/\ __ __ /\ /__\ _____ / /_ ____ _____ /_/__ __ _____ /__\ /\ / ___// __ \ / __ \ / ___// // / / // ___/ \_ /__\ / / / /_/ // /_/ // / / // /_/ /_\ \ \_/ /_/ /_/___/ \____//_/ /_/ \____//____/ / Arborius: Game of Trees
As a collectible army building game with a remarkably simple, and totally freeform crafting system, literally any tile can be freely combined with any other, multiple, or even enemy tiles in any order, and the result can in turn be merged again, with absolutely no limits. The pieces are all square magnetic tiles, which can be easily stacked and rotated. Each is marked with their own unique abilities and strengths. Every Arborius tile has a power level that determines how strong it is. Each is added up to calculate the overall power of a deck. Players agree on a total deck power for their armies before play. Raising the total increases the length of a game, because decks fit more tiles. Every tile has the same simple movement:
Tiles can move forward.
Tiles can rotate 90 degrees at a time.
Tiles can move on top of each other.
Or step down.
When stepping down, they may rotate once for free.
Tiles can attack spaces directly in front of them, or below them.
Setup:
Arborius is played over multiple small boards that come and go as a game unfolds. All the tiles on a "board" will be touching, so physical grid markings aren't necessary. Players start with only one tile in play. Over the course of the game, tiles will move from a player's deck onto a board, and eventually into the graveyard. Basic starting positions:
Playing tiles:
Play a tile by moving it from your deck ontop of a tile you already own. Rotate the new tile to match orientation.
Win condition:
A player wins when their opponent is unable to make a move. This happens when all their tiles are either dead, or covered up by other player's tiles. Tiles are completely disabled while covered. Here blue has won by covering all of yellow's tiles.
Imagine a game of chess. The board is flat. Positional advantage is determined entirely by tiles' attacks. In Arborius, it's determined by terrain, which is made up of the tiles themselves.
With high ground advantage, players fight to control more valuable positions in the playspace. Controlling the top of a stack allows the entire column to be moved or rotated at once.
CRAFTING AND INVENTORY
Now it gets interesting.
Tiles can also move inside each other...
This is the building/crafting system. When a tile moves inside another tile, we start another separate board.
This additional board represents the "inside" of the tile, or its "inventory" You still take one move across all boards, rather than one move in each board.
A piece may use any of the abilities from its inventory as its own.
Equipping your tiles with internal structures makes them more powerful.
Enemy tiles can enter your own, and attack your items directly, but enemy tiles' abilities can also be used from your inventory.
There are no limits on the depth of inventories.
Note:
Isolated tiles with no adjacents are destroyed. To distinguish a new "board", just put the tiles more than one tile away from the others. Tiles can't be away from each other and still be on the same board.
Attacking:
When a tile attacks, deal damage equal to the height of the tallest stack of tiles in it. For example the tallest stack here, is 4 tiles tall, so this tile deals 4 damage with each attack.
Defending:
When a tile takes damage from an attack, the defender must remove that many stacks of items from it. The removed items get spilled around the defender, on top of empty spaces, or pre-existing allies. If the defender runs out of adjacent allies to spill the items onto, the remainder are moved to the graveyard. Finally, if a tile runs out of items, it is also destroyed.