Instructions Shogun

Objective of the Game

The objective of Shogun is to have the most victory points at the end of the game. These points are earned by controlling provinces, constructing buildings (castles, temples, theaters), and collecting resources.

Game Components

• 1 game board with a map of Japan divided into provinces
• Province cards
• Action cards
• Building cards
• Revolt markers
• Armies (in the form of small cubes)
• Coins
• Buildings (Castles, Temples, Theaters)
• Control markers
• Dice tower for battle decisions

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center. Each player chooses a color and takes their corresponding armies.
2. Shuffle the province cards and distribute them face-down.
3. Each player places their control markers and armies on their assigned provinces.
4. Each player receives starting resources in the form of coins.

Basic Rules

• The game is played over several rounds, each representing a season: Spring, Summer, Autumn. After each round, there is a Winter phase where victory points are awarded.
• Each player has the same set of action cards, which are placed face-down at the beginning of each round to determine actions in their provinces.
• Actions include: Recruitment, Movement, Construction, Taxation, Harvest. Players take turns executing actions.

Special Mechanics

• Battle Mechanism: Battles are decided using a dice tower. Both players drop their army cubes as well as neutral peasant cubes into the tower. The cubes that fall out determine the outcome of the battle.
• Investing in Buildings offers strategic advantages and additional points by the game's end.
• Each controlled building type offers specific bonuses and influences the winter scoring.
• Peasant Revolts: Over-taxing peasants can lead to revolts against the player. This is indicated by revolt markers.

Strategies

• Balancing military expansion with economic growth is crucial for success in the game.
• Planning actions at the beginning of the year can provide an advantage, especially by knowing the auction order.

End of Game

The game ends after four complete annual cycles. Players count their victory points from buildings and territory control. The player with the most victory points wins the game.