How To Play: Shogun

Overview

If you’ve ever tried figuring out How To Play shogun and ended up shouting at a pile of tiny wooden cubes, you’re not alone. My friends and I have clashed over provinces, resources, and who gets that one sneaky castle. In this guide, I’ll give you a quick outline of the rules and share the best strategies for winning—so you can rule Japan without flipping the table.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game board
• 5 Player boards
• 55 Army cubes (11 per player color)
• 105 Province cards
• 60 Building tiles (12 per player color)
• 10 Special action cards
• 12 Event cards
• 1 War Tower
• 310 Small cubes (62 per player color)
• 20 Gold coins
• 1 Start player marker
• 5 Scoring markers
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Shogun: Rules Summary

Game Setup

1. Give each player a set of colored cubes and matching castle tokens. I recommend avoiding the color green if you’re like me and keep losing them under the table.

2. Shuffle the province cards, then deal them out so everyone gets their starting areas. Try not to gloat if you snag Osaka.

3. Arrange buildings, rice, and money where all players can reach. (Stretching counts as your pre-game exercise.)

4. Set up the war tower and place your armies in your starting provinces. You can make tiny battle sounds if you want, I won’t judge.

Gameplay

1. Each round, secretly plan your actions by placing order tokens on your provinces. If you plan a surprise attack, try not to giggle when you do it.

2. Reveal actions and resolve them in order. Sometimes your best-laid plans explode like my rice harvest last game.

3. Move armies, build buildings, collect taxes, or attack opponents. Don’t forget to curse gently when you lose a battle.

4. At the end of each round, check for events like famine or peasant revolts. No, you can’t bribe them with chips.

Winning the Game

1. The game ends after two full years (which is much quicker than two real years, promise!).

2. Count up your victory points from controlled provinces, buildings, and secret objectives. Winning feels even better if you count your points while eating sushi.

3. The player with the most victory points gets bragging rights as the new Shogun—and must clean up the game. House rule.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If there’s a tie in battles, feed the tied cubes into the war tower again! Yes, the tower does eat cubes for breakfast.

2. Peasant revolts happen if you tax a province too much. Just like my friends revolt if I eat all the snacks.

3. Random events can change the whole board. Stay alert or you’ll end up explaining, “How To Play shogun” for the third time in a row.

Best Shogun Strategies

Conquer Like a Boss: Province Control and Expansion in Shogun

Snagging Early Provinces

Jump in fast before your buddies grab all the good land! Early on, focus on claiming weakly defended provinces:

1. Target unguarded spots with quick attacks.
2. Spread thin, but don’t abandon your home base.

Building Borders That Last

Once you have a chunk of land, you have to make it stick. Otherwise, you lose points and friends:

1. Fortify key provinces next to rival territories.
2. Balance defense without overextending your armies.

How To Play Shogun: Expand Without Regret

Expand carefully. Always keep supply lines open so your new land isn’t cut off:

1. Connect provinces for smooth reinforcement.
2. Plan moves two turns ahead, trust me, or end up like I did—with my castles surrounded by angry samurai.

Mastering Your Koku: How To Play shogun Like a Resource Wizard

Prioritize Smart Spending

1. Buy only buildings that give you an edge, like castles in risky provinces.

2. Always save some koku for surprise battles or turns gone bad.

Balance Rice and Gold

1. Collect rice early, or watch your army starve during winter. Trust me, hungry troops don’t win much.

2. Stash gold for later turns to outbid rivals when it really matters.

Use Every Resource Wisely

1. Plan actions based on your current stash. Never splurge too soon, or you’ll regret it.

2. Stay flexible! Sometimes the board changes, and your best plan is to adapt fast.

Pick Your Battles: Mastering Shogun’s Timing

Know When to Strike

I learned the hard way that going full berserker in Shogun just gets you a bunch of angry neighbors. Instead, check these tips:

1. Watch opponents’ armies—attack when they’re weak.
2. Strike when a province has no reinforcements.
3. Plan moves around key scoring rounds.

Coordinate with Your Resources

Battle needs rice and gold, so time attacks when your coffers are full. Without support, you risk losing more than just troops.

1. Stockpile before big moves.
2. Avoid spreading yourself thin.

Use Distraction

My sneaky friend once attacked a weak spot, just as we all eyed the main prize. It worked, so learn from him!

1. Fake a build-up in one area.
2. Attack unexpectedly elsewhere.

Understanding How To Play shogun means you pick the perfect moment, not the obvious one.

Shogun Victory: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast!

After many late-night battles and way too much bad sushi, I can say this: How To Play shogun is part planning, part luck, and all drama. My friend Pete tried to conquer the east and ended up ruling a rice paddy—so trust me, smart province grabs and good timing matter! Use these tips, laugh off your bad rolls, and keep your cool. Shogun rewards boldness and brains. May your cubes defy gravity and your castles stand tall. See you on the battlefield!

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