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Flight and Ferry. The gold dragon of Wessex fights the red one of Wales across the Bristol Channel. (8x10, Cells: 80) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝Charles Gilman wrote on Mon, Aug 1, 2011 06:01 AM UTC:

First question, given that Kings can cross over if they can get to a Ferry need I still consider the options of Bare King, Bare Facing. and Win by Stalemate or should I dismiss them?
	I can see the problem of a King in particular being safe from so many pieces while on a Ferry, and the imbalance in pieces that can cross without a Ferry being too strong to counter even the first move and the imbalance in dragons combined. Incidentally I now notice that a Silvergeneral would be as unsuited to this game's rules as to its theme - once having crossed, it could not cross back.
	Here are 9 alternatives for strengthening the Golddragon and Copperdragon, in the order that I thought of them. All are intended in addition to the ability to make a normal capturing move - but never capture two pieces in the same move.
1 They can share a cell with a Ferry but not take one with them.
2 They alone can capture/check any one piece en route to an empty square.
3 They alone can capture/check one piece on a Ferry en route to an empty square.
4 They alone can capture/check any one piece beyond the end of a move to an empty square.
5 They alone can capture/check one piece on a Ferry beyond the end of a move to an empty square.
6 They alone can move to a square with a Ferry on (but not of course an ally) and immediately move the Ferry away.
7 All pieces can move to a square with a Ferry on (but not of course an ally) and immediately move the Ferry away.
8 Both 2 and 4.
9 Both 3 and 5.
	Each would apply to equal numbers of both players' pieces. 1 Would play havoc with the notation, as I was trying to make a virtue out of reprsenting them with GD and CD when G and C usually mean other things, including the much weaker Goldgeneral and Coppergeneral respectively. 2 and 3 would fit with the names (picking something off with their huge talons) but they could still not capture or check an enemy on a Ferry on an end file from another file. This would reduce the Gold v Copper advantage. 4 and 5 could also be seen to fit the names (breathing fire on the piece) but are a little far-fetched, and they couldn't capture or check an adjacent enemy. 6 would not be such a good match for their names. 7 would address that oddity and speed things up but be a big departure from previous Ferry use. 8 and 9 would address the shortcomings of their respective components. My instinct is to go with 9 as the minimum added power to allow them to capture pieces on Ferries anywhere.
	I've spotted another gap in my rules. Can a piece on a Ferry capture a Golddragon or Copperdragon? I can see an argument both ways. Certainly barring it would be in accord with the current rules, but I think that it should be allowed once I have settled on a change. Dragons should after all be vulnerable to someone on a Ferry drawing up alongside them.