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PLAYER SELECTION SCREEN
In Wari, TWO players compete against each other to see
who can be the first to capture 25 or more stones.
The four players on this screen can be set to one of
the following positions:
�� Player (a person)
�� Auto (the computer)
�� Off (not playing)
Press the OK Button (Enter Key) when you have:
1 player selected to "Player" (you)
1 player selected to "Auto" (the computer player)
2 players selected to "Off" (not playing)
The Giraffe is the easiest to beat, but only MASTER
players can beat the elephant!
HINT IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST GAME:
Set two players to "Player", then press the F1 key on
the main playing screen. Play the game described in
the help boxes, and you'll quickly learn the game.
Down Arrow for more, OK (Enter) to exit help . . .
HOW TO SELECT THE PLAYERS
MOUSE METHOD KEYBOARD METHOD
������������ ���������������
Click the mouse on one of Use the RIGHT and LEFT
the three buttons for each arrow keys to select a
player: player. Use the UP and
DOWN arrow keys to select
the player's status:
OFF that character doesn't play.
PLAYER a person plays.
AUTO the computer plays.
LOAD SAVED GAMES
Press the F2 key to display a menu of games you have
previously saved. To load a saved game, arrow down to
the game you want to retrieve and press the ENTER key.
The game will return the exact place you were at when
you saved it.
Press the Down Arrow for Setup Instructions . . .
SETTING UP YOUR COMPUTER
Press the F9 key to setup your computer.
If you have a MUSIC CARD, it is detected when you
first run the software and this information is saved
in the configuration file WARI.FIL. If you want to
change your computer's configuration, toggle this
switch to:
Off
AdLib
Soundblaster
DIALOGUE makes the game more interesting by giving the
animals a way to interact with the human players.
Turn it "On" or "Off" to your own personal taste.
ANIMATION normally should be "On". Setting animation
to "Off" will speed up the game dramatically because
the hand which scoops up the stones and places them in
each bowl is gone, but this makes the game too fast
for most people to follow. Turn it "On" or "Off" to
your own personal taste.
Press OK (Enter) to exit help . . .
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HOW TO PLAY WARI
Wari is deceptively simple to play, but to win, you
will have to plan ahead, and use your wits. Wari will
take a minute to learn, but it will take a lifetime to
master!
What chess is to Europe, Wari is to Africa. It has
been played continuously for thousands of years, and
there are sophisticated opening, middle game, and end
game strategies. Don't feel discouraged if you don't
win right away.
Wari opens with twelve bowls, called "houses". Six
houses are on your side, six on your opponent's. Each
house is filled with 4 stones, for a total of 48. The
object of the games is to be the first player to
capture the majority of stones (25 or more wins!).
The rules are simple:
1) When it is your turn, use the arrow keys to
select a house by moving the mask over the
desired bowl. Press the ENTER key, and the
computer will pick up the stones in that
house, and will drop them one at a time in
each successive house counter clockwise.
<��������Ŀ The game
� moves in this
� � direction
����������
2) If you move a house with enough stones to go
completely around the board (12 or more), the
original house is skipped and left empty.
3) If the last stone is dropped into a house on
your opponent's side, resulting in that house
having with 2 or 3 stones, you capture all the
stones in that house. (See example game
below).
4) A capture includes consecutive previous houses
which also contain 2 or 3 stones (See "Grand
Slam" below).
5) If all your opponent's houses are empty, you
must make a move which will give him stones.
If no such move can be made, you capture all
the remaining stones on the board.
6) The game is over when one player has taken a
total of 25 or more stones, both players have
taken 24 stones each (tie), or if the computer
determines that the game is a stalemate, in
which case each player takes the stones on his
side of the board.
EXAMPLE GAME
The easiest way to learn Wari is by following a
detailed example. The bones are rolled to decide who
goes first. For this example, let's presume that your
opponent wins the roll, and therefore becomes the
first player. The opening game board is displayed as
follows:
2nd Player (your side of the board)
�����������������������������������ͻ Each player
� 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � begins with
�����������������������������������Ķ four stones
� 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � in each
�����������������������������������ͼ house
1st Player (your opponent's side of the board)
Let's say your opponent decides to move the stones in
his second house.
Your side of the board
�����������������������������������ͻ
� 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 � 4 �
�����������������������������������Ķ After your
� 4 � � 5 � 5 � 5 � 5 � opponent's
�����������������������������������ͼ first move
XXX �������������������>
Opponent's side of the board
As you can see in the diagram above, the 4 stones were
removed from the second house (marked with XXX) and
have been deposited one at a time in each house to the
right, so that they now have 5 stones each.
Your Move . . .
Let's presume that you decide to move the stones in
your fourth house (marked with XXX):
Your side of the board
��������������� XXX
� �����������������������������������ͻ After your
� � 5 � 5 � � 4 � 4 � 4 � first move
� �����������������������������������Ķ
� � 5 � 1 � 5 � 5 � 5 � 5 �
� �����������������������������������ͼ
�����������>
Opponent's side of the board
As you can see from the above diagram, the computer
has moved the 4 stones in your fourth house, and
placed one additional stone in your fifth and sixth
houses, and in your opponent's first and second
houses.
Your Opponent's Turn to Move . . .
Your opponent now moves the five stones in his sixth
house:
Your side of the board
<���������������������������Ŀ
�����������������������������������ͻ �
� 5 � 6 � 1 � 5 � 5 � 5 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ � After your
� 5 � 1 � 5 � 5 � 5 � � � opponent's
�����������������������������������ͼ � second move
XXX ��
Opponent's side of the board
As you can see in the diagram above, your opponent has
left himself open so that you can capture the stones
in his second house! You gain the first points of the
game in your next move . . .
How to Capture . . .
CAPTURING
Move the five stones in your third house, and watch
what happens:
Your side of the board
��������������������� XXX
� �����������������������������������ͻ After your
� � 6 � 7 � 2 � � 5 � 5 � second move
� �����������������������������������Ķ
� � 6 � 2* � 5 � 5 � 5 � �
� �����������������������������������ͼ
����������> *
Opponent's side of the board
Since your final stone landed in your opponent's
second house (designated by a * in the above diagram),
which, after you deposited your last stone, has TWO
stones, you capture the stones in this house. The
previous house has 6 stones, so you capture stops with
the second house. The score is now 2 to 0 in your
favor.
Opponent Gets Revenge . . .
But wait, by capturing your opponent's two stones, he
has "set you up" so he can capture THREE of yours! He
moves the 5 stones in his fifth house:
Your side of the board
* <������������������Ŀ
�����������������������������������ͻ �
� 6 � 7 � 3* � 1 � 6 � 6 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ �
� 6 � � 5 � 5 � � 1 � � After his
�����������������������������������ͼ � third move
XXX ���������
Opponent's side of the board
His final stone landed in your fourth house
(marked with an * in the diagram above). As you can
see, after his last stone was dropped, this left 3
stones in this house, which your opponent captures.
The score is now 2 to 3, in your opponent's favor.
It's Not Over Until It's Over . . .
MULTIPLE CAPTURES
You have just learned how to capture stones on your
opponent's side of the board, but you can win real big
by using the "move in hand" strategy to gain control
of the board, and set the other player up for a "Grand
Slam". Here's how it works:
Your side of the board
<��� [1]
�����������������������������������ͻ
� 17 � 1 � 4 � � 1 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� � 3 � � � � �
�����������������������������������ͼ
Opponent's side of the board
A "move in hand" is a small move which help you keep
as many stones as possible on your side of the board.
In the example above you moved 1 stone from your first
house into your second house. Using this strategy
over and over again, you have built your sixth house
to 17 stones, waiting for a "grand slam" opportunity.
Remember: Avoid doubling up stones when you can.
Your opponent has only one move:
Your side of the board
�����������������������������������ͻ
� 17 � 1 � 4 � � 1 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� � � 1 � 1 � 1 � �
�����������������������������������ͼ
[3] ���������������>
Opponent's side of the board
Now hit him with a GRAND SLAM by moving the 17 stones
from your sixth house twice around the board:
������������������������������������������Ŀ
� ����[17] �
� � �����������������������������������ͻ �
� � � � 2 � 5 � 1 � 2 � 1 � �
� � �����������������������������������Ķ �
� � � 2* � 2* � 3* � 3* � 3* � 2* � �
� � �����������������������������������ͼ �
� ������������������������������������������
��������������������������������������>*
You take 15 stones in a single move and win the game!
THE HISTORY OF WARI
Wari, an ancient game which was played 4,000 years ago
by the pharaohs, and only those of royal blood could
play in ancient African tribes. It is popular today
in the Caribbean, and hundreds of variations of Wari
are played today in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Wari is often called "Mancala" or spelled "Ourri".
Very little equipment is required to play �� simply
dig 12 holes in the ground and play with 48 stones,
seeds, beads, coins, beans, etc. In the United States
some people simply use an empty egg carton.
Obviously, in the "real" game of Wari, the computer
isn't there to count the stones in each house for you.
It is impolite to touch the stones on your opponent's
side of the board so you have to keep track of
everything in your head. To get closer to the
original game, press the F5 key to turn off the LED
counters.
BASIC STRATEGY
MOVE IN HAND is the most basic strategy of Wari. The
key to keeping control of the game is to make as many
moves as possible which don't give your opponent
stones. Usually these are small, one stone moves.
For example, in the board below, to maintain maximum
control, you should move the your stones in the
following order: D (2 stones), E (1 stone),
C (2 stones), E (1 stone), D (1 stone), E (1 stone),
B (1 stone), C (1 stone), D (1 stone), and lastly
E (1 stone). Using this technique, barring opposition
from your opponent, you can manage to take TEN MOVES
without giving your opponent a single stone.
Your side of the board
<��� direction
F E D C B A
�����������������������������������ͻ
� � � 2 � 2 � 1 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� � 3 � 3 � � 1 � 1 �
�����������������������������������ͼ
FLIGHT simply means get out of the way of your
opponent's impending capture. Your best move on the
board below is to move house D, leaving you opponent
no stones to capture.
Your side of the board
<��� direction
F E D C B A
�����������������������������������ͻ
� � � 2 � 2 � 1 � �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� � 3 � 3 � � 1 � 4 �
�����������������������������������ͼ
REINFORCEMENT means to put an additional stone in a
house to protect it from being captured. In the board
above you can avoid capture by moving house C. This
will put 3 stones in your house D, thus frustrating
your opponent's impending capture.
OVERKILL is a defensive move which puts an additional
stone in your opponent's house so that he will no
longer be able to take any stones on your side of the
board. For example, in the board below, your opponent
has TWO ways to capture you: his house A is set up to
capture 3 stones in your house A, and his house C is
setup to capture 3 stones in your house D. You can't
avoid a capture using the flight technique, but if you
move the 3 stones in your house F, your opponent won't
be able to take any stones at all!
Your side of the board
<��� direction
F E D C B A
�����������������������������������ͻ
� 3 � � 2 � � � 2 �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� 6 � � 7 � � � �
�����������������������������������ͼ
A B C D E F
THE TWIST is a defensive move to frustrate your
opponent's impending GRAND SLAM (see above example).
If you are not careful, you could easily lose the game
if you find yourself in the following situation:
Your side of the board
<��� direction
F E D C B A
�����������������������������������ͻ
� � 1 � � � � 4 �
�����������������������������������Ķ
� 1 � 1 � � � � 16 �
�����������������������������������ͼ
A B C D E F
Your opponent is positioned for a GRAND SLAM to
capture 9 of your stones: after he moves his F house,
the stones will wrap around the board once, leaving 2
stones in each of your your B, C, D, houses, and 3
stones in your E house.
Defend yourself against this powerful play by moving
the 4 stones in your A house, thus reinforcing your
E house. This "twist" in your opponent's grand slam
strategy will be the key to the rest of this game.
He will use MOVE IN HAND with the stones in his A and
B houses to control the board. Your strategy revolves
around keeping this "twist" in your E house.