Pai Sho




 * "I always told you Pai Sho was more than just a game." - Iroh

Pai Sho is a two-player strategy game, bearing resemblance to both Chinese chess and checkers. The large, circular board is split into 12 sections, divided by an 18x18 grid of colored squares. Round tiles are used as pieces, with each of them having a different image (such as a flower, wheel, or geometric design), and each tile having different values, meanings and strategic use. Each player is given a certain amount of tiles, which are moved across the grid, and in some versions, leftover and captured tiles are placed into a "pot", which can then be taken by players. The game enjoys popularity throughout the world, as Monk Gyatso, Aang, Mai, Suki, and Iroh can be seen playing it. It is not exclusive to one nation, and it is still popular after a century long war.

Pai Sho is also used by the Order of the White Lotus to identify its members. In "The Desert", Uncle Iroh plays a game as a way of identifying himself as part of the society. The key to recognition between members includes scripted dialog revolving around the opening move of placing a White Lotus tile in the center of the board, followed by the rapid placement of pieces in an exact pattern that mirrors the central piece. It is possible that this dialog has several outcomes to allow not only identification as a member of the group but as a certain rank within the group (Iroh is a Grand Master).

Attention! All of the information below this is non-canon.

Board
The game is played on a circular board with a 18x18 square grid with the corners cut off. In the center is a diamond shape divided in to four quarters with white and red at opposite corners. A Pai Sho board has 256 spaces on it.

Sitting
Two players sit across from one another. The drawn tip closest to you is called “the home tip”. The tip closest to your opponent is called “the foreign tip”. The other two tips are call “east” and “west” tips. The “Sides” are divided by the line in the center

Set Up
Each player decides how many pieces they begin play with. The minimum is 4, the maximum is 12. Most players use 6 but people of the Fire Nation traditonally play with an odd number of pieces. All starting pieces must be flowers only. Each piece is placed on the board so that both players have symmetrical sides (This includes location and type of tile). During the first turn, flowers may be placed anywhere on the board, but adding a new piece must follow the rules below. Adding a new piece to the board counts as your turn.

Amount of Tiles
Each player gets 54 tiles. Each Pai Sho piece has a unique function. They all have different strengths and weaknesses. Using each of the tiles correctly is the key to winning.

White Flowers

 * 3 White Dragon
 * 3 White Lotus (I'd argue that there's only one White Lotus tile, given its importance when lost in the show.)
 * 6 Jasmine
 * 6 White Lilly
 * 6 White Jade

Red Flowers

 * 6 Rose
 * 6 Chrysanthemum
 * 6 Rhododendron

Non-Flowers

 * 3 Knotweed
 * 3 Wheel
 * 3 Rock
 * 3 Boat

White Flowers
White flowers cannot land on spaces that are red.

at Home Tip. It can move 3 spaces at a time. the east or west port. It moves 2 spaces in one direction, and 2 spaces in another direction, moving in the shape of an "L".
 * Jasmine - When added to the board, these always start
 * Lily - When added to the board, these tiles start at
 * White Jade - When added to the board, this tile starts in the very center. If any other tile is in the center, it cannot be taken out. It can move 5 spaces, but it cannot use the boat(See Below).

Red Flowers
Red Flowers cannot land on spaces in the white.


 * Rose - When added to the board, this tile starts at The Foreign Tip. It can move 3 spaces at a time.
 * Chrysanthemum - When added to the board, this tile starts at the east or west tip. It moves 2 spaces in one direction, and 2 spaces in another direction, moving in the shape of an "L".
 * Rhododendron - When added to the board, this tile starts in the very center. If any other tile is in the center, it cannot be taken out. It can move 5 spaces, but it cannot use the boat (See Below).

Non-Flowers
These tiles may be removed by any piece, but that piece is also removed. They can be put on the board only after the first turn(s).
 * The Knotwheel - These pieces can be put into the pot to replace a piece that you have already lost. Doing so costs your turn.
 * The Wheel - The Wheel can be put on any yellow space. It cannot land on red or white. It is used for blocking harmonies. It can move any number of spaces.
 * The Rock - The Rock can be put anywhere on the board. It does not move once it is placed somewhere. It is used to block harmonies and to prevent other tiles from being added.
 * The Boat - The Boat may travel over other pieces. It may move 5 spaces at a time. If two pieces of the same tile (ones that would make a harmony) are aligned with the boat, you get a harmony point as if the tiles were connected directly.

Special Tiles
These pieces may land anywhere on the board, regardless of color. They can be put on the board only after the first turn(s).

White Dragon
Dragons can move up to 6 spaces each turn. Dragons can move over other tiles. When aligned with an enemy's dragon, the one who moved the dragon gets a harmony point. They can be removed by any other tile. If they try to remove another tile, both the dragon and the other piece are removed.

White Lotus
Lotus tiles may only move up to 2 spaces a turn (except on the first turn, in which case it can move 3). It must start on your side. A Lotus may take any tile off the board, but it can also be removed by any other tile.

Objective
The objective of the game is to arrange your pieces in a way that gains the most points by generating "harmonies". There are two types of harmonies, right and wrong harmonies. A harmony is right just if the two tiles are connected by a line. A harmony is right just if the two pieces are yours (except for Dragons, see below).

Rules
Each player on their turn may make one of 7 moves:
 * Put one piece in on an intersection.
 * Add a new piece to the board.
 * Use the Knotweed.
 * Use the Wheel.
 * Use the Rock.
 * Use the Boat.
 * Pass his turn.

Removing Tiles
Landing on a tile may or may not remove it from the board. The following rules must apply. The flower tiles have the following opposites. Each of these tiles has the power to remove (only) its opposite piece from play. Removing a piece does not remove points.


 * Jasmine = Rose
 * Lilly = Chrysanthemum
 * White Jade = Rhododendron

1.) It must be an opposite tile (a jasmine can take a rose, but not a Rhododendron).

2.) If a flower, it must be your opponent’s tile.

3.) The Dragon and Lotus rules still apply.

4.) All removed piece go into "The Pot". The flower tiles have the following opposites.

Points
Whenever a player gets a harmony, they recieve one point. Points may be stacked indefinitely, but the game is over once a player loses all pieces or both players declare they have no moves left. When the game ends, you get an extra point for every red tile in the red and every white tile in the white. You also get the point value of "The Pot" as well. The Pot - The pot is earned by which ever player removed the most tiles during the game. Its point value is agreed on at the start of the game. It can be worth 10, 25, or even 100 points. Most people agree that 25 points is a fair number but people in the Fire Nation like to give the pot a money value to spice things up.

Ending the game
The game ends when one of the players(or both) run out of tiles, or all players pass in a row.(Rules Used with permission from Avatar Pai sho project)