Hedu

Introduction:Hedu (from Old English: HÄ“ahþu, meaning "height") is a finite game for two players: Black and White. It is played on the hexes (cells) of a initially empty hexagonal board. The recommended board size is 6 cells per side, but boards of 5 or 7 are also valid. Each player has access to a sufficient supply of stackable pieces of their own color. Definitions: A stack is a set of pieces of the same color placed on the same cell. A single piece is also a stack. The height of a stack is the number of pieces it contains. A group is a maximal set of stacks of the same color and height that are connected. A single stack is also a group. The size of a group is the number of stacks it contains. A region is a maximal set of connected empty cells, bounded by stacks of any color or the edge of the board. A group controls a region after comparing (i) the size and (ii) the height of all groups adjacent to the region, according to whether they are the largest or highest. If (i) does not determine who controls it, use (ii) for the largest groups. If (ii) does not determine it either, repeat the process with (i) and (ii) in that order for the next largest groups. If it is still not determined, the player with more adjacent stacks controls it. The value of a region is the height of the group that controls it. To increase is to add pieces on top of a stack. To reduce is to remove pieces from a stack and taking them off the board. A prisoner is a piece removed from the board when reducing a stack. Turns:Black plays first, and then turns alternate. On your turn, perform the following actions in order: Place a stack of your color on an empty cell adjacent to a region. Simultaneously reduce the height of all enemy stacks, then the height of all friendly stacks, according to the number of adjacent regions for each. Simultaneously increase the height of all stacks, both enemy and friendly, according to the number of adjacent regions for each. End of the game:The game ends when no player can place stacks. At the end, each player calculates their score by summing the value of the regions they control, the number of captured prisoners, and half a point for the player with the largest group in both size and height. The player with the highest score at the final position wins. To balance the game, before starting, the first player places a black stack on an empty cell, and the second player chooses a side. This balancing method is called the pie rule. Notes:A special thanks to Coray Clark, who made a material contribution to the game rules, particularly in the hierarchy of region control, which prioritizes group size over height. While the original idea was to prioritize height over size, the current approach is better as it provides additional means of retaliation. –description from designer