Every piece starts face down. Capturing the first thing you can often trades away the commander, or sends an engineer into a mine too early. See whether the opponent can reach your flag next, then decide whether to flip, take the railway, or spend a bomb. If the movement is still new, read the Army Chess rules and try one idea in a game against AI.
Watch the Flag
Before you move, ask whether the opponent can step on your flag next turn. The flag and the mines cannot step aside, so moving their last guard ends the game. If the flag is under an immediate threat, a capture somewhere else can wait.
On attack, find the piece standing in front of the enemy flag. A flip, a bomb, or an engineer can open that path. A piece in a camp cannot be captured, so do not park your only route into headquarters inside one.
Engineers and Mines
Only an engineer stays on the board after clearing a mine. Anything else that hits a mine is removed with it. Keep the engineer until a mine is showing, instead of spending it on the railway first.
An engineer can turn corners along the railway and travel farther than the other pieces. Use that to find mines, or to carry a bomb onto the railway, rather than trading the engineer for a low rank.
When to Use a Bomb
A bomb is not ranked. It disappears together with a commander, a field marshal, or another bomb. On this site, a bomb that reaches the flag wins. Before you play it, check that the piece you remove is already revealed, and that the flag is still guarded afterward.
Practice One Skill
Practice one habit per game: look at the flag first, save the engineer for mines, or count the reply before you spend a bomb. After the game, replay the first turn that left the plan, then undo and try the other choice.
First-game checklist
- Opening: Red flips first. Learn your own half before you reveal the commander or the squares beside the flag.
- Middlegame: Before a capture or a railway move, check that the opponent cannot reach your flag next. If you are unsure, compare the hint and see whether it reveals a strong piece.
- Review: Find the first position where the flag was exposed, go back one move, and compare defending, clearing a mine, and spending a bomb.
FAQ
Which square should the first flip be?
There is no required square. Flip something on your half near the railway, not pressed against the flag. The flag and mines cannot move after they are revealed, so leave headquarters face down on the first turn.
Should an engineer take the railway early?
Only when a mine is already showing. The railway lets an engineer travel, and it also lets one run into a revealed mine. Until then, keep the engineer where it can still come back to the flag.
When is a bomb worth spending?
Spend it on a revealed commander, field marshal, or general when the flag will still be guarded. Blowing up a low rank and leaving the flag open is a loss.
How do I use a hint without copying it?
Decide whether to flip or move, then compare that with the hint. If they differ, look at the flag, the mines, and the railway. The hint uses the AI level you selected.
