Ludo has a reputation as a game the die wins for you. There is some truth in that, but not the whole truth. Every time more than one piece can move, you make a decision. A player who decides well will win more games in an evening than one who always moves the first piece that starts hopping. These tips apply to the rules of Ludo on HoyHop, described in Ludo rules in detail.
What the die tells you
A six comes up on average once every six rolls. When you have no piece on the track, you get three tries. The chance of at least one six is 1 minus (5/6) to the power of three, or about 42 percent. The rest of the time, which is most of the time, the die passes on and you do not move. That is why it matters so much not to have all your pieces in the base at once. Every capture can cost you several rounds of waiting.
For the same reason, after your first six at the start of the game, it pays to bring a piece out and get it moving. A piece on the track means every later roll does something.
When you can be captured
An opponent’s piece captures yours when it ends its move exactly on your square. From that you can work out where the danger lies:
- If the opponent’s piece is one to six squares behind you, it hits you with one roll with a chance of 1 in 6, about 17 percent.
- If it is seven to twelve squares behind you, it needs a six first and then the exact second roll. That is 1 in 36, less than 3 percent.
- If the opponent’s piece is ahead of you, it cannot threaten you, because it moves in the same direction as you.
So the safest place is behind an opponent’s piece or at least seven squares ahead of it. The worst place is one to six squares ahead of it, and worse still in front of two opposing pieces at once.
Keep in mind that these numbers assume your opponent moves the piece that can hit you. If several of their pieces can move, they may pick another one. With compulsory capturing switched on, though, they have to take you.
Do not stand on someone else’s start square
The most dangerous square on the board is the start square of an opponent who still has pieces in the base. When they roll a six, they must bring a piece out, and if you are standing there, you are captured. On top of that, freshly brought-out pieces stand right behind you.
If you can choose which piece to move, do not put it on an opponent’s start square or on the six squares after it. If you are already there, leave at the first chance.
One piece or several
This is the most common question. The answer depends on the stage of the game.
Early on, it pays to have at least two pieces on the track. Every roll then gives you a choice. You can avoid a dangerous square, capture an opponent or move into your home row. With a single piece on the track, you simply do what the die says.
On the other hand, every piece on the track is a target. With four pieces scattered around the board, your opponents can almost always threaten one of them. A good compromise is two or three pieces in play and the rest in the base or in the home row.
When one piece is close to home, get it there as soon as possible. A piece in the home row is safe and no longer tempts anyone.
Using the home row
You need an exact roll to move into the home row. If you bring a piece only onto the first home square, the next pieces will have fewer free squares to aim for. It is better to push pieces as deep into the home row as possible, onto the fourth and third squares.
On HoyHop you may jump over pieces in the home row, so this is easy. With the variant No jumping in the home row you have to think ahead: the first piece to come home must go all the way to the last square, or it will block the others.
When to capture and when not to
Capturing is almost always a good move. It sends an opponent’s piece back to its base, where it has to wait for a six. The most valuable capture is a piece that has already covered a large part of the board.
There are exceptions. If capturing would leave you just in front of another opposing piece, you may be captured in turn on the next round. Compare what you gain with what you risk. An opponent’s piece five squares from its start does not help them much, while your piece just short of home is worth a lot.
A six can do more than bring a piece out
After a six you roll again. With pieces in your base, a six means bringing one out, unless your own piece blocks the start square. If you do not have to bring one out, for example with the variant Bringing out is optional, consider using the six to move a piece that is in danger instead. The new piece can wait.
Two players and four players
With two players there are fewer pieces on the board and captures are rarer. You can play more boldly, move fast and take risks. With four players the board is crowded. Every square ahead of an opponent’s piece is dangerous, and caution and getting pieces home pay off more.
Against the computer and with children
The computer on HoyHop moves slowly and writes one sentence below the die about what it rolled and how it moved. That is a good lesson for children: they can see that it avoids other players’ start squares and prefers to move pieces home. With younger children it also helps that pieces which can move hop up and down and their target square gets a dashed ring. A child can see the options without help.
When playing with younger children, it is worth switching on optional bringing out. The child then does not have to bring a piece out after every six and can use it to rescue a piece in danger instead. Leave compulsory capturing off, so they can decide for themselves whether to capture.
In short
Stay behind your opponents or well ahead of them, keep off other players’ start squares, have two or three pieces in play and push pieces deep into the home row. The die will not change, but your chances will. If you are curious about where the game comes from, read The history of Ludo.