Gamehelpcattle

Gamehelpcattle

Overview

Cattle is a game for 2 players. One player leads the Sheep, the other commands the UFOs.
• UFOs win by abducting 3 sheep.
• Sheep win the moment any UFO cannot move (it can neither step nor jump).

Components

• A round board with 31 points joined by lines (a centre point and three rings)
• 12 sheep (1 starts on the centre point, 11 in the Sheep player's hand)
• 3 UFOs (they start on the outer ring)
• 3 tractor beams for the UFO player

Turn order

The Sheep player always goes first. Players then alternate, doing exactly one action per turn.
If a player has no possible action, they pass.

Sheep player

While you still have sheep in hand, you must place one sheep on any empty point. Sheep on the board cannot move yet.

Once all sheep are placed, on your turn choose one:
• Move: move one sheep one step along a line to an empty point.
• Jump: jump one sheep over an adjacent sheep, in a straight line, to the empty point directly behind it.

A sheep held by a tractor beam can no longer move. Nobody can ever jump over a UFO.

UFO player

On your turn choose one:
• Move: move one UFO one step along a line to an empty point.
• Jump: jump one UFO over an adjacent sheep, in a straight line, to the empty point directly behind it.
• Tractor beam (3 per game): choose an empty point next to any UFO, then pull a free sheep that is next to that point onto it. That sheep is now held and can no longer move.

Abduction

When a UFO jumps over a sheep, you may choose to abduct it: the sheep is removed from the board and the UFO carries it.
Each UFO can carry only one sheep. A UFO that is already carrying a sheep can still jump, but cannot abduct again.

Straight jumps

A jump must continue in a straight line: around a ring it follows the same ring, and along a spoke it follows the same spoke.

End of the game

• After every action, the game checks whether a side has won.
• UFO player: 3 sheep abducted → win.
• Sheep player: any one UFO is trapped (no step and no jump possible) → win.

Playing on BGA

• Placing / moving: click a highlighted point. To move, first click your piece, then its destination. Orange rings show jumps.
• Abducting: when a UFO jumps a sheep, choose Abduct the sheep or Just jump over.
• Tractor beam: press the Tractor beam button, click the empty point, then the sheep to pull.
• 2D / 3D: switch the view above the board. In 3D, drag the table to rotate it and change the angle; Reset view puts it back.
• Zoom: use − / + (60% – 160%), or pinch / Ctrl + mouse wheel over the board.

Tips

• Sheep: fill the board so UFOs run out of space — a UFO surrounded by sheep that cannot be jumped is trapped.
• Sheep: avoid leaving a lone sheep with an empty point behind it next to a UFO.
• UFOs: keep your UFOs mobile; one trapped UFO loses the game.
• UFOs: save tractor beams to pull a key sheep out of a closing wall.