A hexaraid field is a simplified hexagram checkersboard. Each of the six teams (five players per team) starts in one of the arms of the hexagram. Instead of jumping pegs (as in checkers) they have to fight inside each peg (called a ring) to claim it. To win, a team has to cross the board and claim the six rings inside the arm opposite to their own starting arm. Some teams play defensively, hunkering down to protect rings in their own arm while waiting for their opponents to exhaust themselves fighting the other teams to claim rings so as to cross the middle of the board. However, this is frowned on, and the other teams (or teams in future games) may collectively attack the cowardly pursuers of such a strategy.
Rings are randomly deemed, which means they are set to specific fight conditions when two teams touch a ring to initiate a claim. The fights conditions can be one on one battle, two on two battle, or team on team battle (a team can choose, for strategic reasons, not to field a complete team or be unable to do so due to injury). Some rings will disallow magic or werewolf transformation.
Hexaraid was designed so that the majority non-magical population regularly saw witches and other magicals defeated by ordinary humans, as well as working with them. Sometimes teams are fully human, but defeating magic is challenging. Weapons are allowed, including new, untested technology. However, ALL the team deploying untested technology has to suffer its use if the other teams are gravely injured or killed by it.
Beginner leagues use single rings, before advancing to three ring competitions. A complete hexaraid arena is only financiallly viable at the professional level. However, the professional leagues are well aware that without the lower leagues and enthusiastic amateurs the professional leagues would lose their souls, so they provide significant support to their juniors.
Hexaraid Arena, Forum City