Operation Cuckoo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Starting Setup
• Game Play
• Moving - Capturing an Opponent
• Moving - No Opponent to Capture
• Aim of the Game
• Game End
• Advanced Board

Components

• Eggs: These game pieces can only move one step on the board.
• Reed warblers: These game pieces can move one or two steps on the board. If you take two steps, you must take these in a straight line.
• Cuckoos: These game pieces can also move one or two steps on the board, also having to move in a straight line.
• Battle nest: The game board. It has two sides; the side without the star is the normal side and the side with the star is for advanced players. Homebases are marked along the edge of the nest.

Starting Setup

The battle nest (the game board) has two sides. You normally use the side without the star in the corner. The side with the star is for advanced players. Pick the side you want to use and place the nest in between you and your opponent.

Decide who is red, who is blue, and who starts. Turn the board to have the red home bases in front of the red player, and vice versa for the blue player. Next, you place all game pieces on the board according to the starting lineup.

The starting setup diagram on the printed sheet shows the placement of the eggs, reed warblers and cuckoos for each side, with the homebases along the edge of the nest.

Game Play

You take alternating turns, with the starting player going first. Your turn consists of moving one game piece on the board, your turn ends after the movement. There are three different game pieces, each with their own rules for movement:

• Eggs move one step.
• Reed warblers move one or two steps, in a straight line if taking two steps.
• Cuckoos move one or two steps, in a straight line if taking two steps.

Game pieces can only move to a space on the board that is empty or occupied by an opponent. Game pieces cannot jump over other game pieces. When you move a game piece to an occupied space, you capture your opponent on this space. Your opponents' game piece is then removed from the board and your game piece takes its place. There are two basic rules to keep in mind:

1. If you can capture an opponent, you are obliged to.
2. You can only move your game pieces in a forward direction, except when you can capture an opponent behind you.

Your movement options lead to two potential situations:

1. you can capture an opponent, or
2. you cannot capture an opponent.

Both situations are described below.

In the exceptional case where both you and your opponent do not notice that a game piece can be captured, the game moves on. This means that your opponent should pay attention in your turn.

Moving - Capturing an Opponent

If an opponent is within range to be captured, you are obliged to capture them. For eggs, this means that your opponent must be in a space directly next to you. For reed warblers and cuckoos, your opponent is within range if they are directly next to you or one space further away. This means that reed warblers and cuckoos are not allowed to move only one step if they can capture an opponent that is two steps away. If there are multiple opponents within range, you can choose which to capture.

Capturing in a backward direction is explicitly allowed. After capturing an opponent, your move ends, and you cannot continue moving.

Example backward capture: The blue reed warbler is obliged to capture the red egg. The blue player's turn then ends.

Moving - No Opponent to Capture

If there is no opponent within range, you can choose a game piece to move. The rules that you can only move in a forward direction and cannot jump over game pieces still stand. After moving one game piece, your turn ends.

Example movement without capturing: The reed warbler can move one or two steps. They cannot jump over other game pieces and must move in a straight line. Other game pieces block some options in this example.

Aim of the Game

There are four winning conditions in this battle.

1. All game pieces of your own color are captured, except your own cuckoo.
2. You capture your opponents' cuckoo.
3. You enter one of the homebases of your opponent with your own cuckoo, thereby taking over their nest.
4. Your opponent enters one of your homebases with any game piece other than their cuckoo, this game piece is now safe from being captured.

Game End

The game ends when one of the four winning conditions is met. You therefore win when:

1. All game pieces of your own color are captured, except your own cuckoo.
2. You capture your opponents' cuckoo.
3. You enter one of the homebases of your opponent with your own cuckoo, thereby taking over their nest.
4. Your opponent enters one of your homebases with any game piece other than their cuckoo, this game piece is now safe from being captured.

Operation Cuckoo is played in sets, a set is best of three. So you need to win twice to be the overall winner of the game.

Advanced Board

The side of the board with the star offers a more challenging and interactive situation due to a different starting lineup. Due to this lineup, your cuckoo is easier to reach. All rules remain the same. The two alternative advanced starting lineups are displayed on the right of the printed sheet, labelled Advanced Lineup 1 and Advanced Lineup 2.