The Layout:
Significant change is needed to keep a sequel fresh, and entertaining. To juxtapose the precise symmetry of Chess, Charge features imbalance in numbers. White has only 9 pieces to defend against black's 15. To counter this, Black's army is much less reliable and takes way more setting up.
Queens and pawns no longer exist. There are six new pieces to get used to now.
White has one new piece, the Guard.
Guard (Pawn with shield): Moves like the king, one space per turn in any direction. However, all pieces occupying the four spaces behind this (upward, from image's perspective) may NOT be captured. If you want that piece to be gone, you must capture the Guard first.
The rest of white's army is 1 king, 1 rook, 1 knight and 2 bishops. If you don't know what those do, then why are you on this website?
Black has five new pieces, of which their army is composed entirely of. One is gotten by promotion.
Rioter(Black pawn that appears to have a hat): Moves like a pawn, but in the opposite manner. They move left or right forward, and strictly capture directly forward. A Rioter that makes it to the other side will be promoted into a Beheaded.
Beheaded(no image available, but it would be a pawn with no head): Gotten only by promotion, the Beheaded moves like a queen, but only two spaces at a time, with the ability to jump over obstacles.
Boar(blacked out image of pig): Moves like a knight, but only forward and not backwards. Getting a boar to the other side will promote it into a knight.
Crook(Black rooks that were made to look bald): Can only move one space forward or backward, but can move infinitely to their left or right. Can be promoted at the other side into a rook.
Trebuchet(the catapult looking thing): Can only move forward, diagonally or straight, one space at a time. And you're required to have at least 2 other black pieces within 1 space of it to do anything with it. Alternatively, you can move the Trebuchet by *firing* at a space 2-4 spaces in front of itself, which won't move it but will capture an enemy piece in that range. This also possesses a capture-proof game rule, similar to the Guard, where you must capture the pieces around it before taking it out.
But wait? What's with those black squares on the sides there?
Those act as impassible walls, that nothing can occupy, and that only Knights, Boars and Beheaded can go across. They also act as the markers for the "Siege Line", an invisible region from D-2 to D-7 that Rooks and Trebuchets are not allowed to pass at any point.
Other rules:
For White to win, every black piece must be destroyed, except the trebuchet if it's unoccupied.
For black to win, either the king must be left with no other pieces to serve him, or he must be checkmated.
White can still castle, this time with the bishops next to him, by simply swapping places with a bishop that hasn't moved yet.
A bishop that is on the white side of the "Siege Line" may move one space to either side, to offset their limited range.
If white has lost their knight, and afterwards they capture a non-Rioter or Beheaded piece, they may replace their knight! But only on A-3. If A-3 is occupied, no knight for you.
The White King loses their ability to move diagonally if they are found on the Black side of the Siege Line.
The Crook on H-4 can castle using the Trebuchet, but only if neither of them have moved.
Charge hasn't been play-tested yet, so feedback will be greatly appreciated.
A long time ago, in an alternate version of this world where Videogames quickly grew irrelevant and board games were given official sequels.
Hello! It's chessington INC. The company that bought you Chess! We are proud to announce the official continuation to the chess story.
Charge
(Chess Chapter 2)
The sickening war has been won against the army from a far off land. However, there is no cheering. The pawns have grown tired of their tyrannical king. A civil war, nay, a Revolution is set to take place as they revolt against their higher ups, demanding for better treatment. There may be no rest tonight...
Stay tuned.