TAC
TAC Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Quick Start
- Players: 1 to 4 (ideal for 4 players)
- Age: 8+
- Duration: 45 to 60 minutes
- Game Concept: Two teams of two players try to be the first to take home their marbles by TACtically swapping and playing their cards.
- Object of the Game: The first team to take home all eight marbles wins.
Game Contents
- this manual including Quick Start guide and TACtic
- 104 game cards (including 4 Master Cards)
- Information cards
- 1 wooden game board
- 16 marbles (4 per color) in a bag
- 2 Covercards (can be used as spare cards)
Schematics
The board layout (Fig. 1) for each player consists of: a Base, the Start position, four Home spaces, the Discard area, and the Playing track. Two teams of two players sit with team partners facing each other. There are four Home spaces, whose order is determined by the line connecting them; the last Home space is additionally marked with a silver dot.
Fig. 2 — Moving the marble from the Base to the Start position. Fig. 3 — Moving the marble from the Start position clockwise around the track. Fig. 4 — The Home area can only be accessed via the Start position.
Preparing the Game for four Players
Two teams of two players are selected by choice or by drawing lots. The team partners face each other (Fig. 1). Everyone has their Start position in front of them. Each player now selects four marbles of a color and places them in the Base to his right. The four Master Cards (Jester, Angel, Warrior and Devil) are removed from the deck of cards and put back into the box. The information cards are also removed from the deck and distributed among the players. All players read the information cards for the Basic Version and put them in front of them with this side facing up. Now assemble the remaining cards into a deck with 100 game cards and shuffle them thoroughly.
Cards and Marbles
The marbles are moved along the playing track by playing the cards. You can only move your own marbles (the Trickster is an exception; see information card for the Basic Version). To move a marble along the track, a marble must first be moved from the Base to the Start position (Fig. 2). You can do this by playing one of the opening cards (1 and 13). From the Start position the marble is moved clockwise along the track (Fig. 3). You can move a marble from the track to Home only by passing the Start position (Fig. 4).
Cards
Regular Cards
Regular Cards have black numbers (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12): If such a card is played, the player moves one of his own marbles the corresponding number of spaces clockwise along the track.
Special Cards
Special Cards are the cards with red numbers (1, 4, 7, 8, 13), Trickster and TAC. You can use the Special Cards to dramatically speed up the way Home or to disrupt the TACtic of the opposing team. Please read the detailed description of the Special Cards below. You can also find basic information about the Special Cards on the information cards (Basic Version).
Example for playing a Special Card
The 4 card is the only card used to move in counter clockwise direction. You can save almost an entire circle by playing the 4 to your advantage. After a marble has been moved from the Base to the Start position, you can:
- Move backwards (counter clockwise) on the track by playing a 4 and move directly Home with a matching card (5, 6, 7, or 8) in the next turn.
- Initially move forward 1, 2, or 3 spaces and then use the 4 in the next turn to move Home by reversing.
Refer to the TACtic to find more examples and detailed explanations for the Special Cards. You can also find basic information about the Special Cards on the information cards (Basic Version).
Playing the Game
A Dealer is Picked
The dealer thoroughly mixes the deck of 100 cards and deals out five cards face down to each player. Do not let the other players see the fronts of your cards at any time. The stack is placed by the player to the left of the dealer.
The game is played in three phases, which are repeated until the game ends. Phase 1: Declare, Phase 2: Swap, Phase 3: Play.
Phase 1 – Declare
Each player declares whether or not he has an opening card (1, 13) in his hand. You are not allowed to say which or how many opening cards you are holding. If you have at least one opening card, you can say: 'I can!' (or use a visual sign like thumb up) If you do not have any opening cards, you can say: 'I can't!' (or use a visual sign like thumb down).
Declarations are made each time after cards are dealt (even if no more marbles are located at the Base or if a marble is already located on the Start position).
Phase 2 – Swap
Each player now swaps one card, facing down, with his team partner. You can only look at your received card after you have given a card to your partner.
Note: cards must be swapped.
Phase 3 – Play
First play a card - then move! The player to the left of the dealer begins. He selects a card, places it face up in the center of the game board and makes a corresponding move.
The game now continues in clockwise direction. Each player plays a card until everyone has played all their cards. The player to the left of the previous dealer now again deals five cards to each player. After the cards are dealt, the declaration, swapping and playing phases are repeated. After cards have been dealt five times, all 100 cards of the deck have been played and must be reshuffled by the player to the left of the last dealer. This is again followed by the three phases.
Game Rules
- If a marble hits the space of another, that marble is captured and put back into its Base.
- Don't skip over - you're not a rover! Skipping over marbles is not permitted! No other marbles, regardless of color, can be skipped over (exception: playing a 7; refer to information card, Basic Version).
- The function of a card can only be used if the matching number can be moved in full.
- If you do not have a card that you can use to execute an action, you must discard a card of your choice without using its function.
- If you can - you must! If you can only use cards that are disadvantageous for your team, you still have to play them. You are not allowed to discard a card if you have a possibility to use a card's function.
- If you have several options to move your marbles, you can choose as you wish. There is no restriction as to move a marble from the Base to the Start position, to move a marble away from the Start position or to capture another marble.
- Several or all of your own marbles can be located on the track at the same time.
- Marvelous functions require marbles on track! The Trickster and the special function of the 8 (to make the next player miss one turn) can only be used if the player playing the card has at least one marble on the track.
- A marble which has been moved from the Base to the Start position cannot be moved Home directly. It has to be moved away from the Start position at least once (exception: if a marble was moved away from Start and is then moved back to Start by a TAC card played by the next player, its status is still 'unmoved', because the TAC card completely reverses the previous turn).
- A marble which is moved from the track to the Home area has to pass the Start position. If you want to take a marble Home, it must be possible to move the marble to a free Home space. Marbles which are already in the Home area cannot be skipped over. If you do not have a matching card to go home, it may be necessary to move past Home and to do another full circle.
- With a suitable card you can move a marble within Home (even if you have no marble on the track). Within Home you can only move forward (exception: the card 7).
- When at the end of your turn a marble has reached its final position within Home (i.e. it is located on a field that is not followed by an empty field), it is locked in place and cannot be moved again after this turn.
- Once home - you may no longer roam! Once a marble is Home, it cannot be moved back onto the track (exception: when the move is reversed by the TAC card of the following player).
Team Play
TAC requires strong team play to succeed.
How does Team Play work?
You can support your team partner in a variety of ways.
Examples of good team play:
- When cards are swapped, you should consider which card your team partner might need, for instance to:
- bring in a new marble from the Base to the Start position (in case your partner has no marble on the track, he may not be able to enter the game and is forced to discard a card turn after turn)
- capture an opponent's marble
- move Home with a suitable number
- You can use the Trickster to bring marbles of your team partner into a more favorable position.
Team play enters a new dynamic during the End Phase. A player who has taken home all of his own marbles, from now on uses his own cards to move his partner's marbles.
If a player moves his last marble into his house with a 7 and he has steps left, he can use the remaining steps for his partner's marbles. This is only possible if the partner has marbles that are free to move (either on the track or marbles in the Home area that are not locked in place).
Communication between Players
- Verbal and non verbal communication regarding team play is not allowed at any phase of the game!
- During the introductory game, it is of course permitted to openly discuss the team TACtics, the swapping of cards and the game moves.
End of Game
The game ends when a team has taken Home the eighth and final marble. The last marble must be moved Home with an exactly fitting card; otherwise it needs to move past Home.
Please refer to the TACtic for more detailed information and if you have questions which are not answered by the Quick Start guide.
Once aTACked - always hooked!
TACtic
Welcome to the world of TACtic. If you play TAC for the first time, please read the Quick Start guide first. Here in the TACtic you will find detailed descriptions of the Special Cards, the rules of the Master Version as well as variations of the game.
The Cards 1 and 13
Take a marble from the Base and place it on the Start position or move 1/13 spaces forward.
The Card 4
Any of your own marbles may be moved backwards four spaces (counter clockwise).
Properties
- A marble must be moved backwards.
- You cannot skip over any marble.
- If a marble lies exactly four spaces behind yours, it is captured.
- A 'new' marble (i.e. a marble which has just been brought into play and has never left the Start position) may not be moved directly Home with a 4.
- A marble in the Home spaces cannot be moved out of the Home spaces with this card.
Options
- If a 'new' marble is lying on the Start position, you can save a whole circle by playing the 4: play the 4 and move backwards. Then in the next turn play an appropriate card (5, 6, 7 or 8) to move directly home.
- You can also move 1, 2 or 3 forward first and then in the next turn play the 4 to move backwards into the Home spaces.
Special case
If a marble reaches the Start position for the second time or is 'tricksed' there (i.e. put there by playing a Trickster), the 4 can be used to move into the Home spaces directly (of course, only if all four Home spaces are free).
The Card 7
The 7 can be used to move 7 single steps in any order. You may move one or more of your own marbles forward on the track. You can even use some steps (or all of them) to move a marble into the Home spaces or to sort them within the Home area.
Properties
- All 7 steps must be used.
- The 7 is the only card which allows you to capture another marble by 'skipping' over it because you have 7 single steps.
- The worst case is when you have to capture your partner's marbles or even your own.
- You can capture more than one marble with a 7.
- Inside the Home spaces you can move forwards and backwards with a 7.
- You can move as many marbles inside the Home area as you want, as long they have not been locked in place in a previous move (a marble is locked in place when at the end of a player's move there is no free Home space behind it).
Options
- The 7 is the best card to capture other marbles.
- The 7 is the most important card to get marbles into the Home spaces.
- The 7 can be used perfectly to sort your marbles inside your Home even if you do not have marbles on the track.
Special case
It is possible to use some steps of the 7 to take your last marble Home and use the remaining steps to move one or more of your partner's marbles. This is only possible if your partner has marbles on the track or in his Home which can be moved. If this is not the case, you may have to move past your Home (if you do not have any other suitable card).
The Card 8
You may move your marble 8 spaces forward (clockwise) or you can make the player to your left miss a turn (he must discard a card from his hand).
Properties
- You may play the 8 to make the next player miss a turn only if you have a marble on the playing track.
Options
- The 8 is a good card to save your partner from being captured.
- It is an important card to mess up the TACtic of your opponent.
Special cases
If the 8 is played as the last card in the round, the card cannot be used to make the player on your left miss a turn. You have to move your marble 8 spaces forward.
The TAC card is stronger than the 8. If a player uses an 8 to make the following player miss a turn, that player may play the TAC card on the 8 and use either function of the 8 for himself. A player is not forced to play the TAC card. He may choose to discard the TAC card (or any other card) to skip that turn.
The Trickster
You may swap any two marbles: your own, your partners, your opponents or any combination of them.
Properties
- You may only play the Trickster if you have a marble on the track.
- If only one marble is on the track, the Trickster is no use.
- You must not discard the Trickster if you can play other cards.
- If a Trickster is played, marbles must be swapped even if it is disadvantageous for your own team.
- You may also swap two of your own marbles.
- Marbles in the Home spaces must not be swapped.
Options
- With the Trickster card you can move your own marbles or those of your partner into an advantageous position.
- The Trickster helps you to cover great distances without having to move around the whole track.
- By effective 'tricksing' you can take your marble Home within a few moves.
- Of course the Trickster can be used to move an opponent's marble away from his Home.
Special case
If a marble gets 'tricksed' directly onto your own Start position, you can then move that marble directly home in your next turn – if you have an appropriate card.
The TAC Card
The TAC card has two functions: it reverses the action of the opponent to the right of the player of the TAC card and that player then uses the card himself.
Properties
- If you can - you must! Even the TAC card cannot be kept. If the TAC is the only card which can be played, you must play it, even if it is going to harm your team.
- If the reverted card has two functions (the cards 1, 8 and 13), you can choose which function you wish to use, regardless of which function was used by the opponent.
- You can only play TAC if you can use the reverted card for your own action. Otherwise the card must not be used.
- A TAC card can be played on a discarded card. In this case only the function of the discarded card can be used and no action is reverted.
- If a TAC card is played after a discarded TAC, then only the function of the card below the first TAC will be used. The action performed with that card is not reverted.
- Playing TAC after the cards are dealt – the first card played after the cards are dealt cannot be a TAC card. The TAC cannot undo the last move of the last round.
- The TAC card must be used to revert your opponent's winning move (i.e. the move in which that team moves their eighth marble into their Home). The requirement that you have to be able to play the function of that card yourself still applies in this case. Another TAC cannot be played.
- You can play TAC after a marble was captured – the movement of the previous player is reversed and the captured marble is returned to its previous position. The card which was played before the TAC card must now be used by the person who played TAC.
- You can play TAC after a marble has reached Home – the TAC card can be played as an exception to the rule: Once Home - you may no longer roam! A move that takes a marble into any of its Home spaces can be reverted by the TAC card. The marble is returned to its previous position and the player of the TAC card must use the played card for his own move.
Options
- The TAC card is the only card (apart from the Angel of the Master Version) to get into the game if you do not have any marbles on the track and nor opening cards (1 or 13). You do this by playing your TAC card on the 1 or 13 which has been played by the opponent to your right. The TAC card becomes more important towards the end of the game because you can disturb the TACtic of your opponents and especially revert their winning move.
Special cases
Playing the TAC on the 8
The TAC card is stronger than the 8. If a player uses an 8 to make the following player miss a turn, that player may play the TAC card on the 8 and use either function of the 8 for himself. A player is not forced to play the TAC card. He may choose to discard the TAC card (or any other card) to skip that turn.
Playing the TAC on the Trickster
The swapped marbles are returned to their original positions and the player of the TAC card must now swap two marbles himself. If a marble was moved away or 'tricksed' away from the Start position and was returned by a TAC card, the marble must not be moved directly into the Home spaces – the marble has to be moved away from the Start position before going Home.
Playing the TAC card on a TAC card
If you play a TAC card on a TAC card, the action of the first TAC is reverted and the action that was reverted by the first TAC is reestablished. The player who played the second TAC may now use the function (or choose one of the functions) of the reestablished card.
An example for playing the TAC card on a TAC card:
Player A uses the 13 to place a marble on his Start position. Player B uses a TAC to revert this move. Hence, player A puts his marble back to his Base and player B decides to put one of his marbles on his Start position. However, player C plays another TAC, reverting the TAC of player B. As a result, the marble of player B is put back into his Base, player A places his marble back to his Start position and player C must use the 13 for himself. He may choose to either move one of his marbles 13 spaces forward or to place a new marble onto his Start position.
Rules of the Master Version
When you are familiar with TAC in the Basic Version and you are looking for a bigger challenge with new and exciting features, you should play TAC in the Master Version. Therefore all players may read the Informations cards masterversion before beginning the game.
By choosing this game modus you need to add the four Master Cards to the deck. The deck should now contain a total of 104 cards. Therefore, when dealing the last 24 cards before reshuffling, each player gets six cards instead of five. That round is called the 'Master Round'. The basic rules for playing cards and making moves generally apply also to the Master Cards.
All Master Cards can be played during a player's turn like the Regular Cards. If the active player has no marbles on the track and cannot move any marble in the Home area, he must play a Master Card (except for the Warrior, which cannot be played in this case).
The Angel
When the Angel is played, the active player has to move a marble of the opponent to his left from the opponent's Base to the opponent's Start position. If the opponent does not have any marbles in his Base, the active player moves one of the opponent's marbles either 1 or 13 spaces forward.
Properties
- The Angel must be played if you cannot play any other card to perform a valid action.
- If there is already a marble on the opponent's Start position, regardless of color, that marble is captured when placing a new marble from the opponent's Base to his Start position.
- The player to the left of the player of the Angel still has his turn and plays next, even if one of his marbles was put on the Start position or was moved forward.
- If the player to the left of the player of the Angel has all marbles in his Home, the Angel takes effect on the person to the right of the player of the Angel. This does, however, not change the turn order.
Options
- It is difficult to use the Angel to the advantage of your own team.
- The Angel can be helpful for your own team when the affected player's Start position is occupied by his own marble (when it had moved already and is ready to go Home), by his partner's marble or when one marble of the affected player can be moved past his Home.
The Devil
When the Devil is played, the active player plays a card for the opponent on his left and performs the according action for that player.
Properties
- The player of the Devil looks at the cards of the opponent to his left, chooses one card from the opponent's hand and performs an according action for the opponent. The player of the Devil can choose which function of the chosen card is played and which of the opponent's marbles is moved.
- The cards must be passed face down between the player of the Devil and the opponent.
- The player which is affected by the Devil loses his turn because the player of the Devil performed the action for him.
- If the Devil is played as the last remaining card of the current round, the card has no effect.
Options
- The Devil card is worth its name. It is best used to thwart the TACtic of the opposing player/team.
- The Devil is especially effective towards the end of the game.
Special case
If the player of the Devil chooses to play the Jester from the opponent's cards, the function of the Jester is performed and each player's cards are passed face down to the right. Afterwards the player of the Devil chooses one of the opponent's new cards and again plays a card for the opponent.
The Warrior
When the Warrior is played, the active player moves one of his own marbles forward in clockwise direction until it hits the next marble on the track. That marble is captured and the marble which was moved by the Warrior takes its position.
Properties
- The Warrior captures the first marble it hits – regardless of color. In the worst case it captures your own or your team partner's marble.
- If you have no marble on the track, the Warrior cannot be played and is wasted.
- If only one marble is on the track and it belongs to the player playing the Warrior, that marble captures itself and is placed back into Base.
Options
- The Warrior is the only chance to capture a marble which is far away on the track and to make a big leap forward at the same time.
- The Warrior also enables the active player to capture a marble which is 11 spaces away and thus not reachable with the Regular Cards.
The Jester
When the Jester is played, each player passes all of his remaining cards in his hand to the player on his right (counter clockwise). The player who played the Jester must then play one of his new cards and perform the new action.
Properties
- If the Jester is played as the last remaining card of the current round, the card has no effect.
- The Jester can be played anytime by the active player, even if the player has no marble on the track.
Options
The Jester disrupts any kind of TACtic and planning ahead. A good opportunity to play the Jester is when:
- Both players of one team do not have an opening card but the other team does.
- Both players of one team are not able to perform any actions with their remaining cards.
- Your own team is close to winning, but you do not have a suitable card on your hand to end the game. You may have to pass your Home and do the whole circle again. However, when playing the Jester, there is a chance that the required card is among the new cards.
- The opposing team is close to winning and you want to prevent them from doing so and disrupt their TACtic.
Special case
If the player of the Jester receives a TAC card with his new cards and plays this card, the last action prior to playing the Jester is reversed, not the Jester itself.
The TAC Card in Combination with the Master Cards
Playing TAC on the Jester
If the TAC card is played directly after the Jester (see 'The Jester'), the exchange of cards is not reverted, but instead the player reverts the action which was played directly before the Jester and he uses that card for himself.
Playing TAC on the Angel
If the TAC card is played directly after the Angel, the function of the Angel is reverted (see 'Angel'). In addition, the player who played TAC gains the power of the Angel himself and places a new marble from the next player's Base to the next player's Start position. If the next player's Base is empty, the current player moves, according to the rules, one of the next player's marbles either 1 or 13 spaces forward.
Playing TAC on the Warrior
If the TAC card is played directly after the Warrior, the marble which was captured by the Warrior returns to its position on the board and the player who played the Warrior moves his marble back to its position prior to playing the Warrior. In addition, the player who played the TAC card has to capture the next marble in front of one of his own marbles.
Playing TAC on the Devil
It may not occur that often that the TAC card is played immediately after the Devil card because the player of the Devil card can choose any of the opponent's cards to play and playing the TAC card means to play a TAC on himself. If the player does it anyway (which is a totally legal action) or if the player has to choose the TAC card because the opponent cannot perform any other valid action, the player whose TAC card is being played gains the power of the Devil and he now chooses a card from the opponent to his left and performs a move for that player (who is the team partner of the player of the Devil card).
Game Variations
Playing as a Cooperative (Team TAC) — 'Playing against the game'
Cooperation and team TACtic are required even more in this version. There are no opponents (only bad cards!) and the common goal for all four players is to take Home all 16 marbles together using as few cards as possible.
A TACtical masterpiece is to achieve this within one deck of cards, i.e. no reshuffling and redealing of the deck (using 100 cards or 104 in the Master Version).
The general rules also apply to this version.
Additional rule: If two players sitting opposite to one another have taken all eight marbles into their respective Homes, they can then use their cards to move all remaining marbles. The 16th marble must be taken Home as usual, requiring the exact number of spaces. This version can also be played with two or three players.
Rules for a Solo Game
In the solo variation you try – as in the game version for four players in one team – to take all 16 marbles Home using just one deck of cards. For each color five cards are dealt as usual but this time face up to the corresponding sides of the board. You play all the colors and you can therefore plan up to 20 moves ahead. A real brain teaser!
Rules for two Players
TAC for two creates a whole new challenge and is especially suited for experienced TACticians.
Each player acts as a Team playing two colors. Both players sit next to each other (on two adjacent sides of the board instead of opposite each other). Each player receives five cards for one color set of marbles and then another five cards for his second color set. These sets of cards are always to be kept separate from each other – each card set must always relate to the same color set of marbles.
To avoid confusion, we recommend holding the set of cards corresponding to the color of marbles on your side of the board (your own closest Base) in your left hand (for right handed players), between your thumb and index finger and the set of cards for the opposite set of marbles behind these, between your index finger and middle finger. (You will soon get the hang of it!). With both sets of cards in mind, you can, for example, play the Trickster more purposefully and accurately.
Rules for three Players
In the three player version one color remains unused. No teams are formed. The player who takes all four of his marbles Home first, wins.
However, there is no 'team factor' in this version of the game. If you prefer, you can play an alternative version for three players:
One player plays with two colors (i.e. two sets of marbles) and holds five cards per color in his hand (see two player game). The other two players play as a normal TAC team and sit opposite each other.
The single player has a distinct advantage because he knows all ten cards and can use the exact TACtics required when swapping cards and playing TACtically, especially in the End Phase.
To compensate for this advantage of the single player, the team partners may look at each other's cards before swapping cards. Cunning TACticians can also try a two versus one game in which each player plays only one color. The single player will be greatly hindered by his opponents but he has to take only four marbles Home. When playing this three player version, the place to the right of the single player remains unoccupied.
Rules for six Players
To play with six players you need the 6TAC. You may either play in three teams with each two players or two teams with each three players. Of course the 6TAC can also be played in the team version. For 4 or 5 players the 6TAC is not suitable but you may compete with 3 players.
The 6TAC contains two more sets of colours. The card deck is the same. Please note that there is no packaging for the 6TAC.
Object of the Game
Three teams of two players race to bring their marbles home: the first team to bring all their marbles home is the winner. The two remaining teams can compete for 2nd place.
Game Preparation
The enclosed deck of playing cards is the same as that used for normal (4 player) TAC. To prepare for play of 6TAC you will need to modify the deck as follows:
Basic Version: To play the Basic Version of 6TAC remove the following cards from the deck: two cards with the number 12, one card with the number 9, and one card with the number 10. Also remove the Jester, the Angel, the Warrior, and the Devil. 96 cards will remain in the deck.
Master Version: To play the Master Version of 6TAC remove only two cards with the number 12 from the deck. The Jester, Angel, Warrior, Devil, and all cards numbered 9 and 10 should be used. Thus, 102 cards will remain in the deck.
Rules
The rules for 6TAC are identical to those for normal TAC, except for the number of cards dealt during each round of play. Please see the Quick Start Rules sheet and the TAC rulebook for complete details of play.
Basic Version: During the first and second round each player is dealt 5 cards; in the third round each is dealt 6 cards. After three rounds the discard pile is reshuffled to create a new play deck.
Master Version: During the first round each player is dealt 6 cards, in the second round 5 cards, and in the third round 6 cards again. After three rounds the discard pile is reshuffled to create a new play deck.
Variations
6TAC with two teams of three players
2 Teams of 3 players race to bring their marbles home. During the swap phase each player passes one card to his partner on the left, rather than the player sitting opposite. After a player has finished he continues to play, using his cards to help his partners. In effect, both partners' marbles are now shared with the finished player: the finished player must still play a card if possible, and may use any card to move a marble of either partner. The winner is the team that brings home all 12 marbles first.
6TAC with one team of six players
Rather than play against each other, all six players may play together as a team, striving to bring all 24 of their marbles home with as few cards as possible. Each player still controls only his own marbles until finished, and still swaps with his "partner" (the player facing him); when a player finishes he may thereafter use his cards to help his partner. After both partners are finished they may use their cards to move the marbles of the other players.
6TAC for 3 players
Each player controls two sets of marbles starting on opposite sides of the board. In a round each player receives two sets of cards, one for each color. These cards must be kept separate and are only used for their respective colors. Essentially, each player is playing the role of two players, with all the normal rules and restrictions applying. The winner is the player who brings home all 8 marbles first.
In this version you naturally know how to swap the best as you know all cards, but good tactics are also needed.
TAC from A – Z
Action — To carry out the function of a card.
Back and Forth — The 7 card allows you to move your marbles backwards and forwards within the four Home spaces, as long as they are not locked in place at the beginning of the move.
Backwards — Anti clockwise around the board.
Base — The hollow in the corner of the board, where each player keeps his marbles (of one color) which are not in play or Home.
Bring into Play — Put a marble onto the corresponding Start position by playing an opening card (1 or 13).
Capturing — When a marble is hit with an exact number (or with a 7 card or Warrior of the Master Version), it is put back to its Base and the capturing marble takes its position.
Capturing by Passing — Only possible with the 7 card: jump over any blocking marbles, capturing them in the process.
Centre — The discard area; the big hollow in the centre of the board.
Declare — The players announce, for all players to hear, whether or not they have an opening card. It can also be a visual sign – usually a 'thumbs up' for 'yes' and a 'thumbs down' for 'no'.
Discard Area — The centre; the big hollow in the centre of the board.
Double Function — The 1, 8 and 13 cards allow the player to choose between one of two actions:
- 1 and 13 cards: bring a marble into play or move 1 (for 1 card) or 13 (for 13 card) clockwise on the track.
- 8 card: use the 'Miss a turn' function or move 8 spaces clockwise on the track.
End Phase — The End phase begins when a player has all four of his own marbles Home and then uses his own cards to move his partner's marbles.
Forwards — Clockwise around the board.
Home — The four Home spaces which a player attempts to reach with all four of his marbles (also see Sorting).
In Play — A marble which is on the playing track (marbles in the Home spaces are not in play).
Locked in Place — A marble which at the end of a turn has reached the last Home space (i.e. the last space that can be occupied at that moment following the line connecting the Home spaces) is said to be 'locked in place' and must not be moved again in this game.
Marble — Playing piece, usually a glass marble.
Master Cards — The Jester, the Angel, the Warrior and the Devil.
Master Round — In the Master Version of the game, which is played with 104 cards, the last round is played with six cards (instead of the usual 5 card round).
Miss a Turn — A function of the 8 Card: the following player is forced to miss his turn, but must discard a card from his hand, face up in the centre of the board (without carrying out the function of the card).
Opening Card — A card which can be used to bring a marble into play (1 and 13).
Partner — Team partner; the partner you cooperate with. Partners sit on opposite sides of the board.
Playing Track — The 64 spaces on the game board which are arranged in a circular track.
Regular Cards — Those cards which move a player's marble the corresponding number of spaces forward in clockwise direction, without special actions. Regular cards are: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12.
Round — One round is finished when all players have played all their cards (taking turns) and new cards have to be dealt.
Sorting — Moving the marbles within one's Home spaces. Usually, the marbles are arranged in such a way that they get 'locked in place' (see 'Locked in place') to create free spaces for the remaining marbles in play. It can also be a strategy to keep a marble 'mobile' on purpose. Only with the 7 card marbles can be moved backwards within their Home. With the cards 1, 2 and 3 marbles can be moved forward within the Home spaces (if enough spaces are vacant).
Space — One of the 64 spaces which form the circular track of the game board.
Special Cards — The Trickster, the TAC card and the cards 1, 4, 7, 8 and 13.
Stack — Remaining stack of shuffled cards that have not yet been dealt.
Start Position — The space onto which a marble is put when it is brought into play by playing an opening card (1 or 13). It is also the space that has to be passed when taking a marble Home. Once a marble has been moved away from the Start position and hits it a second time (exception: TAC card – the move is reverted) it can be taken Home with a suitable card (1, 2, 3, 4 or 7).
Taking Home — Move a marble into one of the Home spaces.
Team Partner — Partner; the partner you cooperate with. Partners sit on opposite sides of the board.
Track — Playing track; the 64 spaces on the game board which are arranged in a circular track.
Tricksing — Playing a Trickster card to swap any two marbles on the playing track. In order to play the trickster, you have to have at least one marble on the track.
Unused — A card which has to be discarded without using its function.