Hexchess is a popular Hexian strategy game, playable by two, three, or six players commanding three, two, or one armies each, respectively. The board consists of a six-sided hexagon; each side has nine hexagonal cells. Pieces may either move orthogonally (crossing a common border between hexes) or diagonally (following the line between hexes rather than a common border). Conventional chess pieces would adapt to this such that pieces like the Rook can move only orthogonally, while pieces like Bishops can only move diagonally. The board looks like this:
DEMONIAC PATRON
At the beginning of every game of Hexchess, a die is rolled to determine which of the six Patron Archdemons of Hex will reign over the game. These Archdemons modify the rules to each game slightly:
| Roll (1d6) | Archdemon |
| 1 | Astaroth: An Archwizard is automatically “checkmated” once it has been checked three times. |
| 2 | Belphegor: A piece being attacked by another piece of the same type becomes paralyzed until one of the pieces is captured by another piece or the line of attack is broken. |
| 3 | Demogorgon: Once an Archwizard casts all of its spells, it can select six new spells. |
| 4 | Lilith: When an enemy piece is captured, that piece can be deployed onto the battlefield as a friendly piece anywhere on the seven back-rank starting cells as a move, provided a cell is empty. Ghosts are immune, and Zombies and Ghouls must be permanently destroyed to be redeployed. |
| 5 | Merihem: When a Ghoul captures a piece, that piece falls over as per a Ghoul or Zombie and can “rise” as a Ghoul controlled by the original Ghoul’s player. This includes enemy Zombies but not enemy Ghosts. |
| 6 | Orobas: Zombies and Ghouls can move up to two cells orthogonally instead of only one square. They cannot capture en passant. Zombies must choose to move one or two cells forwards or at 60 degrees to capture – they cannot split their move between forward movement and capturing. |
If a die is unavailable, the Demoniac Patron is typically determined by placing six Zombie pieces of the six different colours in a bag or hat and drawing one – white is Astaroth, black Belphegor, blue Demogorgon, pink Lilith, green Merihem, and gold Orobas. This method can also be used to determine who goes first in a game.
There are also many “heretical” variants of Hexchess played throughout the city with different patron Demons; these are typically used for friendly games only and agreed to ahead of time by all players involved, or drawn out of a hat.
CHECKMATING
When an Archwizard is checkmated, it and all its pieces are removed from the board. If playing under Lilith’s patronage, these pieces become available to be redeployed by the player who checkmated. If more than one player contributed to the checkmate, whoever has the most pieces checking the Archwizard claims the captured pieces. In the case of a tie, a die is rolled, and whoever gets the highest number claims the captured pieces (re-roll ties).
If an Archwizard could be captured due to a discovered check facilitated by another colour – say by an Imp or a spell removing defending pieces from one colour, freeing up an opportunity for another to capture – this does not count as an automatic checkmate. The Archwizard cannot be captured, only checkmated – if it can move out of danger on its player’s turn, it is still capable of escaping and therefore not checkmated. In other words, enemy pieces can only check an Archwizard, not capture it, even if that check is a discovered check assisted by another colour’s captures. Checkmate is always evaluated on the turn of the player potentially being checkmated, not before, allowing them a chance to escape via spells.
PIECES
Instead of the conventional chess pieces, standard Hexchess uses the following:
Zombie
Each player begins with six zombies. Zombies move up to one cell orthogonally and can only move forwards. They can only capture enemy pieces at 60 degrees to themselves. If a Zombie is captured, it is placed on its side. If a fallen Zombie’s cell is unoccupied, the Zombie can use its move to return to upright position, and subsequently can continue moving and capturing as per normal. An enemy piece occupying a Zombie’s cell can use its move to permanently remove the fallen Zombie from the board. A Zombie which reaches another end of the board is promoted to a Ghoul. Pieces can move through cells containing fallen Zombies, and fallen Zombies do not break lines of attack. Fallen Zombies are not affected by spells and do not provoke Ghouls.
Ghoul
Each player begins with one Ghoul. Ghouls move up to one cell orthogonally in any direction. If a Ghoul is in a position to capture, the only move it can make is to capture (the player can let it remain where it is, however). If there are multiple targets it must capture one of them if it moves. Ghouls die and return just as Zombies do.
Imp
Each player begins with two Imps. Imps can move two cells orthogonally or diagonally in any direction. An Imp cannot capture except by en passant – if a piece moves within one cell of it in any direction, it can “hop” over that piece to capture it. If an Imp captures one piece, it can continue to jump and capture provided there are sufficient enemy pieces to do so, but must stop moving as soon as it can no longer capture. Imps cannot land on an occupied cell, but they can hop over friendly pieces.
Ghost
Each player begins play with two Ghosts. Ghosts move diagonally as many cells as they like in any direction. If a Ghost is captured, you may sacrifice any other piece on the board (including a fallen Zombie or Ghoul) in order to return the Ghost to its starting cell so long as the cell is empty or there is an enemy piece on it. If an enemy piece is on that cell, the Ghost captures and becomes that piece, “possessing” it, and no longer returns to its previous cell if later captured. If a Ghost does not have an original starting cell (having been created via Polymorph, Doppelganger, etc), it does not possess this ability. Ghosts cannot possess one another and cannot possess Archwizards.
Fungoid
Each player begins play with two Fungoids. Fungoids can move orthogonally as many cells as it likes in any direction. If the Fungoid is captured, its capturer and all pieces on orthagonally adjacent cells, friendly or enemy, are knocked over as per Zombies or Ghouls, and can “wake up” as per Zombies or Ghouls.
Doppelganger
Each player begins play with one Doppelganger. The Doppelganger moves three cells orthogonally – two in one direction, and then one at 60 degrees. Upon taking an enemy piece, the Doppelganger moves and attacks as per that piece, until it captures a different piece. Like Imps, Doppelgangers can “hop” over enemy pieces, though they cannot capture en passant.
Familiar
Each player begins with one Familiar. The Familiar can move in any direction as many cells as it likes, orthogonally or diagonally, but cannot capture enemy pieces (it can dispatch fallen Zombies and Ghouls). However, the Familiar can be used to cast any spells the Archwizard has prepared as if it were the Archwizard, including any spells that directly affect the Archwizard or which affect pieces adjacent to the Archwizard. These spells are still used up.
Archwizard
The Archwizard is the “leader” of a given army. It can move one cell orthagonally or diagonally in any direction, can be checked and checkmated like a King in standard Chess, and cannot move into check. Each Archwizard also has a list of six memorized Spells, written on a sheet of paper beforehand. These are special moves; each time one is used, it is crossed off and is no longer available to the Archwizard. Players must secretly select six Spells before each game. Archwizards cannot affect one another with Spells. Spells include:
- Banish: The Archwizard moves and captures a piece it attacks. That piece is removed from the game and cannot be returned through any means, even if it is a Ghost, Ghoul, or Zombie, and even if Lilith is the patron Archdemon.
- Burning Hands: Up to three orthogonally adjacent pieces are captured, including any friendly pieces.
- Charm: Move one of the enemy’s pieces instead of your own.
- Deflect: A piece giving a check to the Archwizard or attacking the Familiar is instantly captured without the Archwizard or Familiar moving.
- Haste: A piece orthagonally or diagonally adjacent to the Archwizard immediately takes two moves. This cannot be used to checkmate an Archwizard by “capturing” it but can put one in check.
- Lightning Bolt: The Archwizard moves diagonally or orthogonally any number of cells and captures an enemy piece.
- Mirror Image: Two other Archwizard pieces are placed in cells orthagonally or diagonally adjacent to the Archwizard. One of these is the real Archwizard, secretly noted down by the player. The other two are illusions which can move like the Archwizard but cannot capture enemy pieces or cast Spells of their own. If placed in check, they are revealed as illusions. These pieces do block the movement of friendly pieces and interrupt lines of attack.
- Petrify: A piece orthagonally or diagonally adjacent to the Archwizard is permanently frozen in place. It cannot move or capture but can be captured.
- Polymorph: Any friendly orthagonally or diagonally adjacent piece is transformed into any other piece aside from another Archwizard, or any enemy piece is transformed into any other piece aside from another Archwizard.
- Reanimate: Instead of capturing a piece it attacks, the Archwizard converts it into a friendly Zombie.
- Shield: All friendly pieces adjacent to the Archwizard cannot be captured next turn.
- Summon: The Archwizard conjures any piece on an orthagonally or diagonally adjacent cell. This piece remains on the board until the end of the player’s next turn.
- Stinking Cloud: All pieces on orthagonally adjacent cells, friendly or enemy, are knocked over as per Zombies or Ghouls, and can “wake up” as per Zombies or Ghouls.
- Teleport: The Archwizard swaps places with a friendly piece.
A variety of other pieces are common additions to the game, especially its regional variations. For example, the Faerie version of Hexchess (“Elfchess”) involves a number of invisible Pixies who reveal themselves only after attacking, enemy pieces that be transformed into friendly ones unexpectedly (Changelings), swaps Ghosts for Treefolk that can “root” themselves to become harder to capture, changes Zombies into Goblins who lose the ability to return to the dead but gain the abiltiy to retreat when attacked, and many other substitutions.
SETTING UP
Hexchess is set up such that each army is positioned at one corner of the board. Place a Ghost in the corner square; widdershins, place the Archwizard, and clockwise, the Familiar. Place a Fungoid directly adjacent to each of these previous pieces along the edge of the board. Ahead of the Ghost, place a second Ghost, and then place to Imps to either side. Place the Doppelganger ahead of the second Ghost. On the fourth and final rank, place six Zombies flanking one Ghoul in the centre. The setup should look like this for each corner:
Repeat for the remaining colours and assign armies to each player. Each player now selects their six spells, written on a piece of paper and kept secret from the other players. At some more luxurious chance-houses, cards are used for these spells in lieu of a slip of paper.
The fully set up board should look like this:
