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Game Rules

Learn how to play Sava

Overview

Sava is a chess-adjacent game played by Drow of Dungeons and Dragons fame. The goal of Sava is to capture the enemy matron mother at any cost.

Any time on your turn, you can opt to move one of your own pieces, or roll the spider dice: two eight-sided dice with five and six faces marked with spiders. If spiders are rolled on both dice, you may move an opponent's piece instead.

If you roll double knives, however, you're forced to sacrifice a piece or face th spider queen's wrath. Make sure you have some fodder ready...

Board Structure

The board is made up of three concentric rings known as rings, with four threads connecting them. Each ring has sixteen nodes, and the four threads intersect to make four additional nodes in the center.

Movement Rules

  • Orcs Orcs can make one move to any adjacent node along a ring or thread. If they are adjacent to an enemy piece, they can't break the adjacency with their move. Disposable foot soldiers, courageous to a fault. They can't retreat in the face of enemies, but if one survives the bloody journey into the heart of the enemy's territory, it can resurrect into any lost piece of your choosing.
  • Warmasters Warmasters can make two moves to any adjacent nodes along a ring or thread. Each of those moves can be used to capture a piece. The warmaster can not end its turn on the node it started on. Can not move through friendly units. Brutal warriors, often chosen for suicide missions.
  • Priestesses Priestesses can move any number of nodes along a connected ring or thread. Can not move through friendly units. Thoughtful, powerful pieces who can make any number of moves along connected rings and threads, controlling long swathes of nodes from afar.
  • Wizards Wizards can make three moves in any direction along adjacent nodes. You can change the direction mid-move. Slippery tricksters who move in threes along adjacent nodes.
  • Matron Mothers the vulnerable mind controlling your forces. While frail, do not underestimate its value as your forces dwindle.

FAQ

Q: I haven't lost any major pieces, but my Orc is ready for promotion. Am I allowed to promote?
A: No, you can only resurrect captured pieces with the Orc.
Q: Can I capture a piece when rolling the spider dice?
A: Absolutely! Not the matron mother, though.
Q: What happens on a stalemate?
A: The player with no matron mother moves loses.