Basic Techniques

From Polarity

Revision as of 13:05, 17 January 2006

Placing Leaners

The basic move in Polarity is to place a leaner against a foundation piece on the board. This is achieved by balancing the action piece against the magnetic field of the foundation piece.

Basic Method

Bring the action piece into play at an angle, with the underside of the piece facing slightly towards the foundation piece. Approach slowly, and wait until you can feel the pressure generated by the magnetic repulsion. Place the bottom edge of the action disk against the mat, and slowly lower it against the field. Carefully let go - if you have placed the leaner correctly it should not move significantly.

Stacks

Leaners can be placed against stacks using the same techniques. Be warned, because the higher the stack the more powerful the field, and therefore the angle will be steeper and the piece further away.

Conversions

This basic technique relies on deliberately creating a fault by dropping a leaner onto the board to become a foundation piece. This allows further leaners to be played against the converted pieces.

Basic Method

Slowly bring the action disc down horizontally, directly above the foundation piece. The lower you get the lower the leaner will lean. Eventually the leaner should drop to the mat. Remove the action piece quickly to avoid creating further faults, and return it to your stack.

white action piece ->  _
  white foundation ->  _ \\  <- white leaner

Alternate Method

Another way to drop leaners is to hold the action disc close to vertical but with your colour facing up. Bring it down pointing the bottom edge of the action disc at the space between the leaner and foundation. Your colour faces the leaner and your opponent's colour faces the foundation. There is less chance of the foundation snapping up with this method, but there is a tendency towards flipping the leaner over to the wrong colour if the leaner has been placed too high.

             black ->   |   <- white (this side faces up slightly)
  white foundation ->  _ \\  <- white leaner

Best Results

When placing leaners which you intend to convert, ensure they are as flat and as far away from their foundation pieces as possible. This both minimises the chance that they will attract to the foundation piece on flattening and the chance that they might flip to the wrong colour, and also means that you do not need to move the action piece as close.

Capturing

Capturing is performed after an opponent faults causing pieces on the board to contact. Captured towers give the player points at the end of the game when scoring.

Basic Method

Grip the pieces firmly in between the fingers and pick up in a smooth motion. You can move to pick up all the pieces in contact, and these pieces should snap into a tower. Caution: Moving may cause additional faults. Once the tower is formed, you may place it with your colour upmost anywhere on the board. You then proceed with your turn as normal.

Faulting Whilst Capturing

If your capture attempt causes any other faults or some contacting pieces break off or otherwise do not attach to the tower, you have faulted. Return pieces in hand to your stack, and your opponent must capture relevant pieces.

Multiple Captures

If you must capture multiple towers, do them seperately - each set of contacting pieces form their own tower. All pieces eligible must be captured before your turn starts. Faulting on one capture attempt ends your turn; you cannot continue to capture further piece. If there are eligible pieces remaining your opponent may now attempt to capture them.