Pitch Out

A review in one sentence would read: It’s a flicking good game!

What do you get if you cross shove ha’penny with a positional strategy game?

Pitch Out is a two-player battle of wits, combining skill and tactics. It might take just 5-10 minutes to play but after the first round the looser is sure to demand a rematch and say, “Let’s make it the best of three!”. It’s a game for all ages with tension and a sharp intake of breath when a puck is left hanging and then there’s hilarity when someone’s flick goes completely wrong.

Gameplay

Each player has five pucks. These are simple plastic disks with markings indicting their character abilities, and they measure just 3cm across. With their own characteristics and abilities, they are needed to neutralise the opponent’s captain. This might be by being knocked out of bounds or killed off by the assassin.

All that is required is a flat playing surface, a clear tabletop is perfect, and the slipperier the better. These pucks, like curling stones, need to slide. Players have free- rein to place their pucks in any starting position within their third of the playing area. There are two protective blocks to add some defence. In turn the pucks are flicked and hit to get into a great position in the hope of knocking the opponent’s pieces off the table.

In the basic game players have five pieces in common:

• The assassin kills the opponents by just touching them (as opposed to knocking them out of bounds)
• The runner can be moved twice if its first move does not hit another disk.
• The immortal cannot be eliminated if it leaves the zone. It can be “killed” by the Assassin though.
• The guard allows any eliminated piece to be brought back into place, essentially sacrificing the guard. This is an optional choice and by losing the guard this allows players to keep other disks in play.
• The captain needs to be the last man standing and can assume the abilities of any eliminated ally.

In more advanced set-ups players can choose to use an asymmetric set of pucks that have different sets of skills. However, for every advanced game, there must be the captain in play.

There are five plastic blocks that are placed to act as barriers to protect pieces. More experienced players might try to cannon off these blocks to “get around corners” in the hope of gaining advantage. Similarly, a firm hard flick of a puck onto the block could cause them to move and expose the opponent. Then this means you can go in for the killer shot. As with any tactical game it is a case of balancing ones perceived level of skill and desire with one’s actual abilities. Whilst it might be nice to have a superb strategy that involves a double ricochet into the opponent’s zone, the reality is probably more likely a mis-shot and you firing your puck off the table and into the pot-plant in the corner of the room.

Thoughts On Pitchout

Pitch Out is stupendously good. The storage container keeps the rules and 16 pucks nicely in place. These plastic boxes double up a bollards and protective pieces. Players can place them as they wish, but once placed, they may not be touched. This makes a clever use of resources. These are robust and do not fall apart easily. The whole game comes in a draw-string bag just in case these storage trays come apart in transit. This is a nice touch.

Choosing your table settings

Any table will do for Pitch Out– just avoid non-stick matting. This might mean your finest Ikea laminate has the covers taken off, but the plastic pucks do not seem to scratch or damage the table top. [That said my in-laws drew the line at playing pitchout on their polished mahogany dining room table!]. The rules suggest an 80 x 80cm square but any size can be used. Big tables could allow house rules for more pucks to be in play [perhaps six or seven] whereas a smaller table gives very intense strategy of puck placement. As longs as there are clear boundaries then any table will do. Using a whole table allows the fun of trying to hit other off the table without sliding off yourself. An alternative could be to use a pre-cut mat that defines the gaming area.

Sometimes it is good to have a slow, steady approach with a gradual build-up. Careful placement of the puck, one protecting another, and awaiting the opposition to expose their Captain. This measured tactic of letting the opponent make a mistake through a rash move is almost like a cat and mouse game, yet this is achieved with just a handful of pucks, a few blocks and a slippery surface to play.

Pitch Out has the correct balance of strategy and luck. The choice of puck and the planning of the moves requires thought – but so often the execution mean that the best laid plans might fall apart. Every game is so different. The rearrangement of the tray to form barriers means each player can tailor their own defence, coupled with the more advanced, asymmetric puck powers, and this game really has a strategy about it. One house rule we enjoy is to allow the Captain to acquire the power of any puck that it eliminates. This means one can develop a strong Captain but only if you come out from hiding, thereby putting yourself at danger of elimination.

Occasionally, when just a few pucks remain in place a “death or glory” move might be needed. There is great satisfaction when a audacious shot is successful and victory is sealed against the odds.

Last week we played Pitchout with my in-laws (but not on their mahogany dining room table). My father-in-law loved it so much that we have ordered him his own copy so he can challenge the other grandchildren in the future. Pitchout is a great leveller. It is such a lovely sight to see a teenager battling against her octogenarian grandfather – and then having a “winner stays on” rule that means the next challenger can enjoy the game.

There are other dexterity games; Jenga, Tokyo Highway, Bank Attack but these are positively sedentary compared with Pitch Out. This game is a certainty for Christmas fun for the whole family. It might only be for two but with a short game time everyone can enjoy a turn quickly.

Final Thoughts On Pitch Out

I was given Pitch Out by a fellow blogger and I am so grateful. There is far more to this little game than it first seems. The combination of dexterity, skill and strategy with a smattering of luck make this an addictive combination. It is a quick “go-to” game once the tables have been cleared after supper and it takes a few seconds to explain. It is one to grab if friends come to visit.

As gifts go this is a finger-flicking good one. Thanks.