Antares

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Antares Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau and cells to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck.
• Initial Arrangement:
• All cards are dealt face up at the start of the game.
• The tableau is split into two distinct sections:
  • Scorpion Piles (Left Side): Four piles, each with six cards.
  • FreeCell Piles (Right Side): Four piles, each with seven cards.
• Key Play Areas:
• Foundations: Four empty piles to be built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Cells: Four empty cells; each can hold a single card.
• Scorpion Piles: Four tableau piles on the left, built down by suit.
• FreeCell Piles: Four tableau piles on the right, built down by alternating color.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All tableau cards are dealt face up; there are no face-down cards in Antares Solitaire.

Antares Solitaire Rules:

Card Movement Principles:

• Foundations:
• Built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Only Aces can be placed on empty foundations.
• Once a card is placed in a foundation, it cannot return to the tableau.
• Cells:
• Any single card may be moved to an empty cell.
• Only the top card in a cell is accessible for movement.
• Scorpion Piles:
• Build down by the same suit (e.g., Q♠ on K♠).
• Any card or group of cards may be moved together, regardless of sequence or suit.
• Only Kings or groups headed by a King may fill empty Scorpion piles.
• FreeCell Piles:
• Build down by alternating color (e.g., Q♠ on K♦).
• Only the top card is movable; groups can be moved if they form a legal sequence and enough empty cells are available to facilitate the move.
• Any card or legal group may fill empty FreeCell piles.

Building Sequences:

• Scorpion Piles: Down by suit.
• FreeCell Piles: Down by alternating color.
• Foundations: Up by suit from Ace to King.

Moving Cards/Sequences:

• From Scorpion to FreeCell: Any group of cards may be moved if the head card can legally be placed.
• From FreeCell to Scorpion: Groups may be moved if they form a sequence down by alternating color and enough cells are empty to permit the move.
• Within Scorpion: Any group may be moved, regardless of sequence.
• Within FreeCell: Only sequences down by alternating color can be moved as a group, and only if enough empty cells are available.

Gameplay:

Typical Sequence of Actions:

• Move cards or legal groups between tableau piles according to their respective rules (Scorpion or FreeCell).
• Use cells to temporarily hold single cards to facilitate moves.
• Move Aces to empty foundations, then build up by suit.
• Fill empty Scorpion piles with Kings or groups headed by a King.
• Fill empty FreeCell piles with any card or legal sequence.

Introducing New Cards:

• All cards are present and face up from the start; there is no stock or reserve pile in Antares Solitaire.

When No Legal Moves Remain:

• If no further moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations, the game is lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

Winning:

• The game is won when all four foundation piles contain a complete sequence of thirteen cards, built up by suit from Ace to King.

Losing/Unwinnable State:

• The game is lost if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been transferred to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Scorpion Piles:
• Only a King or a group headed by a King may fill an empty Scorpion pile.
• Filling Empty FreeCell Piles:
• Any card or legal group may fill an empty FreeCell pile.
• Moving Groups in FreeCell Piles:
• Groups may only be moved if they are in sequence down by alternating color and enough empty cells are available to facilitate the move.
• Group Transfers ("Shifts"):
• Groups down by alternating color may be shifted from FreeCell to Scorpion piles if legal.
• Any group may be shifted from Scorpion to FreeCell piles if the head card fits the FreeCell build rule.
• Once a group is moved from Scorpion to FreeCell, it cannot be moved as a group again unless it forms a legal sequence for FreeCell.
• Cards in Foundations:
• Cards moved to foundations cannot be returned to the tableau.
• No Stock or Reserve:
• All cards are in play from the beginning; there is no draw pile.

This guide provides a comprehensive, rule-accurate overview of Antares Solitaire, structured for clarity and precision.