How To Play: Shogun

Overview

If you ever wanted to run Japan without leaving your kitchen table, Shogun is your ticket! My friends and I battled for hours, so I made this guide to help you. I’ll explain how to play Shogun, outline the game rules, and share the best strategies I learned (including how not to lose all your rice in one round—learn from my mistakes!). Ready for battle?

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 5 Daimyo Boards
• 12 Action Cards
• 5 Sets of 120 Army Cubes (each set: 24 cubes)
• 5 Sets of 8 Castles (each set: 2 per player)
• 5 Sets of 4 Temples (each set: 1 per player)
• 5 Sets of 6 Theaters (each set: 1 per player)
• 5 Player Markers
• 25 Province Cards
• 1 War Tower
• 55 War Chests
• 72 Rice Tokens
• 30 Revolt Tokens
• 8 Event Cards
• 6 Region Bonus Cards
• 1 Year Marker
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Shogun: Rules Summary

Game Setup

1. Give each player an army, coins, action cards, and markers in their color.
2. Shuffle the province cards, then deal provinces to players, so everyone starts with a mix of regions.
3. Set up the board with province markers and neutral troops where needed.
4. Place the year board, rice, and war tower in the middle. Shuffle the event cards.
5. Randomly pick the first player, then mentally prepare for some chaos.

Gameplay

1. Each round, players secretly choose actions for each province, like collecting taxes or building castles.
2. Reveal actions one at a time, following the order on the board.
3. Resolve battles by tossing cubes into the war tower and seeing what falls out. (No, you can’t shake the tower like a madman. Trust me, I tried.)
4. Pay attention to rice and coins, or you’ll be sorry come winter.
5. Event cards shake things up—sometimes for better, but usually for worse.

Winning

1. After two years (game rounds), count controlled provinces, castles, temples, and theaters.
2. Earn points for what you control, but lose points if there was a famine and you neglected your people.
3. The player with the most points wins—and must do a tiny victory dance.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If there’s a tie, the one with the most rice wins (rice: not just for dinner, also for bragging rights).
2. If you run out of coins or rice, bad things happen. I learned this the hard way. Don’t be me.
3. Play continues even if someone is wiped out. Don’t worry, revenge is perfectly acceptable in the next round.

There you have it. Now you know How To Play Shogun. Good luck! You’ll need it.

Best Shogun Strategies

How to Be the Rice King: Winning with Resource Management in Shogun

Know Your Provinces

Never guess about what each territory gives you. Instead, check your provinces and make plans right from the start.

1. Calculate your rice and coin potential for every season.
2. Choose provinces that balance both resources.

Plan for Famine

Famine hits hard if you run out of rice. Don’t ask me how I know – my peasants rioted and I still can’t sit at that table.

1. Watch rice levels each round.
2. Build granaries early if you’re in a bad spot.

Maximize Income

If you want samurai and castles, you need plenty of coins. Make every tax phase count!

1. Time your taxes so you don’t spark rebellions.
2. Upgrade villages for better future income.

Use Special Actions Wisely

Special actions like extra taxes or rice grabs look so shiny. But use them at the wrong time, and the whole table groans. Trust me, I’ve been there.

1. Take special actions when you can defend your provinces.
2. Don’t grab if you can’t hold.

How To Play Shogun: Nailing resource management is the secret sauce for victory!

Keep Your Enemies Guessing: Mastering Territory Control in Shogun

Pick Your Battles

1. Always grab provinces that offer the most points.
2. Go for weakly defended lands—why break a sweat?
3. Don’t stretch too thin or you’ll end up like me last Saturday—outnumbered and out of snacks.

Defend Wisely

1. Stack your samurai where attacks are likely.
2. Use castles for strongholds, not fancy garden parties.

Surprise Your Friends

1. Switch up your moves each round.
2. Keep everyone guessing until the rice hits the fan.

Basically, when you focus on territory, you scare your rivals and give yourself more options each turn. That’s the secret sauce for answering ‘How To Play shogun’ and not getting crushed!

Battle Planning: Outsmart Your Enemies in Shogun

Know When to Strike

1. Attack only if you have a clear advantage.
2. Wait for enemies to weaken each other first.

Pick Battles Wisely

1. Avoid spreading yourself thin; cluster your forces.
2. Target provinces that boost your rice or income.

Surprise Your Rivals

1. Plan unexpected moves using the action tower.
2. Always watch for openings when others least expect it.

When I played, my friend tried to conquer everything and lost half his army. Slow and sneaky is the way to go in Shogun! Remember, learning How To Play shogun means mastering both your wars and your peace.

Last Samurai Standing: Final Thoughts

Look, if Shogun has taught me anything, it’s that nobody is safe—not even if you bribe your friends with snacks. Mastering resource management, territory control, and battle planning turns chaos into victory (or at least epic last-place stories). Trust me, use these tips and you’ll be the Shogun hero your game night deserves. Now go, wage war—then squabble over who actually won. Good luck, future daimyo!

Want to know what we think of Shogun? Read our detailed review of Shogun here