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Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.
Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.
39. Dayrider. Adrian King created many interesting pieces for his games, most famously Scirocco, but this one is from Jupiter (the game, not the planet; at least, this is the earliest reference I can find for it). He created it as a counterpart to the Nightrider, and I think he did better than I would have.
The Dayrider's main movement is that of an Alibabarider -- that is, it moves orthogonally or diagonally like a Queen, but can only stop on every other square. To keep it from being colorbound (not to mention bound to every other row and every other column), the Dayrider can also move without capturing to any adjacent space (AADDmK).
The evolution of the piece design was a fun one. I started with the Alibaba, without thinking it would go much further; I just took the turret from the top of the Dabbaba and put it on the Alfil (which is basically an Elephant), much like the icon I've generally seen for the piece (one that I happen to find very cool). Then, for the Alibabarider, I added "rider's wings" to the back. Learning of the Dayrider, I evolved the piece one more step, putting a King's crown over the turret. (I'm open to suggestions for something else besides the King's crown, but this will work in the absence of other ideas.)
It also has me wondering what else I can add, for an even more complex piece. Giraffe's horns, perhaps? I also have bits I can add for the Displacer (switching places) and Immobilizing powers. What else is there? [Sounds of evil cackling]