction
each of your snipers will face. On your next turn, they can only attack in the
direction they are facing.
Kamikaze
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: See "Other".
Other: The kamikaze can run onto the same tile as an enemy,
causing an explosion that kills the enemy, the kamikaze, and anyone on the 8
tiles surrounding the enemy, unless there is a wall in between the kamikaze and
a troop.
Kamikazes will also exploded when shot, causing anyone on
the 8 tiles around the kamikaze to die. A player can shoot their own kamikaze
to make him explode.
A kamikaze can also run into a wall to blow it up. They have
to have enough movement to get through it. (For example, a kamikaze cannot blow
up a wall that is between 2 tiles and 3 tiles away.) Blowing up a wall causes
anyone on the 8 walls around the kamikaze to die, except for anyone who is on
the other side of the wall that is destroyed (or any other walls that may be
around).
If a kamikaze lands on a mine, they still cause a 3 by 3
explosion.
Grenadier
Move: Diagonally 2 spaces.
Attack: 2,3, or 4 spaces away horizontally or vertically.
Can throw over walls and other troops.
Cowboys
General
Move: 1 space in any direction.
Attack: 1 space in any direction.
Other: Can use an action to spawn a troop into the base. The
General must be out of the base to spawn a troop.
Quick Shot
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically
Attack: 5 spaces split between 2 directions horizontally or
vertically. (Has to shoot in two directions, so max range is 4)
Shotgunner
Move: 2 spaces in any direction.
Attack: 2 spaces in any direction.
Gunslinger
Move: 2 spaces in any direction.
Attack: 2 spaces in any direction.
Other: Can use multiple actions on one turn.
Sniper
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: Infinite in the direction it is facing.
Other: At the end of your turn, you must choose which direction
each of your snipers will face. On your next turn, they can only attack in the
direction they are facing.
Indians
Chieftain
Move: 1 space in any direction.
Attack: 1 space in any direction.
Other: Can use an action to spawn a troop into the base. The
Chieftain must be out of the base to spawn a troop.
Sniper
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: Infinite in the direction it is facing.
Other: At the end of your turn, you must choose which direction
each of your snipers will face. On your next turn, they can only attack in the
direction they are facing.
Shotgunner
Move: 2 spaces in any direction.
Attack: 2 spaces in any direction.
Spear Thrower
Move: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: 3 spaces in any direction. Can throw over walls and
other troops.
Lightfoot
Move: 3 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Attack: 2 spaces horizontally or vertically.
Other: Can climb over walls (move like the wall isn't in the
way).
If a tile turns out to be a mine, it does not explode on him
(just leave it there).
