Three things are enough to start. A face-down piece hides its rank. A flip and a move each use a turn. Only an engineer removes a mine, and a bomb disappears together with whatever else it hits. In a dark game each side has 25 pieces on its own half. In an open layout all 50 pieces are mixed across the board. The flag and the mines cannot move on their own.
Board and Railway
The board has 5 columns and 12 rows. Each side has a headquarters at its end. A piece that enters a camp cannot be captured. The heavy lines through the middle are the railway. An engineer can travel farther along it. Other pieces move one step along the lines this site allows.
In a dark game Red sits at the bottom and Blue at the top, and every piece starts face down. An open layout mixes all the pieces, still face down. A piece inside a camp cannot be captured.
Ranks
From high to low, the ranks that can be compared are commander, field marshal, general, and then the rest, down to the engineer. When two revealed pieces meet, the higher rank captures the lower one. Equal ranks remove both.
The flag and mines are not compared this way. Bombs are covered next. A normal move follows a line to an adjacent empty square, or captures an adjacent revealed enemy. You cannot move diagonally, and you cannot pass through another piece.
Mines and Engineers
Mines cannot move. Any piece except an engineer that hits a mine is removed with it. An engineer removes the mine and stays on that square.
Keep the engineer until a mine is revealed. Until then, nobody can see that the piece is a mine.
Bombs
A bomb is not ranked. It disappears together with a commander, a field marshal, an engineer, or another bomb. On this site, a bomb that reaches the enemy flag still captures the flag and wins.
Use a bomb to trade for a piece that is already revealed. It cannot capture a piece inside a camp, and it cannot move the flag or a mine.
How a Game Ends
The side that carries off the enemy flag wins at once. A side that has nothing left to flip or move on its turn loses.
In an online room you can resign or offer a draw. Against AI, or on one device, you can undo, replay, or start again. Hints appear only against AI.
Flip or Move
The status line shows whether it is Red or Blue. Tap a face-down piece to flip it and end the turn. Tap a revealed piece of the side to move, then tap one of the marked squares to finish the move.
What Cannot Move
The flag and mines cannot move. A face-down piece cannot capture as if it were revealed. You cannot capture a piece in a camp, move diagonally, or move the opponent's revealed pieces. Clicks do nothing when it is not your turn.
How the Modes Differ
AI games and games on one device can be dark or open, and both offer undo and replay. Hints appear only against AI, and they use the level selected in the sidebar. An online room keeps the full board on the server. Each player receives the face-down view, the game starts dark once both seats are filled, and one player cannot undo alone.
For how engineers, mines, and the railway fit together, read Army Chess strategy.
FAQ
Can an engineer always clear a mine?
Yes. When an engineer hits a mine, the mine is removed and the engineer stays. Any other piece that hits a mine is removed with it.
Can a bomb take the flag?
On this site, yes. A bomb that reaches the flag wins. A bomb that meets any other piece removes both pieces.
Can a piece in a camp be captured?
No. After a piece enters a camp, the opponent cannot capture it there. The flag in headquarters can still be carried off by a piece that reaches it.
Can the opponent see a face-down rank?
No. In an online game the server sends only ranks that have already been revealed. Face-down pieces are shown as a question mark.
Does Red always move first?
Yes. Against AI you can sit as Blue, and then the computer moves first. In an online room, the player who sits Red moves first.
Can I undo an online move?
No. The room uses the board stored on the server. Undo and replay are available against AI and on one device.
