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The game is played on a circular board with an 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. The board begins the game with no tiles placed on it. Tiles are placed on the intersections, or “points”, of the board.

Sitting- Two players sit across from one another. The drawn tip closest to you is called “the Home Port”. The tip closest to your opponent is called “the Foreign Port”. The other two tips are call “East” and “West” Ports. The “Sides” are divided by the line in the center.

Harmony

A harmony is right if it meets the following criteria:

The two tiles are connected by any number of the lines in one cardinal direction (“aligned”).

The two pieces are yours (except for possibly Dragons and Lotus's, see below).

There are no tiles in between (which is called “disrupting a harmony”). There may still be flowers of neutral harmony and boats in between the two harmonious pieces.

Each player on their turn may make one of the following moves:

Move a piece already in play ·

Place a new piece

Use a non-flower tile’s special ability

Play/Rules

Tiles

Each player gets 54 tiles, divided as below:

White Flowers (3 Unique Tiles, 18 Total) - Cannot land on red points. Can form harmonies.

Jasmine (6 Tiles)-When added to the board, these always start at Home Port. It can move 3 spaces at a time.

Harmony with Lily and Rhododendron. Disharmony with Rose.

Lily (6 Tiles)- When added to the board, these tiles start at 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.

Harmony with Jasmine and White Jade. Disharmony with Chrysanthemum.

White Jade (6 Tiles)- When added to the board, this tile starts in the very center. If any other tile is in the center, it cannot be put on the board. It can move 5 spaces, but it cannot use the boat (See Below).

Harmony with Lily and Rose. Disharmony with Rhododendron

Red Flowers (3 Unique Tiles, 18 Total)-Cannot land on white points. Can form harmonies.

Rose (6 Tiles)-When added to the board, this tile starts at The Foreign Port. It can move 3 spaces at a time.

Harmony with White Jade and Chrysanthemum. Disharmony with Jasmine.

Chrysanthemum (6 Tiles)-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.

Harmony with Rose and Rhododendron. Disharmony with Lily.

Rhododendron (6 Tiles)-When added to the board, this tile starts in the very center. If any other tile is in the center, it cannot be put on the board. It can move 5 spaces, but it cannot use the boat (See Below).

Harmony with Chrysanthemum and Jasmine. Disharmony with White Jade.

Harmonious? JASMINE LILY WHITE JADE ROSE CHRYSANTHEMUM RHODODENDRON JASMINE X YES Neutral NO Neutral YES LILY YES X YES Neutral NO Neutral WHITE JADE Neutral YES X YES Neutral NO ROSE NO Neutral YES X YES Neutral CHRYSANTHEMUM Neutral NO Neutral YES X YES RHODODENDRON YES Neutral NO Neutral YES X

Non flowers (4 Unique Tiles, 12 Total) -These tiles may be removed by any piece, but the piece that lands on them is also removed. They can be put on the board only after the first turn(s). They cannot be part of harmonies, except for the boat.

Knotweed (Fire, 3 Tiles)Knotweed may be placed on any point. When you play knotweed, all pieces that are adjacent to knotweed are “drained” and may not be moved or form harmonies. Any piece that is played or finishes its movement next to a knotweed is also drained. Knotweed may not move, or be moved by other pieces. They can still be captured.

Wheel (Air, 3 Tiles) Wheels can be placed on any yellow space. Wheels may move all pieces adjacent to them in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation (or, turn them around itself 'like a wheel'). It can move any number of spaces, but it cannot move it it decides to 'spin a piece'.

Boat (Water, 3 Tiles)The Boat may travel over other pieces. It may move up to 5 spaces at a time. Does not disrupt a harmony if it is between a pair of harmonious pieces. It can push any piece (yours or your opponents) one intersection away as long as the destination intersection is empty and the boat is a single intersection of distance from it.

Rock (Earth, 3 Tiles) May be placed on any space. May not be moved once it is placed. Disrupts all harmonies it lies between.

Special Tiles (2 Unique Tiles, 6 Total) - These pieces may land anywhere on the board, regardless of color. They can be put on the board only after the first three turns of each player.

White Dragon (Yin, 3 Tiles) – Must be placed on the opposing half of the board. Dragons can move up to 6 spaces each turn in a straight line. Dragons may capture enemy pieces.

White Lotus (Yang, 3 Tiles)- Lotus tiles may only move up to 2 spaces a turn. It must start on your side of the board (anywhere). A Lotus may take any tile off the board,

but it can also be removed by any other tile. Lotus are considered “blooming”, which means they may form a harmony with any other Flower (including those belonging to his or her opponent).

Removing Tiles - Landing on a tile may or may not remove it from the board. These rules follow:

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

2. ) It must be your opponent’s tile.

3.) The Dragon and Lotus rules still apply.

4.) All captured pieces are placed into The Pot.

Clarifications

A piece may not end its movement on a point occupied by another piece if it is incapable of capturing it.

Flowers may finish their movement on an intersection composed of both red and white spaces regardless of their color.

A flower that is placed into an wrong color space by the boat is returned to a players reserve pile.

A player can choose to not form a harmony with their opponent’s flowers when using a blooming Lotus or a Dragon.

The Pot

All captured pieces are put into a pile on the side of the board, which is called "The Pot". The Pot can be worth a certain number of points, but using it this way in a game is completely optional. It may be worth 20, 50, 100 points, or any other set value. Some players like to give the Pot points to the loser of the game when the game is over, to make the match seem closer or (if the points are high enough) to make the loser actually be the winner. Members of the Fire Nation like to gamble and put a money value on the Pot instead.

Ending the game

The game ends when any of three conditions are met:

1. A player forfeits and his or her opponent wins.

2. A player is left with three or less harmonious tiles.

3. If one opponent reaches a predetermined number of harmony points. (optional goal decided at the beginning of the game. A good number is 100)