Lernaean Hydra Mentioned in several sources as having nine heads, Lernaean Hydra actually had “more heads than a vase-painter could paint”. Hercules was sent to stop it from terrorizing the swamps of Lerna with its poisonous venom. Each time one head was slain, two would grow back in its Appearing: place. It was not until Iolaus figured that torching the freshly severed neck that Hercules got the 3rd -10th July better of the serpent. Nine heads await you, can you defeat them all? Classic Tapa rules: Shade in blank cells to form a contiguous wall. Number(s) in a cell represent the length of each wall segment(s) surrounding that cell. For example 1, 1 and 2 means that three wall segments of sizes 1, 1 and 2 surrounds that cell. The wall does not occupy numbered cells and cannot form a 2×2 shaded area anywhere. [Examples taken from Serkan Yurekli] Mastermind Tapa: The nine-headed Hydra is represented by nine different Tapas. Numbers between each neighbouring Tapas represent the number of shaded cells that the two puzzles have in common for that particular row/column. Tapa Line: The maximum length of any straight wall segments is three. Modern Tapa: Numbered cells are replaced by cogwheels. Each wheel shows the pattern of black and white squares around that cell. Assume that all “cells” outside the grid are blank. Patterns on the cogwheel may be reflected. Elimination Tapa: You must eliminate one number in each clue cell before solving the puzzle. Pata: The numbered clues represent white squares instead of black squares. Clue cells are counted as white. Tapa Logic: Each letter represents a different number from 0-8. A letter belonging to a clue cell with more than one letter cannot be zero. Alternative Tapa: Several pairs of cells are marked with the same letter. One of these cells will be shaded while its’ counterpart will remain white. Compass Tapa: Arrows will point to the only direction from that cell that will reach the star. Arrows and the star are parts of the wall. Knapp Daneban Tapa: Every clue is one more or one less than the real value. For example, a 2 might actually be a 1 or a 3. It is possible that a 1 can turn into a 0. 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 3 2 3 2 2 4 3 7 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 1 3 5 4 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 6 2 1 2 1 4 2 2 3 1 3 G 1 A 1 4 T T 1 1 G 3 1 3 2 2 I A 3 N 3 0 T 2 N 2 3 3 T S 1 1 4 0 I A 0 3 2 4 2 2 5 1 3 0 3 4 0 1 5 H Y D R A 4 5 1 1 1 4 3 1 1 1 3 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 0 2 1 2 3 1 3 4 1 2 1 1 H Y D R A 3 5 3 4 1 2 4 Argus Panoptes With one hundred eyes all over his body, some will always remain open so that this giant never doze off. His continuous alertness made him the best candidate for a task like guarding the white heifer nymph, Io. In order to slay Argus, Hermes charmed each of Argus’ eyes into sleep before taking the giant’s life with his sword. Can you repeat this feat Appearing: and slowly pierce through each eye? 11th -18th July Masyu: Draw a single closed loop passing through all circles in the grid. The loop must make a turn at all black circles and go straight for at least two cells in both directions before turning again. The loop must go straight through all white circles and turn immediately before and/or after in the next cell. Once you complete the puzzle, starting at the loop segment on the top left cell, follow the path clockwise all the way back to the starting square. Read the string of letters vis- ited in that order to reveal a question. START START A A W H I F I P T W H I F I P T R A R A A A N N Q Q O T O T L L N E A T H E C I S N E A T H E C I S R R In the example above the left grid is the puzzle with the solution on the right. Reading from the top-left corner and going clockwise spells out WHATISTHECAPITALOFIRAQ. Breaking the letters into meaningful words if for you to do, the example reads WHAT IS THE CAPITAL OF IRAQ? So the answer would be BAGHDAD. START C I S N O R T A T M E H W R P A I R D N D O B E F H T P E S C O T T I S T W E I Y A H Medusa The most well-known of the three Gorgon sisters, the originally-beautiful Medusa was made terrifying by Athena. Her white skin became revolting green, her golden hair turned into infant snakes. Gaze into her eyes and you’ll turn to stone. Can you slowly Appearing: untangle each venomous snake that is the strands of her hair? 19th -26th July Medusa’s Snake Pit There are five snakes hidden in the grid. Each snake is 45-cells long and may not touch itself, even at a point. No two snakes can touch each other, not even at a point. Each snake will have different rules: SC 9 SCHLANGE SIGMA SNAKE Starting from one end, numbers from 1 The snake consists of written numbers from to 45 will be written on the snake but 1-11. All words will be written in one direction. coded into letters A-I. Each letter stands One cell is given and it is either the head or for one number from 0-9. Some parts the tail. The number in clued cells indicates the sum of the written numbers that surround that cell. All numbers will be used. F FINNISH SNAKE The snake will occupy all cells with the 1-ONE 5-FIVE 9-NINE (F) clues in them. 2-TWO 6-SIX 10-TEN 3-THREE 7-SEVEN 11-ELEVEN S S SLITHERLINK SNAKE SEA SERPENT The number in the clued cells indicates The number in the clued cells indicates the the number of sides (of that cell) the total amount of squares the snake occupies in snake touches. those two directions combined. 3 1 3 F 3 O 4 1 2 3 4 N 1 5 E T H R E O 8 7 6 4 3 E T W 9 F 5 10 11 17 15 4 8 3 CI 2 BH 11 E DG 2 8 F 11 12 BB 2 F F JE 3 F 3 2 2 2 2 F JA F C 5 F 1 5 3 4 Cerberus New spirits of the dead enter the Underworld but none are allowed to leave, as Cerberus keeps his eyes vigilant. With a serpent’s tail and claws of a lion, this three-headed dog is no match for anyone wishing to trespass through Hell. That is until Orpheus, the legendary musician, Appearing: came along. His magical lullaby charmed the beast to sleep, granting him access to Hades. 27thJuly -3rd Can you tame all three heads of this hound of the Underworld? August Rules of Fillomino: Divide the grid into regions of different sizes. The number in each region represents the size of that region. Regions of the same size cannot share any adjacent edges, diagonal touches are okay. Some regions may not have given numbers to start with. It is also possible that two or more given numbers belong to the same region. [Examples from Grant Fikes and Palmer Mebane] However, in the Underworld, you are not going to solve any classic Fillominos. Instead, there are 3 Fillomino variants, representing the three heads of Cerberus, to be solved. No Rectangles Fillomino: Classic Fillomino rules apply; additionally, no regions can be rectangular-shaped (squares included). This also means that regions of sizes 1 and 2 cannot appear anywhere in the grid. Odd Even Fillomino: Classic Fillomino rules apply; additionally, all odd numbers will form one large polymino as do all even numbers. In the diagram, the yellow-orange gradient is one large even-numbered polymino and the green-shaded cells form the odd polymino. Star Battle Fillomino: Classic Fillomino rules apply; additionally, there will be exactly one star (taking up one cell) in each row and column. No two stars can touch each other diagonally. Here’s another twist, the three heads are hidden among six grids! 3 grids are the 3 heads of Cerberus and the other 3 are simply fakes to distract you. Firstly figure which 3 heads are real. Then work out which rule each grid is using. There will only be one correct set of match-ups that will solve for all 3 grids. 5 3 4 6 6 3 7 7 7 3 4 5 7 7 3 5 6 3 3 6 7 5 7 6 6 7 7 6 3 4 4 6 3 5 GRID 1 6 5 3 4 8 3 6 7 3 3 6 9 6 6 6 4 5 3 9 4 7 6 4 7 7 3 3 7 GRID 2 6 10 4 4 6 3 5 6 7 4 4 3 8 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 6 6 7 6 GRID 3 5 5 4 3 4 3 4 3 6 3 5 8 6 5 3 8 3 6 4 4 3 4 8 5 3 3 4 5 3 3 5 3 6 6 6 6 GRID 4 3 5 6 3 8 3 3 6 3 6 8 8 9 8 8 4 7 8 7 22 6 7 3 7 3 5 4 8 GRID 5 8 7 3 3 3 8 8 8 7 5 4 4 4 7 8 5 4 3 9 9 7 9 5 5 9 4 6 10 6 6 GRID 6 .