How To Play: Amazons

Overview

Amazons turns a chess-like board into a slow, sneaky fight for space. Each player moves a queen-like piece, then fires an arrow to block a square forever. I have played it with friends, and those blocks create some wonderfully rude traps. This guide gives you an outline of the game rules, explains each move, and shares the best strategies for winning. Bring patience, a sharp eye, and maybe a tiny grudge.

What’s in the box

• 1 game board
• 8 Amazon pieces
• 92 arrow pieces
• 1 rulebook

How To Play Amazons: Rules Summary

Amazons is a two-player strategy game played on a 10×10 board. Each player moves four Amazon pieces and fires arrows to block the board. I have played it with friends, and trust me, one careless move can turn a queen into a very sad statue.

Setup: Place Your Amazons for Battle

1. First, place the 10×10 board between both players.
2. Next, one player takes the white Amazons and the other takes the black Amazons.
3. Place four Amazons for each player in the standard starting spaces: white on a1, d1, g1, and j4; black on a10, d10, g10, and j7.
4. Keep all arrows beside the board. The arrows do not belong to either player because they simply mark blocked spaces.
5. Finally, choose who plays first. White usually starts.

Gameplay: Move, Then Fire

1. On your turn, choose one of your Amazons.
2. Move that Amazon any number of open spaces in a straight line. You may move up, down, sideways, or diagonally, just like a chess queen.
3. However, the Amazon cannot jump over another Amazon, an arrow, or any other blocked space.
4. After moving, fire one arrow from the Amazon’s new space.
5. Send the arrow in any straight or diagonal direction, using the same movement rules.
6. Place the arrow on the space where it lands. The arrow stays there for the rest of the game.
7. Then, the other player takes a turn. Players continue moving and firing arrows in this way.

Winning: Trap Every Enemy Amazon

1. Keep taking turns until one player cannot make a legal move with any Amazon.
2. When that happens, the player with no legal move loses the game.
3. The other player wins, even if they still have several Amazons that can move.
4. Therefore, watch the whole board. A player may trap one Amazon early but still lose if the other Amazons have room to roam.

Special Rules & Conditions: Mind the Permanent Blocks

1. Arrows never move, disappear, or return to the supply. Once placed, they permanently block that space.
2. Amazons cannot capture one another. Instead, players slowly cut off movement until someone gets stuck.
3. Every move and arrow shot must follow a clear straight or diagonal path.
4. A player cannot jump over an Amazon or an arrow, even when the space beyond it looks open.
5. An Amazon may move through its starting space, but it cannot end its move on a space occupied by another piece or arrow.
6. An Amazon may fire an arrow back across the path it just travelled, as long as the path stays clear.
7. If a player has no legal move at the start of their turn, the game ends at once.
8. Because the board slowly fills with arrows, plan ahead. A move that looks clever now may lock your own Amazons later. I learned that one the hard way after proudly building my own tiny prison.

Best Amazons Strategies

Win Early: Place Amazons with a Plan

Opening move placement often decides an Amazons match. When I tested this with friends, the player who claimed space early usually pushed us into corners. However, do not rush. First, seek flexible squares. Next, check escape routes. Finally, place each Amazon where its arrows can split the board. A flashy shot can create a fancy statue.

Choose Open Lanes

1. First, choose open lanes with two retreat paths, keeping your Amazon useful after firing.

Avoid Early Corners

1. Next, avoid corners unless you can seal a rival route; otherwise, you trap yourself.

Plan the Second Turn

1. Finally, compare both sides before firing. Therefore, place your strongest opener where future blocks matter, not just attacks.

Turn the Board into a Cage: Blocking Escape Routes

In The Amazons, winning often means making every safe square feel like a trap. After testing this with friends, I learned that escape routes matter more than flashy shots.

Cut Off Long Lanes

1. First, use arrows and corridors to herd an enemy amazon toward one edge. Then burn a blocking arrow behind it. This closes the return path and limits options.

Seal the Corners

1. Next, watch corners. If an opponent reaches one, surround its exits before firing nearby. Otherwise, it may slip around your wall and ruin your plan.

Build a Chain

1. Finally, link each arrow to the next. Thus, your opponent loses choices, while your amazon keeps one exit.

Own the Last Squares: Endgame Territory Control

In my games of The Amazons, the winner rarely grabs one huge prize. Instead, she claims the last safe pockets. Therefore, count space before every shot, then make each arrow shrink your rival’s choices.

Count Final Space

1. First, count every open square before firing.
2. Keep enough room for your queen to move again.

Secure Scoring Zones

1. Next, claim the biggest region you can still reach.
2. Then, force your opponent into smaller, awkward areas.

Finish With Purpose

1. Finally, place each arrow where it steals useful space.
2. Check every move twice; one silly shot can wreck your lead.

Leave Your Opponents Nowhere to Run

Amazons rewards patience, sharp arrows, and a cruel little plan. Place your pieces with the next few turns in mind, then cut off escape routes before your opponent spots the trap. Save open space for the endgame, because a crowded board can turn every move into a tiny panic attack. I have watched friends celebrate a clever attack, only to discover they had boxed themselves in. Ouch. Keep control of the board, stay calm, and make each arrow count. With practice, Amazons stops feeling like simple movement and starts feeling like a proper battle of wits.

Want to know what we think of Amazons? Read our detailed review of Amazons here