From the rules: COUNTERSTRIKE is a unique and challenging game of superior forces for 2 players aged 8 to adult. "When you play COUNTERSTRIKE you will attack and attempt to occupy your opponent's defensive position but you must watch carefully because if not they will rapidly come back at you with their own strategy move and COUNTERSTRIKE. COUNTERSTRIKE is entirely a matter of skill. Luck plays no part at all. There is no dice, there are no question cards and you never lose any of your pieces. It is up to you, right to the very end. An opponent may be just a couple of moves away from an apparent win, but you may still be able to turn the tables and COUNTERSTRIKE. COUNTERSTRIKE is tremendously addictive. No two games are alike and the more you play it the more you will discover how tactics can be all important. Almost anyone can play from 8 upwards and will enjoy the challenge it presents. COUNTERSTRIKE has a wide variety of game patterns which can be played, and learned in just a few minutes. The rules are very simple. Play it once and you will never need to look at the rules again. That's a promise!" Each player has 24 pieces which are placed in one line of 4 and two lines of 10 on the 10x16 grid that forms the gameboard. The center two spaces of the line of four are coloured and represent the player's defence area. The object of the game is to move your pieces so as to occupy your opponent's defence area. The game is won by the first player to succeed in occupying and holding both the spaces of his opponent's defence position. There are three types of move allowed: - A single piece can move one position in any direction (forwards, sideways, backwards or diagonally). - A straight line of pieces can be moved one space in any direction. - A piece may be moved from either end, or from anywhere within a line of pieces to the opposite end of the line. If the position is occupied by an opponent's piece then that piece may be removed and placed at the opposite end of its line, provided that the player's line of pieces is greater in number than his opponent's.