Xerxes
Xerxes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
The aim is not to destroy the opponent, but to occupy a specific square behind the opponent's lines.
In Xerxes the starting formation is the phalanx, the broad, rigid battle formation of antiquity.
In Xerxes the player who occupies the specially highlighted square behind the opponent's lines with one of their pieces wins.
Components
Xerxes consists of:
- the Xerxes game board, and
- two sets of red and blue game pieces, 2 x 24 pieces each
- the rulebook
Setup
Xerxes
The Xerxes board lies lengthwise between the players, who choose one of the three basic formations shown below. Each player places their pieces on the intersections of the lines according to the chosen formation. The first move is decided by lot.
Basic formations as printed (grid rows and columns counted from the top-left of each grid; one player's pieces are shown filled, the other's open; each diagram also shows one single isolated symbol of each colour at the far end of the board, which the text does not explain and which is transcribed as drawn):
Formation 1 (Grundformation 1). Filled pieces: one row of 13 on grid row 8 (columns 1-13) and one row of 11 on grid row 9 (columns 2-12), plus one isolated filled piece on grid row 16, column 7. Open pieces: one row of 11 on grid row 11 (columns 2-12) and one row of 13 on grid row 12 (columns 1-13), plus one isolated open piece on grid row 4, column 7.
Formation 2 (Grundformation 2). Filled pieces: one row of 11 on grid row 6 (columns 2-12) and one row of 13 on grid row 7 (columns 1-13), plus one isolated filled piece on grid row 16, column 7. Open pieces: one row of 11 on grid row 13 (columns 2-12) and one row of 13 on grid row 14 (columns 1-13), plus one isolated open piece on grid row 4, column 7.
Formation 3 (Grundformation 3), the wedge formation. Filled pieces, from the top: grid row 3 columns 1, 2, 12, 13; grid row 4 columns 2, 3, 11, 12; grid row 5 columns 3, 4, 10, 11; grid row 6 columns 4, 5, 9, 10; grid row 7 columns 5, 6, 8, 9; grid row 8 columns 6, 7, 8; grid row 9 column 7. Open pieces, from the bottom: grid row 11 column 7; grid row 12 columns 6, 7, 8; grid row 13 columns 5, 6, 8, 9; grid row 14 columns 4, 5, 9, 10; grid row 15 columns 3, 4, 10, 11; grid row 16 columns 2, 3, 11, 12; grid row 17 columns 1, 2, 12, 13. Each side has 24 pieces in the formation, plus one isolated symbol at the far end as described above.
Course of Play
Xerxes
Pieces move or jump alternately, as in Halma, in any direction, straight or diagonally.
A piece moves from its own square to one of the adjacent squares.
A jump may be made when a piece is on an adjacent square and the square directly beyond it is free.
A piece may jump as many times as is possible in one move.
Own pieces are left in place. Opposing pieces are captured and removed from the board.
Tactical Hints
Xerxes and Frundsberg leave much room for individual tactics.
Cautious players prefer the slow but forceful advance of the whole army, the hard-to-attack block. Reckless players jump freely, often sacrifice whole wings carelessly, and occasionally still win by a nose. Skilful tacticians break the battle into individual skirmishes and then, at the right moment, launch a rapid thrust at the goal. Bold cavalry raids by single pieces can also put the opponent in serious difficulty.
Most of all, however, it comes down to applying all of these strategies against the particular opponent at the right moment.