Objective of the Game
In Shogun, the objective is to emerge as the most powerful daimyo by controlling provinces, building structures, and collecting the most victory points.
Setup
- Shogun is played on a game board depicting a map of Japan divided into provinces.
- Each player selects a color and receives the corresponding armies (wooden cubes) and building tiles.
- Province cards are shuffled and randomly distributed among players, so each begins with an equal number of provinces.
- Each player sets up their player board, marking actions, resources, and building slots.
- At the start of each round, new season cards (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) are revealed, impacting play.
Game Rules
The game is played over five rounds, with each round consisting of planning and action phases:
Planning Phase
- Planning: In the first four rounds starting, players secretly plan their actions on their player board. Actions include building, gathering resources, troop deployment, and more.
- Income: Each round, players collect income from their controlled provinces, which depend on region type and buildings erected.
Action Phase
Players perform their pre-planned actions in turn:
- Collecting Taxes: Provinces yield income, but excessive taxation can cause uprisings.
- Recruiting: New armies can be raised.
- Movement: Troops can move to adjacent provinces.
- Building: Structures like castles, temples, or theatres can be built.
- Harvesting: Gather additional food from provinces.
Battle Phase
- Conflicts are resolved using a special "dice tower," adding an element of randomness.
- Troops are tossed in the dice tower, and the remaining troops in color determine the winner of the battle.
Winter Phase
- No actions are limited, but influenced by the season card effects.
Winning the Game
At the end of the game, players count their victory points: - Points are awarded for controlled provinces, armies, and buildings. - Bonus points come from strategy cards or fulfilled mission objectives. - The player with the most victory points becomes the winner and crowned as Shogun.
Strategic Tips
- Balance: Balanced development of military power and economic construction is key.
- Bluffing: Since planning is hidden, bluffing and anticipating opponents' strategies are important.
- Variety of Buildings: Different types of buildings offer various benefits that should be strategically combined.
- Timing: The timing of actions is crucial to gaining an advantage over other players.
