Herd (2022)

Herd is a two player game played with two standard, six sided dice and unlimited red and blue stones on a hexagonal grid of any size, initially empty. The two players, Red and Blue, take turns placing their own stones on the board, one or more stones per turn. Red goes first. Players are not allowed to pass. Mark Steere designed Herd in August, 2022.

Rules:
ON YOUR TURN

1. Roll the dice.
2. Remove enemy stones in the quantity indicated by the lower die value.
3. Place your stones on any unoccupied cells (except where prohibited as described below) in the quantity indicated by the higher die value.
4. If you completely surround an enemy singleton (enemy group of size 1) - that is, every one of its adjacent cells is occupied by one of your stones - you must immediately remove it.
5. For each enemy stone you surround and capture, you must add an additional stone of your color, which could then capture more enemy stones and require you to add yet more of your stones during your turn.
6. Prohibited placement: You may not place a stone on a cell completely surrounded by enemy stones - that is, a cell whose every adjacent cell is occupied by an enemy stone. If at any time during your turn, the only unoccupied cells are such self-capturing placements, your turn is concluded.

BALANCING RULE
Red, on his first turn, places the number of stones indicated by the LOWER die value.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
The game ends when the board is completely filled. Who has the most stones on the board wins.