The idea
Corvus is a lopsided siege built on the old Norse tafl games. The Crow-King has plundered the hoard and bolted for the edge of the night with his murder of crows around him — reach any corner and he escapes. The Attackers ring the board and outnumber the defence two to one; close the ring around the King and you take back what's yours. Each side wants the opposite thing, so they play very differently.
The board
An 11×11 grid. The King begins on the throne at the centre. The four corners are the King's escape squares. The throne and corners are special — see below.
Setup & first move
1 King on the throne, 12 Defenders in a diamond around him, and 24 Attackers massed in four groups along the edges. The Attackers move first, then players alternate.
Moving
Every piece — King included — moves like a rook in chess: any number of empty squares in a straight line, horizontally or vertically. No diagonals, and no jumping over other pieces.
- Only the King may stop on the throne or a corner.
- Soldiers may slide across the empty throne but cannot land on it, and may never enter a corner.
Capturing a soldier
You capture by flanking: sandwich an enemy soldier between two of your own pieces along a row or column. The catch — it only counts on the move where you bring the second piece in. Moving your own piece between two enemies is perfectly safe.
- A corner or the empty throne acts as a friendly wall, so a soldier pinned against one is captured.
- One move can capture several soldiers at once if it flanks enemies in more than one direction.
The King
The King can never be taken by a simple flank. He is captured only when surrounded on all four sides by attackers at once (the throne counts as one of those sides if he stands beside it). Crucially, the board edge does not help the attackers — if any side of the King is open, he is safe.
How to win
- Defenders win the instant the King reaches any corner.
- Attackers win the instant the King is fully surrounded.
See it in action
Tap a card to watch a looping example on a mini board.
How to capture a piece
Trap an enemy soldier between two of yours.
How the King escapes & wins
Run the King to a corner for a Defender victory.
How to capture the King
Box the King in on all four sides to win as the Attackers.