The Codex

Know your swarm. Every insect has a role.

Queen

The heart of the swarm. Protect her at all costs.

Moves 1 adjacent hex.

🐜

Ant

Swift scout. Any distance around the swarm perimeter.

Slides any distance around the hive perimeter.

🪲

Beetle

Heavy armor. Climbs onto pieces, suppressing them below.

Moves 1 hex. May climb on top of other pieces.

While on top: suppresses the piece below.

🕷

Spider

Web-walker. Must travel exactly 3 spaces.

Slides exactly 3 hexes around the swarm.

🦗

Grasshopper

Leaps over adjacent pieces in straight lines.

Jumps in a straight line over one or more pieces.

New
🦂

Mantis

Tactical assassin. Swaps positions with adjacent enemies.

Slides exactly 2 hexes around the swarm.

Swap with one adjacent enemy (not Queens).

New
🕸

Weaver

Control and area denial. Spins temporary web nodes.

Slides exactly 3 hexes around the swarm.

Spin a Web Node on an empty adjacent hex (lasts 1 round).

New
🐝

Wasp

Aggressive disruption. Stings to immobilize.

Slides any distance around the swarm perimeter.

Sting an adjacent enemy (not Queens). Cooldown 3 turns.

Core Rules

The Swarm: There is no board. The pieces themselves create the battlefield. Every hex placed expands the hive.

One Rule: The entire swarm must remain one connected organism. A move that would split the hive is illegal.

Placement: On your first turns, place insects adjacent to your own pieces. You cannot place next to an enemy piece unless you already have a piece adjacent to that hex through your own swarm.

The Queen: Your Queen must be placed by your 4th turn. Protect her — if she is surrounded on all 6 sides, you lose.

Movement: Once all pieces are placed, take turns moving. Each insect has unique movement rules. Click an insect to see where it can go.