Place all assigned animals (zebu, sheep, goats) into valid grazing areas on the board.
Control grazing fields using warriors (for zebu) and boys (for sheep/goats) and construct secure bomas for permanent animal placement.
Setup
Each player receives a set number of animals (20 each of zebu, goats, and sheep in the long game; 14 each in the short game), 4 warriors, 7 boys, and 13 shields per round (8 wide, 5 narrow).
Three shields form a central hexagon to start; players may claim land patches using warriors or boys in this phase.
Game Flow
Players take turns, each laying 2 shields per turn and optionally placing warriors/boys on newly laid shields.
Shields expand the playing area, joining fence foundations to create contiguous land parcels and potential enclosures.
Players optionally claim land and complete enclosures or build bomas with warriors; animals are placed as enclosures and bomas are completed.
Players may remove warriors/boys already on the playing area if they are not being optimally used, although animals they are guarding are also removed.
The stock of shields is replenished back to 13 when all players are down to one, warriors building bomas are returned to stock to be reutilised, leaving animals in the bomas safe.
Land Types & Control
Red land is for zebu (claimed by warriors).
Green land is for sheep (claimed by boys).
Yellow land is for goats (claimed by boys).
Enclosures are made by completely surrounding land patches of one colour; bomas are fenced enclosures where animals are protected without needing indefinite caretaking.
Key Actions
Lay shields to expand/surround land parcels and/or build boma fences.
Lay shields to frustrate opponents' possibilities to complete land enclosures.
Steal opponents' land parcels by joining claimed parcels and reclaiming them.
Place, move, or remove warriors/boys and animals as land is claimed and enclosures and bomas are created.
Endgame & Scoring
The winner is the player who places all their animals first.
If not all animals are placed when all the shields have been placed, the player with the most zebu placed wins; ties are broken by total sheep and goats placed.
