Conqueror: Marble Go Remix
A Brief History of Conqueror
Among the many marble games passed down through generations, Conqueror holds a unique place with origins tracing back at least to England. Interestingly, it wasn’t tied to just one style of marbles — players often used whatever sizes and types were at hand, and many likely played “for keeps.”
Unfortunately, time hasn’t preserved a full, detailed rulebook for Conqueror. What we know comes from fragments of tradition, local variations, and hints left in older references. But some edge cases and finer rules appear to have been lost to history, leaving modern players with only abridged versions and speculation.
That’s where our Conqueror Remix comes in.
The Marble Go Adaptation
At Marble Go, we love the spirit of traditional games but also see opportunities to refine them for clarity and fun. Conqueror Remix is our reimagined version: easy to learn, strategic to master, and designed to fit in perfectly with other Marble Go games and remixes.
In essence, two players face off in a battlefield of marbles. Soldiers are sent into the field, shots are fired, captives are taken, and the last player standing with marbles left to play is crowned Conqueror.
How to Play
Setup
Play Area: Find a flat surface to play. Place a backboard (wall, board, blanket, etc.) behind the field to handle ricochets.
Field Depth: Using your Scoreline, select zone 1 or 2 to use as a measure depth from the backboard and place your shooting frontline there. Your Scoreline now becomes the frontline from which to shoot. The battlefield is the space between the frontline and the backboard, and the Scoreline’s selected zone length also establishes the respected artificial boundary left to right.
Target Marbles: Each player chooses 2 colors of 5 target marbles (10 soldiers each). Both share a single Shooter marble or select their own.
Gameplay
Opening Move: Each player rolls or tosses one soldier marble into the battlefield.
Taking Turns: Decide who goes first. On a turn, the player shoots the Shooter from the frontline with the goal of:
Recovering their own soldier, or
Capturing an opponent’s soldier.
Captures:
Any soldier struck directly or by ricochet is collected by the shooter’s player.
Multiple captures in one shot are all kept.
Continuing Turns: A player keeps shooting as long as they capture or recover at least one soldier.
Misses: If the Shooter misses all soldiers, the player must send one soldier (either their own or a captive) to the battlefield. Then it’s the opponent’s turn.
Clearing the Field: If one player removes all soldiers from the battlefield during a single turn, the opponent must send a new soldier of their own (not captive) to the battlefield and the turn continues.
End of Game & Winning
The game ends when a player has no soldiers of their own left to send into the field. Their opponent is declared Conqueror.
Strategy and Tips
Mind your placement: Soldiers too close to the backboard risk ricochet captures. Too close to the frontline makes them easy targets.
Use captives wisely: Sometimes it’s worth protecting your own soldier, even if it means risking an opponent’s recovery.
Precision counts: A light, controlled shot can be as effective as a powerful one.
Closing Thoughts
Like many traditional marble games, Conqueror reminds us that simple rules can create endless layers of fun. Our remix brings back the competitive spirit while making the game clear and enjoyable for players today.
Every shot carries risk. Every ricochet could swing the game. And every soldier placed in the battlefield has the chance to change the outcome.
When the dust settles and the last marble is claimed, only one player earns the title: Conqueror.
