Variants

This page describes game types that players can play that go beyond the built-in rules that WarLight supports. If you're looking for new and interesting ways to play WarLight, these are for you!

The variants listed on this page are not enforced by the game engine. These are intended to be implemented "on your honor." For this reason, it is recommended to play these with groups of friends you know and can trust to play by the rules.

You should also take care to explain the rules to everyone before the game starts, so everyone is on the same page.

Hunt

Recommended players: 8 and up, plus a moderator

Summary: In Hunt, each player is randomly assigned one other player that they are hunting. When someone gets eliminated, the player hunting them is awarded one point. At the end of the game, the winner is the person who scored the most points, not the one who took over the map.

Start settings: Use this template

Full rules: One player must be elected the moderator of the game. The moderator cannot play, but they should be invited to the game anyway and then decline. Declining is done so they can still chat in the game.

Before the game begins, the moderator puts all of the players names in a hat and draws each name out and records the order of the players. This defines who is hunting who - each player is hunting the player after them, and the last player drawn is hunting the first player. This ensures that nobody is hunting the same person that is hunting them.

The moderator then secretly e-mails or private-messages each player to tell them who they are hunting (who their prey is).

The game then plays out normally with no restrictions. Whenever a player is eliminated, their hunter scores one point. The hunter then inherits the prey of the eliminated player, so that everyone is always hunting one person and being hunted by one person at all times. The moderator e-mails or private messages the hunter to tell them who their next prey is.

All eliminations score a point, even if the hunter isn't the one who did the killing. This means it's not usually a good idea to attack someone too much that isn't your prey - you're just helping someone else score a point. This also means many of your neighbors won't be too interested in killing you - use this to your advantage. Surrenders or boots also count as eliminations and award a point.

As an optional rule, the moderator can also announce in chat what the score is after each elimination. This lets everyone know who is winning, which makes it harder for one player to secretly dominate the board.

Chinese Checkers

Recommended players: 6

Summary: Players start on a symmetrical map. Their goal is not to take over the entire map, but rather to occupy the entire bonus that's on the opposite side of the map from where they start.

Start settings: Use this template

Full rules: All players start out in one side of a 6-sided map. They must find their way over to the opposite side of the map, and capture the entire bonus. Once they do, they are declared the winner and all other players must surrender.

The winning player must hold the bonus at the end of the turn. If they capture it and then lose it within the same turn, that does not qualify for a win and players must continue playing until one player controls the entire bonus at the end of their turn.

Juggernaut

Recommended players: 21

Summary: 20 players team up to take down one super-player, the Juggernaut.

Start settings: Use this template

Full rules: The host should put one player in Team A, and give them Slot A. The other 20 players should be put in team B. The player in slot A starts with 1700 armies.

Blood Brothers

Reommended Players: Team game for 4 or more players Summary: If any player on a team is eliminated, the entire team is eliminated.

Important Settings:

• Teams (any size)
• No Airlift Card
• No Gift Card

Full rules: Any time a player is eliminated, surrendered, or booted, all remaining players on that team must immediately surrender. All other players must accept the surrender of any teammate who has been eliminated, surrendered or booted.

The idea is that the team is only as strong as its weakest member. Teams must try to work together to ensure no one player gets ganged up on. Conversely, the best way to eliminate your opponents is to gang up on one member of the team.

Real Locations

Recommended players: Any

Summary: Players must start in the location they are at when they join the game.

Important Settings: Earth map, allow players to choose where they start, limit players to one territory at game start.

Full rules: When players are picking the territories they want to start with, they must pick the location they are currently at in real-life as their #1 pick (as close as possible given the available possibilities on the map.)

For pick #2 and up, they must spiral out from their #1 pick so that if their #1 pick is taken by someone else, they will start as close as possible to their real-life location.

Once the game starts, players can go wherever they want and are not bound by any rules. Obviously this variant is not intended to be fair, but it's fun to play a game with lopsided populations.

If so desired, players are allowed to physically travel to a different location when making their picks so that they may take that location as their #1 pick. This is an extreme case as most players will not be willing to do so, but the option is available.

Flags

Recommended players: 5 and up

Summary: Players have the ability to forego their chance at first place in order to increase their chances at getting second place.

Important Settings: None (any settings will work)

Full rules:

• When the game starts, everyone is holding a 1st place flag. This means everyone is trying for 1st place.
• At some point when you feel you cannot win, you can downgrade your flag to a lower place. For example, you can go from holding a 1st place flag to a 2nd place flag, a 2nd place flag to a 3rd place flag, or a 1st place flag to a 3rd place flag. You would then compete with the other players that hold that same flag for that place. To downgrade your flag, just say so in public chat. The game host can keep a running total of what everyone is at.
• You can never upgrade your flag to a higher place. For example, once you declare your 2nd place flag, you can never take 1st place. The best place you can take is 2nd.
• The last person holding a 1st place flag wins, even if that player gets eliminated. The last 2nd place flag holder gets 2nd place and so on. The game ends when 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners are declared.

Strategy: It doesn't make sense to attack someone at a lower or higher placed flag than yourself. Downgrading is a big decision and should only be done if you are sure you can't win at your current level.