18 July 2014 Mole Majority - Key Concepts
In playing, testing, playtesting, coaching, describing the game to others, and finally in writing the first version of the ruleset, I realized that special attention must be paid to two important aspects of Mole Majority. These are described below (reprinted from the first version of the rules).
ESSENTIAL INFO: AREA CONTROL AND MAJORITY
Hexes consist of a central Claim Spot surrounded by 3, 4, 5, or 6, Mole Spaces. The more Mole Spaces that are on a hex, the more Domain Points it is worth at the end of the game. By balancing expansion and defense of various hexes, players can gain and hold on to hexes until the end of the game. Having the largest population of Moles in a hex is key to gaining Majority (and Domain Points) across the game board.
Whenever all the Mole Spaces on a hex are occupied by Moles, players must immediately check to see who has Majority Control of that hex.
- If a hex is completely occupied by a single player's Moles, that player has Majority.
- If a hex is occupied by several player's Moles, the player with the MOST Moles in that hex has Majority.
- If there is a tie for Majority, the player whose Moles most recently moved into that hex has Majority.
Once Majority is determined, the player with Majority takes one of their unused Claim Tokens and places it on the Claim Spot of that hex.
If a hex has a Claim Token on it, but no Moles, then the Claim Token is removed and returned to the respective player's supply.
By effectively choosing when to defend ones territory or aggressively move forward, combined with use of the SPECIAL EFFECT cards, a player will be able to use their understanding of Majority to their advantage. The timing of placement of Claim Tokens can shift the balance of Domain Points even up to the end of the game.
ESSENTIAL INFO: WHAT IS A "TUNNEL NETWORK?"
The Tunnel Network is the series of hexes across the board over which a player has some form of control. It is important for a player to keep the extent of their own Tunnel Network in mind at all times, as well as that of the other players.
There are three categories of hexes in a player's Tunnel Network, listed here with the most important first:
- CLAIMED HEXES:A player has a Claim Token in this hex. It's worth points to them at the end of the game.
- OCCUPIED HEXES: A player has a Mole Token in this hex.
- NEIGHBOR HEXES: This hex shares a border with at least one of that player's Occupied Hex(es).
The MOVE action, played with NUMBER cards, is the only way to increase the spread of a player's Tunnel Network.
A general strategy is to spread outward from a player's Claimed Hexes to create more Occupied Hexes around them, and aggressively move into Neighbor Hexes whenever possible. Successfully defending Occupied Hexes and converting them to Claimed Hexes is critical to winning the game.
Note that players may share a Tunnel Network. Players may have other player's Moles in hexes they have Claim Tokens. That's okay. Just remember that, as soon as a hex has all spaces filled with Moles, the player who has majority occupancy places their Claim Token on it.
