50 Point chips for scoring the game. Preparation Take the start Hydra card with the black rectangle on the reverse and lay it face up in the centre of the table. Place the remaining Hydra cards face down on the table in a deck or a loose pile. Select a starting player.
Play passes clockwise.
Each player in turn takes a Hydra card from the pile and places it as desired on the table to link into at least one card of the growing nest. When a Hydra is completed, the player gains as many Point chips as there are heads on that Hydra. A Hydra must have at least one head, and must have a head at the end of every free branch of its body. A Bonus point is gained if the Hydra you complete has at least 3 heads. Partially edge to edge, lengthways.