The 11 ADJACENT Gambits (Ranked)
| Gambit | How ADJACENT Matters | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Catapult’s Gambit | ROOK: capture an ADJACENT enemy piece to launch it diagonally 2 tiles | S |
| Princess’s Gambit | BISHOP: bless an ADJACENT friendly piece | A |
| Excalibur’s Gambit | KNIGHT: ADJACENT pieces get +1 attack | A |
| Scout’s Gambit | PAWN: ADJACENT pieces reveal hidden tiles | B |
| Mercenary’s Gambit | ROOK: ADJACENT enemy pieces cost +$1 to summon | B |
| Firewatch’s Gambit | BISHOP: ADJACENT tiles are immune to Crumble | B |
| Fleur de Lys’ Gambit | QUEEN: ADJACENT pieces gain PROTECT | B |
| Squire’s Gambit | KNIGHT: ADJACENT KNIGHTs gain “No Luck” effect | C |
| Family’s Gambit | PAWN: ADJACENT PAWNs get +1 move range | C |
| Super Hero Landing’s Gambit | BISHOP: ADJACENT tiles become landing pads | C |
| Makibishi’s Gambit | Trap on ADJACENT tile after KNIGHT capture | C (was bugged, now fixed) |
What Changed
Before v1.2.0, several of these Gambits had variations of “nearby” or “neighboring” or nothing at all. This caused confusion about whether diagonals counted. Now ADJACENT is standardized: only 4 orthogonal directions.
How to Play ADJACENT Gambits
Positioning Basics
ADJACENT Gambits reward clustering your pieces. Center placement maximizes ADJACENT coverage – up to 4 pieces can be adjacent to one central piece at the same time. Edge placement is the worst strategy for ADJACENT Gambits since you lose 1-3 potential trigger directions immediately.
Key positioning rules:
- Avoid edges unless your Gambit specifically benefits from edge placement
- Cluster at least 3 pieces near your ADJACENT Gambit piece for consistent triggers
- Sacrifice a low-value piece to reposition your Gambit piece to the center if needed
- Stack ADJACENT Gambits on the same cluster for exponential returns (Catapult + Excalibur on the same center piece)
Best Builds for ADJACENT Gambits
Catapult + Scout center build: Place Catapult ROOK in the center, Scout PAWNs on all 4 adjacent tiles. Catapult fires diagonally, Scouts reveal everything. This is the most reliable ADJACENT build for new players.
Excalibur cluster: Create a KNIGHT cluster with Excalibur in the middle. Every ADJACENT KNIGHT gets +1 attack. In a 3x3 grid, you can position 8 KNIGHTs around a single Excalibur piece. Stack with Show Jumping or Whip’s Gambit for even more value per turn.
Family PAWN wall: Line up PAWNs in a row so every PAWN is adjacent to at least one other. Family’s Gambit gives +1 move range to each adjacent PAWN. A 6-PAWN wall means every PAWN gets the buff. Combine with Pawn Promotion Guide for full value.
Anti-Synergies to Avoid
Not every ADJACENT combo works. Watch out for:
- Spread Gambits that require distance – they conflict with ADJACENT clustering
- Firewatch’s Gambit on a Crumble board – if all tiles are immune, you lose Crumble-based triggers
- Super Hero Landing overlaps with existing tile effects – check your board before picking
Community Resources
Guide updated for Gambonanza v1.3.0. ADJACENT keyword introduced in v1.2.0 (June 1, 2026).