Players aim to crown their king as emperor by reaching the throne (the central square) within the palace (the central 9 squares on a 9x9 board) or by killing all the rival kings. Simple to learn as most pieces move like in chess but very different to play as four armies quickly clash on a crowded battlefield, sacrificing pieces to clear the way for their king to reach the throne. With three or four players, multi-player rivalry adds interest and complexity as alliances are made and broken. The two-player variant is more strategic, with each player playing two allied armies, moving pieces from each of their armies on alternate turns. A version of this game called 'Battle for Anvil' was created for playing in the Live Action Role Playing world of Empire.

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