[Icehouse] New Icehouse Game - Zamboni Wars!

[Chris Kice]

After ChiTAG last weekend, I've been trying to come up with a single 
Treehouse stash game that could also include Martian Coasters.  This is 
my first concept, but thus far seems to be playing really well.  (The 
language of the rules needs some tweaking and I need illustrations for 
the setup and movement rules, but I think the core idea is pretty solid.)

Let me know what you think!

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Zamboni Wars

An Icehouse/Treehouse game for 2-4 players

Requires: 
    - 1 Treehouse set
    - Martian Coasters
    - 6-sided die

Concept:

What could possibly be cooler than driving a Zamboni?   How about armor 
plating your Zamboni and arming it with a giant, frickin' laser!

Setup:

 - Place the coasters in their normal starting position with the 
"dotted" corners facing into the center.
 - Each player creates a 3-piece nest of their pieces and places them on 
their side ("flat") in the corner of their color board with the tip 
pointing clockwise.

Turn Sequence:
 - Roll and move
 - Fire your laser at another Zamboni (if you can)

Movement:

 - At the start of their turn, a player rolls the six-sided die to 
determine their movement points.
 - Movement costs 1 point per space in the direction the piece is 
pointing and must respect directional arrows on the board.  You can only 
move "forward" in the direction your Zamboni is pointing.
 - Turning (reorienting your Zamboni) also costs 1 point, regardless of 
the amount turned.  You can not turn 360 degrees - each turn must face 
your Zamboni in a new direction.  While you can turn to a 45-degree 
diagonal for aiming purposes (see below) you can only move in straight 
lines according to the arrows on the board spaces.
 - ** All points must be used on each turn. **  You can not stop before 
your points have been expended.
 - Two Zamobnis can not occupy the same space at the same time.  If 
another player is in your way, you have to go around them.

Firing Your Laser:

 - If, after the movement is complete, you are aimed at another Zamboni 
in range (within 4 squares) you can fire your laser.  Zamobnis can fire 
along straight or diagonal paths on the board.  (However, you will need 
to use your last movement point to turn 45-degrees to pull off a 
diagonal shot.)
 - If you have a clear shot, roll the six-sided die to see if you hit.  
If the target still has a complete Zamboni [all 3 pieces of their color 
stacked], you need a 4, 5 or 6 to hit.  If they only have 2 pieces left 
[small and medium], you need a 5 or 6 to hit.  If they only have a small 
piece left, you need a 6 to hit.
 - If you hit the target, one layer of armor is removed from the target 
Zamboni.  (Take the largest piece from the stack and remove it from the 
game.)  If the Zamboni is already down to its last piece, it is 
destroyed and the player has been eliminated.  Play until only one 
Zamboni remains.

Optional Rules:

 - Treehouse Cover Rule:  You have the option of using the Treehouse die 
as cover for the game.  You can have 1 die for every two players in the 
game.  The dice start at the center of one of the four boards, as chosen 
by a six-sided die roll-off.  (The player with the highest roll gets the 
cover on their quarter of the board.)  The Treehouse die can be pushed 
at no movement expense by any Zamboni.  Lasers cannot penetrate the
cover.  Be careful - it is possible to move the die to a position where 
it is stuck due to the restrictions of the movement arrows.  (If the die 
needs to be pushed from a direction that you can't enter the space from, 
it still works as cover but is no longer portable.)

 - Warp Zone Rule:  The center of each board is a Warp Zone and, for one 
movement point, can transport your Zamboni to the center of any other 
board.  It does not reorient your piece - you just move to the other 
board's center facing the same direction as when you departed your 
previous location.

Tips:

 - Be careful of diagonal shots.  While it may get you a quick hit, you 
need to spend the last point of your current turn to rotate 45-degrees 
to take your shot and the first movement point of your next turn to turn 
in the direction you wish to move.  If you roll a 1 on your next turn, 
you're a sitting duck for the entire round!

 - Have an escape plan.  If you manage to corner another player and miss 
your shot, one lucky roll on their part can easily turn the tables!