NOTE
The rules are also to be found in the animated demos; they are easier to follow there with the game illustrated.

The figures that are refered to below are found on the illustrations supplied with the game. Figures will be added to this page shortly.

DEFINITIONS
Read the rules first, referring back to these when you first come across them underlined.

Adjacent: Next to, either horizontally or vertically - not diagonally.

Besieged: (Of a single ringfort/hill only) being surrounded on all available adjacent sides by enemy ringforts, figs. 8a-d. Once you link a ringfort to another, they cannot be besieged.

Hill: One of the 45 board cells centred on a single hole, fig. 3.

Kingdom: A group of one or more linked ringforts of the same colour, fig. 5.

Knight's Move: The basic move, in the manner of a chess knight, i.e., one by two or two by one, fig. 6.

Knot: A continuous loop or strand within a kingdom. Fig. 13 shows single knot kingdoms as Blue and multiple knot kingdoms as Red. Different styling is used to highlight each Red knot. Click here to find out more.

Linking: Placing one bridge tile between the new ringfort and each adjacent friendly ringfort. Bridge tiles only fit one way round, replacing two corner tiles. If the new ringfort links to one other ringfort, one bridge is used; if it links to two ringforts, two bridges are used, etc.. All links are made in the same turn, figs. 7a-e.

Ringfort: Initially, a group of four corner tiles fitted around a hill matching the board markings. A complete ringfort is built in a single turn, fig. 4. They can be linked to other friendly ringforts in Battle.

Territory: The total number of hills occupied by each player.

fig. 3 - A hill.
fig. 4 - A ringfort made with four corner tiles.
fig. 5 - Five examples of kingdoms.
fig. 6 - Examples of knight's moves. Red has eight possible moves marked with ticks; Blue has three.
figs. 7a-e - Examples of tile assembly when building a ringfort adjacent to friendly ringforts.
fig. 8a - Example of a besieged hill.
figs. 8b-d - Examples of besieged ringsforts which have then been captured. Note that there are different methods for capturing ringforts in each game.

AIM
To build the least number of kingdoms/knots by the time the game is ended and (just in case you both control the same number) to control the largest territory.

PREPARATION
Draw lots to determine who starts. Sit opposite your opponent with the empty board set squarely between you. Each of you takes the tiles of your chosen colour, ignoring the kings. Agree to score with kingdoms or knots. A match comprises two games; each player taking turns to start.

FIRST PHASE - MANOEUVRES
You take turns to build your ringforts on vacant hills one at a time. You may build your first one anywhere. Subsequently, your ringforts must be built at a knight's move from any one of your own ringforts, but not any closer than a knight’s move from any of your others, figs. 9a-b. Note that ringforts may be built adjacent to enemy ringforts. When you can no longer build a ringfort in the prescribed manner, the Battle starts for yourself; your opponent may take longer to reach the Battle, fig. 9c.

fig. 9a - Red started and Red to move. Ticks are legal moves but crosses are not. Crosses are too close (within a knight's move) to friendly ringforts.
fig. 9b - Blue to move. Blue must build on one of the ticked hills before proceeding to Battle. However, Red still has two more ringforts to build before proceeding to Battle.

Once you touch a hill you are committed.

SECOND PHASE - BATTLE
The knight's move rule no longer applies. You must now build ringforts on vacant hills adjacent to your own ringforts, linking them in the same turn to form larger kingdoms/knots. All single ringforts that are left on their own will eventually be captured.

fig. 9c - Blue has already built two ringforts in Battle. Red proceeds to Battle and must now build on hills adjacent to friendly ringforts which are marked with ticks.

Towards the end of a game you may find that there are no hills to build on which are adjacent to your own ringforts. You must still build a ringfort, but if it is on an already besieged hill (see Capturing Ringforts), your opponent must capture it before building any new ringforts.

CAPTURING RINGFORTS
If you besiege an enemy ringfort, it must be captured on your next turn. The ringfort is removed, then replaced by one of your own and linked to your own kingdom(s), all in the same turn, figs. 8b-d & 9d-e.

fig. 9d - Red previously besieged a blue ringfort and must now capture it.

ILLEGAL MOVES
If you make an illegal move and it is spotted before your opponent takes their next turn, your opponent may order you to retract that ringfort, then replay the move with one of their own choosing. This replacement ringfort may be built on any vacant hill, regardless of any rules pertaining at the time.

PASSING
Passing is not allowed.

END OF THE GAME
The game ends when the board is full and no besieged ringforts are left. If, when the last vacant hill is built upon, there are still besieged ringforts, they must be captured before the game ends.

SCORING
The winner is the player with the least number of kingdoms/knots. The winner scores 2 points plus the difference in the number of kingdoms/knots. If you both control the same number, the winner is the player with the largest territory. The winner scores 2 points plus the difference in the territory.

fig. 9e - Finished game scoring with kingdoms: Blue has 2 kingdoms and Red has 3, so Blue wins. Blue scores 2 points (for the win) plus 1 point (for the difference between 2 and 3) which equals 3 points.

When scoring with knots, make sure that all ringforts are linked on every side, as this will affect the knot count, fig. 13. Corner tiles only surround kingdoms; bridge tiles make all links. An easy way to check how many knots there are in a kingdom is to trace a knot from any point removing just the bridges. If all are removed, the kingdom has one knot; if bridges remain you have more than one. Repeat the process.

fig. 9e - Finished game scoring with knots: Blue and Red both have 4 knots, so territory is counted. Red has 23 hills and Blue has 22, so Red wins. Red scores 2 points (for the win) plus 1 point (for the difference between 23 and 22) which equals 3 points.

fig. 13 - Examples of knots within kingdoms. Blue kingdoms have a single knot whilst Red kingdoms have multiple knots. Different styling is used to highlight each Red knot.