Fortress

Fortress is a game of skill and luck placed with dice or, in some parts of the world, six-sided sticks. It is usually played with two players, although can be played with more. Although a pastime, it is also used for gambling. There are forms of gambling that are more popular locally, but Fortress is a truly global tradition.

Rules

Each player rolls 6 dice. The three highest are put in a line in front of them to form their 'wall'. The other three are put behind it, loosely arranged, as their 'monsters'. The player with the lowest total value in their wall takes the first turn. If this is tied, then the player with lowest total in their monsters takes the first turn. If this is still tied, then the players make the initial roll again.

Taking a Turn

A player selects one of their monsters to fight with.

Attacking the Wall

If the attacking dice has a value at least as high as one of their opponent's wall dice, then that part of the wall can be attacked. The attacking monster dice and the defending wall dice are removed from the game. If this leaves the defending player with no wall dice left, then they have lost the game. The turn then passes to the next player.

Attacking a Monster

The acting player can always attack an enemy monster. The values of the dice are compared.
If the values are the same, then both dice are re-rolled.
Otherwise, the higher of the two dice is turned to add 1 to its value (if possible), and the lower one is re-rolled.
In either case, the turn then passes to the next player.

Gambling Rules

Where Fortress is played for money, each player puts money into the pot proportional to the total value of their wall after the first roll. This means that a player with a strong starting position has more to lose. The winner takes the pot.

More Than Two Players

With three or more players, each player can only attack the player to their right. As soon as one player is eliminated, the remaining players split the pot as equally as they can.

Slang

One guaranteed lost position in Fortress is to only be able to attack your opponent's monster with a weaker one of your own, causing it to gain the value needed to destroy your last wall dice. This has come to be called 'buffing your assassin', and has passed into general parlance.

History

While the origins of the game are largely unknown, it certainly dates from before the establishment of any safe zones. Its theme of defending town walls fits with that period, and the element of competition - sending the monsters to destroy your rivals before your own walls fall - hints that it was created in a time when there was much less co-operation between settlements.

Components and tools

Each player brings their own set of six dice (or randomiser sticks). As a guard against unfair dice, it is usual to mix the dice together in a bag and draw in turn until each player has six, a mix of their own and their opponent's.