Monster Herder

◀ MONSTER TRIPLE THREAT    MONSTERS GO TO TOWN ▶

GAME SETUP:  MONSTERS & MINIONS  •  PIANO MAT  •  2 NUMBER DICE
EACH PLAYER GETS:  1 MONSTER + 2 MINIONS
SIMILAR TO:  BACKGAMMON
FOCUSES ON:  INTERVALS

✦ GOAL: GET YOUR MINIONS OVER THE FINISH LINE! ✦

SETUP

• Players place their monsters and minions on Low G.
  
• The finish line is High F. 
  
• Middle C and its two adjacent notes are BASE and form a safe zone where any minion can land without danger of being eaten.

GAMEPLAY

On your turn: Roll the two number dice. Each number represents an interval (e.g. 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Using the intervals rolled you can:

• Move one token (monster or minion) those two intervals, OR
• Move two different tokens (monster or minions) one interval each.

If you roll doubles, you may roll again. 

Minion movement:

• Minions can only move forward up the staff.
• Minions may land on any line and share it with other minions, but...
• Be sure to avoid opposing monsters to prevent being eaten! You are always safe on the same note as your monster, or on Base (Middle C and its adjacent notes).
• Decide before play whether minions are free to scamper past enemy monsters -- landing briefly on their note during a two-hop, but not stopping there.

Monster powers:

• Unlike minions, monsters are able to move either up or down. In doing so, they can:
• Protect their own minions by sharing a note, which prevents their minions from being eaten by opposing monsters.
• Eat opponents' unprotected minions by pouncing on their note, sending the eaten minions back to the start.

WINNING THE GAME

Your monster’s job is to herd all of its minions safely across the finish line -- the monster can only cross after every minion has finished. Plus: unlike the minions, your monster must land exactly on High F to finish the game and “close the gate.”

Make sure to complete the round to allow for a tie.

Harder: Require that an attacking monster name the note (or another musical challenge) in order to eat a minion.

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