IRON ARENA

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IRON ARENA is a chess-like game, with three different piece sets (factions):

Players take turns moving their pieces on the 9x9 board.
Capturing works similarly to chess, although there are other ways to destroy enemy pieces.
Some pieces have special abilities which are activated after moving.
Some pieces gain special abilities on reaching the Forge Line (middle row).
Some pieces activate special abilities on reaching the end row.
A player wins by capturing the enemy "king-piece" (Father Time, The Mistress, The Scientist). A Clockworks player may also win by moving Father Time to the end row.
Unlike Chess, there is no stalemate, and a player may move their king piece into check. It is up to the other player to end the game.
A player which causes a board position to appear for a third time loses the game by repetition.
A games ends in a draw after 160 moves have been played.

CLOCKWORK FACTION - movement rules:

COG: moves one square forwards diagonally. On reaching the Forge Line: may also move one square diagonally backwards. On reaching the end row or by combining with another Cog: turns into a Gear piece.
GEAR: moves one square in any direction. Created from one or two Cog piece(s).
PENDULUM: moves one square in any direction, or any distance horizontally.
SPRING: moves one square in any direction. RECOIL ability: may move the maximum distance in any direction, if there is an empty adjacent square in the opposite direction.
HANDS: moves up to four squares in any direction.
DIAL: moves one square orthogonally. RECALL ability: after moving, may send an enemy piece (except a king-piece or another Dial) in its line of sight back to any starting square for that piece type.
FATHER TIME: moves one square diagonally forwards, or up to two squares forwards. On reaching the end row: wins the game.

BLADES FACTION - movement rules:

DAGGER: moves up to two squares forward, or one square sideways. On reaching the Forge Line: can move one square diagonally forwards. Stab mechanic: may move two squares to capture; always retreats one square after capturing. On reaching the end row: can ASSASSINATE any enemy piece (applies to a king-piece only if is it the only enemy piece left).
AXE: moves one square orthogonally. SLASH ability: after moving, may destroy all pieces (including friendly pieces) in the three squares diagonally and immediately ahead.
SICKLE: moves one square orthogonally then two or three squares in a perpendicular direction. Can leap over other pieces.
SABRES: moves up to five squares diagonally.
SWORD: moves up to five squares orthogonally.
THE MISTRESS: moves one square in any direction. After reaching the Forge Line: can SIDESTEP (move one extra square in any direction) after capturing.

AXIOM FACTION - movement rules:

PHIAL: moves one or two squares forward. Self destructs when capturing. On reaching the Forge Line: can move one square sideways. On reaching the end row: will automatically DETONATE, destroying all friendly and enemy pieces within three squares.
MAGNET: moves one square in any direction. ATTRACT ability: after moving, may pull a friendly or enemy piece (except an enemy king-piece) along its line of sight.
TORCH: moves one square in any direction. BURN ability: after moving, may destroy an adjacent enemy.
SCALES: move any distance orthogonally. Capture mechanic: captures by leaping over another (friendly or enemy) piece.
TELESCOPE: moves by at least three squares in any direction.
THE SCIENTIST: moves one square orthogonally. Cannot capture.

Online games

ELO rating: —

Axiom: —

Blades: —

Clockwork: —

AI games