St. George and the Dragon 1920

St. George and the Dragon is played on a round board shaped like a wheel with 14 spokes, with a pattern of points on those lines starting from its center and radiating out to the edge of the board. Longitudinal lines are also drawn connecting the points. The central circle is green and is called the Dragon’s Lair. At four equidistant locations on the outer circle, an additional three points (connected by lines to each other and to three points on the board’s outer edge) form Knight’s Castles, one each named for St. George, St. Patrick, St. Andrew, and St. David. The Dragon’s lone piece begins the game on the Dragon’s Lair; the Knights’ three pieces each begin on the points of the Knight’s Castle.

Beginning with the Knights and ending with the Dragon, players take turns rolling a die and moving according to the results. The player will move any one of their pieces the exact number of points rolled on the die, in any combination of directions, so long as the lines between points are followed and points are not crossed or landed on a second time. Pieces cannot move to or jump over occupied points, except when the Dragon captures a Knight. Dragons move in the same fashion as Knights, but when their move ends on an occupied point, that Knight is removed from play. The Dragon may win the game by taking two of each Knight’s pieces. Knights may not capture or slay the Dragon, but may win by reaching the Dragon’s Lair central point with two of their pieces. The first Knight to do so wins the game. A Knight may not pass over the Dragon’s Lair as part of a move; they must land there only on the end of their move. Having landed on the board’s central point, the Knight is then removed from play and set behind his Castle to keep score.

The game can be played by two, three, four, or five players. For five players, one each plays a Knight and one the Dragon. For four players the game is the same but St. Patrick’s Knights are not used. For three players, one player takes the Knights of St. Andrew and St. George, one player takes St. David and St. Patrick, and one the Dragon. For two players, one will play all four Knights and the other the Dragon.

St. George and the Dragon takes its inspiration from the old tale of the same name.