Chequered Conquest

Chequered Conquest is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries by Sigmund.

## History

Perhaps inspired by the Atral spellslinger Anivia Reman looking into table games to play with her fellow adventurers while travelling around the continent, Sigmund sought after a deeper understanding on the game of Dragonchess, seeking out information pertaining to movement openings, strategies and notable players from across the continent.

## Reading

### Completed by Sigmund

For those somehow unfamiliar, Dragonchess is a game of esteemed strategy, in which two players face off atop a chequered board of twelve-by-eight alternating squares using sixteen playing pieces for each player, with each piece having specific movement options and abilities. While the exact terminology used for each piece varies significantly from location to location, the eight different pieces are traditionally always set in the same starting arrangement - although in some unofficial settings individuals may utilise a screen between each half of the board and arrange the pieces as they see fit, adding another layer of strategy to the game. Split across the two rows closest to each player, convention dictates that the pieces are arranged as such, starting with the row at the edge of the board - *Ballista, Archer, Griffon, Dragon, Monarch, Priest, Archer, Ballista* - and then the inner of the two lines with *Cavalry* set at either end, and the six spaces between them filled with *Men-at-Arms*. These pieces can be made from anything from carved and dyed wood, painted clay, or semi-precious stone and other exotic materials, and were often deliberately shaped to depict noteworthy figures from history such as rulers or deities, or representative of significant battles or events. First and foremost however, the opposing sides are distinguished by means of colour, as determined by whether their *Greatwyrm* piece is that of Metallic or Chromatic heritage. Victory is determined by the defeat of both a player's *Monarch* and *Dragon.*

Over the years, numerous tactics have come to be named, either paying homage to the creator, but more commonly the entity, faction or the like that the move is evocative of. While by no means an exhaustive list, included below are some of the more well-known techniques, with noteworthy variations noted where applicable.

* **Avarice's Onslaught** - Relying heavily on the *Greatwyrm* piece, Avarice's Onslaught is a highly aggressive move that seeks to defeat the opposing player's *Monarch* quickly, preventing it from utilising its *Inspiring Leader* bonus to empower a unit of their choice.
* **Beastmaster's Opening** - Starting with the use of the *Griffon* piece (sometimes stylised as an *Alicorn, Bee, Chimera, Dragonnels, Eagle, Giant Bat, Harpy, Manticore, Sphinx* or *Wyvern*) to sweep forwards from the starting lines, this gives access to a high mobility unit early on in the game.
* **Erudite's Mate** - Famously utilised by Illun Ilazi against her opponent Xarthir Loneheart during the Sunar Dragonchess championship of the 243AG, Erudite's Mate is a highly situational gambit that if utilised successfully can defeat a foe in just four turns.
* **Fangs of the Wolf** - Through the unconventional combination of *Ballista* and *Men-at-Arms* pieces in combination, this technique utilises the latter to harry opponent's pieces into the range of the *Ballista,* wherein they can be assaulted from both sides simultaneously. This technique is often attempted to be used as a counter to Naavugrux's Flyby.
* **Fisherfolk's Lure** - A simple technique more often than not only effective against only the more novice of players, the Fisherman's Lure relies on leaving a valuable piece in a seemingly safe position to act as bait for an attack, before striking in to catch the opponent offguard. Despite its simplicity, layers of bluffs have been known to be built upon the basic structure of the Fisherman's Lure, and thus it continues to make an appearance in some competitive scenes nonetheless.
* **Gawylthlian Charge** - A commonly used opening, the Gawylthlian Charge involves moving one's *Cavalry* units (sometimes stylised as *Drakes*, *Elephants, Minotaurs, Orc Tribe* or *Wolves*) first, striking them in the opponent's lines to soften them for further follow up attacks before ranged attacks from *Archers* can respond.
* **Generals' Favour** - A tactic that focuses primarily on holding the formation of the inner row, Generals' Favour may hold *Ballistas* and *Archers* in their starting position for much of the early and mid game, instead favouring the movement of the *Men-At-Arms* and *Cavalry* to fill the board.
* **The Hammer of Tohmos** - While the Priest (sometimes stylised as a *Alchemist*, *Cleric, Ki-rin, Necromancer, Paladin* or *Shaman*) can be used to *Revivify* one allied unit, the Hammer of Tohmos instead utilises them as an offensive piece when utilised in combination with the *Monarch*. Setting up and coordinating this synergy between pieces can prove a challenge, but sometimes simply the threat of *Priest* and *Monarch* is adjacent squares is sufficient to dissuade moves against them.
* **Lachosi Gambit** - Sometimes referred to as the Sunar Gambit, the Lachosi Gambit is amongst the most well-known tactics in Dragonchess, but runs the risk of spiralling into a catastrophic defeat if poorly enacted. At its core, the Lachosi Gambit involves sacrificing the *Monarch* to attempt to destroy the opponent's *Dragon*, and thus is filled with risk.
* **Mawdiver's Ploy** - When comparing the pieces, few could imagine that a simple *Men-at-Arms* (sometimes stylised as *Footmen,* *Guards, Hoards, Spearmen, Raiders* or *Warriors*) could take out a *Dragon*, and yet that is what the Mawdiver's Ploy aims to achieve. Caution should naturally be afforded in using the move, as it opens up the player for both Naavugrux's Flyby and Xelzintarth's Blazer, both liable to eliminate each of the six *Men-at-Arms* upon the board in quick succession.
* **Musito's Gobble** - Included within this text for sake of aspiring for integrality, Musito's Gobble was supposedly coined by wealthy Qalraq merchant while engaged in a game with a member of the Ivory Emperor's Household. When the merchant's pet Dustbrow Fox Musito padded up to the gameboard to investigate the goings-on, it misinterpreted the pieces as treats, and managed to consume no less than nine of the pieces before the pair managed to stop it. Since then, the associated name has changed dozens of times, and it has become a humorous remark used to refer to situations when the only conceivable strategy for a losing player is to steal away and eat their opponent's pieces.
* **Naavugrux's Flyby** - A potentially devastating move, Naavugrux's Flyby (known by a variety of other names but formally referred to as such from 651AG onwards - not without controversy given its direct reference to the destruction of Estertan), Naavugrux's Flyby can potentially clear up to half a row of pieces in one flourish, but does leave the *Greatwyrm* open to attacks from the *Archers* piece if the opponent moves to anticipate it.
* **Rerkert's Ambush** - Named for the Tyndian former-Grandmaster Tilke Rerkert, Rerkert's Ambush remains a controversial move to this day, given the later actions and accusations directed towards Rerkert after the championship of 414AG and the surrounding events. Rerkert's Ambush makes extensive use of a combination of the *Priest*, *Cavalry* and *Men-at-Arms* in unison.
* **Slithering Beguile** - Famously used by Qays Rapleseple in his game against King Aubin II Allaire, the Slithering Beguile is less of a tactic and more of a psychological assault against an opponent. By using his *Monarch* to kill his own *Greatwyrm* (utilising a loophole that has since been rectified in most formal settings), Qays was said to have caused the King of Tulis so much mental anguish trying to work out the purpose of the move that he would subsequently lose to the game due to his lack of focus. Rapleseple later remarked when asked that he didn't have a particular plan when enacting the betrayal amongst his own pieces, but was delighted at the result nonetheless.
* **Spellslinger's Opening** - Usually only referred to as such when the *Ballista* pieces are instead carved to take the appearance of *Mages* (the piece additionally sometimes stylised as *Catapults, Dragons, Mangonels, Trebuchets* or *Watchtowers*), and thus otherwise referred to as the Siegemaster's Opening, the Spellslinger's Opening unleashed a ranged assault against the opponent's first moved piece, seeking to eliminate it from play.
* **Westdellian Defence** - Enacted by forming mobile clusters of pieces made up of *Archer* pieces (often stylised as individuals with other forms of ranged weaponry, such as *Crossbowmen*, *Javelins* or *Slingers*) surrounded by units of *Men-at-Arms*, the Westdellian Defence does not hesitate to cede control of stretches of the board to the opponent, instead focusing on mobile phalanxes of pieces that shift across the chequers.
* **Xelzintarth's Blazer** - While Naavugrux's Flyby serves as a variation on Xelzintarth's Blazer, Xelzintarth's Blazer also serves as a direct counterplay to Avarice's Onslaught, but only when time can be taken to prepare for it, which is oft a challenge due to the suddenness of the tactic. When elsewise used, Xelzintarth's Blazer serves to disrupt the opponent's lines, but is more defensive and conserved compared to the Flyby.
* **Zalda's Nimble Escape** - Named its creator, Zalda's Nimble Escape plants the *Monarch* amongst their *Men-at-Arms*, relying on their number to block oncoming attacks and assaults and give space for the *Monarch* to fall back should it prove prudent and/or necessary.