Can a token be captured in my coloured column?

No. Once a token enters your own coloured column toward the centre, rival tokens cannot land on it.

Do I need an exact roll to finish?

Yes. A token can only move if the roll does not take it past the centre, so tokens close to home need small numbers.

What happens if I roll three 6s in a row?

Your turn ends straight away and play passes to the next player.

How to Win at Ludo: Strategy Tips That Work

Ludo is a race with plenty of luck, but good decisions win far more often over many games. Each roll usually gives you a choice of tokens, and picking the right one is where strategy comes in. This guide explains how to spread your risk, when to attack, where to hide and how to bring your last tokens home without wasting turns.

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Open tokens early

You need a 6 to bring a token out of base, so take the chance whenever it comes early in the game. More tokens on the board means more choices on every roll, which lets you avoid bad moves and grab captures. A player with one token out has to move it whatever the die says, even into danger. Rolling a 6 also gives you another roll, so opening rarely costs you tempo.

Use the safe squares

Tokens on star squares and start squares cannot be captured. When a rival token sits within six squares behind one of yours, it can probably reach you next turn, so look for a move that lands on a star. Moving a token from danger to safety is often worth more than racing your leading token a few squares further.

Capture whenever it is cheap

Landing on a rival token sends it back to base, which can cost them dozens of squares, and it gives you an extra roll. Take a capture whenever it does not leave your own token exposed right in front of another rival. Captures matter most against a token that is close to its home column, because that is the biggest loss for its owner.

Spread the risk

Avoid parking several tokens in the same stretch of track just in front of rival start squares, where new tokens enter the board. Instead keep one runner moving ahead and hold others in safe spots. Remember that three 6s in a row cancel your turn, so after two 6s, choose your move with the next turn in mind.

Finish with exact rolls

A token must reach the centre with an exact roll, so a token two squares from home can only move on a 1 or 2. Bring tokens into your coloured column early, where rivals cannot touch them, but keep at least one token on the main track to use rolls that would otherwise be wasted. Reaching home also earns an extra roll.

Questions

Can a token be captured in my coloured column?: No. Once a token enters your own coloured column toward the centre, rival tokens cannot land on it.
Do I need an exact roll to finish?: Yes. A token can only move if the roll does not take it past the centre, so tokens close to home need small numbers.
What happens if I roll three 6s in a row?: Your turn ends straight away and play passes to the next player.

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