How to Play Pai Sho: The Ultimate Game Guide for ATLA Fans

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Learn Uncle Iroh’s favorite game and its alternate rules
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“Pai Sho” is a fictional board game featured in the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) and The Legend of Korra . Despite only appearing on screen a handful of times, devoted Avatar fans have collaborated to develop their own semi-official rule sets for the game, making it possible for anyone to play.

How to Win a Game of Pai Sho

The goal of Pai Sho varies from game to game, but in Skud Pai Sho, the most widely known variation of the game, the game ends when a player creates a Harmony Ring, or a chain of Harmonies that circles the center of the board. A Harmony is a set of 2 harmonious flower tiles in an uninterrupted line on the board.

Part 1
Part 1 of 5:

Learning the Basic Rules

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  1. Because of the way the board is designed, some Pai Sho variants can be played by up to 4 players. If you know someone who enjoys strategy-based board games, invite them to join you in a couple of rounds. To get other players in on the action, consider holding a Pai Sho tournament or playing a series of games with a “winner stays” format. [1]
    • If you’re playing an online version of the game, you have the option of either starting a game with a friend or squaring off against the computer. You can play Skud Pai Sho for free online . [2]
    • Pai Sho is a fun, intelligent, challenging game that anyone can enjoy, not just fans of Avatar or Korra .
  2. These Harmonies are formed when a player places 2 harmonious flower tiles in an uninterrupted line along any of the board’s intersecting lines. The first player to successfully create a chain of them around the center of the board is the winner. [3]
    • It is also possible to capture your opponent’s tiles in Pai Sho. If two flower tiles clash, one may capture the other flower tile by landing on the space it occupies. Capturing flower tiles can be a useful way of preventing your opponent from creating their own harmony ring.
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  3. Pai Sho is played using a total of 56 circular tiles (28 for each player), which have various symbols and flowers that indicate how they move and interact with other tiles on the board. The Basic Flower tiles are the game’s primary movement pieces. They’re broken up into 2 groups: White (Jasmine, Lily, White Jade) and Red (Rose, Chrysanthemum, Rhododendron). [4]
    • Jasmine (or White 3) : Move up to 3 spaces. Harmonious with Rhododendron and Lily. Clashes with Rose.
    • Lily (or White 4) : Move up to 4 spaces. Harmonious with Jasmine and White Jade. Clashes with Chrysanthemum.
    • White Jade (or White 5) : Move up to 5 spaces. Harmonious with Lily and Rose. Clashes with Rhododendron.
    • Rose (or Red 3) : Move up to 3 spaces. Harmonious with White Jade and Chrysanthemum. Clashes with Jasmine.
    • Chrysanthemum (or Red 4) : Move up to 4 spaces. Harmonious with Rose and Rhododendron. Clashes with Lily.
    • Rhododendron (or Red 5) : Move up to 5 spaces. Harmonious with Chrysanthemum and Jasmine. Clashes with White Jade.
  4. The remaining 10 tiles include 8 “Accent” tiles (Rock, Wheel, Knotweed, Boat) and 2 Special tiles (White Lotus and Orchid), which have their own signature abilities and uses. You can only play one of these tiles during a Harmony bonus, which you’ll be rewarded with any time you create a new Harmony. [5]
    • Rock : Cancels Harmonies along any lines it's placed on. You can place this tile at any open intersection on the board. Once a Rock tile has been planted, it can’t be captured or moved, even by a Wheel.
    • Wheel : Rotates all adjacent and diagonal tiles 1 space in a clockwise direction around it. You can place this tile at any open point, except where it would move a Rock tile, cause tiles to clash, or move a tile to an opposite-colored garden, off the board, off of a gate, or onto a gate.
    • Knotweed : Cancels Harmonies in surrounding adjacent spaces by “choking” or “draining” the flower tiles. If you’re playing on a physical board, flip the affected tiles over to show that they’ve been neutralized. You can place this tile at any open point on the board.
    • Boat : Either moves a Flower tile to an empty adjacent or diagonal space (taking that tile’s place in the process) or removes an opponent’s Accent tile from the board. You can only play this on a Flower tile moved outside of the Gate or an Accent tile.
    • White Dragon or Orchid : Removes active tiles from the board if it lands directly on them. You can place this tile at any open point on the board and move it in 6 spaces in any direction on each turn.
    • White Lotus : Turns Harmonies into Disharmonies and Disharmonies into Harmonies. You can place this tile at any open point on the board and move it up to 2 spaces in any direction on each turn.
  5. Pai Sho is played on a large, circular board containing 256 individual square spaces, which make up 12 different sections of various sizes. At the center of the board is a diamond-shaped section divided into 4 quadrants, 2 white and 2 red, arranged opposite one another. [6]
    • Physical fan-made replicas of the game are also available for purchase online. These typically range in price from $30-200, depending on the size and quality of the materials used. [7]

    Tip: If you’re the crafty type, you could also try making your own custom board using materials like wood, cardboard, and paint or colored markers. [8]

  6. These triangles are known as “Gates.” There are a total of 4 Gates on the board, one for each of the primary directions. The Gate closest to you is your “home” Gate, while the Gate closest to your opponent is the “foreign” Gate. [9]
    • When you and your opponent are positioned properly, you should each have an open Gate to your right and left.
    • Every time you add a new piece to the board during gameplay, you must start it inside one of the 4 Gates.
  7. For example, you’re only permitted to move your Basic Flower tiles into a Garden of the same color. The “Gardens” are the colored quadrants in the diamond at the center of the board. A red tile can only pass through a red garden, and a white tile can only pass through a white garden. [10]
    • Additionally, you’re not allowed to move any tile onto any of the Gates on the board. These sections are off-limits except for new pieces that are introduced to the board, or “Planted.”
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Part 2
Part 2 of 5:

Setting up the Game

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  1. At the beginning of the game, each player will receive 28 tiles. These will include 18 basic flower tiles—3 Jasmine, 3 White Lily, 3 White Jade, 3 Rose, 3 Chrysanthemum, and 3 Rhododendron. Each player will also get 8 Accent and Special tiles—2 Rock, 2 Wheel, 2 Knotweed, 2 Boat, 1 Orchid, and 1 White Lotus. [11]
    • The player who was invited to play is referred to as the Guest and the player that invited them is referred to as the Host.
    • Each player chooses 4 Accent tiles to play during the game.
    • The Guest begins by playing a Basic Flower tile from their reserve to their Home Gate and the Host does the same.


Part 3
Part 3 of 5:

Playing Strategies

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  1. Once you’ve determined your play order, you’ll begin alternating turns, similar to a game of chess or checkers. During a turn, you have the option of either “Planting” or “Arranging.” “Planting” is when you put a new tile into play by placing it in an open Gate. [12]
    • Any time you add a tile to the board, you must start it inside an open Gate.
  2. 2 tiles form a Harmony when they’re harmonious with each other (i.e. White Lily and Jasmine) and there aren’t any clashing tiles or Gates between them. A single Flower tile can be used to form 2 separate Harmonies, as long as they’re on different parallels. [13]
    • In Pai Sho, the pieces are played at the points where 2 board lines meet rather than inside the spaces themselves.
  3. For each Harmony you put together, you’ll have the chance to add an Accent tile to the board or plant a Special or Basic Flower tile to an open gate. Harmony bonuses will help you thwart your opponent and bring you that much closer to your next harmony. [14]
    • The configuration of the board will change constantly, so try not to get discouraged if you feel like you're trailing behind
  4. If either player runs out of tiles, then whichever player has the most number of harmonies crossing the Midline wins! [15]
    • It can be tough to keep track of how many unbroken Harmonies you have on the board when you’re focused on your next move. It may be helpful to pause periodically to look over the board and make sure you or your opponent haven’t missed anything.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 5:

Key Pai Sho Alternate Rules

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  1. In the Original Series, Pai Sho did not have a disclosed ruleset, and versions created since have not necessarily reflected the game in the show. To address this, passionate fans have created a version of the game that imitates every move and shot shown in Avatar: the Last Airbender . [16]
    • This version was designed not only to imitate the portrayal shown in the Original Series but also to utilize existing tiles and mechanics that have been incorporated into the most popular versions of the game, making it accessible for those who own Pai Sho sets.
    • Like most versions of the game, it is for two players and can be played online through the Garden Gate Community at Skud Pai Sho .
  2. A Harmony is an invisible line formed between two of a player’s Flowers. There are 4 important rules concerning Flower Harmonies: [17]
    • They form when one of a player’s Flower tiles lies in a potential movement path of one of their Key Flower tiles.
    • They are “Blocked” if an opponent’s Flower tile is between the two Flowers attempting to Harmonize.
    • There needs to be at least one open space between harmonizing Flowers.
    • Harmonies cannot form between Key Flowers of the same type.
  3. There are 6 Key Flowers: 3 Light (Lily, Jasmine, and Jade) and 3 Dark (Rose, Chrysanthemum, and Rhododendron). Each Player begins a game with 3 of each of these flowers. Key Flower tiles have different movement abilities based on their type – and these potential movement paths also determine how each Flower can Harmonize: [18]
    • Lily and Rose tiles can each move and harmonize up to 3 steps per turn vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
    • Jasmine and Chrysanthemum tiles can each move and harmonize up to 5 steps per turn, either vertically or horizontally.
    • Jade and Rhododendron tiles can each move and harmonize up to 5 steps per turn diagonally.
  4. The Pai Sho board has a unique design and is divided up between ‘Gates’, the 4 triangles around the edges of the board, and ‘Gardens’, the rest of the squares on the board. Gardens come in 3 types: Light, the fully White Squares, Dark, the fully Red Squares, and Neutral, all other squares that are neither fully Light nor fully Dark. [19]
    • Gates are where Flower tiles are “Planted,” when first placed on the board. They can start their first movement in any of the squares surrounding the Gate, as indicated by Blue.
    • Key Flower tiles are either Light (white) or Dark (Red). Light Key Flowers can never land in Dark Garden Squares and Dark Key Flowers can never land in Light Garden Squares. However, all flowers can move through Gardens of the opposite color.
  5. Players take turns, and in each turn, a player can either “Plant” a new Flower tile into a Gate, or move a Flower tile that is already on the board. (A player may have a maximum of 2 Planted Flower Tiles at any given time.) The first player to create an unbroken chain of at least 4 Harmonies around the center of the board claims victory! [20]
    • In addition to these basic rules, 12 Special and Accent)tiles add elements of creativity and surprise to the game.
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Part 5
Part 5 of 5:

Special Flower and Accent Tiles in Key Pai Sho

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  1. Before the game begins, each player selects 6 of the 12 possible Accent Tiles to use for the duration of that game and cannot change their selection after the game has begun. [21]
    • Special Flower Tiles act much like Key Flowers—they need to be planted in Gates before moving into the Garden. However, each has a unique ability that can be employed to assist your play strategy.
    • Instead of being “Planted” in Gates, Accent Tiles are placed in the Garden by switching them with one of the player’s Flower tiles that are already in a Garden square.
      • The Accent tile is placed in the square that the Flower previously occupied, and the Flower returns to its player’s collection to be re-used later.
      • Each Accent tile has a unique effect on the game. A player can place 1 Accent tile per turn at any point. Accent Tiles are the only ones capable of moving over other Tiles.
  2. There are 4 Special Flower Tiles, each with their own movement capacities and special abilities: [22]
    • Lotus: Ignores all usual Harmony rules and harmonizes over any distance with either player’s Flower Tile. This tile can therefore be used by either player to complete their Harmony Ring. It can move up to 2 steps in a turn in any direction.
    • Orchid: If a Player moves the Orchid Tile during their turn, they are allowed one additional move that same turn. It can move 1 step in any direction per turn.
    • Dahlia: The Dahlia can move any distance vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and can move over other tiles. However, it must always land beside another tile already in the Garden.
    • Fire Lily: The Fire Lily cannot form Harmonies (except with the Lotus), but it only blocks the opponent’s Harmonies. It can move 6 steps in a turn, with each step being in any direction.

    Opening the Garden Gate: The Lotus Tile has a unique technique that it can employ: If the center four Garden squares are empty, it can be planted in the center of the board, turning those four squares into a Gate. However, its player has to move it out during their following turn, with its first step being counted in any of the center 4 squares.

  3. The first four Accent Tiles are based on inanimate objects – the Stone, the Knotweed, the Wheel, and the Boat. Remember, these tiles are placed by switching them with tiles in the Garden, not by planting them. [23]
    • Stone: Can be placed anywhere in the Garden after switching with a Flower, not only in the Flower’s square. It’s unable to move by itself. It allows all of its player’s Key Flowers to enter any square in its quarter of the Garden, ignoring whether the Garden is Dark or Light.
    • Knotweed: All surrounding Flowers are rendered unable to move themselves or to harmonize as long as they are beside the Knotweed (this affects Flowers belonging to either player). The Knotweed can move up to 2 steps per turn, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
    • Wheel: Must be placed by switching with another Accent tile, not a Flower tile, allowing that Accent tile to be recycled. Once per turn, the Player can rotate all surrounding tiles up to 3 squares clockwise or counter-clockwise. All surrounding tiles must rotate the same amount and must be capable of landing in the final square of the Wheel effect’s motion. The Wheel can move up to 3 steps per turn, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
    • Boat: When the Boat tile moves, it can activate its effect and carry all surrounding Tiles with it, placing them in the same positions relative to it at the end of its motion. All tiles must be able to land effectively in the final positions to use this effect. The Boat can move up to 4 steps per turn, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
  4. The final 4 Accent Tiles are based on the Original Elemental Benders from the Avatar Universe – the Badgermole, the Dragon, the Skybison, and the Koi (Ocean and Moon Spirits). These are all placed by switching them in for one of their Player’s Flowers in the Garden. All 4 of these Accent Tiles can move up to 5 steps per turn, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. [24]
    • The Dragon: Can land on another tile to return it to its player to be reused later. However, any Effect tile can land on the Dragon to completely remove it from the game. Once removed, it cannot be used again for the duration of that game.
    • The Badgermole: Can land on a tile and be placed underneath it. When below a tile, the above tile is completely unaffected by Accent tile effects. The Badgermole can move while under a tile and may carry the above tile with it as it goes. The above tile can be moved off the Badgermole by its player.
    • The Skybison: The Skybison can land on a tile and be placed beneath it. When below a Flower, the above tile cannot have its Harmonies blocked by opposing Flower tiles. The Skybison can move while below a tile and may carry the above tile with it as it goes, and once it has finished moving, the tile that it carried may make an additional move, off of the Skybison.
    • The Koi: The Koi tile can swap the position of tiles on opposite sides of it (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). If they are in line and the Koi is between them, their positions can be switched, but only if both tiles can land in the other’s square (e.g. Light Flowers cannot land in Dark Gardens).
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    Is Pai Sho based on a real game?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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    Pai Sho takes elements from a variety of real games, including Go, Xiangqi, and Mahjong. However, it has no direct real-world parallel.
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    How old is Pai Sho?
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    In the Avatar universe, Pai Sho originates in the era of Raava, about 10,000 years before the current timeline.
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    What does Pai Sho mean?
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    It’s not clear that the name of the game has an established meaning. However, the theme of the game is harmony.
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      • The information presented in this article describes the “original” Pai Sho ruleset as laid out by the originating members of the Avatar community. Many different variations of the game exist, each with its own unique pieces, actions, and rules.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://internationalpaisho.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/pai-sho-official-rules-and-gameplay-1st-edition.pdf
      2. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/
      3. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/other/rules/SkudPaiSho_rules.pdf
      4. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/site/games/skud-pai-sho/pai-sho-rules/
      5. ↑ https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/pai-sho5
      6. ↑ https://internationalpaisho.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/pai-sho-official-rules-and-gameplay-1st-edition.pdf
      7. ↑ https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245714/skud-pai-sho
      8. ↑ http://paisho.pbworks.com/w/page/11167070/Real%20life%20Pai%20Sho%20boards
      9. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/site/games/skud-pai-sho/
      1. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/other/rules/SkudPaiSho_rules.pdf
      2. ↑ https://internationalpaisho.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/pai-sho-official-rules-and-gameplay-1st-edition.pdf
      3. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/site/games/skud-pai-sho/pai-sho-rules/
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9B9vvEtNlo&feature=youtu.be&t=87
      5. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/site/games/skud-pai-sho/
      6. ↑ https://skudpaisho.com/site/games/skud-pai-sho/pai-sho-rules/
      7. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-it-ties-into-the-canon/
      8. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      9. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      10. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      11. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      12. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      13. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      14. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/
      15. ↑ https://keypaisho.wordpress.com/how-to-play-key-pai-sho/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Pai Sho is a fictional board game from Avatar: The Last Airbender designed for two players. You can play it online or with a physical board. The goal of the game is to score more points than your opponent by placing tiles around the board to create “harmonies,” which are specific arrangements of tiles in shapes based on the tile type and location. To physically play the game, you need a circular board with an 18 by 18 square grid that has the corners cut off, divided into four quadrants of white and red triangles in the middle. Outside of that square, there are four yellow sections and four red triangles. The red sections are known as “ports” and everything else is referred to as the “garden.” Each player starts the game with 54 tiles. Players sit across from one another in front of the red triangles. To start, flip a coin to determine who goes first. On a player’s turn, they may place a new tile, move a tile that’s already in play, or use a non-flower tile’s special ability. You cannot place a tile in a location occupied by another tile, although depending on certain tiles abilities, it is possible to remove your opponent’s tiles from the board. Like chess pieces, each tile type has its own qualities and abilities. For example, rose tiles must start in a foreign port, they can move up to 3 spaces in a turn (but only in a straight line), and they harmonize with white jade and chrysanthemum tiles, but clash with jasmine. You score points by creating harmonies, which are different combinations of tiles in different patterns. Harmonies can only be created with your own tiles (with the exception of the Blooming White Lotus tile). You earn one point for each harmony you create. If a red flower harmony in a red garden section of the board aligns with a white flower harmony in a white garden, you create a “natural harmony,” which generates 2 points. Play continues until a player is left with only 3 harmonious tiles, a player reaches a predetermined number of harmonies, a player forfeits, or a player forms a chain of harmonies around the mid ports. The player who doesn’t end the play is awarded the pot, which includes any tiles removed over the course of the game or remained unplayed, and they receive 1 point for each tile in the pot. At the end of the game, each player calculates their points and the player with the most points is declared the winner. To learn more about how to play the ancient game of Pai Sho, including how to create harmonies with flower tiles like lily and rhododendron, keep reading!

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