ODDLOOP loops and herding lines begin with the same action: place your finger on the pond and draw. A closed loop can rescue the Churrs inside when you lift. An open stroke can leave a temporary line that helps protect them.
Learning the difference gives you a choice before the pond gets crowded. Sometimes the useful move is an immediate catch. Sometimes a little protection creates a better chance to draw one.
A loop finishes the rescue
Choose a group with clear space around it, draw around the Churrs and bring the end of the stroke back towards its beginning. The blue outline shows when the drawing has become a recognised loop. Lift your finger to release it.
A successful catch removes the rescued Churrs and adds their points to the round score. Keep dangerous Burrs outside the shape. Closing a loop does not turn a Burr into a safe passenger just because the outline is blue.
Think of a loop as the action you want to complete when the opening is good. If the group is clear, nearby threats are outside the route and you can close it without a long detour, there may be no need to spend time preparing another defence.
An open line changes the approach
Now imagine a Red Burr moving towards that same group. Draw a stroke between the hunter and the Churrs, leave the ends apart and lift your finger. A usable open stroke becomes a herding line.
It stays in the pond for a short time and interferes with an approach across it. You can use that interval to rescue the protected faces, choose a smaller loop or turn your attention to a different exposed group.
The line does not earn catch points. Its value comes from what you do with the space and time it creates. Watch it as part of the scene, because it will fade and the threat may still find another useful approach.
Try both moves in one scene
Picture four Churrs drifting near the middle of the pond with a Burr coming from one side. Your first option is a direct loop around the group, keeping the Burr well outside. If you can finish comfortably, that is a clean rescue.
Your second option is to place an open line across the approach, then draw around the Churrs while the defence holds. You have used two gestures to make the same rescue, with a little more preparation and a clearer opening.
Neither route is automatically best. The positions, your drawing room and the time left in the round decide which feels useful. Practise noticing the opening rather than always drawing a barrier first.
Lines remain temporary
After you place a herding line, there is a short recharge before another one is ready. Loops remain available. If a protected catch is clear, you can take it instead of waiting beside the fading line.
Later, Black Burr spikes add another reason to watch your defence. A line can stop a shot, but the marksmen can also reduce how long that line remains. Protection gives you an opportunity to act; it does not remove every threat for the rest of the round.
The same distinction helps with drawing mistakes. If you intended a catch but left the stroke open, a herding line may appear instead. Watch for the blue completion outline when you mean to close, and deliberately leave the ends apart when you mean to defend. A good round often moves naturally between the two.