§ 0Golden Rules
§ 0.1Rule of the Highest Source
Only the single largest bonus and the single largest penalty of each type apply. Types are defined by their effect (e.g., "defense roll bonus", "income bonus"). All bonuses to defense rolls are considered the same type, regardless of their source (clan ability, castle, etc.). They do not stack.
Example 1: A defending Uesugi unit (+1 defense) in a province with a castle (+1 defense) receives only a single +1 bonus to its defense rolls, not +2.
Example 2: A defending Hōjō unit in their Fortress (+2 defense) that is targeted by a Ninja's Sabotage (-1 defense) would resolve its defense rolls with a net +1 bonus. This confirms that bonuses and penalties apply concurrently.
§ 0.2Module Rules Break Core Rules
The rule of an optional module always takes precedence over a core rule it directly contradicts.
§ 1THE CORE GAME
§ 1.1The Goal of the War
§ 1.1.1Victory Conditions
Victory is achieved by meeting one of two conditions:
The game ends immediately when a victory condition is met. In case of a simultaneous fulfillment, the priority is:
- Shōgun's Mandate
- Province Control
- Path of Glory (Module, see §10.4)
§ 1.1.2Timing of Victory Check
You must check for victory at the end of every phase. This check occurs after all actions for that phase are complete, but before any new actions for the next phase begin.
§ 1.2Victory by Province Control
You win immediately if you control a certain number of provinces:
- 4 Players: 20 provinces
- 5 Players: 18 provinces
§ 1.2.1Tie-Breaker
In the rare case of a tie, a clear winner is determined by the following sequence:
- Economic Strength: The tied player with more Koku wins.
- Leadership Preservation: The player with the most Daimyō remaining wins.
- Strategic Prestige: The player who controls the most Mandate Provinces wins.
- Initiative: The player who would have acted earlier in the next round's turn order wins.
§ 1.3Alternative Victory: The Shōgun's Mandate
You win immediately if you have sole, undisputed control over the three Mandate Provinces:
- Yamashiro (Kyoto)
- Settsu (Osaka)
- Sagami (Edo)
There must be no units from allies (see §10.1) in these provinces for you to claim this victory.
Special Rule: When defending in Yamashiro (Kyoto), your units receive a +1 bonus to their defense rolls.
§ 2Preparing for Battle
§ 2.1Components
- Daimyō (3 per clan): Your irreplaceable leaders.
- Bushi (69 per clan): The backbone of your clan.
- Koku: The lifeblood of your clan, representing rice and resources.
- Ronin (30 total): Masterless samurai for hire.
- Castles (10 total): Fortifications for your provinces.
- Ninja (1 total): A master of espionage.
- Player Screens, Game Board, six-sided dice (d6), and various markers.
§ 2.2The Eve of War: Clan Selection
To ensure a balanced and strategically engaging conflict, the great clans are selected through a draft. This guarantees a wide geographic distribution of power, preventing strategic isolation and fostering immediate interaction.
§ 2.2.1Define the Strategic Regions
The nine great clans are grouped into three strategic regions, reflecting their historical spheres of influence.
- The West: Shimazu (Satsuma), Otomo (Bungo), Mōri (Aki)
- The Center: Oda (Owari), Tokugawa (Mikawa), Chosokabe (Tosa)
- The East: Takeda (Kai), Uesugi (Echigo), Hōjō (Sagami)
§ 2.2.2Step-by-Step: The Draft Procedure
A draft is a simple way to choose factions to ensure a fair and interesting game. Instead of everyone grabbing their favorite clan at once, you will take turns picking one by one. This section breaks it down into simple steps.
§ 2.2.2.1 Step 1: Determine the Pick Order
Determine a random starting order for the players (e.g., by rolling dice). The player who would act last in this random order gets to pick their clan first. The clan pick order is the reverse of the randomly determined player order.
Designer's Note on Initial Order
As all players begin the game with an identical number of provinces (0), Koku (0), and units (0), the standard Gekokujō tie-breakers cannot apply. A random method is therefore required to establish the initial draft order. This ensures fairness and resolves the logical inconsistency of needing a clan name to determine the order in which clan names are chosen.
§ 2.2.2.2 Step 2: Make Your Picks (with one restriction)
Starting with the first player in the pick order, each player chooses one available clan. There is only one special rule for the first few picks:
The Regional Restriction Rule: The first three players picking must each choose a clan from a different, unclaimed Strategic Region (West, Center, or East). Once all three regions have been chosen from, this restriction is lifted for any remaining players.
This ensures that the clans are spread out across the map, creating an interactive game from the very beginning.
Example Draft Walkthrough (4-Player Game)
Let's walk through an example with these steps.
- Determine Pick Order: The players roll dice to establish a random turn order. The result is: Player D → C → B → A. The clan draft pick order is the reverse of this: Player A → B → C → D.
- Player A (picks 1st): Player A must pick a clan. They choose the Takeda from the East. The "East" region is now considered claimed for the initial picks.
- Player B (picks 2nd): Player B must pick from an unclaimed region (West or Center). They select the Oda from the Center. The "Center" region is now claimed.
- Player C (picks 3rd): Player C must pick from the last unclaimed region, the West. They choose the Shimazu. All three regions are now represented.
- Player D (picks 4th): The Regional Restriction is now lifted. Player D can choose any of the remaining clans from any region.
This draft system becomes a "meta-game" before the first turn. Your initial choice is not just about which clan ability you prefer; it also limits the options of your opponents and shapes the political landscape of the entire game.
§ 2.3Initial Setup
- Place Starting Units: Each player places three Daimyō and one Bushi in their clan's starting province.
- Receive Starting Capital: Each player receives three Koku.
- First Turn Exception: On the first turn of the game only, players do not pay the Upkeep cost.
§ 2.4The Great Clans
The clans are not fundamentally different, but their unique advantages reflect their historical strengths and strategic focus.
Clan | Archetype | Province | Ability Name | Ability |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chosokabe | Economist | Tosa | Island Economy | Your base income is 4 Koku (instead of 3). Additionally, you gain +1 Koku for every 2 coastal provinces you control (max +2 Koku per round). |
Hōjō | Builder | Sagami | The Unbreakable Wall | The cost to build your Fortress is 3 Koku. Its defense bonus is +2 (instead of +1). If your Fortress is destroyed, you may rebuild it in a later round for the same cost. |
Mōri | Naval Power | Aki | Masters of the Inland Sea | Movement between two Mōri-controlled provinces that border the same sea zone costs only 1 movement point, even if they share no land border. Additionally, you gain +1 Koku for every 3 coastal provinces you control. |
Oda | Aggressor | Owari | The Shogun's Vanguard | If an Oda Daimyō is present, all attacking Oda units in that battle receive a +1 bonus to their attack rolls. |
Otomo | Gambler | Bungo | Nanban Trade | When you declare an attack, you may spend 2 Koku before any dice are rolled. If you do, you may re-roll all of your failed attack rolls for your Bushi units in that battle. |
Shimazu | Expansionist | Satsuma | Masters of the Western Seas | +1 Koku per coastal province you control (max +3 per round). |
Takeda | Mobile Force | Kai | The Wind of Kai | When a Takeda Daimyō moves, up to 6 Bushi from the same starting province may move with him as a single group, using the Daimyō's movement of 3. |
Tokugawa | Turtle | Mikawa | Masters of the Mountains | Immune to supply costs in mountain provinces. |
Uesugi | Defender | Echigo | The Dragon's Domain | Any Uesugi unit defending in a province under your control at the start of this round receives a +1 bonus to its defense rolls. |
§ 3The Round Structure
Each round mirrors a year of feudal war. Spring Planning -> Summer Campaign -> Harsh Winter. Mastering this rhythm of Logistics -> Operations -> Attrition is the true path to becoming Shogun.
§ 3.1Phase Overview
- Phase 1a: Administration (Income, Upkeep, Player Order)
- Phase 1b: Reinforcement (Recruitment & Construction)
- Phase 2: Campaign (Movement & Combat)
- Phase 3: Winter (Supply)
§ 4Phase 1a: Administration
§ 4.1Income, Upkeep & Gekokujō (Sequential-Simultaneous)
Though these steps are completed by all players before moving on, they are resolved in a strict sequence to prevent timing conflicts:
- 1. Collect Income: All players simultaneously gain 3 Koku base income + 1 Koku per controlled province.
- 2. Pay Upkeep: All players simultaneously pay 1 Koku for every 2 Bushi units (rounded up). Daimyō are free. (This is skipped on the first turn of the game).
- 3. Determine Player Order (Gekokujō): Only after all income and upkeep have been fully resolved, the player order for the round is determined. The player with the fewest provinces acts first. Ties are broken by: 1st - less Koku, 2nd - fewer total units, 3rd - clan name alphabetically.
§ 4.2Honor & Bankruptcy
A Daimyō is bound by their word and must meet their financial obligations. If a player is unable to pay a required cost (Upkeep, Winter Supply, etc.) at any time, they must immediately remove two of their Bushi units (player's choice) from the board for every 1 Koku they cannot pay. A clan cannot go into debt.
For example, if you are short 3 Koku, you must immediately remove 6 of your Bushi from the board.
§ 5Phase 1b: Reinforcement
§ 5.1Recruitment & Construction (In Player Order)
- Recruit: Pay 1 Koku per Bushi.
- Hire Ninja: Pay 3 Koku (see §9.1).
- Castle & Fortress Construction: Spend Koku to build or fortify a castle (see §9.2).
§ 5.2Unit Placement
All newly recruited units must be placed in a province that you controlled at the start of the Planning & Reinforcement phase.
§ 6Phase 2: Campaign
After all players have completed their reinforcements, the Campaign phase begins, proceeding in the newly established player order.
§ 6.1Movement
- Movement Allowance: Move any number of your units. Bushi may move up to 2 provinces; Daimyō may move up to 3.
- Entering Enemy Provinces: Movement of a unit or army must end immediately upon entering a province containing units of another player (unless they are an ally).
- Stacking Limit: A province may not contain more than 7 units from a single player at the end of any move. A move that would violate this limit is illegal. Units may temporarily exceed this limit while moving through a province; the limit must only be respected in the province where a unit or army ends its movement.
§ 6.2The Art of War: Combat
Combat occurs when units of different players are in the same province after the active player has completed all of their movement. The player whose turn it is is the attacker. All combat rolls are made using standard six-sided dice (d6).
§ 6.2.1The Combat Sequence
- (Optional) Hire Ronin: Attacker, then defender, may hire Ronin.
- (Optional) Ninja Assassination: Reveal Ninja if on a mission.
- Determine Hits: All units from all sides roll dice simultaneously to determine the number of hits they score.
- Assign & Remove Casualties: Starting with the attacker, each player assigns their hits to enemy units. After all hits are assigned, all marked units are removed from the board at the same time.
- Check for Control: If units from only one side remain, that player controls the province. If units from more than one side remain, or no units remain, the province becomes neutral.
- (Module) Raiding: If using module §10.3, the new controller seizes any invested Koku (see §6.2.7).
§ 6.2.2Combat With 3+ Players
In a battle involving three or more players, all sides roll their dice simultaneously. Then, a player who has been attacked distributes their hits first. Finally, all players remove casualties at the same time.
§ 6.2.3Combat Rolls
Unit | Dice | Attack Hits | Defense Hits |
---|---|---|---|
Bushi | 1d6 | 5-6 | 6 |
Daimyō | 3d6 | 4-6 | 4-6 |
§ 6.2.4Ronin: Mercenaries
- Hiring: Pay 1 Koku per Ronin to add them to a battle.
- Combat Profile: Ronin act as Bushi in all respects during combat, rolling one die and hitting on a 5-6 when attacking or a 6 when defending. They are affected by all applicable combat modifiers.
- Limit: You may not have more Ronin than your own Bushi in a battle.
- Fleeting Loyalty: After combat, all Ronin are removed from the board.
§ 6.2.5Example of Basic Combat
The Tokugawa player attacks a neutral province with 3 Bushi. It is defended by 2 Ronin hired by another player. No other modifiers are in play.
- Tokugawa (Attacking): Rolls 3 dice for their 3 Bushi. An attack hits on a 5-6. They roll a 1, 4, and 5. This is \*\*1 hit\*\*.
- Ronin (Defending): Rolls 2 dice for the 2 Ronin. A defense hits on a 6. They roll a 2 and 6. This is \*\*1 hit\*\*.
- Resolving: Each side scored 1 hit. The Tokugawa player removes one Bushi, and the Ronin player removes one Ronin. The Tokugawa player now has 2 Bushi in the province, and the Ronin player has 1. The province remains contested.
§ 6.2.6Example of Combat with Modifiers
The Oda player attacks Echigo, defended by Uesugi. Attacker has 1 Daimyō, 3 Bushi. Defender has 4 Bushi and a castle.
§ 6.2.6.1Calculating Target Numbers
- Oda (Attacking): Oda Daimyō is present, so clan ability applies (+1). Daimyō hits on 3-6, Bushi on 4-6.
- Uesugi (Defending): Uesugi has +1 from clan ability and +1 from the castle. Per Golden Rule §0.1, only one +1 bonus applies. Bushi hit on 5-6.
§ 6.2.6.2Rolling Dice & Resolving
Oda rolls for 1 Daimyō (3 dice) and 3 Bushi (3 dice), getting 4 hits total. Uesugi rolls for 4 Bushi (4 dice), getting 2 hits. Uesugi removes all 4 of their Bushi. Oda removes 2 Bushi. Oda now controls Echigo.
§ 6.2.7Raiding Invested Provinces
This rule is only in effect when using \*\*The Cycle of Rice and War\*\* module (§10.3).
If an attacker gains control of a province that contains invested Koku tokens from the Sowing step, the attacker immediately seizes all Koku tokens from that province and adds them to their own treasury. This occurs at the end of combat, after all units have been removed and control is determined.
§ 7Phase 3: Winter
After all players have completed their Campaign phase, the Winter phase occurs simultaneously for all players.
§ 7.1Pay Supply Costs
Pay 1 Koku for each mountain province you control, PLUS 1 Koku per 3 units (any type, rounded up) located across all those mountain provinces.
● This rule is replaced by \*\*The Cycle of Rice and War\*\* module (§10.3).
§ 8Victory & Defeat
§ 8.1Vassalage
The instant your final Daimyō is removed, you become a vassal of the player who defeated it.
§ 8.1.1Consequences
- Immediately lose half of your provinces and troops (your choice).
- A vassal cannot win the game but retains their clan ability.
- Upon becoming a Vassal, all existing Honor Pacts are immediately dissolved. A Vassal may not offer or accept new Honor Pacts until they are liberated.
§ 8.1.2Paths to Liberation
- Gekokujō Assault: For one round, spend all Koku to hire twice as many Ronin (1 Koku = 2 Ronin). You are liberated if you defeat any free clan's last Daimyō.
- Rebuilding: Deposit up to 3 Koku per round into a "Liberation Fund." You are liberated when the fund reaches 10 Koku.
★ This rule is replaced by the \*\*Path of Glory\*\* module (§10.4).
§ 8.2Player Elimination
A player is eliminated if they lose their last province while having no Daimyō on the board.
A player with zero provinces is not eliminated as long as they have at least one Daimyō on the board. On their turn, they continue to collect their base income of 3 Koku and may take actions as normal. This Daimyō exists in a contested, neutral province and must win a battle to reclaim territory—a difficult but not impossible path back into the conflict.
§ 9Advanced Rules
§ 9.1The Ninja System
Hire the Ninja for 3 Koku. Choose a public Field Operation or a covert Assassination. A Field Operation must be declared and its target province announced immediately after the Ninja is hired during your Reinforcement turn.
Mission Type | Sub-Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Field Operation | Sabotage | -1 on defense rolls and no recruitment in a province for the round. |
Diversion | The target province cannot be attacked for the round. This ability cannot target a Mandate Province if there is a player currently on the 'Path of Glory.' | |
Assassination | Assassination | At the start of a combat, you may reveal your hidden Ninja to remove one enemy Bushi from the battle. This ability cannot be used if the targeted Bushi is in the same province as one of its clan's Daimyō. |
§ 9.2Castle & Fortress Construction
- Build Castle (5 Koku): Place a castle in a province you control. Provides +1 on defense rolls. Limit 1 per player.
- Fortify Castle (3 Koku): Place a marker on your castle. Increases its defense bonus to +2 for one round.