Breakthru (board game)
Encyclopedia
Breakthru is an abstract strategy
board game
for two players, designed by Alex Randolph
and commercially released by 3M Company in 1965, as part of the 3M bookshelf game series
. The game has been compared to Chess
and Fox and Hounds
, although it shows more characteristics of the Tafl games
of the Middle Ages
, such as Hnefatafl. As in Hnefatafl, the game features unevenly matched teams with different objectives. The 3M game set includes a board, twenty silver-colored pieces, a gold-colored "flagship" and twelve gold-colored "escorts". The game is played out as a naval battle analogous to the siege gameplay of Hnefatafl.
and twelve escorts, with the objective of evading capture
while breaking through his or her opponent's blockade
to transport the flagship to the perimeter of the board. The other player has a silver fleet of twenty ships, and forms a blockade to trap the gold flagship and destroy the gold fleet's escorts with the objective of capturing the flagship.
, and the other player becomes the "silver player".
Gold player places the flagship on the center square of the game board, and positions the rest of the ships anywhere within the boldly ruled central area of the board.
Silver player then positions the silver ships on twenty squares in the lightly ruled peripheral area of the board.
This game uses displacement capture (like Chess), rather than custodial capture (like Hnefatafl), thus when a capture is made, the captured piece is removed from the board and the vacated square is occupied by the captor.
Play continues until one player achieves his or her objective. If the flagship of the gold fleet reaches one of the outermost squares on the board, gold player wins. If the flagship is captured before it reaches the outer edge of the board, silver player wins.
Abstract strategy game
An abstract strategy game is a strategy game, aiming to minimise luck, and without a theme. Almost all abstract strategy games will conform to the strictest definition of: a board or card game, in which there is no hidden information, no non-deterministic elements , in which two players or teams...
board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
for two players, designed by Alex Randolph
Alex Randolph
Alexander Randolph was a designer of board games. Randolph's game creations include TwixT, Breakthru, Inkognito , Raj, Ricochet Robot, and Enchanted Forest ....
and commercially released by 3M Company in 1965, as part of the 3M bookshelf game series
3M bookshelf game series
The 3M bookshelf game series was a series of board games produced by 3M from 1962 to 1975. These games were marketed towards adults and were designed to fit onto a standard bookshelf. Each game fit into a slip cover that was made to resemble the spine of a hardcover book...
. The game has been compared to Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and Fox and Hounds
Fox games
Fox games are a category of board games where one player is the fox and tries to eat the geese/sheep, and the other player directs the geese/sheep and attempts to trap the fox, or reach a destination on the board. In another variant, Fox and Hounds, the fox merely tries to evade the hounds...
, although it shows more characteristics of the Tafl games
Tafl games
Tafl games were a family of ancient Germanic and Celtic board games played on a checkered or latticed board with two teams of uneven strength. The size of the board and the number of pieces varied, but all games involved a distinctive 2:1 ratio of pieces, with the lesser side having a king-piece...
of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, such as Hnefatafl. As in Hnefatafl, the game features unevenly matched teams with different objectives. The 3M game set includes a board, twenty silver-colored pieces, a gold-colored "flagship" and twelve gold-colored "escorts". The game is played out as a naval battle analogous to the siege gameplay of Hnefatafl.
Objectives
One player has a gold fleet consisting of one large flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
and twelve escorts, with the objective of evading capture
Capture
Capture may refer to:* Capture , to remove the opponent's piece from the board by taking it with one's own piece* Capture , situations in which a government agency created to act in the public interest instead acts in favor of other interests...
while breaking through his or her opponent's blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
to transport the flagship to the perimeter of the board. The other player has a silver fleet of twenty ships, and forms a blockade to trap the gold flagship and destroy the gold fleet's escorts with the objective of capturing the flagship.
Setup
The "gold player" is determined arbitrarily or by coin tossCoin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
, and the other player becomes the "silver player".
Gold player places the flagship on the center square of the game board, and positions the rest of the ships anywhere within the boldly ruled central area of the board.
Silver player then positions the silver ships on twenty squares in the lightly ruled peripheral area of the board.
Play
Gold player chooses who goes first. Players move alternately by making two moves or one capture anywhere on the board. When the flagship is moved, only one move or capture is made (thus only the flagship).Moves
A player may move two of the smaller playing pieces any number of vacant squares either horizontally or vertically on the board (as a rook in Chess, except that no captures can be made with this move), although if the flagship is moved, the gold player may not move another playing piece.Captures
A player may move any playing piece (including the flagship) one square diagonally to capture one of his opponent's playing pieces. (This move is similar to the capture-move of the pawn in Chess, except that captures can be made on any of the four diagonals.)This game uses displacement capture (like Chess), rather than custodial capture (like Hnefatafl), thus when a capture is made, the captured piece is removed from the board and the vacated square is occupied by the captor.
Play continues until one player achieves his or her objective. If the flagship of the gold fleet reaches one of the outermost squares on the board, gold player wins. If the flagship is captured before it reaches the outer edge of the board, silver player wins.
External links
- Breakthru at The Game Pile