STACKS
A game for two players that's piles of fun!
By Derek Hohls

The objective is for either player to be the first to form a row of his stacks, four spaces long, in a direction (orthogonally or diagonally). Each stack in the row must contain either the same number of pieces, or an equal, step-wise increment from start to end of the row.

Examples: 2, 2, 2, 2 (same number of pieces in each stack); 1, 2, 3 and 4 pieces in a row (increment of 1); or 3, 5, 7, 9 (increment of 2).

Board
A 4x4 grid

Pieces
One differently coloured set of 24 markers for each player

The board is placed between the two players.

The 24 markers are placed in a stock pile next to each player.

Players decide who moves first, then play alternates.

A play consists of one of the following actions:

• Place a stack of pieces - 1, 2 or 3 pieces high - on any unoccupied space on the board
• Place additional pieces on an existing stack (belonging to the player whose turn it is)
• Use a stack of pieces to attack an adjacent enemy stack (see below) of smaller size
• Move a stack of pieces to any unoccupied space on the board (see below)

A player may only attack a stack with fewer pieces in it than the attacking stack. The attacking stack loses a number of pieces equal to those in the defending stack, which is removed from the board. The attacking stack is then moved to the previously occupied square and then loses one additional piece.

All pieces removed in the attack are returned to the owning player's stock pile where they may be reused.

Note that all the pieces in the attacking stack must be moved to the defender's square i.e. it is not possible to attack with part of a stack.

A stack may only be moved one space (orthogonally or diagonally) to an unoccupied space.

Each time a stack is moved, it loses one piece. A piece removed after movement is returned to the owning player's stock pile where it may be reused.

A stack which is one piece high cannot be moved.