7 Ronin
7 Ronin Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 1 Village Board
- 2 Player Screens (Front / Back)
- 2 Planning Boards
- 7 Ronin Tiles and 1 Ninja Chieftain Tile
- 50 Wooden Ninja Markers
- 7 Wooden Ronin Markers
- 1 Wooden Time Marker
- 2 Shrine Markers
Game Overview
7 Ronin is a tactical board game of bluff and intuition set in feudal Japan. One player becomes the chieftain of a mysterious clan of ninja, warrior-mystics and assassins, who want to steal food from a village and fill their own granaries. The other takes on the roles of seven ronin, samurai without a lord, hired to protect the village. Both players will have to best the opponent at planning their moves, anticipating enemy actions and making the best choices under the given circumstances.
Object of the Game
The player who leads the ninja to battle (called the Attacker) reaches his goal if he conquers the village. He does so by eliminating all 7 Ronin Markers or by occupying 5 out of the 10 Village Areas (excluding the Green) into which the Village Board is divided. The player who controls the ronin (called the Defender) must fend off ninja attacks and protect the locals by eliminating all Ninja Markers from the Village Board and the Ninja Reserves of the Attacker or by surviving until the end of the 8th round of the game when the ninja retreat into their mountain hideout.
The Green and the Attacker
The Green is a special space on the Village Board because for all game rules and special abilities it is not considered a Village Area. Its special ability is not used in Step 3 of the Combat Phase and it is never considered occupied. Additionally, the Green has no Deployment Limit.
No matter the Threat Level of the current round, in the Planning Phase the Attacker can deploy on the Green exactly 1 Ninja Marker. For each Ninja Marker present on the Green at the beginning of the Planning Phase the Attacker can secretly choose 1 Village Area and deploy 1 additional Ninja Marker above this area's limit (effectively increasing the Deployment Limit by 1). If there are more Ninja Markers on the Green, the Attacker decides if he wants to increase the Deployment Limit of 1 area or of many different areas. He does not say where he wants to increase the Deployment Limit, he just deploys additional Ninja Markers, lifts his Player Screen and moves all markers to the Village Board as normal.
In other words, if the Attacker deploys 1 Ninja Marker to The Green in the current round, he will be able to increase any Deployment Limit by 1 in the next round.
The Green and the Defender
The Defender cannot deploy any Ronin Marker on the Green unless it contains at least 1 Ninja Marker. This means that in the 1st round of the game he ignores the Green during the deployment, as the Attacker has had no chance yet to deploy Ninja Markers there.
If the Defender deployed a Ronin Marker on the Green in Step 1 of the Planning Phase, in Step 2 he places it on the Village Board and immediately removes all Ninja Markers from the Green (even the one just deployed by the Attacker), thus eliminating them. He places those markers directly in the General Supply, not on the Ronin Tile. In other words, no ronin sent to the Green takes Wounds for the Ninja Markers eliminated there.
For other rules of the Green, see the Area Special Abilities section below.
Game Setup
- Choose or determine randomly the Attacker and the Defender.
- Place the Village Board in the middle of the table.
- Place the Time Marker on the lowest space (marked with "1") of the Time Track shown on the Village Board.
- Each player takes the Planning Board and Player Screen belonging to his side, then hides the board behind the screen so that the opponent cannot see it.
- The Attacker takes 40 Ninja Markers forming his starting Ninja Reserves and places them next to his screen on the Ninja Chieftain Tile so that the Defender can check at any point of the game (excluding the Planning Phase) how many ninja are left. Set the rest of the Ninja Markers aside – this is the General Supply where you will place any unused Ninja Markers. Sometimes the Attacker will take markers from the General Supply to strengthen his Ninja Reserves or deal Wounds.
- The Defender takes the 7 Ronin Tiles and the 7 Ronin Markers and places them next to his screen so that the Attacker can check at any point of the game how many Wounds each ronin has.
- Place the 2 Shrine Markers next to the Village Board.
- You are ready to play.
Setup Diagram
The setup diagram lays out the General Play Area and each player's Private Player Area:
General Play Area:
- Village Board
- Time Track
- Time Marker
- Ninja Markers in the General Supply
- Back Cover with the Reference Sheet
- Shrine Markers
Private Player Area: 7. Player Screen 8. Ronin Planning Board 9. Ronin Tiles 10. Ronin Markers 11. Ninja Planning Board 12. Ninja Markers in the Ninja Reserves 13. Ninja Chieftain Tile for the Ninja Reserves
Playing the Game
Every game of 7 Ronin is divided into 8 Rounds, representing eight days of ninja attacks. Each round is further subdivided into 3 Phases and each phase into a number of Steps. In the Planning Phase players secretly deploy their forces and then move them from their Planning Boards onto the Village Board. In the Combat Phase the Defender uses ronin special abilities to eliminate Ninja Markers, while the Attacker tries to occupy as many Village Areas as he can. Finally, in the End Phase players clear the Village Board and resolve any effects of the Time Track, preparing themselves for the next round.
I. Planning Phase
- Deploy Markers
- Reveal Planning Boards and Move Markers onto the Village Board
II. Combat Phase
- Resolve Ronin Special Abilities
- Deal Wounds and Remove Eliminated Markers
- Resolve Occupied Areas' Special Abilities
III. End Phase
- Clear the Village Board
- Resolve the Time Track and Advance the Time Marker
Village Board Anatomy
- Village Area
- Area Special Ability Icon
- Area Limit
- The Green
- Time Track
- Round Number
- Threat Level
- Ninja Casualties Icon
- Minimum Attack Force
Planning Phase
1. Deploy Markers
Each player uses his Planning Board hidden behind his Player Screen to deploy his markers as described below. Markers are deployed on Village Areas of the Planning Boards that correspond to identical Village Areas on the Village Board.
The Attacker:
- The Attacker secretly takes into his hand any number of Ninja Markers from his Ninja Reserves.
- The Attacker can deploy Ninja Markers on a number of different Village Areas that is equal to or less than the Threat Level of the current round. The Threat Level is shown on the Time Track.
- The Attacker can deploy on a single Village Area a number of Ninja Markers that is equal to or less than the Deployment Limit of this area. All Deployment Limits are shown on the Planning Boards and illustrated on the village board. Any Deployment Limit may increase thanks to the Green's special ability.
- The Attacker cannot deploy fewer Ninja Markers than the current Minimum Attack Force value. For example, in the 2nd round he must deploy at least 2 Ninja Markers, whereas in the 5th round he must deploy at least 4 Ninja Markers. If he cannot deploy the minimum required number of Ninja Markers, he must deploy all Ninja Markers currently at his disposal.
- No matter the Threat Level, the Attacker can additionally deploy 1 Ninja Marker on the Green.
Important: Deployment Limits define how many Ninja can be deployed on an area per turn. It is quite possible that the number of Ninja on a given Village Area exceeds the Deployment Limit.
The Defender:
- The Defender takes into his hand the Ronin Markers. He must deploy all available markers.
- The Defender can deploy no more than 1 Ronin Marker on 1 Village Area. In other words, a given area is always defended by 1 ronin or is not defended at all. The only exception is Tasuke who can be deployed by herself or accompanying another ronin.
- The Defender cannot deploy any marker on the Green unless it contains at least 1 Ninja Marker.
Once both players are ready, you can move to the next step.
Mistakes During Deployment
If a player accidentally breaks the rules while deploying his markers (ex. exceeds the Deployment Limit or places too many Ronin Markers together), both players hide their planning boards again and redo step 1 of the Planning Phase.
Ronin Tile Anatomy
- Name and color
- Ronin Special Ability Icon
- Vitality
Example. Derek (the Attacker) secretly takes 7 Ninja Markers into his hand so that Jarred (the Defender) cannot see them. Next, he uses his Planning Board and deploys them on the following Village Areas: the Burial Grounds (2), the Watchtower (1) and the Well (1). Additionally, he places 1 on the Green and keeps the other 2. Any unused markers will be returned to the Ninja Reserves.
At the same time Jarred secretly deploys the Ronin Markers on his Planning Board, trying to anticipate Derek's actions.
When Derek and Jarred are ready, they lift their screens and move their markers from the Village Areas of the Planning Boards to the corresponding Village Areas of the Village Board. Derek places his Ninja Markers near the outer edge of their assigned areas while Jarred places his Ronin Markers near the inner edge of their assigned areas.
2. Reveal Planning Boards and Move Markers onto the Village Board
Players lift their Player Screens and move all Ninja Markers and Ronin Markers from their respective Planning Boards onto the corresponding Village Areas of the Village Board. The Ninja Markers should be placed on the illustrated spaces near the borders of the areas which they are attacking, while the Ronin Markers should be placed inside the areas they are defending. The Attacker returns all unused Ninja Markers to his Ninja Reserves.
Village Areas
Contested Area (Ninja & Ronin): An area containing both Ronin Markers and Ninja Markers. This state will only exist temporarily as either all Ninja or all Ronin will be eliminated during combat.
Free Area (No Ninja): An area that is neither Contested nor Occupied. It may contain a Ronin Marker.
Occupied Area (Just Ninja): An area containing only Ninja Markers. Relevant during Step 3 of the Combat Phase.
Combat Phase
1. Resolve Ronin Special Abilities
The Defender resolves the special abilities of his ronin in any order he chooses. Each special ability can be used once per round. Some abilities can only be used if certain conditions are met - for example, when a Ronin Marker is on a Free Area (or a Contested Area). If those conditions are not met, a given ronin's special ability is ignored in the current round. It is also ignored if a Shrine Marker has been placed on the Ronin Tile. For a detailed description of ronin special abilities, see the Ronin Special Abilities section below.
In order to use their special abilities:
- Musashi and Yobu must be on a Contested Village Area.
- Hayai, Taiko and Yumi must be on Free Village Area.
Important: The Defender can only use ronin special abilities in Step 1 of the Combat Phase!
Example: Musashi is on the Watchtower. This area is being attacked by 1 ninja. Jarred uses Musashi's special ability forcing Derek to remove the Ninja Marker from this area. Derek places it directly in the General Supply and Musashi is not dealt any Wounds.
(Illustration: "Placing Ninja Markers as Wounds" — Ninja Markers moved onto a Ronin Tile's Vitality spaces, shown here on Musashi's tile.)
2. Deal Wounds and Remove Eliminated Markers
If any Village Area contains both a Ronin Marker and 1 or more Ninja Markers (making it a Contested Area), the Defender moves all of those Ninja Markers onto the Ronin Tile, placing them on the marked vitality spaces. This process is called dealing Wounds and from this point on any Ninja Markers present on a Ronin Tile are considered Wounds. Wounds lower a given ronin's Vitality. No Ronin Tile can contain more Wounds than a given ronin has Vitality spaces. If, at any point of the game, a Ronin Tile contains as many Wounds as the ronin has Vitality spaces (all spaces are full), this ronin is immediately eliminated.
All Ninja Markers that cannot be moved to Ronin Tiles and Ninja Markers attacking Village Areas without Ronin Markers are slid toward the center of that Village Area, indicating that they occupy those areas. They are left there until removed by a special ability or as a result of combat. If the Attacker occupies a Village Area, he is allowed to resolve its special ability in Step 3 of the Combat Phase.
Important: If one Village Area contains both Tasuke and another ronin, the Defender decides how to deal Wounds (he places Ninja Markers on the Ronin Tiles as he wants). For example, if the Defender had 3 Wounds to deal, he could move 1 Ninja Marker to Tasuke's tile and 2 Ninja Markers to the other ronin's tile.
Important: If, at any point in the game, the last ronin has been eliminated and the Attacker has at least 1 Ninja Marker on the Village Board or in his Ninja Reserves, the attacker immediately wins! If, at any point in the game, the last ninja has been eliminated, i.e. the Attacker has no Ninja Markers either on the Village Board or in his Ninja Reserves, the Defender immediately wins!
Important: As a result of using some Village Areas' special abilities (for instance the Passage) a situation may occur when new Ninja Markers are moved onto the Village Board outside of Step 2 of the Combat Phase. If the Attacker places them on an area containing a Ronin Marker, players should deal Wounds as normal. Their presence may also lead to the Attacker occupying a new Village Area. In this case, the Attacker can use the newly occupied area's special ability. This might even end the game if the Attacker manages to conquer 5 Village Areas.
Example. In the Planning Phase Jarred has deployed Musashi (with 2 Wounds) on the Fields (3). This area already contains 2 Ninja Markers. At the same time Derek has deployed 1 new Ninja Marker there. After moving all markers onto the Village Board, Musashi is on the area with 3 Ninja Markers – 2 old ones and 1 new one. Despite using Musashi's special ability in the Combat Phase and eliminating 1 ninja, Jarred must place the two remaining Ninja Markers on the ronin, thus eliminating him. If Tasuke had been present on the same area as Musashi, Jarred might have dealt her some Wounds and saved Musashi.
Eliminating Ronin
Once there are no free spaces on a Ronin Tile to place Wounds (Ninja Markers), that ronin is eliminated. The Defender removes all Ninja Markers from his Ronin Tile and returns them to the General Supply – not to the Attacker's Ninja Reserves! Then, he flips over the Ronin Tile and places the Ronin Marker on top of it. An eliminated ronin cannot return to the game by any means. Eliminated Ronin are also beyond the reach of Taiko's healing abilities.
3. Resolve Occupied Areas' Special Abilities
The Attacker resolves special abilities of any Occupied Areas in any order he chooses. Each special ability can be used once per round. For the detailed description of Village Areas' special abilities, see the Area Special Abilities section below.
At the end of this phase, after resolving all special abilities, the Attacker checks whether he:
- occupies 5 different Village Areas
OR
- occupies 2 Fields and 2 other Village Areas
If he does, he immediately wins the game!
Important: It is possible to use the Inn's special ability to copy the special ability of either Field, thus fulfilling the winning conditions.
Example. After resolving combat Derek occupies the following three areas: the Passage, the Burial Grounds, and one of the Fields. Using the Passage's special ability, he places 2 Ninja Markers from his Ninja Reserves on the Inn area containing Yumi (with 1 remaining Vitality). Jarred must deal Yumi 1 Wound. This leads to Yumi's elimination and, with 1 Ninja Marker left, Derek starts to occupy the Inn. Its special ability allows Derek to copy 1 special ability of another already occupied area. Derek copies the Fields. Now he occupies 4 Village Areas: the Passage, the Inn (which is temporarily treated as the Fields), 1 ordinary Fields and the Burial Grounds. However, 2 Fields count as 3 Village Areas for the winning conditions, so Derek actually occupies 5 areas and he immediately wins the game!
End Phase
1. Clear the Village Board
The Defender takes all Ronin Markers from the Village Board and places them next to his Player Screen.
- If the Attacker resolved the Shrine's special ability in the previous round, the Defender also removes the Shrine Marker from a Ronin Tile (or Tiles if the Inn copied this ability).
- If the Attacker resolved the Animal Pen's special ability in the current round, he forces the Defender to leave 1 chosen Ronin Marker on the Village Board (or leave 2 Ronin Markers if the Inn copied this ability). Any ronin left on the board do not take part in the next Planning Phase (they stay where they are).
- The Attacker cannot voluntarily remove any Ninja Markers once they are placed on the Village Board. They keep occupying various Village Areas and can only be removed as a result of combat or when the Attacker uses the Burial Grounds' special ability.
(Illustration: "Advancing the Time Marker" — the Time Marker moving up one space on the stacked Time Track.)
2. Resolve the Time Track and Advance the Time Marker
The Defender checks whether it is the end of the 8th round – if so, he immediately wins the game! If not, players check how the Time Track influences the game. In the 4th round and every round thereafter the ninja starve and leave for their mountain fortress. This is shown on the Time Track by the Ninja Casualties Icon. If the current round is marked with this icon, the Attacker immediately removes 1 Ninja Marker from his Ninja Reserves and places it in the General Supply. If he has no markers left in the Ninja Reserves, he removes none.
Important: If, after removing this Ninja Marker, the Attacker has no markers on the Village Board or in the Ninja Reserves, the Defender immediately wins the game!
Finally, the Attacker advances the Time Marker one space up the Time Track. The current position of the Time Marker indicates the new Threat Level (how many Village Areas the ninja can attack) and Minimum Attack Force for the coming round.
Then, a new round starts with both players resolving the Planning Phase. The game continues this way until one player wins.
Victory Conditions
The Attacker immediately wins if:
- At any point of the game he has eliminated all ronin and he still has at least 1 Ninja Marker on the Village Board or in his Ninja Reserves. Without defenders, the town is once again at the mercy of the ninja clan.
- At the end of Step 3 of the Combat Phase (after resolving Village Areas' special abilities) he occupies at least 5 Village Areas (or 4 depending on special abilities). The Ninja have overrun the village and can now overrun any further attempts to defend it.
The Defender immediately wins if:
- At any point of the game he has eliminated all Ninja Markers from the Village Board and from the Attacker's Ninja Reserves. (The defender need not have any ronin left alive. As long as all the ninja are eliminated, the defender wins.) The ninja clan has been eliminated once and for all.
- It is the End Phase of the 8th round of the game and the Attacker has not met his victory conditions yet (no matter how many Ninja Markers he still has). The snowfall has become too great. The ninja must return to their stronghold or surely perish to the elements.
In order to fully explore tactical options of 7 Ronin it is recommended that players now change sides and play a re-match.
Ronin Special Abilities
Below you will find the descriptions of all the ronin found in the game. Their special abilities sometimes require certain conditions to be met. Additionally, each ability can be used once per round and only in Step 1 of the Combat Phase.
Tasuke
This last remaining member of a noble samurai family hides in the guise of a common soldier hoping that she will avenge her murdered kinsmen and find a glorious death.
Vitality 3
Special Ability Tasuke can be deployed, and can stay, on the same Village Area as one other ronin. In combat the Defender decides how to divide Wounds between Tasuke and the other ronin. Wounds can be divided even if they are dealt in other steps of the round, for example as a result of using the Passage's special ability.
Important: Tasuke cannot take Wounds dealt to another ronin in her area as a result of resolving special abilities that target other ronin (for example the Well or the Watchtower). In this case the Attacker chooses which ronin takes Wounds and they are dealt directly to this ronin.
Yobu
Yobu's reputation of being a fearsome warrior is widely known in all neighboring provinces and his battle cry could scare away even a rabid snow tiger.
Vitality 3
Special Ability The Defender can move up to 2 Ninja Markers from the Village Area containing Yobu to 1 or 2 adjacent Village Areas. The Defender chooses the number of the areas and the number of ninjas moved. (e.g. he may move 1 Ninja Marker into an adjacent Village Area, 2 Ninja Markers into the same adjacent Village Area, or 2 Ninja Markers each into a different adjacent Village Area.)
Yumi
This peerless archer travels the land seeking new targets for his arrows and there's no greater challenge than killing one of the nigh invisible ninja warriors.
Vitality 3
Special Ability If Yumi is on a Free Village Area, the Defender can remove 1 Ninja Marker directly from the Attacker's Ninja Reserves. If the Attacker has no markers in his Ninja Reserves, this ability is ignored.
Musashi
For Musashi, the Way of the Warrior is second nature and his swordsmanship is the best testament to his philosophy.
Vitality 4
Special Ability The Defender immediately removes 1 Ninja Marker from the Village Area containing Musashi. This marker can be from the previous round or freshly deployed in the current round. This marker does not become a Wound – it is placed directly into the General Supply. Musashi cannot use this ability in any later steps of the round. For example, he could not eliminate any Ninja Markers moved using the Passage's special ability.
Hayai
Hayai is a consummate rider who strikes from his warhorse wherever the weakened defenders need his spear.
Vitality 5
Special Ability If Hayai is on a Free Village Area, he can move to any Occupied Village Area. The Defender places Hayai's Ronin Marker on the new area. This movement is not blocked by any markers. Hayai cannot move to an area already containing another ronin (except Tasuke).
Taiko
This sohei (warrior-monk) has mastered both the martial arts and the magical healing powers of the mysterious shugenja, making himself indispensable on any battlefield.
Vitality 5
Special Ability If Taiko is on a Free Village Area, the Defender can remove 1 Wound (1 Ninja Marker) from any Ronin Tile except Taiko's. The marker is placed directly into the General Supply (not in the Attacker's Ninja Reserves). Taiko cannot heal his own Wounds or Wounds that will be dealt later during the round. Additionally, he cannot heal an eliminated ronin.
Kabe
A veteran of tens of campaigns and hundreds of battles, he is as sturdy as his heavy armor and equally marked by scars of long-forgotten victories.
Vitality 7
Special Ability Kabe has no special ability, just high Vitality. Therefore, the Shrine's ability has no effect on him.
Area Special Abilities
All Village Areas' special abilities benefit only the Attacker. A given area must be occupied, otherwise its ability cannot be used. Each ability can be used once per round and only in Step 3 of the Combat Phase. The Attacker chooses the order in which to use these special abilities. The only exception is the Green which is not treated as a Village Area as far as winning conditions, Threat Levels, Deployment Limits, and special abilities are concerned.
The Watchtower
Used on a daily basis to watch for fires, it is also a perfect vantage point for the ninja to rain down arrows on the defenders.
Deployment Limit: 1
Special Ability The Attacker deals 1 Wound to each ronin whose Ronin Marker is on the 2 Village Areas adjacent to the Watchtower (the Inn and one of the Fields). He takes Ninja Markers for all those Wounds from the General Supply (not from his Ninja Reserves) and places them on the proper Ronin Tiles.
Granary
The granary is full of supplies. The news of its ransacking is spreading like wildfire, bringing more looters to the village.
Deployment Limit: 2
Special Ability The Attacker gains 2 new Ninja Markers. He moves those markers from the General Supply to his Ninja Reserves.
The Well
One of the usual tactics employed by the ruthless ninja is poisoning the water sources – it's only a matter of time before one of the ronin falls victim to this trick.
Deployment Limit: 1
Special Ability The Attacker chooses 1 ronin. This ronin is dealt 1 Wound. The Attacker takes 1 Ninja Marker for this Wound from the General Supply (not from his Ninja Reserves) and places it on the chosen Ronin Tile.
The Inn
One well-placed spy can do miracles − sowing chaos, spreading evil rumors among the villagers, and giving his murderous allies enough time to take advantage of the defenders' indecision.
Deployment Limit: 1
Special Ability The Attacker chooses 1 other occupied Village Area and resolves its special ability. Remember that occupying the Inn as the only area gives no special benefits because its special ability is effective in conjunction with other areas' special abilities.
Important: If the Attacker copies the Field's special ability and controls 1 other Field, for the sake of victory he is considered to occupy 3 village areas (as though he had occupied the two fields). There is no additional bonus for occupying both Field areas and using the Inn to copy a Field.
If the Inn copies the Watchtower, it acts as the watchtower, dealing one wound to each ronin adjacent to the Inn (i.e dealing one wound to each ronin in the Graveyard and the Watchtower areas).
The Animal Pen
Panicked horses and oxen released upon the defenders can ruin even the best defense strategies and tie up the outnumbered ronin.
Deployment Limit: 2
Special Ability The Attacker chooses 1 ronin. In the current round, this Ronin Marker is not taken off the board in Step 1 of the End Phase. The chosen ronin must stay in the same area for another round.
The Shrine
The ninja know no shame and fear no gods – they will even desecrate the shrine of the local deity to demoralize the villagers and their protectors.
Deployment Limit: 1
Special Ability The Attacker chooses 1 ronin. In the next round his special ability is cancelled and cannot be used. Place 1 Shrine Marker on the chosen Ronin Tile to indicate that this ability is in effect. The Shrine Marker should be removed from the tile in Step 1 of the next round's End Phase.
The Burial Grounds
This place is the ideal gathering spot for the ninja as it's infamous for being haunted. Most of the locals stay as far away from it as possible - even on sunny days.
Deployment Limit: 2
Special Ability The Attacker removes up to 2 Ninja Markers from the Village Board and places them in his Ninja Reserves (not in the General Supply). The markers can come from 1 or 2 different Village Areas. This special ability is the only way for the Attacker to return Ninja Markers from the Village Board. This ability cannot be used to return Ninja Markers from the Green.
The Fields
There is no place more important than the fields – even a single thought of salting them or burning the rest of the crops still waiting for harvest makes the villagers regret they decided to oppose the ninja.
Deployment Limit: 2 / 3
Special Ability If the Attacker occupies 2 different Fields, for meeting the victory conditions he is considered to occupy 3 Village Areas instead of 2. He can copy this ability using the Inn. Controlling 1 Field Area and using the Inn to copy the Field's ability counts as occupying 3 areas. Occupying both fields and using the Inn to Copy the Field's ability yields no additional benefit. (e.g. By controlling both fields and the Inn, the Attacker would be considered to occupy 4 areas and still be 1 area short of victory this round.)
The Passage
This narrow passage among the fields is the shortest way inside the village, allowing the ninja to strike at the weakest spots.
Deployment Limit: 2
Special Ability The Attacker moves up to 2 Ninja Markers from his Ninja Reserves (not from the General Supply) onto 1 chosen Village Area. If this area contains a ronin, Wounds are dealt using standard rules (as in Step 2 of the Combat Phase). If, after using this ability and resolving the combat, the Attacker has started to occupy the area with his newly moved Ninja Markers, he can use its special ability normally (as he chooses the order of area resolution). If the Attacker has no Ninja Markers in his Ninja Reserves, this special ability brings no benefits.
Important: Ronin special abilities can be used only in Step 1 of the Combat Phase. (i.e. Musashi cannot eliminate, and Yobu cannot move, any Ninja Markers placed on the board as a result of the Passage's special ability.)
The Green
Any ninja impersonating simple villagers can quickly prepare diversion for the attack – until one of the patrolling ronin notices their actions.
The Attacker can always deploy 1 Ninja Marker here each round without regard for the Threat Level or an Deployment Limit.
Special Ability For each Ninja Marker in the Green at the beginning of a planning phase, the Attacker may violate a Deployment Limit by 1. (e.g. If there are two Ninja Markers in The Green at the start of planning phase, the Attacker may assign 5 Ninja Markers to an area with a Deployment Limit of 3 or he may assign 3 Ninja Markers to two areas each with a Deployment Limit two, and so on.)
The Defender may not send Ronin to The Green unless there was at least 1 Ninja Marker in it at the start of the Planning Phase. When a Ronin is sent to The Green, he defeats all of the Ninja Markers present without taking any wounds (i.e. All those Ninja markers are returned to the General Supply.)
The Green is a special location and is not treated as a Village Area for any standard game rules. It is not counted as one of the 5 areas the Attacker needs for victory. The Defender cannot use ronins' abilities in The Green and the Attacker cannot use any area's special ability in order to affect The Green or any Ronin in The Green. The Green is not considered to be adjacent to any Village Area.
To sum up:
- Hayai cannot move here, Yobu cannot move Ninja Markers from here, Taiko cannot heal from here, Yumi cannot eliminate Ninja Markers from here and Tasuke cannot be on the Green with another ronin.
- The Well cannot deal any Wounds here, the Animal Pen cannot keep any Ronin here, the Watchtower never deals Wounds here, the Shrine cannot cancel any special abilities here, the Passage cannot move Ninja Markers here and the Burial Grounds cannot remove Ninja Markers from here. Finally, the Inn cannot copy the Green's special abilities.
Have a great game!
Credits
Game Designers: Marek Mydel and Piotr Stankiewicz | Cover and Interior Art: Aleksander Karcz | Layout and editing: Transdesign Monika Stojek and Grey Fox Games Nick Banjai | English Edition: Transdesign Marek Mydel | Grey Fox Games Joshua Lobkowicz and Owen Reismann
Playtesters: Robert Ciombor, Dawid "GrayFox" Chmura, Patryk "Trepan" Cwalina, Jacek "Darken" Gołębiowski, Paweł "Gearanvil" Grzebieluch, Jakub Gumienny, Konrad "Ernie" Mazurek, Marek Mydel, Zbigniew Oelke, Łukasz Okupniak, Bartek Pikulski, Maciej "Lucek" Sabat, Monika Stojek, Robert "Diabeł" Szatanik, Olga Szatkowska, Piotr Szatkowski, Michał Zaczek, Rafał Żarowski, Badger's Nest Crew and habitues of game events in Kraków organised by Cracow Game Initiative.
The authors wish to express their deepest gratitude to John Wick whose passion for everything Japanese has been inspiring fans around the world. We also want to thank Maciej Sabat for showing John the prototype of our game and spending one hell of a night playtesting it.
The Reference Sheet
The Game Round
I. Planning Phase
- Deploy markers
- Reveal your Planning Boards and move markers to the Village Board
II. Combat Phase
- Resolve ronin abilities
- Deal Wounds and remove eliminated markers
- Resolve area abilities. The Attacker checks for victory (5 occupied areas)
III. End Phase
- Remove Ronin Markers
- Resolve the Time Track and advance the Time Marker
Village Areas
- Contested Area: Ninja & Ronin Markers
- Free Area: No Ninja Markers
- Occupied Area: Only Ninja Markers
Ronin Abilities
- Hayai: (Free Area) Move to an area with ninja
- Yobu: (Contested Area) Move up to 2 ninja to adjacent areas
- Yumi: (Free Area) Remove 1 ninja from the Ninja Reserves
- Musashi: (Contested Area) Remove 1 ninja from your area
- Taiko: (Free Area) Remove 1 Wound from another ronin
- Tasuke: You can be on an area with another ronin
- Kabe: None
Area Abilities
- Watchtower: Deal 1 Wound to each ronin on adjacent Village Areas
- Granary: Move 2 ninja from the General Supply to the Ninja Reserves
- Well: Choose 1 ronin and deal them 1 Wound
- Inn: Copy and use another Occupied Area's ability
- Animal Pen: Choose 1 ronin – they must stay on the board
- Shrine: Choose 1 ronin – their ability is cancelled next round (place marker)
- Burial Grounds: Return up to 2 ninja from Village Areas to the Ninja Reserves
- Passage: Move up to 2 ninja from the Ninja Reserves to any 1 Village Area
- Fields: 2 occupied Fields are worth 3 areas for victory
- The Green: Not a Village Area. Choose Area(s) – increase Deployment Limit(s) for each ninja present here