Onitama Victory & Movement Rules: Stone, Stream and Card Exchange
Onitama has two independent victory routes and a movement-card system that continues to rotate after every turn.
Way of the Stone: capture the Master
If any of your pieces legally lands on the opposing Master’s square, the Master is captured and you win immediately.
Way of the Stream: enter the enemy Temple
If your Master legally moves onto the Temple Arch space where the opposing Master began the game, you win immediately. A Student entering that space does not satisfy this condition.
Movement cards show relative destinations
Place the card mentally with your color stamp toward you. Any highlighted square is a legal relative destination if it remains on the board and is not occupied by one of your own pieces.
Intervening pieces do not block a move
Onitama movement is not traced step by step. Only the starting and destination squares matter, so pieces between them do not obstruct the move.
You must move if possible
If either of your two cards offers at least one legal move with any piece, you must make a move. You cannot voluntarily pass to preserve a card cycle.
If no legal move exists, exchange a card anyway
When both cards produce no legal move, your pieces stay put, but you still choose one of your cards to exchange with the waiting card. Then play passes to the opponent.