The Rules Of Uckers 1p1q56

THE RULES OF UCKERS The following is a well-tried set of rules of the game which are known as the basic rules. The aim of the game is to move clockwise around the board once until a player reaches the square below the coloured ones, leading to the coloured triangle at the top. The piling up of counters creates challenges for opponents to overcome. The players then move up these squares to reach their ‘Home’ and the team who gets all their 8 pieces home first are the winners. Rule 1 The game is played with a Ludo board and pieces with two dice instead of one. Rule 2 There are four players with diagonally opposite players partnering each other to form two teams. Rule 3: Start All four players in turn throw both dice and the highest scorer has first throw. Rule 4: To get out of base One six is required to get a piece out on the doorstep. The score on the other dice can be used to advance this or another piece in accordance with Rule 5. A double six can put 2 pieces out. Rule 5: Movement a) Pieces move in a clockwise direction, the number of squares equivalent to the value of the dice. The object is to get all one’s own and partner’s pieces around to their own centre home before the opponents do likewise. b) If a player has only one piece on the board he must move it the full value of both dice; intermediate squares cannot be used to knock off opponent’s pieces. Rule 5d however, may allow this. c) If a player has two pieces on the board he may use the value of one dice for each, or the value of both dice to one. d) If a player’s movements are blocked by a barrier (Rule 8a)) or because a piece is near home (Rule 10 b)), he is to take the highest value of one dice if possible, or if not possible to move with either dice, he does not move. He can, however, have extra throws in accordance with Rule 6. Rule 6: Extra throws A player receives one extra throw for a six, except in Rule 8c) when removing a barrier, and only one extra is allowed for a double six. Rule 7: Knocking off an opponent’s piece When a player’s piece lands on the same square as an opponent’s piece, the opponent’s piece is returned to base, and has to start again. Rule 8: Barriers (Blobs) a) When a player has two or more pieces on the same square, they form a barrier which blocks an opponent’s movements but not his partner’s. b) To remove a barrier an opponent has to land a piece on the square immediately behind it, throw one six and say ‘Challenge’, throw a second and third six to remove a double barrier, a fourth six to remove a triple barrier and a fifth to remove a quadruple barrier. The challenging piece occupies that square formerly occupied by the barrier, and the barrier pieces are returned to their base in accordance with Rule 7 (See Rule 9). c) Having challenged a barrier, the value of any dice subsequently thrown cannot be used to advance another piece, and having successfully challenged a barrier the player’s turn is ended no matter how many sixes have been thrown. When a six is used to indicate a challenge the second dice, even if a six, cannot be used in any way. If the second or subsequent throw is a double six, both sixes count towards the removal of a barrier. d) A player cannot move into position and challenge in the same throw.

e) To knock-off a barrier on the door-step with a piece in base requires one extra six in addition to those in b). The first six counts as the challenge and Rule 9c) applies. f) If a player cannot move another piece he must break his barrier. Rule 9: Mixed barrier If a player’s piece lands on the same square as one or more of his partner’s pieces, the result is what is known as a “Mixed Barrier”. This loses any value as a block and all pieces are to be knocked-off in the same way as a single piece (Rule 7). A player cannot challenge from a mixed barrier behind an opponent’s barrier. Rule 10: Getting home a) A piece in the home coloured lane cannot be reached by an opponent’s piece and is safe. b) A player must throw the exact score to get a piece home, except that with his last piece he may get the exact score with one dice only (see Rule 5d)). Rule 11: Throwing for one’s partner Having got all his pieces home a player waits for his next turn and tries to throw a six. Having thrown a six, a player again waits to his next turn when he can throw to help his partner’s pieces. Rule 12: Winning team The winning team is the pair who get all their eight pieces home first. Good luck!!

UCKERS This is a game that was developed in the Royal Navy by Her Majesty's sailors, to help the off watch hours. In days gone by, before the Rum ration was brutally discontinued, matelots would play a game of Uckers and the losers at the next "Tot Time," would be obliged to offer to the winner, his whole Tot, halfers, gulpers or just simply sippers, depending what was agreed before the game began. In the time honoured tradition, the winner would very rarely accept the full tot but would take a token drink, as he would if offered halfers. Gulpers and sippers were always accepted with relish. After 283 years, 31st July 1970 was the last day when rum was issued to British sailors and no doubt that since then some other form of reward for winning at Uckers has taken it's place. Uckers is played on an ordinary common or garden LUDO board, using the normal LUDO counters and a die and some of the normal LUDO rules with a few very interesting additions and alterations. Uckers is a game for either 2 or two teams of two players. With two players playing Uckers, each player takes two colours, these being in the opposite corners of the board. i.e. Green and Red or Blue and Yellow. With two teams playing, each team takes the opposite corners. The modern LUDO board is ever so slightly different from the traditional board and it only makes a slight difference to the game. The modern board no longer has a relatively safe square situated in the corner between the entry to home and the exit from base. This square is now the exit from base. It's absence as a relatively safe haven should not make all that much difference to the tactics of the game but the traditionalists will, no doubt, view the change with mistrust and concern. There is only a slight difference between the 2 player game and the 4 player game. In the 4 player game, although the two players form a team they play independently of each other in so far as throwing the die, moving the counters and tactics is concerned. In all other respects they are a team and are considered as one player. Confused? A team member throws the die for his own counters and decides which of his own counters to move but if he lands on a square occupied by one of his partner's counters, he does NOT send his partner back to his base but stays on that square and forms a MIXI-BLOB. In the 2 player game, a player can choose which of his two colours he wishes to move AFTER throwing the die. If one of his counters lands on the square occupied by his other colour, it does not send that counter back home, but forms a MIXI- BLOB. When a player throws a six, he is allowed another throw. If that player throws another six he can throw again and so on. A player must move one his counters or challenge, after throwing a six and BEFORE throwing again. A multiple throw can only be used for one particular counter. If a player throws a six and moves a particular counter all subsequent throws in that sequence, must apply to that counter, unless he throws a six and decides to challenge. The challenge can apply to a different counter. Thus a player throws a six and moves a counter, he throws again and it is another six, he can opt to challenge and forgo any further counter moves. If a player throws a six and challenges and his next throw is not a six, he cannot then opt to move a counter for that second throw; the challenge has failed. If a player cannot move the full number shown by the die, he must move a counter which CAN move the full number. If no such counter is available the turn is lost, there are no bounce backs. The die is thrown by each player and the highest throw starts. If more than one player throws the same highest throw, they throw again. A player must throw a six to leave base. A player must throw the exact score to get HOME. There are no bounce backs. A player may not advise his partner how to play a move, but a player may ask his partner for advice on how to play a particular move. If he does ask his partner, he MUST abide by his partner's decision, regardless of the potential outcome. Partners must not consult each other on how a move shall be played.

If a player has two or more counters of the same colour on the same square, it forms and is called a BLOB. No one may a BLOB except a player's partner or a player's other colour. A player's partner or other colour can land on a BLOB but that changes it to a MIXI-BLOB. An opponent cannot land on a BLOB except after a successful challenge. If a player lands on a square already occupied by the opposition's single counter, the opposition is sent back to base. If a player lands on a square already occupied by a counter, or counters of his other colour or his partner, the occupying counters are NOT sent back to base, but a MIXI-BLOB is formed. If a player lands on a square already occupied by his opponents MIXI-BLOB, all the MIXI-BLOB counters are sent back to base. When a player has a BLOB on the board and the opponent lands on the square immediately behind, at the next turn, the opponent can challenge the BLOB. A challenge is made by throwing consecutively, a six to challenge, and one six for every counter forming the BLOB. If successful, the challenger's counter occupies the square and the BLOB is sent back to base. An opponents BLOB can challenge another BLOB but if successful only ONE counter moves forward. A MIXI-BLOB CANNOT CHALLENGE. If a player throws a six and decides to challenge he says, "Once at you." If his second throw is also a six he says, "Twice at you" and so on until, either the challenge fails (and all the throws are lost) or the challenge succeeds and he says, "Get 'em off." A player does not need to declare a challenge until he has thrown the die. E.g. A player may have one counter behind a BLOB and other counters elsewhere on the board. If that player throws a six he can select whether to challenge or not and if not, he moves another counter. Tactics, skill and luck all play a part in UCKERS and the positioning of a BLOB is crucial if it is to increase a player's chances of winning. It is even more crucial not to get a MIXI-BLOB immediately behind a BLOB because a MIXI-BLOB can do nothing except wait for the BLOB to move. If, as often happens to the less skilful or inexperienced player, a player or team find that they have a MIXI-BLOB containing ALL their counters immediately behind a BLOB, they can do nothing more than sit back and watch. Because they cannot move or even challenge. The MIXI-BLOB team may forgo their turns at throwing the die, until such times as they can move. However, they can if they wish, continue to take their turn at throwing the die even though they cannot use the throw. It does keep the throwing hand IN and keeps the die HOT. Some people, however, consider it bad luck to throw and not be able to use that throw, as they could be u sixes that they could have been throwing had they been able to move. An additional rule which can be used, is to "save" sixes. That is, if a player throws a six he can save that six by noting it on a piece of paper, for use at a later time. If a player "saves" a six the subsequent throws are lost, therefore only one six per turn can be saved. A player can use any or all of his "saved" sixes at any time providing that they are used BEFORE a throw takes place and only apply to one particular counter. A player can use one or more of his saved sixes on a particular counter but the subsequent throw must also be used for that counter or lost or challenged with. A "saved" six CANNOT be used to challenge with, nor can it form part of the sequence of challenging sixes. Once a player has thrown the die, he cannot then opt to use a saved six. Saved sixes cannot be carried from one game to the next, unless the players agree to do so.