Jimi Hendrix covered "All Along The Watchtower" and the Coens remade "True Grit".

Sometimes a classic comes along and it needs a second look.

Here is my tribute to Alpha and Mongrel's classic strategy board, Seven.

Please enjoy. - Raptor

Detailed description:

Overview:

The game Seven Redux is a pure strategy game.

The goal of the game is to occupy 23 territories before your opponent does.

Set Up:

Each player starts the game with 30 units in their start square. These units can be placed on the board, via fortification, one at a time. The game board is a 7 by 7 grid comprising 49 territories. At the start of the game, Player One will start with one less space than Player Two. These territories will have 0 units on them.

Borders:

Each player begins with a start square outside the grid, but connected to opposite corners of the game board by a fortify only border. All other territories border the territories up, down, left, and right (no diagonal attacks or fortifies).

First turn:

Each player is guaranteed to own the territory next to their start square. This means that a player must fortify onto the board before being able to attack. Since return to attack from fortify is on, once you fortify your unit into position, you are then allowed to attack any bordering territory.

End:

Once a player has occupied 23 territories they win.

Basic strategies:

On every turn, each player should use both their attack and fortify in which ever order suits the player best.

Attacking:

Since all of the attacks on this board use zero sided attack dice and one sided defense dice, it is impossible to kill an opponent's units.

Therefore, a player should never try to attack an occupied territory (any territory with one unit).

All attacks should be against abandoned territories (territories with zero units).

Fortifying:

Always fortify a unit from your start square. A player only needs to gain 23 territories to win the game. Since units cannot be killed defending, there is no fear of running out of units before the game ends.

Blocking:

Since it is impossible for either player to kill a unit once it is placed on the board, each player should use their units to block their opponents advance. That is, any territory which has a unit in it is safe from being taken and the opponent's advance must go around.

Protect the pot:

Always make sure that your opponent does not have the ability to take the square next to your start square, as this would prevent you from being able to fortify more units onto the board and effectively end the game.

Keep fortification lines open:

It is a good strategy to prevent your opponent from breaking your connected spaces, so that you may fortify farther onto the board.

Cut off opponents units and spaces:

In most cases it is good strategy to separate an opponent's units and unoccupied spaces from their connected start square.