How to Play
In Basilika you build two things: your deck, and the battlefield itself, laid tile by tile. Then you outmaneuver your opponent across it to capture their King. Here's how a game flows.
Using your Pieces
Each Piece is represented by a different die. The Value of each die represents both its current HP and its Combat Damage. For 1A, a piece may Move or Attack once per turn. Pawns, Knights, and Kings ignore square color unless a card says otherwise. See the full movement rules.
D4Pawn D6Knight D8Bishop D10Rook D12Queen D20King
Pawns
- Moving
- One square in a cardinal direction, or a *Leap of three.
- Attacking
- One square diagonally, for 0A. A Pawn may move and attack in the same turn.
A Pawn steps one square, or Leaps three over your own pieces, but never past a wall or an opponent's piece.
Move a Pawn
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
A Pawn attacks one square diagonally. It may step and attack in the same turn, and its attack costs 0A.
Attack with a Pawn
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
Knights
- Moving
- Jumps in an L: two squares in a cardinal direction, then one to the side, over anything in between.
- Attacking
- Along the same L. After a capture, it deals +2 damage until the end of the turn and may attack again for 0A.
A Knight Jumps in an L over walls and pieces, but can't land on a wall or one of your own pieces.
Move a Knight
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
After a capture, a Knight may attack again for 0A, with +2 damage. Each capture adds another attack and +2 more.
Attack with a Knight
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
Bishops
- Moving
- Any distance diagonally, staying on its starting color or stopping on the first square of the other color. Pieces in its path block it.
- Attacking
- Along the same paths.
- Restoring
- For 1A, restore 2 HP to one of your pieces directly beside it, up to its full HP.
A Bishop slides any distance diagonally. It can pass over the other color to land on its own, or stop on the first square of the other color. Any piece or wall in its path blocks it.
Move a Bishop
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
- Restore 2 HP
A Bishop attacks along the same paths: a piece in the way blocks the attack, and so does the color rule.
Attack with a Bishop
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
- Restore 2 HP
For 1A, a Bishop restores 2 HP to a damaged piece of yours directly beside it, up to its full HP. Each Bishop can Restore once a turn, and can't move or attack after.
Restore with a Bishop
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
- Restore 2 HP
Rooks
- Moving
- Any distance in a cardinal direction, with the Bishop's color rule. Pieces in its path block it.
- Attacking
- Along the same paths.
A Rook slides any distance in a straight line. It can pass over the other color to land on its own, or stop on the first square of the other color. Any piece or wall in its path blocks it.
Move a Rook
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
A Rook attacks along the same lines: a piece in the way blocks the attack, and so does the color rule.
Attack with a Rook
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
Queens
- Moving
- Any distance in any direction. Pieces in its path block it.
- Attacking
- Along the same path, but Queens may not attack any piece on the alt-color unless the Queen is directly adjacent to it.
A Queen slides any distance in any of eight directions, onto either color. Any piece or wall in its path blocks it.
Move a Queen
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
A Queen attacks along the same paths. A piece on the other color can be attacked only from a square next to it, diagonals too.
Attack with a Queen
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
Kings
- Moving
- One square in any direction, or a *Leap of three in a cardinal direction.
- Attacking
- Like its move, but it may Leap to attack only if the attack captures.
- Generation
- For 1A, pay x of your King's HP to Create a piece of your choice whose full HP is x.
Move a King
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
A King attacks the same way, but it may Leap to attack only when the attack captures.
Attack with a King
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
For 1A, a King pays a piece's full HP to Create it on an open square directly beside it: above, below, left, or right. It keeps at least 1 HP. It can Generate once a turn, and can't move or attack after.
Generate with a King
Select one of your pieces to see where it can move and what it can attack.
- Move here
- Attack
- Not this turn
- Can’t: select it to see why
- Generate here
Every detail is in the Rules: Classic Set.