Chalice

The chalice is one of ten mugs used in the Drinking puzzle.

The chalice gives the user the ability to place a piece on a square that is not adjacent to any other piece. The exception to this is the keg piece which must be placed next to a colored piece to establish its color identity on the board. The chalice also gives a +5 point bonus for each piece adjacent to the placed piece.

The chalice is a defensive mug for the most part and is especially useful in blocking off opposing players' rows before they can be completed. A piece can easily be placed next to the next blank spot in an opponent's row to limit their options for finishing that row, without needing any setup or extra bridging pieces that other mugs normally must use. Players can usually anticipate a longer game when a chalice is involved. A chalice player can go the other way, however, and try to capitalize on the point bonus to accelerate their victory. This is not a common usage though, due to the fact that the points hardly ever exceed the normal +10 you would receive when using a goblet.

The chalice gains no advantage from playing games that are less or more than the standard 1500 points. A chalice will have more potency with a larger variety of pieces (6 color/shape) due to its ability to block off enemy rows and to play lucrative pieces without needing a similar color or shape to attach it to. The chalice is strong against the horn and flagon due to their dependency on completing rows to be effective. The chalice is weak against the stein due to its large point bonuses independent of row completion.