Overview

Battle Sheep is a fast-moving abstract strategy game where rival sheep herds compete to claim the most pastures on a modular hexagonal playing field. Players split and move stacks of sheep tokens in straight lines, trying to occupy as many spaces as possible while blocking opponents. The game ends when no player can move, and the player occupying the most pastures wins.

Components

• 16 Pasture Boards (each board has 4 connected hexagons; each hexagon represents one pasture)
• 64 Sheep Tokens (16 of each of 4 colors)

Setup

1. Each player takes 16 sheep tokens of the same color and stacks them all into one sheep stack.
2. Each player takes 4 pasture boards. (With fewer than 4 players, not all boards are used.)
3. Players take turns arranging their pasture boards together to create the playing field. All boards must be connected by at least one side.
4. Starting with the youngest player and moving clockwise, each player places their starting sheep stack on one of the pastures on the outside perimeter of the playing field. Each player should start on their own pasture board to spread out the stacks.

Turn Structure

The youngest player starts, then play passes clockwise. On your turn:

1. Split one of your sheep stacks into two stacks. You choose how many sheep go into each stack, but both stacks must contain at least one sheep.
2. Move your entire new stack as far as it can go in a straight line until it either:
   • Reaches another sheep stack (stops immediately before it), or
   • Cannot go any farther (usually reaching the edge of the field).

Leave the original stack where it is.

Actions

On each turn, a player performs exactly one action: split a stack and move the new stack.

Movement Rules

• You must leave behind at least one sheep in the starting pasture every time you move.
• You can only move your sheep in a straight line (one of the 6 hex directions).
• The new stack moves as far as possible – it cannot stop partway.
• You may NOT have more than one sheep stack in the same pasture.
• You may NOT combine or jump over other sheep (even your own).

Being Trapped

If a sheep stack is blocked on all sides by other sheep, it is trapped and can no longer be moved. You are out of the game when you can no longer move any of your sheep.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

When all players can no longer move any of their sheep, the game ends.

• The player who occupies the most pastures wins.
• Tiebreaker: If two or more players occupy the same number of pastures, the player with the largest herd (the longest chain of sheep connected by at least one side) wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• All pasture boards must be connected by at least one side when building the field.
• Stacks always move the maximum distance in a straight line; partial moves are not allowed.
• A stack of 1 sheep cannot move (there would be nothing to leave behind).
• Each pasture can hold only one stack at any time.
• Players are eliminated from play when none of their stacks can legally move, but the game continues for remaining players.

Player Reference

Turn Checklist

1. Choose one of your stacks to split
2. Decide the split (at least 1 in each resulting stack)
3. Move the new stack in a straight line as far as possible
4. Pass play clockwise

Quick Facts

• Players: 2-4
• Age: 7+
• Play time: ~15 minutes
• 16 sheep tokens per player
• 4 pasture boards per player
• Win: most pastures occupied
• Tiebreaker: largest connected herd