Rules of
TAC
The New Classic
A game by Kolja Sparrer and Karl Wenning
Rules translated and restructured by Richard Reilly
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Components
3. Basic Game Rules
3.1 Object of the Game
3.2 Game Preparation
3.3 The Round
Dealing
Declaring
Swapping
Playing
3.4 Details of Play
Movement
Knock-Outs
The Entrance
Home
No Interaction Between Rounds
Finishing
3.5 Special Cards
The 1 and 13
The 4
The 7
The 8
The Trickser
The TAC
TAC on a marble that has just traveled for the first time
TAC on the 8
TAC on a Trickser
TAC on another TAC
4. Master Version
4.1 The Jester
4.2 The Angel
4.3 The Warrior
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
7
9
9
10
10
5.
6.
7.
8.
4.4 The Devil
4.5 The TAC card in the Master Version
TAC on the Warrior or the Angel
TAC on the Jester
TAC on the Devil
Variations for 2, 3, or 4 players.
5.1 TAC for Two
5.2 TAC for Three
5.3 TAC for Four as a Team
Glossary
TAC Contest
Contact Us!
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1. Introduction
Welcome to the world of TAC! TAC is an exciting new game with ancient roots; it is derived
from the classic Indian game Pachisi. However, while Pachisi is now considered by many to
be a children’s game, TAC incorporates many new features that make it an exciting
challenge for both young and old.
If you have never played TAC before and you are anxious to start, please take a look at the
Quick-Start Rule Sheet. It will get you going in your first game. Then as the game
progresses you can refer to this rulebook for complete details of play.
2. Components
Your TAC game should include the following parts:
1 TAC game board
16 marbles: 4 each of 4 different colors
1 Rulebook
1 Quick-Start Rule Sheet
110 cards, including:
--104 playing cards
--4 information cards
--2 blank cards
3. Basic Game Rules
3.1 Object of the Game
Two teams of two players race to bring their marbles home: the first team to bring all their
marbles home is the winner.
3.2 Game Preparation
Using any method of selection, two teams of two players each are formed. Teammates sit on
opposite sides of the board facing one another. Each player chooses four marbles of one
color and places his marbles in the corner pocket to his right. (See Fig. 1) An information
card is given to each player.
Randomly select a player to be the first dealer. Unless you are playing the Master Version
of the game, remove the Jester, Angel, Warrior, and Devil from the deck. Also remove the
two blank cards. Shuffle the remaining cards thoroughly. The dealer then begins the first
round of play.
3.3 The Round
Each round consists of four phases: (1) Dealing, (2) Declaring, (3) Swapping, and (4) Playing.
1.
Dealing. The dealer deals 5 cards face down to each player. The remaining deck is
kept in front of the dealer—to remind the players of who dealt--but will not be
used in this round of play.
2. Declaring. Each player announces whether or not he has an opening card (a 1 or a 13)
in his hand; that is, a card that will allow the player to move a marble from his
corner pocket to his entrance. For instance, if the player has one or more
opening cards he will say “I can come out;” if not he will say “I cannot come out.”
The player does not announce which opening cards he has, nor how many.
3. Swapping. Each player then gives one card, face down, to his teammate. Any card
may be given away, even if doing so will make it impossible for the player to come
out. Players may not look at their new cards until after the swap has been
completed.
4. Playing. The player sitting to the dealer’s left begins. The player chooses a card
from his hand, places it face up in the center of the game board, then carries
out the required action, if possible. If the player does not have a card that will
allow a possible action then the player must “waste” a card; that is, play a card
without taking an action. However, a player can ONLY waste a card if he has no
other card that will allow a legal action. If a player has any cards that will allow
legal actions of any sort, the player must play one of those cards, even if doing
so will be harmful to that player.
Play continues clockwise around the board, each player playing one card at a time,
until all of the players’ hands are empty. At this point the round is complete; the
player to the left of the previous dealer becomes the new dealer. The new dealer
takes the cards that remained from the previous deal and uses them to deal in the
new round. If there are no cards remaining from the previous deal—that is, if the
entire deck has been played--the dealer reshuffles the cards from the center of
the board to create a new deck.
3.4 Details of Play
Movement
Normally, marbles move clockwise around the track the number of spaces indicated by the
card played. A single marble must move the full number of spaces specified on the card; the
number cannot be divided between different marbles. No marble may pass over another
marble, whether that marble belongs to the same or to another player.
Knock-Outs
If a marble lands by exact count on another marble, that other marble is knocked out; i.e.,
returned to the owning player’s corner pocket. Note that since a player must take an action
if it is possible to do so, a player may in some cases have to knock out his own marbles!
The Entrance
A player’s entrance serves not only as the starting space for that player’s marbles when
taken from the corner pocket, but also as that player’s entrance into home.
A marble may NOT move directly from the corner pocket, to the entrance, and into home,
without first “traveling” (by any means) on the track. In other words, a marble may not
enter home without first having left the entrance at least once.
A player’s marbles may pass through his own entrance without entering home; indeed, if no
other play is possible, a marble may be forced to move through the entrance and continue
around the track again.
Home
These four spaces are the final destination for a player’s marbles. Marbles in the home
cannot be taken out of the home by any player, not even the player that the home belongs
to. Thus, for example, a player cannot use a 4 to move backward out of the home, nor can a
marble in the home be knocked out. Marbles may still be moved within the home, as long as
there are free spaces in front of them. A marble that has reached the final available space
in the home—that is, which has ended the turn on a home space that has no more unoccupied
spaces in front of it—is considered “secured” and may not be moved anymore in the game.
(Important qualifications to the rules for home may be found in the sections describing the
7 and TAC cards.)
No Interaction between Rounds
Some special cards allow a player to affect the action of an opponent who has just played or
who is about to play. However, all such interactions must take place within a single round; in
other words, a player cannot use a card to affect an action from a previous round nor to
affect an action in the next round.
Finishing
A player who has secured all of his marbles at home is said to be finished and thereafter
may use any of his cards to help his teammate. In effect, the teammate’s marbles now
belong to both players. As before, both players must play if it is possible for them to do so.
3.5 Special Cards
The 1 and 13.
The 1 and 13 are both “opening” cards. A player may use one of these cards either to move a
marble forward the given number of spaces, or to move a marble from the player’s corner
pocket to the player’s entrance. Having moved to the entrance the marble does not move any
further in that turn. If another marble is already on the entrance, that marble is knocked
out.
The 4.
The 4 moves a marble backward (counter-clockwise) on the track. A marble moved backward
is restricted in its movement just as for a normal move; that is, it may not pass another
marble, and if it lands on another marble by exact count that marble is returned to its
corner pocket. A marble may move backward past the entrance and even backward through
the entrance into home. However, as noted earlier, a marble cannot move backward directly
off the entrance into home unless that marble has previously traveled at least once.
The 7.
Unlike other cards, the 7 can be divided between different marbles. A player may divide
the 7 into as many smaller moves as desired, as long as the total adds up to exactly 7. For
instance, the player may move one marble three spaces and another marble four; three
different marbles could be moved two spaces each while a fourth is moved one; the same
marble may even be moved more than once.
The significance of this is that the 7 allows a marble to knock out and pass other marbles!
Thus, for instance, a marble could first move two spaces to knock out one marble, then move
four more spaces to knock out a second marble, then move one more space to knock out yet
another. In this way a player could conceivably knock out as many as seven marbles in a
single turn (with seven single space moves).
The 7 can also be used to move marbles back and forth within a player’s home, as long as the
marbles have not been secured. Since a marble is not considered secured until the end of a
player’s turn, this allows a marble that begins a turn at home with free spaces still in front
of it to move forward and backward repeatedly within the home during that turn. Likewise, a
marble that uses part of a 7 to move into home from the track could then use the rest of
the 7 to move back and forth within the home. In this way a player may use up some or all of
the required 7 points of movement and thus possibly avoid having to move other marbles or
having to move a marble past the entrance. This is the only situation, however, in which a 7
allows a marble to move backward, and its back and forth movement must be entirely within
the home.
A player who finishes the game using only part of a 7 must in that same turn use the rest of
the 7 to help his teammate. A player may not, in other words, use only part of a 7 and leave
the rest unused. For instance, if 6 of the 7 have been used to secure the player’s last
marble, the player must use the remaining 1 to move a marble of his teammate. If this is not
possible the player will be forced to use the 7 to move past his entrance.
The 8.
The 8 can be used in one of two ways: either a single marble may be moved forward 8
spaces, or the next player may be made to lose a turn. The player who loses a turn must also
waste a card. The player losing his turn chooses which card to waste, laying it face up in the
board’s center, as usual.
The Trickser.
The Trickser requires a player to swap any two marbles on the track; that is, the two
marbles trade spaces. The marbles may belong to any player or players. Marbles can only be
swapped between locations on the track; that is, they cannot be swapped to or from a home
or a corner pocket.
Note that, although the marbles swapped do not have to be the player’s own, the Trickser
can only be used if the player has a marble of his own on the track.
The TAC.
Play of the TAC card cancels the action that has just been made by the opponent to the
player’s right. Any marbles moved by the opponent are returned to their original positions;
then the player of the TAC uses the function of the opponent’s card for his own action.
A TAC can only be played if the player can actually use the cancelled card for his own
action. If the cancelled card has a double function, the player may choose which function to
use, regardless of how the opponent used it. A TAC can also be used to take a function from
a card that was wasted.
Even a move that brings a marble into home—and even a move that secures a marble--can be
cancelled by the TAC. This may be thought of, therefore, as an exception to the rule that
says a marble cannot be removed from home by any player. Because of this, it is even
possible to cancel an opponent’s winning move!
TAC on a marble that has just traveled for the first time.
As stated earlier, a marble must leave the entrance at least once before entering home.
Now suppose a marble that has just traveled for the first time is returned to its entrance
by the TAC. For instance, suppose a Trickser is used to move a marble away from the
entrance for the first time, and then the next player plays a TAC on that Trickser. That
travel is considered to have not taken place, and the marble cannot enter home until it has
traveled again.
TAC on the 8.
A TAC is stronger than an 8: that is, if one player uses an 8 to cancel the turn of the next
player, that player may play TAC on the 8 and then use the 8 (either function) for himself.
TAC on the Trickser.
This is as you would expect: the opponent’s swap is cancelled and the player of the TAC may
now swap two marbles himself. A player may only TAC a Trickser if the player of the TAC
would himself have been able to use the Trickser; i.e. the player of the TAC must have a
marble of his own on the track.
TAC on another TAC.
If a TAC is played on another TAC, the action of the first TAC is cancelled. Thus, the
action of the previously cancelled card is reinstated. But the player of the new TAC now
“shares” the function of the reinstated card with its owner; that is, must use one of its
functions for himself.
Example 1: Player 1 uses the 13 to put a marble on his entrance, but Player 2 uses a
TAC to cancel this play; therefore Player 1 takes his marble back to his corner
pocket, while Player 2 decides to put his own marble on his own entrance. Then,
however, Player 3 plays another TAC, canceling Player 2’s TAC: as a result, Player 2’s
marble is put back in his corner pocket, Player 1’s marble is moved back to his
entrance again, and Player 3 must use the 13 for himself, either moving a marble 13
spaces or putting a marble of his own on his entrance.
Example 2: Continuing the above example, suppose Player 4 plays yet another TAC,
so that three TACs in a row have been played. What happens? Player 4’s TAC
cancels Player 3’s TAC; this means that Player 2’s TAC is reinstated so that Player
1’s action is cancelled after all. Therefore, Player 1 and Player 3 move their marbles
back to their original positions. Since Player 2’s TAC has been reinstated, Player 2
moves his marble back to his entrance again. But what about Player 4? Player 4
ALSO gets to use the 13—either function--as this has effectively become the card
that Player 4 shares with Player 2.
A reinstated action must be done as it was originally; in Example 2, for instance, because
Player 2 originally chose to move a marble to his entrance, he cannot choose to move 13
spaces instead when his action is reinstated. All cancellations and reinstatements should be
done before the current player’s action, starting with the opponent to the current player’s
right and working backward. Thus, referring again to Example 2, Player 3’s action is
cancelled first, then Player 2’s action is reinstated, then Player 1’s action is cancelled, and
finally Player 4 gets to take his action.
It is helpful if players planning to use a TAC pay close attention to the actions of their
opponents. Nevertheless after several TACs in a row it may happen that the players lose
track of the original position of the marbles. In such a case the players should reconstruct
together, by mutual agreement, what the original position is likely to have been and in so
doing try to remember that TAC is meant to be a friendly game.
4. Master Version
Those desiring a greater challenge may choose to play the master version of TAC, adding
one or more of the master cards to the deck. We recommend, however, that at first you
play with only one special card at a time; after you have become better acquainted with
them you may choose which combination of master cards that you wish to play with.
To keep the number of cards in the deck at 100, players should swap the master cards for
other special cards as follows:
--If using the Jester, remove one Trickser from the deck.
--If using the Angel, remove one 13 from the deck.
--If using the Warrior, remove one 7 from the deck.
--If using the Devil, remove one 8 from the deck.
Cards removed are returned to the box and will not be used for this game.
Experienced players may desire to leave all of the cards in the deck. As this will result in
the deck having 104 cards, six cards instead of five should be dealt in the last round before
reshuffling. This round—called the master round--does not end until all six cards of each
player have been played.
4.1 The Jester
The Jester requires that each player pass all of the remaining cards in his hand to the
player on his right. The player who used the Jester must then play one of his new cards. Of
course, if none of the other players have any cards left, the Jester is wasted.
If the player of the Jester receives and plays a TAC card, the last action prior to play of
the Jester is cancelled, not the Jester itself.
It will be noticed that play of the Jester results in one player having one less card than he
had previously. This does not affect play. The player with one less card must still play if
possible; he will simply run out of cards one turn sooner. Players must be careful to
remember that the next dealer will still be the player to the current dealer’s left.
4.2 The Angel
The Angel requires a player to move a marble of the opponent to his left from the
opponent’s corner pocket to the opponent’s entrance. If the opponent does not have any
marbles in his corner pocket, the player of the Angel instead moves one of the opponent’s
marbles forward either 1 or 13 spaces. If all of the opponent’s marbles are already at home,
then the Angel is used instead to affect the opponent to the player’s right. Note that in
either case, playing the Angel does not affect the turn order. The opponent to the left of
the player of the Angel still plays next.
As always, if there is already a marble on the opponent’s entrance, that marble is knocked
out.
4.3 The Warrior
The Warrior requires a player’s marble to move forward any number of spaces and knock out
the first marble it comes to. The Warrior marble may not pass over other marbles; as
always, if the first marble encountered is the player’s own the player must knock out his
own marble. If, by chance, the player’s Warrior marble is the only marble on the track, the
marble knocks itself out.
4.4 The Devil
The Devil requires a player to play a card for the opponent on the player’s left; that is, to
take that opponent’s turn for him. The player takes the opponent’s cards, examines them
secretly and decides which card to play, which function of the card to use, and which
marble(s) to use it on. Then the player returns the remaining cards to the opponent. Since
the opponent’s turn has already been taken, play continues with The Devil-player’s
teammate.
4.5 The TAC in the Master Version
TAC on the Warrior or the Angel
As usual, the action of the opponent who played the Warrior or the Angel is cancelled, and
the player of the TAC then uses the card as the rules for that card require.
TAC on the Jester
The TAC cannot be used on the Jester. However, it can be used to cancel the action of the
card played after the cards were passed. As always, the player of the TAC then uses that
card’s function for himself.
TAC on the Devil
This will rarely happen, for it would mean that the player of the Devil chooses the TAC as
his opponent’s play, in effect playing a TAC on himself. Nevertheless, the rules do allow it,
in which case the player whose TAC is being played gets to take the turn of the opponent to
HIS left (i.e. the teammate of the player of the Devil).
5. Variations for 2, 3, or 4 players.
5.1 TAC for Two
Two players can, of course, simply play with four marbles each. However, those desiring a
greater challenge might try this variation: each player controls two sets of marbles starting
on opposite sides of the board. In a round each player receives five cards for one color and
another five cards for the other color. These cards must be kept separate and are only
used for their respective colors. Essentially, each player is playing the role of two players,
with all the normal rules and restrictions applying.
5.2 TAC for Three
Each player may simply play with four marbles each. However, experienced players may wish
to try one of these variations:
1: Two of the players form a team, sitting opposite of one another as usual. The third
player plays two colors, holding five cards per color as in the two player version described
above. This gives the third player some advantage, as he can see all 10 cards and better
coordinate the moves of his two sets of marbles.
2. Two of the players form a team, but sit next to each other instead of opposite. The third
player only plays four marbles, but plays with the seat to his right unoccupied. In this
version the third player’s actions will be greatly disrupted by his two opponents; however,
he will have the advantage of only having to bring four marbles home.
5.3 TAC for Four as a Team
Rather than play against each other, all four players may play together as a team, striving to
bring all sixteen of their marbles home with as few cards as possible. Each player still
controls only his own marbles until finished; when a player finishes he may thereafter use
his cards to help his “partner” (the player facing him); only after both partners are finished
may the two of them use their cards to move the marbles of the other two players.
In this version the team “wins” if it succeeds in bringing all marbles home without having to
reshuffle the deck. Players may also wish to keep score by counting the number of cards
that were played and attempting, in successive games, to beat their previous scores.
Adapting the guidelines for the two and three player versions of TAC, the team version can
also be played with either a team of two players playing two colors each, or a team of three
players with one of them playing two colors. Those who enjoy solitaire play might even wish
to try it alone, playing all four colors with four sets of cards, one set being used for each
color.
6. Glossary
Action: To carry out one of a card’s functions.
Backward: Counter-clockwise on the track.
Blank Cards: Two extra cards that can be used to either replace lost cards, or to invent
new special cards.
Corner Pocket: The starting place for a player’s marbles.
Double Function: The 1, 8, and 13 require the player to perform one of two actions. Such
cards are said to have a “double function.”
Entrance: Each player’s entrance serves two roles: it is the space that a marble moves to
when the player plays an opening card, and it is the space from which a player’s marbles
enter home.
Finished: A player who has brought all of his marbles into home is said to have “finished.”
Forward: Clockwise on the track.
Free Space: Any unoccupied space.
Function: An action allowed or required by a card.
Home: The goal of a player’s marbles.
Knock Out: To land by exact count on another marble, thereby sending it back to its corner
pocket.
Master Card: One of the four cards used for advanced play; i.e. the Jester, Angel, Warrior,
and Devil cards.
Master Round: When playing the master version of TAC with a deck of 104 cards, six cards
instead of five are dealt and played in the last round before reshuffling.
Move: Any action that changes the position of a marble on the board.
Normal Card: A card that has no function other than requiring a marble to move forward a
specific number of spaces.
Opening Card: A card that will allow a player to move a marble from his corner pocket to his
entrance; the 1 and the 13 are the two opening cards. Although some special cards might
also allow a player to open in certain situations, they are not considered opening cards.
Opponent: Used in many examples to refer to the target of a player’s action, to help in
distinguishing them from the player of the card.
Player: Generally, any player of the game TAC. More specifically, in many examples the word
“player” refers to the currently active player.
Round: The sequence of play consisting of four steps: dealing, declaring, swapping, and
playing. A round is not completed until all five of each player’s cards have been played.
Secure: A marble that ends a turn on the last free space in a player’s home is said to be
“secured” and can no longer be moved.
Special Card: Any card that has a double function or that requires an action other than a
forward move. These include the 1, 4, 7, 8, and 13, as well as the Trickser, the TAC, and the
master cards.
Track: The 64 spaces on the board forming a big circle. The four entrances are also
considered part of the track, but the home spaces are not.
Travel: To move a marble on the track. A marble that has left the entrance at least once
and moved by any means to another space on the track is said to have “traveled.”
Turn: A single play/action by a player. A turn is not the same as a round; each round will
contain five turns of play for each player.
Waste: To play a card without performing an action.
7. TAC Contest
Every year TAC Verlag will offer prizes for the best contributions to TAC. Contributions
may include:
1: New special cards.
2: New rules or variations.
3: Original TAC stories.
The overall winner of the competition will receive a deluxe edition of the game board that is
not available commercially. In addition, three winners will be selected for each of the above
categories and will receive special marbles. Winning contributions will also be shared on our
web-site at www.spieltac.de
8. CONTACT US!
If you come across rules that are unclear or you have other questions, comments, or
suggestions, please send us an e-mail at www.spieltac.de . You may also write to us at:
TAC Verlag, Karl Wenning, Blumenthal 1, D-86551 Aichach, Germany
Copyright © 2005 by TAC Verlag. All rights reserved. No part of the rules may be
reproduced, published or copied in any way, without written permission of the publisher. 119