Regicide

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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Imperial board game; for the video game, see Warhammer 40,000: Regicide.

Regicide is an ancient human tabletop strategy game. It is played across the Imperium and has similarities to the even more ancient game of chess.[2][9][13] Regicide can be played on a circular board with a grid.[2][9]

The game is simple to learn, but difficult to master and is played across all classes from lowly refresherscrubbers to spire nobility. Many Imperial Guard officers play, claiming it hones their tactical senses, and use transportable regicide sets that can fold into their combat kit.[3] Some in the Imperium would describe it as a game played by generals and statesmen.[7]

Rules of the Game

The goal of the game is to kill the opponent's Emperor.[8] Standard regicide is played with no hooded pieces, no Tellessian variant involving a supplementary deck of cards, no wild divinitarchs or player-selected primarch pieces, each with their own differing moves.[12]

One of the ancient rules of regicide is for onlookers to not offer players advice mid-play. Playing pieces are typically two distinct colours, such as black and green. When deciding who will play which colour, the playing board might be spun to see who comes up as which colour.[7]

Variations

Many variations of regicide have been played throughout the Imperium's long history. Some variations include the use of 'hooded' pieces, which play as a different piece until revealed.[4] A ‘hooded’ board meant that several pieces, predetermined before the commencement of the game, were held in reserve. When deployed, such pieces would remain hidden, represented as lowly Citizens, until such time as they turned or killed another piece.[4]

Double regicide is another variation. It features two boards in parallel, one played backwards using militants as crowning pieces, the other played long with sentries wild and a freedom to regent-up on white-square takes after the third sequence of play.[11b]

Some worlds have produced their own variation of regicide rules, an example being the world of Glavia.[11a] The names of the game pieces can also vary from culture to culture. For example, an Emperor might be called a monarch and a citizen might be called a churl.[7]

Another common variation of regicide is Castles and dates back to before the Great Crusade.[10]

Board

Regicide being played on a circular playing field isn't an uncommon configuration. It is divided into segments, each of which made up of nexuses conjoined by the curved lines that gives the board its shape. Six spokes jut from the main nexus, the core.[4] Some consider the circular board to be the classic.[9]

Fine quality regicide sets might be carried in a heavy, brass-bound box. A fine quality board might be made of a cream-coloured wood on which the field is picked out with thick, silver wire. The playing pieces could be simple wood, artfully carved stone, or whatever else is on hand to adequately replace a missing piece, such as an autogun shell casing.[7]

Known Playing Pieces

  • Cannonade[6]
  • Castellan[6]
  • Churl[7]
  • Citizen[4] - Disposable pieces who front the major pieces, both protecting them and blocking their movement.[12]
  • Citadel[7]
  • Divinitarch[4]
  • Dragonar[6]
  • Ecclesiarch[4][7] - One of a few pieces that could move over the citizens. This can aid in aggressive strategies.[12]
  • Emperor[4]
  • Empress[4]
  • Fortress[4]
  • Magister[6]
  • Monarch[7]
  • Primarch[4] - Each player-selected primarch piece has its own unique set of moves.[12]
  • Templar [5]
  • Tetrarch[4]
  • Tetrarch Prince[14]
  • Warrior [5]

Known Checkmate Scenarios

A checkmate in regicide is known in-universe as "full mate".[12]

  • Blind Man’s Mate - a form of victory, named because it isn't seen coming.[1]
  • The Traitor's Gambit [4] - An aggressive strategy that involves moving an Ecclisiarch piece to the center of the border, ahead of the disposable citizen pieces.[12]
  • Vichek Clearance (Catachan Hook) - An elementary trap that relies entirely on an opponent underestimating the player setting the trap. This maneuver can result in a player's churl sliding across the board to rest beside their opponent's monarch, resulting in the underestimated player's victory. On Vostroya, this is called a Catachan Hook.[7]
  • Fool's Mate - When the opponent can make only one move, and if done so, then it would be full mate. Hence the name fool’s mate.[12]

Sources

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