Jackal

Jackal Rulebook

Table of Contents

Historical Background

Piracy

Piracy is robbery committed from a ship. A pirate is subject to trial and punishment in any country. The harsh conditions of naval service and meagre wages push sailors towards piracy, since it offers a chance to get rich quickly. A pirate tends to submit to authority when faced with the danger of retribution, or after amassing considerable treasure; but as soon as the threat passes or the money runs out, the pirate immediately returns to his old ways.

Pirate Life

At the head of a pirate crew stands the captain, a man of authority and cruelty, because the absence of discipline on a pirate ship sooner or later leads to trouble. The pirate lives by the ship's articles. Each member of the crew, with a hand on the boarding sabre, swears to keep them.

Treasure Island

An island in the Caribbean Sea. It is said that the terror of the pirate brotherhood, Captain Jackal, famed for unheard-of cruelty and cunning, buried his immeasurable treasures on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean, and tore the map into small pieces, distributing them among his crew. This is only conjecture, because not one man who landed on that island has returned alive... Don't believe it? You can check it on your own hide...

Buccaneers

Buccaneers are sea robbers, operating mainly against Spanish ships in the Caribbean basin and along the coasts of Central and South America. In addition, they mount powerful land expeditions, whereas other pirates prefer sea robbery. Buccaneers act on their own account and at their own risk, not disdaining any booty. The bulk of the buccaneers are Frenchmen, Englishmen, Portuguese and Dutch. The pirates of the Caribbean create special disciplined communities on land, known as "coastal brotherhoods".

Conquistadors

Conquistadors are Spanish soldiers and adventurers, knights of fortune — in other words, pirates. The conquistador thirsts for gold; his only goal is the search for new lands and riches in the unknown world. Most often a conquistador is an impoverished hidalgo or caballero. Far from Europe, the Spaniard is free from both royal and church authority. The main advantage of the conquistadors is their firearms.

About the Game

"Jackal" is a strategic board game with unique game mechanics. The secret of "Jackal" is that the field tiles are laid out in random order, so the game will be different every time! There are no dice in the game, and the result depends largely on your logical and strategic abilities rather than on luck. All this makes "Jackal" a truly interesting and gripping game that you will want to play again and again! The game is designed for two or four players. Recommended for adults and children from eight years old. The duration of a game is approximately 60–120 minutes.

Components

Game field — 117 square tiles with different pictures on one side and an identical back on the other.
Ships — 4 square tiles with drawn ships.
Sailors — three sailors each of red, yellow, black and white colour.
Coins — 37 coins of identical value.
Rules — a valuable sheet of paper with the rules you are reading.

Setup

Turn the field tiles back side up, shuffle them and lay them out back side up so that you get the real treasure island: according to reliable information, it is an 11 × 11 square with the corners removed. In the middle of each side, place the ship tiles, and on each ship load 3 sailors of one colour. Now the crews are assembled and the game can begin.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is as clear as day: find and drag as many gold coins as possible, hidden on the island, back to your own ship. Whoever brings the largest number of coins to his ship wins.

Rules of the Treasure Hunt

How to Move

The white sailors move first. After that, the players move in turn, clockwise. On a turn, one of the following actions is performed:

a) Ship sailing. The ship (with at least one pirate on board) moves one tile along the shore. A ship can sail only along its own side of the island. It cannot turn round corners.

b) Landing. A pirate goes from the ship onto the shore — only onto the tile directly in front of the ship.

c) Boarding. A pirate returns to the ship (with loot or without it) from the tile directly in front of the ship, or from a tile diagonal to it. To return to the ship, a pirate may also use other tiles of the field: arrows, the horse, the hot-air balloon and others (see "Meaning of Field Tiles"). A pirate may board only his own ship or, when playing pair against pair, a friendly ship. Upon contact with an enemy ship, the pirate dies.

d) Movement on land. On land, a pirate moves one tile vertically, horizontally or diagonally. If the tile is closed (face down), he turns it over and carries out the action shown on it (see "Meaning of Field Tiles"). An unopened tile must be turned over at random, without looking under it. A pirate may open unexplored land only with empty hands (without a coin). A pirate may also walk onto tiles that have already been opened, carrying out all the actions shown on them.

e) Swimming. Pirates may swim, and climb out of the water onto their own ship. On a turn, a pirate may swim one tile along the shore. If he bumps into an enemy ship, he dies (see "Death of a Pirate!"). A pirate cannot jump from the shore into the sea. Nor can he climb out of the water onto land. However, a pirate may swim around the island.

Note: on one turn you may move only one pirate or one ship. A turn may not be skipped.

Note: several pirates from your own ship, or from a friendly ship (in pair-against-pair play), may stand on the same tile.

[Diagram, printed page 8: an illustrated example of the movement actions, labelled а) to д) in the text above — ship sailing along the shore (а), landing onto the tile in front of the ship (б), boarding from the tile in front of or diagonal to the ship (в), movement on land (г), and swimming back to the ship (д). Crossed-out arrows mark moves that are not allowed.]

How to Dig for Gold

According to verified information, 16 treasure hoards of various value are hidden on this godforsaken island. If, after turning over a field tile, you discover a treasure chest, place on the tile as many coins as the Roman numeral on it shows. But do not rejoice too soon! Gold counts as yours only if you managed to drag it back to your ship (the coin is then removed from the playing field into your treasury).

a) Each self-respecting pirate can carry only one coin.

b) A pirate may move with a coin only over open tiles.

c) You cannot strike an enemy while holding a coin in your hand. But if you really want to, you may leave the coin where it is and go at the enemy!

d) If a pirate carrying a coin is struck by a rival, he goes back to the ship with empty hands, and the coin stays in place.

e) You cannot swim with a coin. If a pirate falls into the sea with a coin, the coin sinks (it is removed from the game). The pirate remains afloat.

[Diagram, printed page 10: an illustrated example of the gold rules, labelled а) to д) in the text above — carrying one coin only, moving with a coin over open tiles only, the coin being left in place when a pirate with a coin is struck, and the coin sinking when a pirate with a coin falls into the sea. Crossed-out arrows mark moves that are not allowed.]

How to Strike Enemies

It is very simple. To do so, you must move onto the tile where the rival pirate stands.

a) The struck pirate flies back to his own ship, leaving his loot (if he had any) on the tile, and continues the game from there. If there were several enemies on the tile, all of them, once beaten, are transferred to your ship.

b) An enemy may be struck only with empty hands. If you were carrying a coin, you may leave it in place and calmly strike the unsuspecting rival.

c) If the enemy has dug in at a fortress, he cannot be struck (that is what a fortress is for).

d) If the rival stands on a "spinner" tile (jungle, desert, swamp, mountains), you may strike him only if you stay on the tile for one turn. For example, he stands on tile III and you stand on tile II.

Note: the spinner is the only tile on which sailors of opposing crews may stand at the same time.

[Diagram, printed page 12: an illustrated example of the fighting rules, labelled а) to г) in the text above — striking a rival on a tile and sending him back to his ship, striking an enemy while holding a coin, a fortress tile on which an enemy cannot be struck, and a spinner tile on which a rival may be struck only after one turn. Crossed-out arrows mark attacks that are not allowed.]

Death of a Pirate!

A pirate dies (is removed from the game) in the following tense situations:

a) On contact with an enemy ship, if the pirate and the ship ended up on the same tile.

b) If, at sea, an opponent struck him (ended up on the same tile as him).

c) If he fell into the claws of the Cannibal.

d) If he fell into the cycle.

e) A dead comrade may be brought back to life by entering the fortress to the sympathetic native woman. Reviving one pirate takes one turn. A newly revived pirate begins his turn directly from the fortress. Naturally, there cannot be more than three pirates of each colour on the field.

Note: if a pirate was struck by a rival, he does not die; he is transferred to his own ship and continues the game from there.

[Diagram, printed page 14: an illustrated example of the death situations, labelled а) to г) and the coin/pirate interaction in the text above — a pirate moving onto an enemy ship, a rival striking a pirate at sea, a pirate on the Cannibal tile, and a pirate on the cycle (arrow) tiles. Crossed-out markers show the outcome that does not occur.]

Victory

The winner of the board game is the one who has loaded more gold onto his ship than the others. Human losses do not count. Disputes arising during the game are settled on the spot with daggers and pistols, not descending to primitive fisticuffs.

Pair-Against-Pair (or Two-Player) Game

In the pair-against-pair (or two-player) game, pirates from opposing ships act jointly (the white and black against the red and yellow). They may stand calmly on one tile, and use friendly ships as their own, including to stack honestly stolen gold. However, if a pirate is struck by a rival, he returns precisely to his own ship.

The turn order is always observed! At the end of the game, the total gold plundered by each side is counted.

Meaning of Field Tiles

The legend of this page lists the field tiles by their picture and number. The page carries only the captions given below; the meaning of the remaining tiles is set out in the sections that follow.

Empty tiles — four kinds of empty tile, 10 of each (40 in total), with a grass landscape showing a stump, a tree, a bush, a clearing or a stick. They carry no effect.
Arrow tiles — three kinds of sand tile, 3 of each: a tile with an arrow pointing straight up, a tile with a double-headed diagonal arrow, and a tile with a single diagonal arrow.
Crossing and star tiles — two kinds of sand tile, 3 of each: a tile with four arrows in a cross pattern, and a tile with arrows in a star pattern. Caption: "Without further words or objections, go in one of the indicated directions."
Two-arrow tiles — two kinds of sand tile, 3 of each: a tile with two arrows in a corner pattern (one of them diagonal), and a tile with a horizontal double-headed arrow.

Horse Tiles (2 tiles)

Make a knight's move (an L-shaped move, the Cyrillic letter Г, as in chess).

Spinner Tiles

The following are "spinner" tiles, which can be crossed only over several turns. The Roman numerals printed on each tile mark the stages of the crossing.

Jungle (5 tiles, marked I and II). To break through these devilish jungles takes two turns at least.
Desert (4 tiles, marked I, II and III). The heat splits your head. A desert can be crossed only with three stops.
Swamp (2 tiles, marked I to IV). This cursed swamp can be crossed only by jumping in order from hummock to hummock, that is, in four turns.
Mountains (1 tile, marked I to V). These mountains will hold you up for five turns.

Ice Tiles (6 tiles)

Ice? Where on earth does a skating rink come from on a tropical island? This tile repeats the previous move. For example, if you came onto this tile from the left, go further right; if you made a horse move, make it again; if you came along an arrow, continue moving in the same direction.

Trap Tiles (3 tiles)

Having fallen into the trap, wait until a comrade comes onto the tile; only after that may you leave the tile. This does not mean that you must rescue the lost sailor at once: he may also wait while his crewmates carry out their combat mission. In pair-against-pair play, a sailor from a friendly crew may also rescue a comrade in trouble.

Cannon Tiles (2 tiles)

A pirate's desire to check what is hidden in the depths of a cannon barrel is truly inexplicable. In payment for his curiosity, the pirate flies into the sea in the direction of the barrel. Only his own or a friendly ship can save him. Gold, as is well known, sinks in water and is removed from the game. Landing under an enemy ship, the pirate dies (see "Death of a Pirate!").

Fortress Tiles (2 empty fortresses)

Devilish luck! A fortress! While you are here, you are safe: a pirate who has dug into a fortress cannot be struck. It is a pity that gold cannot be brought in here.

Note: any number of pirates of your own or a friendly crew may stand in a fortress.

Fortress with the Friendly Native (1 tile)

Lucky indeed. You have come upon a fortress with a friendly native woman. Here, killed comrades may be "brought back to life" — one per turn — and they are born right here, in the fortress. None of the enemies may push into the fortress while you are inside. One drawback: gold cannot be brought in here.

Note: in pair-against-pair play, a pirate may revive only the sailors of his own colour.

Rum Tiles (4 tiles)

This pirate has had devilish luck: he has found an unopened keg of rum! The lucky one skips one turn. During that time, however, you may move another pirate of your crew.

Crocodile Tiles (4 tiles)

It is better not to get into a crocodile's jaws. Go back to where you came from, that is, to the previous tile.

Cannibal Tile (1 tile)

What a ridiculous death for a pirate — to become the lunch of a tropical cannibal! The sailor dies and waits until his comrades revive him (see "Death of a Pirate!").

Hot-Air Balloon Tiles (2 tiles)

The hot-air balloon will carry you (together with your coin, if you have one) to your ship! And so it will be with everyone who, from then on, steps onto this miracle tile.

Note: in pair-against-pair play, the balloon carries a pirate to his own ship, not to a friendly ship.

Aeroplane Tile (1 tile)

And what sort of wreck is this? It is an aeroplane! How it came to the island is unknown, but it may, in the same turn, carry any participant, together with all his loot, to any tile. The aeroplane may be used only once per game; after that it becomes an ordinary blank tile. If you do not want to fly right away, stay on the tile and wait for a convenient moment (leaving the tile is equivalent to using the aeroplane). But beware: a rival may take away your right to use this wonder of technology by striking you and sending you to the ship.

Treasure Chest Tiles (16 tiles)

Money! Money! Money! Piastres and tugriks! Here they are, dear ones! Turn over the square, place on it the indicated number of coins from the bank (the Roman numeral), and spread them out one by one.

Chest I — 5 tiles (1 coin)
Chest II — 5 tiles (2 coins)
Chest III — 3 tiles (3 coins)
Chest IV — 2 tiles (4 coins)
Chest V — 1 tile (5 coins)

The printed chest counts (5, 5, 3, 2, 1) add up to the 16 treasure hoards mentioned in "How to Dig for Gold". The coin values are read from the Roman numeral printed on each chest, as the text above states.

That is all the rules. Good luck!

Supplement: Pirate Exclamations

During the game, the following words and expressions will come in useful:

Thousand devils!
Anchor in your throat!
Medusa in your liver!
A mast up your backside!
Three thousand devils on the rhumb!
May eternity clang the anchors at you!
You will scrub the deck all your life!
Thunder and lightning!
What other freshwater molluscs have been dragged along — blast me with thunder!
Into the mouth of the sea devil!
Three hundred sharks in the throat!
A cat on the heels!
Foresail, mainsail and topsail in my left ear!
A boarding crowbar with horseradish!
Sweaty gobbler of fish guts, your mother is a cuttlefish!
Worm of the Talyunny!
Aaaaarrrgh!
Bowsprit in your compass!
Piastres!!!
Two cholera, three plagues!
A thousand hunchbacked molluscs!
Deck blockhead!
Bilge-keel rascal!
Yo-ho-ho, left rudder...
Take everything and give nothing back! Harr-harr...
RUM, pour me RUM and I'll be off out of here!