aliens vs dark magic

How to play

Aliens vs Dark Magic is a two-player strategy game played on an 8x8 board. Each side controls a team of unique pieces with special abilities.

Board and Setup

The game is played on an 8x8 grid. Each player starts with:

• 8 Alien Void Scouts (pawns)
• 2 Alien Guardians of the Void (rooks)
• 2 Alien Void Strikers (knights)
• 2 Alien Void Seers (bishops)
• 1 Alien Sorceress of the Starlit Void (queen)
• 1 Alien Void Elder (king)

Dark Magic’s pieces are similar but have different names:

• 8 Soulbound Wights (pawns)
• 2 Shadow Sentinels (rooks)
• 2 Wraith Steeds (knights)
• 2 Crimson Oracles (bishops)
• 1 Necromancer Queen (queen)
• 1 Void Monarch (king)

How Each Piece Moves and Captures

• Alien Void Scout (Pawn): Moves forward 1 or 2 squares on its first move. Captures diagonally forward. Can capture en passant if an enemy pawn moves past it.
• Alien Guardian of the Void (Rook): Moves any number of squares straight up, down, left, or right. Cannot jump over pieces.
• Alien Void Striker (Knight): Jumps in an L-shape (2 squares in one direction, then 1 square perpendicular). Can jump over pieces.
• Alien Void Seer (Bishop): Moves any number of squares diagonally. Cannot jump over pieces.
• Alien Sorceress of the Starlit Void (Queen): Moves any number of squares straight or diagonally. Cannot jump over pieces.
• Alien Void Elder (King): Moves 1 square in any direction. Can castle with a rook on its first move if the path is clear and the rook is unmoved.

Special Rules

• Castling: The king can move 2 squares toward a rook (on its first move), and the rook moves to the other side of the king.
• Pawn Promotion: When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it transforms into a knight.
• En Passant: A pawn can capture an enemy pawn that has just moved 2 squares forward, as if it had only moved 1.
• King Safety: The king cannot be left in a position where it is attacked.

How You Win

The game ends when one side has no remaining pieces. The player with surviving pieces wins. If both sides lose all pieces at the same time, it is a draw.