Mana

About this board game

Mana is a two-player strategy game played on a 6×6 board in about 30 minutes, with each player trying to capture the opponent’s Daïmio. Its clever movement system can make even being captured part of a winning plan.

Each player begins with six pieces: one Daïmio and five ronin. The black and white forces start on opposite back rows. Every square has one, two, or three markings, and those markings determine how far pieces can move.

On the first turn, Black moves one piece a number of squares matching the markings on its starting space. Pieces move orthogonally and may make 90-degree turns, but they cannot pass through other pieces. If a piece finishes on an opponent’s piece, that piece is captured and removed.

After a move, the neutral mana bird is placed on an unoccupied square with the same number of markings as the space where the moving piece landed. The next player must normally move a piece standing on a square with that number of markings, moving it the corresponding number of squares. The mana bird then relocates according to the number on the piece’s destination square.

• Capture: Land on opposing pieces to remove them from the board.
• Movement: Follow the marking number on the relevant square.
• Recovery: If no piece stands on the required number, move another piece or reintroduce a captured ronin onto any unoccupied square.

If the required pieces are blocked, a player may move any piece. Victory goes to the first player who captures the opposing Daïmio. Winner of the 1987 Concours International de Créateurs de Jeux de Société, Mana was released in 1988.