Getting started

Chess players start on familiar ground; tactics players start on a familiar squad. Either way, the first match is short.

The board #

An 8×8 chessboard drawn in isometric pixel art. Your squad starts on the near side, the enemy on the far side, in the usual chess arrangement: a commander (the king), a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. Faction colours are cosmetic; Light always moves first.

Selecting and ordering #

Click a unit to select it. The board shows what it can do: squares it can move to, squares it can fire on (with the hit chance), and, under Special Abilities, the reach of its skill. Click a target to give the order. Orders that would leave your commander under threat are simply not offered; see the CheckFire rule.

A turn is one of: move, fire, reload, or use a skill. Moving and firing are separate actions; you never do both in one turn.

Hit chances #

Every shot is Certain (100 %) or Desperate (40 %). Which one depends on the weapon and the range: a rook is certain at five squares and desperate closer in; a bishop the reverse. The number is on screen before you commit. A miss is a miss: the turn is spent and the target stands.

There are no hit points. A hit removes the piece.

How a match ends #

• Checkmate: the enemy commander is threatened and has no legal order.
• Commander captured: every enemy escort is gone. The commander cannot win alone, so losing the last escort loses the match.
• No legal orders: the opponent has nothing legal to do.
• Threefold repetition and a 100-ply quiet limit end a match as a draw.

What to read next #

The CheckFire rule, then the pieces. In the game, the Field Manual is on the main menu and on any board (press a stick on a controller).