Tinctorel

Tinctorel

Set painted charges on a shield, let them resolve into colour, and paint the commissioned arms true before the satchel is empty.

A calm heraldic puzzle for iOS
The commissionred across the top, green across the base
6braces
An ordinary
Granted

Gules

Painted by lions and roses.

Vert

Painted by oaks and wyverns.

Or

Painted by suns and crowns.

Argent

Restored by the dove.

How a shield is painted

Charges first, colour after

Every move you draw a brace: two charges joined side by side. Turn it, then lay it on the shield. Nothing is painted yet. Only when three like charges stand in a row or column do they resolve, lifting away and leaving their tincture on the cells beneath.

Fill a whole row or column and it resolves as an ordinary, each cell taking the colour of the charge that sat on it. That is the fine brush: a striped line painted exactly. Resolve two different charges with one brace and the arms are quartered, which puts a brace back in your satchel.

The commission card shows the arms you owe. Match every cell before the satchel runs dry and the house is granted, with a motto ribbon for those who meet its extra condition.

The Roll of Arms

Forty houses in five marches

  • IThe Gules March. Lions and roses, and the first runs and ordinaries.
  • IIThe Vert Wold. Two colours on one field, kept apart by careful lines.
  • IIIThe Or Coast. Gilt cells that stay gold whatever lands on them.
  • IVThe Sable Fen. Ink blots to paint over and cadency marks that lift only beside a resolve.
  • VThe Argent Keep. Old arms painted wrong, and the dove to set silver right.
Beyond the Roll

The Long Tourney

One shield, challenger after challenger. Each brings new arms to paint over whatever is already there, and each grant refills the satchel a little. Your five best runs are written on the Lists.

Your Own Arms

Choose a shield, a division, two tinctures and a three-word motto, then paint the design yourself. Once it is true it hangs at the centre of the hall.