Rules of Latrunculi.
The rules of play for 'Mac Latrunculi' represent one set of proposed rules which we felt provided the most balanced game play, and which allowed for the greatest possibilities for plays per turn.
- The initial board configuration is automatically set-up by the computer.
- Black moves first.
- Players alternate turns during which a single piece of the player's own colour is moved.
- Pieces may move horizontally or vertically any number of spaces (like Chess rooks).
- A single stone is captured if it is surrounded on two opposite sides
by pieces of the opposing colour.
- The outside walls cannot be used to capture pieces.
- A stone in the corner is captured by two stones of the opposing colour placed across the corner.
- Multiple stones can be captured along a line.
- If a player moves into position to capture a line of several opposing pieces which includes the Dux, the Dux is not taken but the other pieces are.
- The Dux cannot be captured, but can be immobilized by being surrounded on all four sides.
- The first player to immobilize the enemy Dux wins.
- The Dux is immobilized if it is blocked by an enemy stone such that it has no place left to move.
- If the game stalemates, the player with the most captured enemy stones wins.
- The game ends when 30 moves are made without a capture, with the player with the most pieces remaining on the board declared the winner.