Like Hex..
Just like in the standard game (you really should play Amidon37's "Hex" board to get your basic chops together), you may place (attack) one unit to the board from the "deployment" hex, but be sure to attack only territories that have no units.
All attacks from the "Deployment" hex to territories on the board with 1 unit will lose every time.
To win, create a fortifying line from one side of the board to the other. Once you have done this, there's a two step victory process.
First, you must fortify AT LEAST THREE units across the board, either from the West to the East Wall, or from the North to the South wall.Then, on your next turn, attack your opponent's capital to complete the win...but Geared
With Hex-Geared, you get two attacks; you can either choose to move your peice on the board, or you can attack with a piece on the board.
Attacks from a unit on the board to an adjacent unit are with 8 v 8 sided dice, and yeild about a 43% probablility of success.Cards and Artillery
Collect a card every turn (regardless of whether or not you deserve it.) Your card bonus army can be placed on your deployment area, where your extra move gives you an extra placement on the board, OR you can place it in the Artillery area, where you get a shot at your opponent anywhere on the board. Artillery attacks use 7 v 5 sided dice and win approximately 57% of the time ..because I like the number.
You can place your bonus army in either the the Artillery hex or the Deployment hex.Successful Artillery attacks only empty a territory; they do not win the territory, nor convert the territory to neutral. To fill the territory in the same turn, you may use your deployment unit.The Deployment hex only holds 2 armies; you can hold one for later, but if you end your turn with 2 armies in the hex, you will not recieve a third on the following turn.Artillery rounds dissapear at the end of each player's turn. Use it our lose it.
Designer Notes
There is no return to attack from fortify. This prevents players from cheating by fortifying a unit to their far wall and attacking their opponent's capital, or even sneakier, fortifying 2 units from their Deployment area to to their far wall. Regardless, any attempts to prematurely fortify to the far wall with the intention of attacking on the following turn will fail because 2 units on that wall will self-destruct at the beginning of their next turn.
If for some reason you choose to fortify some of your North or West wall units onto the board prematurely (you may have a good reason), at some point you in order to win you will have to fortify a unit or two from the Deployment Hex back to that starting wall to bring its count back up to 3. You can also use placement to accomplish the same.
You absolutely need to fortify THREE units across for the win because two of them will be destroyed before your next turn.(Amidon37 thinks I used his hexes.. All I've gotta say is.. "Bring it. You're going to need some good laywers, Ami. I'm gonna exercise my 5th Amendment right all the way." ;)