• Move your King to the opposing Kingdom
• Capture your opponent’s King
• Block all legal moves by your opponent

• Move your pieces one square diagonally toward your opponent’s Kingdom
• Capture by leaping one or more of your opponent’s pieces
• Place your pieces in Shield Squares to make them invincible and block your opponent’s advance
• Battalion Commanders can be shielded by any square marked by their Battalion
• The Kakanfo can be shielded by any square marked H
• The Oba can be shielded by any square marked K

• Moving any piece (except the Oba) into your opponent’s Kingdom promotes it to a Prime (★)
• The Oba cannot be promoted — reaching the opponent’s Kingdom is an immediate win
• Primes can move diagonally and capture diagonally in any direction
• Soldiers who are promoted can be shielded by any Shield Square marked with their Battalion symbol
• When the Kakanfo is promoted, he becomes an x-Prime — shielded by every square on the board

• Gold ring: your currently selected piece.
• Green highlight: where you can legally move.
• Blue pulse: an invincible piece.

Oba is played on a 10×10 checkerboard called a Deciboard. Only the light squares are used — the dark squares are ignored entirely throughout the game.

The row closest to you is your Kingdom. The row at the far end is your opponent’s Kingdom. Everything between is the Battlefield.

Light squares are marked with symbols that identify Shield Squares — strong points where certain pieces become invincible.

1. King Advance: Move the Oba into any square of the opponent’s Kingdom row.
2. King Captured: Jump over and capture the opponent’s Oba.
3. No Legal Moves: Leave your opponent with no legal move on their turn.

Strategic note: An Oba who never leaves his Kingdom cannot be captured — but he also can never win by advance. Victory requires risk.

Each player commands 20 pieces across four ranks.

—— Akin Battalion ————————————

—— Bomani Battalion ——————————

—— Olugbeja Battalion —————————

When a piece lands on its matching Shield Square it becomes invincible — shown by a blue pulsing glow. An invincible piece cannot be jumped by any means. Invincibility ends the moment the piece moves off the square.

An invincible piece surrounded with no legal move is immobilized — cannot be captured, cannot move. It is out of play until surrounding pieces move.

Before promotion: All pieces move forward diagonally only, one square at a time, staying on light squares.

After promotion (Prime): Pieces move diagonally in any direction.

Captures: Jump diagonally over an adjacent opponent piece onto the empty square beyond. Multi-jump chains allowed. Invincible pieces cannot be jumped.

A piece with captures available must use them if you move that piece. You may choose to move a different piece instead.