Kawanakajima 1561
Kawanakajima 1561 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Components
- Contents
- 1 - Introduction
- 2 - Components
- 3 - Set up
- 4 - Sequence of play
- 5 - Units and their State
- 6 - Clans and Modes
- 7 - Armies and the Battle Plan
- 8 - The command phase
- 9 - Activating Clans
- 10 - Movement
- 11 - Combat
- 12 - Rally
- 13 - Fortress and sieges
- 14 - Optional Rule - The more the water, the higher the boat
- 15 - End of the game and victory conditions
- 16 - Specific rules for Kawanakajima 1561
- 17 - The historical scenario
- 18 - The hypothetical scenario
- 19 - Historical Notes
- 20 - Designer's notes
- Examples of Play
- Errata and Clarifications (Official FAQ)
Overview of the Components
Armies consist of clans, each of which is represented by one or more units. Each unit is identified by a letter and a color, which denote the Clan, and has the following characteristics: Clan, Fire (Firepower), Leadership, Elan, Mass.
A unit can be in one of four States: in Good Order, Shaken, Disorganized and Exhausted. Shaken and Exhausted Statuses are indicated by placing a marker on top of the unit.
Clans can be in one of four different Modes: Attack, Defense (no marker), Move and Regroup. Depending on its Mode, the Clan can or must perform various actions at particular points in a turn.
- Turn Marker: A game of Sengoku Jidai consists of several turns. In each turn, players first put Activation Chits into a Selection Bowl, and then Chits are drawn at random.
There are 3 types of Chits: Clan Activation Chits, Compulsory Activation Chits and Special Activation Chits.
- Clan Activation Chit: Activates the Clan whose letter is on the Chit. Drawing this Chit allows the Clan to change Mode.
- Special Activation Chit: Allows the player to perform special actions depending on his Battle Plan, which he secretly chose before the battle.
Compulsory Activation Chits: they are always placed in the Selection Bowl at the start of each turn. They simulate actions which are outside the immediate control of the army commander.
- Move Chit: Allows all Clans in Move Mode to move.
- Combat Chit: Force units of Clans in Attack Mode to engage the enemy, and obliges all others in contact with the enemy to fight. The color of the Chit denotes which army's Clans are activated.
- Rally Chit: Clans in Regroup Mode either retreat from the enemy or try to Rally (improve their Status) if already in a position of safety.
- Clan Initiative Chit: Gives some hard-pressed Clans an opportunity to respond.
Other markers: Samurai marker; Defensive Position Marker; Leader Lost Marker; Bundori Marker; Control Marker; Out of Combat Marker.
Contents
1 Introduction; 2 Components; 3 Set up; 4 Sequence of play; 5 Units and their State; 6 Clans and Modes; 7 Armies and the Battle Plan; 8 The command phase; 9 Activating Clans; 10 Movement; 11 Combat; 12 Rally; 13 Fortress and sieges; 14 Optional Rule; 15 End of the game and victory conditions; 16 Specific rules for Kawanakajima 1561; 17 The historical scenario; 18 The hypothetical scenario; 19 Historical Notes; 20 Designer's notes.
1 - Introduction
This game simulates the fourth battle of Kawanakajima. It is the first in the Sengoku Jidai series, which will simulate battles in 16th and 17th Century Japan. Each player, taking the role of an army commander, must come up with a battle plan, and then try to put it into action. The game's mechanisms simulate in an abstract way the limited control which the commander has over his troops once the battle has begun.
2 - Components
2.1. Counters: The game uses three types of counter:
- Markers, which indicate the state of units, the Mode of Clans, or to help resolve sieges;
- Activation chits, which govern the flow of the game. There are three types: Compulsory Activation Chits, Clan Activation Chits and Special Activation Chits;
- Combat units, which make up the Clans of each army. These are double-sided: one side is used when the unit is Good Order or Shaken, and the other side is used if the unit is Disorganized or Exhausted [5.3].
The players will need a single opaque container, such as a coffee cup, from which both players' Activation Chits will be randomly drawn. This is referred to as the Selection Bowl.
2.2. The map: The map represents the battlefield. A hexagonal grid is provided to govern the placement of units. A hexagon (or a hex) with a hex-side which is not drawn on the map represents impassable terrain. Partial hexes (denoting riverbanks) are playable. The map contains a Turn Track, an area to store the Compulsory Activation Chits that have been drawn in the current turn, a Victory Point (VP) Track and a "Bundori" Track. If there is more than 1 terrain type in a hex, the following rules apply:
- for movement, use the terrain which costs the most movement points;
- for combat, the defender can choose which terrain type applies.
The scale can vary between the games in the series, and will be specified in the scenario-specific rules. To calculate the distance between two hexes, count the destination hex but not the hex of origin.
2.3. Player aids: Each player has a player aid, the Honjin (in Japanese, this means the battlefield headquarters). The Honjin is used to store the Activation Chits when they are not in the Selection Bowl: the Reserve box is used to keep the Activation Chits which are currently available to the player, and the boxes marked 1 to 4 represent the Delay Track [8.1]. The Honjin also has a Command Point Table, which is consulted at the start of each turn [8.2]. The rest of the Honjin is used to record the Mode of each Clan. If both players agree, the Honjins can be kept out of their opponent's sight: this introduces some Fog of War by keeping secret the available Chits and the Clans' Modes [6.2].
A double-sided game aid contains the tables needed during play.
2.4. Dice: The rules will often instruct the players to roll one six-sided die (d6) or the sum of two dice added together (2d6).
3 - Set up
Place the units on the map in accordance with the rules for that scenario [17, 18]. Place the Victory Point marker on the map with the score at 0 VPs. Put the Bundori, Manpower and Out of Combat markers near their respective Tracks. Put the Control Markers near the fortress map. Note that the Manpower, Out of Combat and Control Markers are not needed in the historical scenario.
Next, both players secretly choose a Battle Plan [7] for their army to follow. The Plan can not be changed during the game. If the Plan is active at the start of the battle (which is specified by the scenario rules), the player should note on the Battle Plan Log the Special Activities which can be assigned to the Special Activation Chits, and put the Special Activation Chits in their Reserve box on the Honjin.
Next, both players choose a Mode for each of their Clans, remembering that these must conform to the overall Battle Plan. Put Mode Markers [6.2] next to the units (or on the Honjin if playing with additional Fog of War [2.3]).
Finally, put the Clan Activation Chits for all Clans in play in the Reserve box on the Honjin.
4 - Sequence of play
4.1. Overview: The game consists of turns, each of variable length. At the start of a turn, both players put Activation Chits in the Selection Bowl [8.3, 8.4]. Each turn then consists of a number of Activations, in each of which an Activation Chit is drawn at random from the Selection Bowl. Each Activation Chit will allow one or more Clans to perform actions according to the Clan's Mode.
4.2. Turn sequence: A game turn consists of a Command Phase, several (for most turns, at least five) Activation Phases, and an End of Turn Phase. These are executed as follows:
Command Phase
- Each player updates their Delay Track [8.1].
- Each player determines the number of Command Points [8.2].
- Each player can attempt to activate their Battle Plan [7.2].
- Each player chooses Activation Chits for this turn [8.3].
Activation Phase
- One of the players (it does not matter which) draws a Chit from the Selection Bowl.
- One or both players perform the actions associated with that Activation Chit, depending on its type (Clan Activation Chit, Compulsory Activation Chit, Special Activation Chit) [9.1].
- If the five Compulsory Activation Chits have not yet been drawn, go back to 1 and begin a new Activation Phase.
End of Turn Phase
A turn ends when the five Compulsory Activation Chits have been drawn and acted on [Exception: 16.5]. Then perform the following:
- Place any Clan Activation Chits remaining in the Selection Bowl in the owning player's Reserve Box on their Honjin. Place any Special Activation Chits remaining in the Selection Bowl in the "1" box on the owning player's Delay Track on their Honjin.
- If it is the last turn of the game, then consult the Victory Conditions in the scenario-specific instructions to decide who has won. If it is not the last turn, then the players should play a new turn, starting with another Command Phase.
5 - Units and their State
5.1. Units: A Clan is composed of one or more combat units. Each counter contains the following characteristics:
- the Clan: a letter, a color and a name identifies the Clan to which the unit belongs;
- Élan: this value measures factors such as the unit's mobility, its boldness in attack, and the advantage that cavalry have over infantry when attacking;
- Mass: this value represents the number of soldiers in the unit;
- Firepower: the Firepower value is shown by the number of dots (•) in the top right of the counter;
- Leadership: this value is represented by the number of horizontal bars underneath the Firepower value. It symbolizes the presence of one or more noteworthy individuals, who need not necessarily be "leaders" in the usual sense of the word.
Each side has an Army Commander. The counter representing the Army Commander is always part of Clan A, and has a band of a different color than the other counters. In this battle, the Army Commanders are Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin.
There is no concept of "facing" in this game, and so players are free to orient the counters as they wish. The particular illustration on the counter has no significance in game terms.
5.2. Zone of Control (ZOC): Each unit potentially affects the 6 hexes adjacent to its own: these are known as its Zone of Control (ZOC). However, a ZOC does not extend across an impassable hex-side unless the unit has a Firepower rating of at least 1. ZOCs are not affected by the presence of other ZOCs, nor friendly or enemy units.
Only units from a clan in Attack Mode (or, in some cases, Defense Mode) may enter an enemy ZOC, and only by expending 2 MP on top of the usual cost of entering that hex. The unit must then stop in that hex.
A unit can not leave an enemy ZOC in its movement phase, unless conducting a Retreat [9.3.1]. ZOCs have no effect on advances after combat [11.13].
5.3. The State of a unit: A unit is always in one of the five following States (listed in decreasing order of performance): Good Order, Shaken, Disorganized, Exhausted, Eliminated (the unit is out of the game). Unless otherwise indicated in the scenario instructions, all units start the battle in Good Order. Flip the unit when it is Disorganized, and use State Markers to denote Shaken and Exhausted units. If no marker is present, then the unit is in Good Order or Disorganized State, depending on which way up the counter is.
A unit's State will change through combat [11.7] and rally [12.1]. Each State is associated with a modifier which corresponds to the number of Step Losses suffered (see the table of States on the Game Aid).
For each Step Loss suffered, reduce (worsen) the State of the unit according to the following:
Good Order → Shaken → Disorganized → Exhausted → Eliminated
Example: A Shaken unit suffers 2 Step Losses: it is now Exhausted. Flip the unit and apply the Exhausted Marker. A unit in Good Order suffers 4 Step Losses: it is now Eliminated (remove it from the board). Losing 2 or more Step Losses in combat, and being Eliminated in combat, both trigger a leader loss roll [11.11].
For each level gained through Rally, increase (improve) the unit's State according to the following:
Exhausted → Disorganized → Shaken → Good Order
Example: A Disorganized unit which gains 2 levels through Rally is in Good Order. Flip the unit.
6 - Clans and Modes
6.1. An army is organized into different Clans. A Clan consists of one or more units with the same identifier (i.e. a letter, a color and a name). A Clan's actions are determined by its Mode. A Clan can have only one Mode at a time. At the start of the battle, the Mode of a player's Clans is limited by the Battle Plan [7] that was chosen by the player for his army.
Designer's note: A Clan is a general term used to denote a part of an army; in most cases, it represents a clan in its historical sense, but sometimes it refers to a group of small clans, or a part of a very large clan.
6.2. A Clan's Mode is indicated by a Mode Marker, which is placed on top of one of the Clan's units. A Clan with no marker is considered to be in Defense Mode. Each Mode places certain restrictions and obligations on all the units in the Clan [6.5].
If both players agree, place the Mode markers in the boxes representing each Clan on the Honjin (a vacant box corresponds to Defense Mode). This will keep each Clan's Mode hidden from the opposing player and increase the Fog of War [2.3].
6.3. Important: Each unit of a Clan must, if at all possible, remain adjacent to at least one other unit of the Clan so as to form an unbroken line of units in adjacent hexes. There is no penalty for breaking this rule, but when a Clan is activated, the player must try to re-unite any Clans which have become separated, but all the time conforming to the rules governing its Mode.
6.4. Changing Mode: When a Clan is activated, the player can first try to change its Mode. To do this, roll a die and add the Leadership value of one of the units in the Clan (player's choice). If the result is equal to or greater than the value listed on the Mode Change Table (having compared the current Mode with the desired Mode), then the Clan has successfully changed Mode. The player should change the Mode Marker, and the units of the Clan immediately conform to their new Mode. If the result is less than the value on the Mode Change Table, then the Clan does not change Mode.
6.5. The Modes: There are four possible Modes, and they are described below.
Attack Mode
Movement ability: 5 Movement Points (MP).
Description: If no enemy unit is within 6 hexes of any unit of the Clan when a chit is drawn which activates the Clan, the Clan must enter Regroup Mode with immediate affect (enemy units on the other side of a river, even if fordable, may be ignored for the purpose of this rule if the active player wishes). If an enemy unit is within 6 hexes of any unit of the Clan, then the units of the Clan must, when activated, move towards the closest enemy unit. If the Clan consists of more than one unit, the active player chooses which unit will move first. That unit must spend all its MPs moving towards the closest enemy unit in terms of MPs (the active player can choose if there is a tie, and enemy units already in the ZOC of a friendly unit may be ignored for the purpose of this rule). The other units of the Clan must then move so as to end up adjacent to the first unit. If this is not possible, they must spend all their MPs to minimize the distance between them. The units of the Clan must assault all enemy units in their ZOC.
Move Mode
Movement ability: 4 MP.
Description: The units of the Clan can move freely but can not enter an enemy ZOC. The units must assault enemy units in their ZOC unless [11.2] applies.
Defense Mode
Movement ability: 3 MP.
Description: The units of the Clan can move freely but can not enter an enemy ZOC unless the enemy unit exerting the ZOC is in the ZOC of another friendly unit. The units must assault enemy units in their ZOC unless [11.2] applies.
Regroup Mode
Movement ability: 0 MP.
Description: The units of the Clan can attempt to Rally [12.1] if they are not in a ZOC. The units must fight enemy units in their ZOC unless [11.2] applies.
7 - Armies and the Battle Plan
7.1. Before the game, each player secretly chooses a Battle Plan for his army. Each Battle Plan gives special abilities, allows special activities through the use of Special Activation Chits, and may restrict the initial Mode of the army's Clans. The choice of Battle Plan remains secret until a player uses a special ability or uses one of the Special Activities provided by the Battle Plan.
7.2. Activating the Battle Plan: In some scenarios of Sengoku Jidai, an army's Battle Plan is not active at the start of the battle. If an army does not have an active Battle Plan, then it can not use any of the Special Abilities, and it can not use its Special Activation Chits. To activate the Plan, the Army Commander needs to spend Command Points. To do this, the player should note on a sheet of paper the number of Command Points (CP) he wants to spend to try to activate the Battle Plan. These CPs are then not available to activate Clans on this turn, but they do accumulate from one round to another. The player can then attempt to activate his Plan by rolling 2d6. If the result is less than or equal to the number of CPs accumulated so far, then the plan is immediately activated. All Clans whose units are not located in enemy ZOC must change their Mode to conform to the Plan, and all the special abilities and Special Activation Chits are immediately playable (place them in the Reserve Box on the player's Honjin). If the result is greater than the number of CPs accumulated so far, the player deducts from his accumulated CPs the difference between the result of the die roll and the number of accumulated CPs. The player can not try to activate his Plan again until the next Command Phase.
Example: The player commanding the Shingen army has accumulated 7 Command Points in the 2 previous turns. He tries to activate his Battle Plan by throwing 2d6, but rolls a 10. His Plan is not activated, and his number of CPs falls to 4 (i.e. 7 - (10 - 7)). The player can not roll again until the next Command Phase.
7.3. The choice of Battle Plans: There are seven possible Battle Plans. They are described below.
Ganko [Birds in flight]
Description: A flexible formation which allows the army to react to the situation.
Initial Mode: Player's choice.
Special activities: 1× 'Attack' ; 3× 'Retreat'.
Special Abilities: +1 modifier when rolling on the Command Points Table.
Kuruma Gakari [Swirling Winds]
Description: Attacks the enemy in successive waves.
Initial Mode: Player's choice.
Special activities: 6× 'Attack' ; 6× 'Retreat'; 1× 'Impulsive Attack' (given to the player's opponent when the first 'Retreat' Special Activation Chit is drawn from the Selection Bowl).
Special Abilities: None.
Gyorin [Shell]
Description: Part of the army is entrenched, while the other charges at a weak point of the enemy.
Initial Mode: Player's choice.
Special activities: 4× 'Attack' ; 3× 'Retreat'.
Special Abilities: When setting up the scenario, the player rolls a d6 on the Command Point Table and receives a number of defensive position markers [11.8] equal to the CP indicated.
Koyaku [Yoke]
Description: Elastic defense to absorb the shock of a fierce assault.
Initial Mode: Defense or movement.
Special activities: 6× 'Retreat'.
Special Abilities: +1 bonus when rolling on the Rally Table. If the result before modification is a 6, the Clan may immediately adopt Defense Mode.
If units in the Clan suffer a result of 'd21' in Combat (the final '1' is printed as a superscript), roll a d6 and instead apply the result from the table below:
| d6 | 1 | 2-3 | 4-6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| d21 becomes ... | dE2 | d1RR | dRR |
Kokuyoku [Wings of the crane]
Description: Maneuver to encircle the enemy.
Initial Mode: Players' choice.
Special activities: 4× 'Attack' ; 4× 'Retreat' ; 4× 'Combined Maneuver'.
Special Abilities: None.
Saku [Keyhole]
Description: Defend in place.
Initial Mode: Defense.
Special activities: 3× 'Retreat'.
Special Abilities: When setting up the scenario, the player rolls d6 on the Command Point Table and receives a number of defensive position markers [11.8] equal to the CP indicated.
If units in the Clan suffer a result of 'dRR' in combat, roll a d6 and instead apply the result from the table below:
| d6 | 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5-6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dRR becomes ... | d21 | d1RR | d11 | no effect (printed as "-") |
Hoshi [Arrowhead]
Description: A huge, impetuous assault.
Initial Mode: Attack or Move.
Special activities: 8× 'Attack', 1× 'Retreat', 3× 'Impulsive Attack' (given to the player's opponent when the first combat is initiated by the player).
Special Abilities: +2 modifier to the d6 on the Mode Change Table if trying to change to Attack Mode, and -1 modifier to the die on the Mode Change Table if trying to change out of Attack Mode.
8 - The command phase
8.1. Advance the Chits on the Delay Track: At the beginning of the Command Phase, each player should put all the Activation Chits in the '1' box of the Delay Track on their Honjin into the Selection Bowl. Then each player should move the Activation Chits remaining on the Delay Track one box to the right.
8.2. Command Points: Each player's Honjin contains a Command Point Table. Each player throws a d6 [exception: 17.2] and applies the following modifiers:
- -1: If the clan of the Army Commander (who is in Clan A [5.1]) is not in Defense Mode;
- -?: subtract the score indicated on the Bundori Track [11.11]).
Each player receives the CPs indicated by the Command Point Table. These can be used to select Activation Chits [8.3], or to attempt to activate the Battle Plan [7.2]. CPs used to activate the Battle Plan are accumulated from turn to turn, but the other CPs can only be used in that turn; any unused ones are lost.
8.3. Choose Activation Chits for the forthcoming turn: At a cost of 1 CP per Chit, each player chooses Activation Chits from the Reserve box of his Honjin that he wishes to be placed into the Activation Bowl this turn (Note that the variable nature of the turn's length means that some of the Chits might not be drawn). If he chooses a Clan Activation Chit, the Chit is placed directly into the Selection Bowl only if the distance between the Army Commander and a unit of the chosen Clan is less than or equal to 9 MP. If the distance is greater than or equal to 10 MP, then the Clan Activation Chit is placed on the Delay Track in the box corresponding to the number of MP divided by 10 (rounded down).
Example: The player with the Takeda army chooses to activate a Clan which is 17 MP from the Army Commander. The Clan Activation Chit is placed in the '1' box on the Delay Track. It will be placed in the Selection Bowl in the next turn [8.1].
If he chooses a Special Activation Chit, it is placed directly into the Selection Bowl, and the player must record the following information on his Battle Plan Log:
- the number of the Activation Chit;
- the specific activity assigned to that Chit [9.5];
- the Clan or Clans affected by this special activity.
8.4. The players should then put all of the Compulsory Activation Chits into the Selection Bowl.
9 - Activating Clans
9.1. Clans are activated by drawing Chits during the Activation Phase [4.2]. There are 3 types of Chit: Compulsory Activation Chits, Clan Activation Chits, and Special Activation Chits. The restrictions imposed by a Clan's Mode [6.5] apply whatever type of Activation Chit is drawn.
9.2. Activation delay: A player may decline to activate a Clan indicated by a Clan Activation Chit or a Special Activation Chit that has just been drawn. Simply put the Chit back in the Selection Bowl, and draw another. However, this second Chit must be accepted, and Compulsory Activation Chits can never be declined or put back in the Bowl in this way.
9.3. The Compulsory Activation Chits: There are 5 Compulsory Activation Chits (1 × 'Rally', 1 × 'Move', 2 × 'Combat!', 1 × 'Initiative'), and they are always placed into the Selection Bowl at the start of each turn [8.4]. They correspond to actions that take place in a systematic way, but out of the control of the Army Commanders. Once activated, the Chits are placed in the boxes below the Turn Track on the map. Note that the turn ends after the five Compulsory Activation Chits have been drawn and acted on [4.2]. Their effects are described below:
9.3.1. Rally Chit
When this Chit is drawn, units of both armies might have to Retreat, Pursue or Rally, depending on their Mode.
- Retreat: Units of Clans of both armies which are in Regroup Mode and are less than 4 hexes from an enemy unit must Retreat. These units must move so as to be 4 hexes away from the closest enemy, and must not enter an enemy ZOC at any point of this move. If a Clan has several units, the player chooses one unit to retreat first. The remaining units will then move, if possible, so as to be adjacent to the first unit and at least 4 hexes away from enemy units. If this is not possible, they remain in place. The choice of which unit to move first may therefore be critical. Clans of both armies are retreated simultaneously. This means that if opposing Clans both in Regroup Mode are less than 4 hexes away from each other when the Chit is drawn, then both Clans must Retreat.
- Pursuit: A unit of a Clan in Attack Mode must Pursue an enemy unit that retreats if the enemy unit began the retreat in the unit's ZOC. The friendly unit follows the same path as the retreating unit, but must stop if it enters an enemy ZOC. If a retreating unit is located in several units' ZOC, only one unit (owning player's choice) can pursue.
- Units of Clans in Regroup Mode of both armies which did not retreat and which are not in an enemy ZOC may try to Rally [12.1].
9.3.2. Move Chit
Units of Clans of both armies in Move Mode can move (4 MPs). No combat takes place. Players activate their Clans alternately, starting with the one who rolls the highest score on a d6 (re-roll if a tie).
9.3.3. Combat! Chit
There is a 'Combat!' Chit for each army. Units in Clans of the army specified by the Chit and which are in Attack Mode must move one hex towards the closest enemy unit. Enemy units already located in a ZOC of a friendly unit can be ignored for this purpose. Then all units in the army specified by the Chit, regardless of their Clan's Mode, are activated for Combat [11.1].
9.3.4. 'Initiative' Chit
When this Chit is drawn, units of Clans of both armies in Move, Regroup or Defense Mode may be able to take an action, as described below.
- Clans of both armies in Move or Regroup Mode where at least one unit is located in an enemy ZOC can attempt to change Mode [6.4] but only to Defense Mode. If the result of the d6 is equal to 1, the Clan must immediately Retreat [9.3.1] and adopt Regroup Mode.
- Units of Clans of both armies in Defense Mode which are not adjacent to any other unit of the same Clan may attempt to move to an adjacent hex in order to reunite in accordance with [6.3]. To see if this movement is allowed, roll on the Mode Change Table [6.4] for each Clan as if changing from Defense Mode to Move Mode. The one hex movement must reduce the distance separating them.
9.4. Clan Activation Chits: A Clan Activation Chit is characterized by a color and a letter. When this Chit is drawn, it enables all units belonging to the Clan of that letter of the Army marked with that color to be activated. When activating a Clan, perform the following actions in order:
a. Mode Change: the player can attempt to change the Mode of the Clan [6.4]. b. Movement: the Clan's units can move [10.1]. c. Combat: the Clan's units can or must engage in Combat [11.1]. d. Rally: the Clan's units can attempt to Rally [12.1].
These actions are subject to the constraints imposed by the Clan's Mode. When the Clan's activation has finished, place the Chit in the Reserve box of the player's Honjin.
9.5. Special Activation Chits: Each player has four Special Activation Chits numbered 1 to 4. The Activations which can be attributed to these Chits are described below [9.5.2 to 9.5.5]. Special Activation Chits which are not drawn during the Activation Phase [4.2] are placed in the 1 box on the Delay Track on the player's Honjin at the end of the turn, but the activity assigned to the Chit can not be changed at this time.
9.5.1. Choosing the activity for the Special Activation Chit
Each Battle Plan [7.3] allows a number of special activities which can be chosen during the battle. A form is provided to keep a record of these (see the last page of the rulebook).
When a player decides to put a Special Activation Chit in the Selection Bowl, he assigns to it one of the available special activities [8.3]. Provided the player has not exhausted his quota of special activities, a Special Activation Chit that has been drawn in this turn can be given a new special activity in a following turn.
Example: The player of the Takeda army chooses the Battle Plan "Ganko", and this Plan is active at the start of the battle. He has four special activities (1 × 'Attack' and 3 × 'Retreat') that can be attributed to the Special Activation Chits. Note that each of his four Chits will be used only once in the game, since the Ganko Battle Plan only allows for four special activities.
9.5.2. Special activity 'Attack'
The Clan activated by this Chit immediately adopts Attack Mode. The Clan's units have a movement ability of 6 MP (instead of 5) during this activation only, and have a +2 combat modifier when determining the appropriate column in the case of a Charge [11.5].
9.5.3. Special activity 'Impetuous Attack'
This special activity may become available if either player chooses the Battle Plans "Hoshi" or "Kuruma Gakari". However, this special activity is available not by that player, but by his opponent, and only from the moment listed in the description of the Battle Plan [7.3]. From that point on, the player's opponent can then choose the 'Impetuous Attack' for one of his Special Activation Chits as if it were his own, and this Special Activation Chit can be chosen for free (ie, without spending a CP). When the Chit is drawn, the player chooses one of his opponent's Clans, and that Clan immediately enters Attack Mode, and is then activated normally (by its owning player) [9.4].
Example: Player A has chosen Battle Plan "Hoshi". In turn 1, Player A initiates a combat. Player B immediately gains 3 Impetuous Attack special activities. In the Command Phase of turn 2, he decides to assign one of the Impetuous Attack special activities to one of his Special Activation Chits, and places it in the Selection Bowl without spending a CP. The Chit is drawn during the Activation Phase. Player B then chooses to apply Impetuous Attack to Player A's Clan B. That Clan immediately enters Attack Mode, and is then activated. If the Chit had not been drawn during that turn, then it would have been placed in the 1 box on the Delay Track on Player B's Honjin at the end of the turn. The Chit would continue to be associated with the Impetuous Attack special activity.
9.5.4. Special activity 'Retreat'
The Clan to which this activation applies immediately enters Regroup Mode, and the units must Retreat [9.3.1].
9.5.5. Special activity 'Combined Maneuver'
This special activity allows the player to attempt to activate up to four Clans simultaneously. When the Chit is drawn, the player rolls a d6 for each Clan he wishes to Activate, and adds to each roll the Leadership value of any unit in the respective Clan.
- All the Clans for whom a result greater than or equal to 3 are activated simultaneously as if they were one Clan.
- A Clan for which the result is a 1 (before modification) immediately adopts Regroup Mode, and the opposing player can then move the units in this Clan up to 4 hexes in any direction, but complying with [6.3] and without entering a ZOC.
10 - Movement
10.1. When a Clan is activated, the Clan's units may move, one at a time, subject to their Movement Ability (MA), which depends upon the Clan's Mode. The Clan's Mode may also govern how the units can move.
10.2. Units move from hex to adjacent hex, spending a number of Movement Points (MP) equal to the cost of terrain in the hex (see the Terrain Table). Some terrain features are indicated on the sides of hexes (such as fords and streams), and these increase the cost to enter adjacent hexes. In no case can a unit spend more MPs that its MA. Any unused MPs are lost.
10.3. No hex can contain more than one unit (but there is no limit on the number of markers in a hex).
10.4. A unit which moves off the map is Eliminated.
Terrain Table
| Terrain | Cost (MP) |
|---|---|
| Open | 1 |
| Wood | 2 |
| Go up a Slope | +1 |
| Go down a Slope | - |
| Ford or stream | +1 |
| River | Not allowed |
| Kaizu | 3 |
| ZOC | +2 |
11 - Combat
11.1. If a Combat Chit, a Clan Activation Chit or a Special Activation Chit to which 'Attack', 'Impetuous attack' or 'Combined Maneuver' has been assigned is drawn, then the units of the Activated Clan(s) must enter combat with any enemy units in their ZOC. All enemy units in the ZOC of active units must be attacked.
11.2. Units of Clans which are not in Attack Mode are not obliged to attack in some cases, as follows:
- if all enemy units in their ZOC are attacked by other units in the current combat phase;
- if the enemy units are on the other side of a ford;
- if they are under a 'defensive position' marker [11.8].
11.3. An active unit can only participate in one battle in a single activation phase. Similarly, an enemy unit can not be attacked more than once during a single activation phase. But friendly units can combine forces to attack a single enemy unit, and a single friendly unit can attack more than 1 enemy unit in a single battle, and it may be necessary to do this in order to fulfil [11.1].
11.4. Combined attack: If the active player wants or must organize a combined attack (as described in [11.3]) with units from different Clans, he must roll 1d6 for each Clan. The Clan or Clans which roll the higher or highest score may participate in the battle. If more than 1 Clan rolls the highest score, those Clans attack simultaneously. The other Clans may not participate in the battle or any other combat during that activation phase, but they may provide Support [11.6].
Game notes: If a single Clan rolled the highest score on the d6, then it will attack alone. This reflects the difficulty of coordinating actions between Clans.
11.5. There are 4 different cases in which combat can arise, depending on the circumstances of the units involved on both sides.
- if a unit was moved in this Activation in order to come into contact with an enemy unit, then the unit executes a Charge.
- a unit whose Clan is in Attack Mode, and which is the target of a Charge, executes a Counter Charge.
- a unit whose clan is not in Attack Mode, and which is the target of a Charge, closes ranks (Yari fusuma).
- if the units are already adjacent to each other, then there is a Melee.
Different characteristics (Élan, Mass, Firepower) will be applied in different ways to resolve the combat, depending on which of these cases applies, as detailed on the Game Aid [11.6].
11.6. Battles are resolved using the Combat Table. To resolve a battle, the players determine the Column Score (COL) and the Line Score (LIN). The box at the intersection of the Column Score (COL) and the Line Score (LIN) gives the result, which applies to all units that participated in combat. The Column Score and Line Score are each made up of a value that depends on the characteristics of the participating units (see the Game Aid) plus modifiers plus 2d6 (it is suggested that players roll the blue dice for COL and the red dice for LIN).
Example: a unit of Uesugi's army (unit A, with élan 2 and mass 3) attacks two units of Takeda's army (unit B, with élan 1 and mass 2, and unit C with élan 1 and mass 2) with a Charge. Unit B is in Attack Mode, and so executes a Counter Charge. Unit C is in Defense Mode, and does not Counter Charge. The modifier to the Column Score is: 2 (élan of A) -1 (élan of B) = +1. The modifier to the Line Score is: 3 (mass of A) - 2 (mass of B) - 3 (elan + mass C) = -2. No modifiers apply. The Uesugi player rolls a 6, and the Takeda player rolls an 8. The final scores are 7 for the Column Score, and 6 for the Line Score.
The modifiers are as follows:
- To the Column Score:
- (+): The smallest (i.e. least bad) State Modifier of the enemy units;
- (-): The largest (i.e. worst) State Modifier of the active units;
- (-): Terrain effects (see the Terrain Table);
- -1: if an enemy unit belongs to a Clan in Defense Mode and is under a Defensive Position Marker [11.8];
- +1 for Support: if a friendly unit who is not involved in a combat in this Activation Phase exerts a ZOC on one of the units being attacked, and the friendly unit itself is not in the ZOC of any other enemy units;
- -2: if the attacking unit belongs to a Clan in Move or Regroup Mode;
- +2: if the enemy unit belongs to a Clan in Move or Regroup Mode;
- To the Column or Line Score (player's choice, but must be chosen before the dice are thrown):
- (+): The Leadership value of one active unit (attacker's choice);
- (-): The Leadership value of one enemy unit (defender's choice);
To find the result of the battle, look at the Combat Table and find the box at the intersection of the Column Score (COL) and the Line Score (LIN). The result applies only to the units which participated in combat.
11.7. If the result of a battle takes the form 'aMN', then it applies to the attacking units.
- The value 'M' indicates the number of Step Losses which must be suffered by any one unit (chosen by the attacker);
- The value 'N' indicates the number of Step Losses suffered by all other units.
Example: The result of a combat involving 3 units attacking together and 1 unit in defense is 'a21'. The attacker must chose one of his units to suffer 2 Step Losses, and the 2 other units suffer 1 Step Loss each. The Step Losses are indicated by placing or changing the State Markers.
If the result of a battle takes the form 'dXY', then it applies to the defending units:
- The value 'X' indicates the number of Step Losses which must be suffered by any one unit (chosen by the defender);
- The value 'Y' indicates the number of Step Losses suffered by all other units.
If the value 'M' or 'X' is equal to 'E', then the unit chosen by the attacker or defender is eliminated. If the value 'X' or 'Y' contains an 'R', the defending units must retreat one hex (without entering a ZOC). If they can not retreat, then they suffer 1 Step Loss and remain in place.
Example: The result of a combat involving one attacking unit and 2 defending units is 'dE2'. The defender must choose one unit which is eliminated; the other unit suffers 2 Step Losses. Suppose that the result of combat was 'd1RR'. One of the defender's units suffers 1 Step Loss, and both units must retreat a hex. If they have their backs to a river (impassable terrain), they can not retreat, and remain in place, but suffer an additional Step Loss each.
If the result is 'a1-d1', then one of the attacking units (chosen by the attacker) and one of the defending units (chosen by the defender) each suffer 1 Step Loss.
11.8. Defensive Position: Defensive Position Markers are available to players who choose the Battle Plans "Saku" or "Gyorin" [7.3]. The Markers must start the game stacked with a unit [3]. No hex can contain more than one such marker. The marker can not be moved, and it is permanently removed from the game if the unit associated with it vacates the hex for any reason. The units of a Clan in Defense Mode and in a hex with a Defensive Position Marker enjoy the following benefits when they are attacked:
- the Elan value of attacking units is limited to 1, with any left over added to the Mass value (see [11.10]);
- -1 modifier to the Column Score [11.6];
- They may use their Firepower even in a Mêlée [11.9].
Design Note: These markers simulate the troops in prepared defensive positions, the use of stockades or pallisades, etc..
11.9. Using Firearms in combat. A unit belonging to a Clan in Defense Mode and stacked with a Defensive Position Marker, or which can benefit from a terrain modifier associated with a ford, may make use of its Firepower even in a Mêlée [11.5].
11.10. Difficult Terrain: When a unit Charges [11.5] against an enemy unit in a hex with difficult terrain (see the Combat Table), it can only use a single point of Élan. Any leftover is added to its Mass value when resolving the combat.
Example: A unit of Takeda's army (Élan: 2, Mass: 2) Charges a unit of Uesugi's army in a wooded hex. For the determination of the Column and Line Scores, the unit of Takeda's army is treated as if it had an Élan of 1 and a Mass of 3.
11.11. Leader Loss - Bundori: When a unit with a Leadership value is involved in combat, there is a chance that a leader is killed. If the unit suffers 2 or more Step Losses or is eliminated, then roll a d6: the leader dies on a roll of 1 (put a Leader Lost Marker on the unit). If the unit is eliminated, the leader is instead killed on a roll of 4 or less. Each point of Leadership eliminated is recorded on the Bundori track on the map.
11.12. Rout: When a unit is eliminated, there is a chance that other units of the same Clan will Rout. Roll a d6, and add the Leadership score of any unit of the Clan, and add 1 for each of the Clan's unit which is on the map and not Exhausted [5.3]. The Rout Table will indicate which of the following has occurred:
- Rout: all units of a Clan which routs are eliminated.
- Retreat: all units of the Clan Retreat [9.3.1], and the Clan then enters Regroup Mode.
- Seppuku: a prominent leader in the Clan commits suicide: the effects of this are identical to a Leader Loss [11.1], but the player chooses the unit to which the result applies. If none of the Clan's units has a Leadership value, add one to the 'Bundori' score.
- No effect
11.13. Advance after combat: When a unit is eliminated or forced to retreat as part of combat, the unit's opponent may or must advance into the vacated hex, depending on its Mode. A unit belonging to a Clan in Attack Mode must always advance after combat. A unit belonging to a Clan in Defense Mode may choose whether to advance. A unit belonging to a Clan in Regroup or Move Mode may not advance after combat. ZOCs do not prevent an advance after combat.
12 - Rally
12.1. Only units in a Clan in Regroup Mode who have not retreated and who are not in a ZOC may try to Rally. To make a Rally check, roll a d6 for each unit, and add the Leadership value of any unit of the Clan. The result is given on the Rally Table. A unit may recover one, two or three levels of State [5.3]. Update state markers on the unit if necessary.
12.2. If the result is a '1' before modification, then all units of the Clan immediately Retreat [9.3.1].
13 - Fortress and sieges
Note: the rules for assaulting fortresses and sieges are not used in the historical scenario [17]. They can therefore be ignored until players wish to try the hypothetical "what if" scenario [18].
13.1. All forms of combat in and around a fortress are resolved on a separate map, known as the Fortress Map. This map depicts the fortress, and it is divided into Areas, linked to one another by lines, known as Lines of Attack. A Defense Score is marked on the map wherever a Line of Attack touches an Area: this measures the difficulty in overcoming this Area via this Line of Attack. If a single Defense Score is mentioned on the edge of an Area where several Lines of Attack converge, then each Line of Attack has the same Score. A combat which takes place entirely within a Peripheral Area is considered to have a Defense Score of zero.
13.2. Areas: There are two sorts of Area: Interior Areas (marked on the map with a square) and the Base Areas (the center of the fortress, and the 3 Exterior Areas). Each Exterior Area is identified by a letter (a, b, c) indicating the hex on the map with which it is linked. Initially, the besieged player's Base Area is the center of the fortress, and the attacker's Base Area is an Exterior Area. But the situation may vary during the battle, and both the besieged and the attacking player may have more than one Base Area.
13.3. The fortress (Fort Kaizu): The hex on the main map that contains the Kaizu fort has special rules. The cost of entering the hex is 3 MP. Contrary to [10.3], there is no stacking limit in the hex: it may contain several units from each side. If the hex is occupied by an enemy unit, any unit wishing to enter the hex must belong to a Clan in Attack Mode. Units in this hex do not exert a ZOC [5.2] and may not leave the hex unless their Clan is no longer in Attack Mode and Retires [13.8].
13.4. Attacker and besieged: Players do not use the units in the Fort Kaizu hex to resolve the battle. Instead, the units of both armies are represented on the Fortress Map in an abstract way through 3 values - Manpower, Out of Combat and Siege Actions - and the use of Control Markers.
13.4.1. Manpower
The Manpower score is equal to the sum of the Elan and Mass of units which are in Good Order or Shaken [5.3]. Changes in the Manpower score are recorded by moving the Manpower marker along the Manpower track.
Design Note: This value represents the forces of combat units that are in the fortress hex but not yet participating in combat. The value will vary as the player commits his troops, loses men and receives reinforcements.
13.4.2. Out of Combat
The Out of Combat score is equal to the sum of the Elan and Mass of units which are Disrupted or Exhausted [5.3]. Changes in the Out of Combat score are recorded by moving the Out of Combat marker along the Out of Combat track.
Design Note: This value represents the strength of units in the fortress hex which are scattered, disorganized or otherwise unavailable for combat. This value will change over time through Rallies and combats.
13.4.3. Siege Actions
This value is calculated for a player when the 'Combat' Compulsory Activation Chit [9.3.3] is drawn from the Selection Bowl. It is equal to 1 plus the sum of the Firepower characteristics of all units in the fortress hex, plus the Leadership value of any one of the player's units in the fortress hex. When this Activation Chit is drawn, the player can undertake a number of siege activities [13.6.1] equal to his Siege Actions score.
Design Note: This value represents the activity of the forces and their commander. It depends on the number of troops with the ability to fire weapons, as they can provide cover for assault troops, or prepare an assault or a diversion.
13.4.4. Control Markers
There can be at most one Control Marker in an Area, except the Peripheral Areas, which can contain Control Markers belonging to both armies. Placing a Control Marker on the Fortress Map reduces the player's Manpower score by 1 [13.4.1].
Design Note: These markers represent the men actively involved in the fight for the fortress.
13.5. Beginning of a siege: To attack a fort occupied by an enemy Clan, a Clan must be in Attack Mode, and its units must enter the fortress hex [13.3]. At this point, calculate the Manpower and Out of Combat values for both sides and mark these on the appropriate tracks. The player who has been besieged can then place Control Markers in his base area and other areas of his choice, spending one Manpower point per marker. The attacker can then place Control Markers in his Base Area (the Exterior Area which is linked to the hex from which the attacking units arrived) and, if desired, in Areas which are connected to his Base Area by an uninterrupted sequence of Areas free of enemy Control Markers, spending one Manpower point per marker.
13.6. Resolving the siege: Clans participating in the siege are activated only by the 'Combat' [9.3.3] or 'Rally' [9.3.1] Compulsory Activation Chits, as described in [13.6.1]. Clan Activation Chits corresponding to the Clans participating in the siege can be used only to try to change Mode [6.4].
Note: this would be done only if the player wished the Clan to abandon the siege [13.8].
13.6.1. 'Combat' Chit and Siege Activities
If the 'Combat' Compulsory Activation Chit is drawn, the player whose Chit is drawn determines his Siege Actions score [13.4.3]. He can then perform various Siege Activities (detailed below), paying one Siege Action point for each Activity. Unused Action points are not accumulated but are lost. The possible siege activities are: Move Troops, Conduct an Assault, Fire!, and Rally the Troops.
-
Move Troops: The player can place Control Markers in the Areas connected to his Base Area by an uninterrupted sequence of Areas free of enemy Control Markers (reduce the Manpower score by 1 for each marker placed).
-
Conduct an Assault: The player chooses an Area containing an enemy Control Marker which is adjacent to at least one Area occupied by a friendly Control Marker [13.4.4]. Both players roll a d6. The attacker adds the number of friendly Control Markers adjacent to the target Area, and his Sacrifice score (see below). The defender adds the lowest Defense Scores value of the Lines of Attack used by the attacker, and his Sacrifice score. The result is determined as follows:
- If the attacker's total is greater than the defender's, then the defender's Control Marker is removed from the Area, and the defender's Out of Combat score is increased by one. The attacker can then place a Control Marker in the vacated Area, either by moving one of his Control Markers involved in the attack, or by placing a new Marker (and reducing his Manpower score by one).
- Exception: a defender's last Control Marker is not removed unless his Manpower value has fallen to zero.
- If the defender's total is greater than the attacker's, then divide the difference between the scores by 2 and round up. This gives the total losses, which must be taken either by removing some or all of the Control Markers that were involved in the assault, or by reducing the attacker's Manpower score.
- If a tie, then the attacker must remove a Control Marker that was involved in the assault or lose one point of Manpower. In addition, he adds a point to his Out of Combat score. If, after this, the attacker still has at least one Control Marker adjacent to the Area which was attacked, he may choose to Sacrifice an additional Manpower point in order to push the assault. In this case, the attack is considered successful unless the defending player also Sacrifices a Manpower point, in which case the result is still a tie, and there is no additional effect.
Sacrifice: during an assault, players have the opportunity to Sacrifice Manpower points in order to modify their d6, or to avoid losing a position after a tie. Players announce the value of their Sacrifice (neither player's Sacrifice value can exceed the number of Control Markers which the attacker has committed to the attack) and reduce their Manpower score accordingly. Other than in a tie, Sacrifices must be announced before the dice are thrown, but players take it in turns to Sacrifice additional troops (attacker first, but continuing until neither player wishes to Sacrifice any more forces or the maximum permitted Sacrifice has been reached by the two players).
- If the attacker's total is greater than the defender's, then the defender's Control Marker is removed from the Area, and the defender's Out of Combat score is increased by one. The attacker can then place a Control Marker in the vacated Area, either by moving one of his Control Markers involved in the attack, or by placing a new Marker (and reducing his Manpower score by one).
13.6.2. Rally Chit
When the 'Rally' Compulsory Activation Chit is drawn, both players roll a d6 for each of their Out of Combat points:
- On a roll of 1 or 2, reduce the Out of Combat score by 1 (this point is effectively eliminated);
- If the result is 3 or 4, nothing happens;
- If the result is 5 or 6, reduce the Out of Combat score by 1 and increase the Manpower score by 1.
13.7. Reinforcements: Either player can send additional units into the fortress hex. Such units must be part of a Clan which is in Attack Mode. When a unit of a Clan in Attack Mode enters the fortress hex, the sum of the Elan and Mass scores is added either to the player's Manpower score (if the unit is in Good Order or Shaken) or to the player's 'Out of Combat' score (if the unit is Disorganised or Exhausted) [13.4]. The player who controls that unit may then place Control Markers in the Exterior Area which has just been entered, and, if desired, in any areas connected to the Exterior Area by a continuous sequence of Areas free of enemy Control Markers. Reduce the Manpower score by 1 for each marker placed on the map.
A player can not send part of a Clan to reinforce a siege: all non-Eliminated units of the Clan must be moved into the fortress hex in the same Activation.
13.8. Lifting a siege: To Retire or withdraw a Clan from a siege, the player controlling the Clan must have at least one Control Marker in at least one of the Peripheral Areas. Given this condition, then, when the Clan is no longer in Attack Mode, the player must reduce the Manpower score by an amount equal to the sum of the Elan and Mass values of the units which are in Good Order or Shaken [see 13.4.1], and it must reduce the Out of Combat score by an amount equal to the sum of the Elan and Mass values of the units which are Disorganised or Exhausted [13.4.2]. The units are then placed on the main battle map in the hex(es) associated with the Exterior Area(s) chosen by the player for the withdrawal, and in adjacent hexes if necessary. This ends their movement.
Example: A Clan in Takeda's army consists of a Shaken unit (Élan: 1, Mass: 2) and an Exhausted Unit (Élan: 2, Mass: 2). It decides to withdraw from the siege of Fort Kaizu. There is a Takeda Control Marker in Peripheral Area (b). The Takeda player reduces the Manpower value by 3 (for the Shaken unit) and the Out of Combat values by 4 (for the Exhausted unit), then places the units in the two hexes connected to the Peripheral Area (b).
A player who is removing a Clans may remove a Control Marker instead of a point of Manpower. This can only happen if the Control Marker is connected to the Peripheral Area chosen for the withdrawal by an uninterrupted sequence of Areas free of enemy Control Markers.
Example (continued): The Takeda player identified above needs to reduce his Manpower score by 3. Depending on how the siege is progressing, he may be able to remove one, two or three Control Markers from the fortress map to prevent his Manpower score from falling.
A player may not withdraw part of a Clan from a siege: all non-Eliminated units of the Clan must retire during the same Activation.
13.9. End of the siege: If one player has no more Control Markers on the fortress map, and a Manpower score of zero, then all the units on that side who participated in the siege (and therefore were present in the fortress hex) have been eliminated. The winner adds together his Manpower score, Out of Combat score, and the number of Control Markers on the fortress map. This gives his Survivor score. He then needs to choose which of the units that participated in the assault (and therefore who are in the fortress hex) he would like to keep, and which (if any) will be eliminated. The player can choose any number of units who will be kept provided the total of the Elan and Mass of these units is no greater than the Survivor score. Any units left over are eliminated. Then, among the units which are to be kept, the player must choose some whose combined total of Elan and Mass is at least as great as the Out of Combat score: these units become Disorganized, and any others are in Good Order. Finally, for all the units that have suffered two or more losses (i.e. are Disorganized or Eliminated), roll to see whether any leaders have died as if they had participated in combat [11.11].
Example: The player Uesugi has taken control of Fort Kaizu. His Manpower score is 8, his Out of Combat score is 5, and he has 7 Control Markers. This makes a Survivor Score of 20. He chooses to keep 5 units whose combined Elan and Mass scores total 19. One unit, with an Elan of 2 and a Mass of 3, is Disorganised, and the others are in Good Order.
At their next activation, the Clans in the fortress hex can move following the normal rules.
14 - Optional Rule - The more the water, the higher the boat
14.1. When one army is gaining the upper hand, the other army may invoke a heroic samurai. When the Victory Point Marker is increased and crosses a 'Samurai' line marked on the Victory Point Track, the army associated with the color of this line can bring his Samurai marker into play: place the Marker in the Selection Bowl.
14.2. When the Samurai Marker is drawn, the player can place it on any one of its units. The Clan who owns this unit can:
- try immediately to Rally [12.1] the chosen unit (even if it is in a ZOC, and even if the Clan is not in Regroup Mode)
- or automatically enter Attack Mode and be activated as if the Clan Activation Chit had been drawn [9.4].
14.3. The Samurai marker has a Leadership value of 1 and operates as a normal Leader. It is removed from the map in 3 cases: if it is killed [11.11], if the host unit is eliminated, or if the unit ever ends a turn NOT in an enemy's ZOC.
15 - End of the game and victory conditions
15.1. During the battle, victory points (VP) can be won by both players. The difference in VPs is recorded on the Victory Point Track on the map: when a player earns a VP, move the Victory Point Marker 1 space toward his end of the Track (this may trigger a Samurai [14.1]). If the marker is in the zero space, then it means both players have earned the same number of VPs.
The end of the game and the victory conditions depend on the scenario being played.
16 - Specific rules for Kawanakajima 1561
16.1. Scale
A hex is 200 meters across. One point of Elan or Mass corresponds to about 100 soldiers.
16.2. Mount Saijo
In both scenarios, this wooded mountain is occupied by troops who are due to move to the plain to face their opponent. Mount Saijo is considered to be off the map, but it is connected to four Entry Points on the map, A, B, C and D. Each entry area also contains a number: this denotes the turn on which units using that Entry Point area will appear.
The player who controls Mount Saijo at the start of the game must write down (on a sheet of paper) the Entry Point of each of his Clans. The Clans are then placed on the appropriate Entry Points at the start of the Command Phase of the turn they are due to appear. The normal rules then apply to movement: each Entry Point is adjacent to several hexes on the map. Clans placed in Entry Points are in Move Mode.
The black hex border indicates the boundary between the Entry Points and the normal hexes on the map.
16.3. Activating off-map Clans
This rule may be used to activate the Clans under the command of Kosaka Masanobu in the historical scenario, and of Uesugi Kenshin in the hypothetical scenario. To determine where on the Delay Track the Clan Activation Chits should be put [8.3], calculate the number of hexes between the general (Kosaka Masanobu in the historical scenario and Uesugi Kenshin in the hypothetical scenario) and the nearest Entry Point. If the Clan is due to enter from another Entry Point, add 10 hexes for each successive Entry Point.
Example: In the historical scenario, Clan N of Takeda's army has arrived at Entry Point 'A' at the start of turn 2. The closest Entry Point to Kosaka Masanobu is 'C', which is 6 hexes away. If the Takeda player wishes to activate Clan N, the Clan Activation Token for Clan N must be placed in the '2' box (6 + 10 + 10 = 26 hexs) on the Delay Track, and so will not appear in the Selection Bowl until turn 4.
16.4. Kenshin - Shingen
If Takeda Shingen is killed, Uesugi Kenshin wins an automatic victory.
If Uesugi Kenshin is killed, Takeda Shingen wins an automatic victory.
Clan A of both armies are not subject to the Rout test [11.12]. If the result on the Rout Table for Clan A is a Rout, treat this as a Retreat or a Seppuku result (Kenshin and Shingen will only carry out Seppuku if the player wishes: he will, of course, lose the game, but he will avoid dishonor).
16.5. Fatigue
In turn 8 and in subsequent turns, the turn ends as soon as the two 'Combat' Compulsory Activation Chits have been drawn. This simulates the exhaustion felt by the two armies towards the end of day.
17 - The historical scenario
17.1. Set up
The initial units of the Clans of both armies set up as marked on the map (the letter indicates the Clan, and the color indicates the army). Uesugi Kenshin can choose a Battle Plan for his army [7.1], and this is active at the start of the battle. Takeda Shingen's army (including Kosaka Masanobu's contingent) may not use a Battle Plan at all in this game (but see [17.6.2]).
Historical note: Uesugi Kenshin adopted the Battle Plan 'Kuruma Gakari'. Shingen had placed his army in 'Kokuyoku', but Kenshin's assault took the army by surprise and they were not able to implement the Battle Plan.
Clans A to L are under the direct command of Takeda Shingen, and start the game in Defense Mode [6.5]. Clans belonging to Kosaka Masanobu's contingent (Clans M to T) enter play following the rules for Mount Saijo [16.2].
In turn 1, the units of Uesugi Kenshin have a +2 modifier to the Column Score when attacking units in Clans A to L of Takeda Shingen's army.
Historical note: The army of Takeda Shingen was taken by surprise in the plain.
17.2. Command Points
Both Takeda Shingen and Kosaka Masanobu can receive Command Points, and so the Command Point Table on the Honjin of the player commanding Takeda's army [8.2] has more than one column (there are also different columns for different turns of the game). The Takeda player determines the CP received for each commander by rolling a separate die for each. Any modifier from the Bundori score applies as normal to both rolls. Clans A to L can only be activated with the CP received by Takeda Shingen. Clans M to T can be activated with the CPs of either Kosaka Masanobu or Takeda Shingen. When Kosaka Masanobu's CPs are used, use the distance between the Clan and Kosaka Masanobu to determine whether the Clan Activation Chit is placed on the Delay Track or not.
17.3. Uesugi Kenshin's Reinforcements
If 3 or more units of Uesugi Kenshin's army have been eliminated or routed, the Kenshin army player may choose to have Clan N enter the game [8.3], by placing its Clan N chit in the '3' box on the Delay Track. The Clan will then enter the game at the start of the third turn following this decision. At that point, place the Clan on the hex marked with the Uesugi symbol on the map. The Clan is in Move Mode.
Game notes: This represents Uesugi Kenshin recalling troops which he had assigned to the defense of the baggage train.
17.4. Ei! Ei! - O! O!
In the Activation Phase of the first turn, draw Activation Chits normally, but if the Chit is not a Clan Activation Chit for Uesugi's army, then the Chit has no effect. Do not replace the Chit in the Selection Bowl: if the Chit is a Compulsory Activation Chit, then it does count towards the end of the turn. This rule ceases to apply after a Clan Activation Chit of Uesugi's army has been drawn.
Note: This helps simulate that Takeda Shingen's army was taken by surprise.
17.5. Victory
The game ends at the end of the 10th turn unless an Automatic Victory [16.4] is achieved earlier. During the game, each side gets 1 VP for each point of Élan and Leadership of enemy units which are eliminated in combat. If the difference in VPs between the two players is less than or equal to 4, the game ends in a draw. Otherwise, the side with the highest score wins.
Game notes: The intention of the two commanders was simple: destroy the military capability of their adversary. Historically, the losses were significant, but balanced. Uesugi Kenshin was forced to withdraw, but the war between the two factions continued.
17.6. Variations & Options
Use any or all of these variants if both players agree.
17.6.1 Yamamoto Kansuke: One time in the game only, the Takeda player can use Kansuke by announcing "Yamamoto Kansuke" when a Clan Activation Chit or a Specific Activation Chit is drawn from the Selection Bowl. This chit is then placed on the '1' box of the Delay Track. This option grants 2 VPs to the Uesugi player.
17.6.2 A battle plan for Takeda Shingen: Before the start of the game, the Takeda player can choose a Battle Plan for his army. The plan is not active at the start of the game but the player may activate it according to [7.2]. Regardless of what Battle Plan is chosen, Clans A to L still start in Defense Mode and no Defensive Position Markers [11.8] can be received.
17.6.3 Alternative deployment for Uesugi Kenshin: The Uesugi player can choose one of the Clans (but not Clan N) to deploy along with Clan M. This Clan must be located to the west of the river with at least one unit adjacent to a unit of Clan M.
18 - The hypothetical scenario
18.1. Set up
Clan M of Takeda Shingen's army is placed in the Fort Kaizu hex in Defense Mode. The other Clans are placed at the player's discretion so as to form a column on each side of the red line in the west corner of the map, with three units left over as reinforcements. These three units enter when the 'move' Compulsory Activation Chit is drawn: place them on the 3 map-edge hexes marked with Takeda's symbol when this happens, after which they can move normally. All Clans except Clan M start the game in Move Mode.
The Clans of the Uesugi Kenshin's army enter according to [16.2].
18.2. Battle plans and Command Points
Before the start of the game, both players choose a Battle Plan for their army. Neither Plan is active at the start of the game, and both may be activated according to [7.2]. Uesugi Kenshin can accumulate CPs to activate his Plan even though his unit is off-map. Takeda Shingen can accumulate CPs if at least one enemy unit is on an actual hex of the map (Entry Points do NOT count). The Kosaka Masanobu's contingent is fully integrated into Takeda Shingen's army, and it does not receive CPs in its own right.
18.3. Victory
The game ends at the end of the 12th turn unless an Automatic Victory occurs before then. Each side gets 1 VP for each point of Élan and Leadership eliminated in combat. Each time control of Fort Kaizu changes hands, award 8 VPs to the side which now controls it. If the VP difference between the two players at the end of the game is less than or equal to 4, the game is a draw. Otherwise, the side with the highest score wins.
19 - Historical Notes
(Omitted from this transcription: background history of the Sengoku period, the Shinano campaigns and the battles of Kawanakajima, biographies of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, and a filmography. These contain no game rules.)
20 - Designer's notes
My intention was to develop a series of games set on the battlefields of feudal Japan which were simple and playable with a minimum of components (1 map, low counter density).
I wanted a game with atmosphere, which put the player at the head of an army of samurai and ashigarus, and asked him to make strategic and tactical choices to bring his army to victory.
The first design choice was therefore to not differentiate infantry, cavalry and musketeers, because, in reality, the interplay between these three arms was going on at a very small scale, and was more the responsibility of the subalterns than the commander-in-chief.
A feudal Japanese army, split into clans each with their own individual character, often found it hard to coordinate itself. In game terms, this lends itself very well to the partial activation of the army in each turn; the chaos that reigned on the battlefield is replicated well, I think, with the random order of the chit-pull mechanism.
Then I wanted the player to have to choose in advance what he wanted his Clans to do. This led to the system of Modes, which limits the player's freedom of action. It also simulates simply, yet without being too abstract, the action of the commander-in-chief. He must "send orders" (ie, in the game, spend command points) to the Clans to get them to respond. This "sending" of orders actually corresponds to the constant passage of messengers across the battlefield which ensured effective liaison between the General's Honjin and his warlords. Communication was sometimes by semaphore, with certain signals linked to certain actions; from this observation arose the idea of the Special Activation Chits, which allow an army to respond more efficiently and with less delay.
The Battle Plans correspond to the combat formations of the time. Strictly speaking, these battle plans would modify the deployment of an army, but such a rule would have been difficult to generalize, and of little interest in a battle such as Kawanakajima.
The Clan Activation and Special Activation Chits simulate the intervention of the commander-in-chief on the battle, but these do not allow for continuity of action. This resulted in the Compulsory Activation Chits, which allow Clans to pursue their objectives without further interventions from the general.
Having created this architecture, I wanted a single system to resolve fighting which could itself take many forms - a direct charge, a defense of spears, defensive fire from firearms, encirclement - and all without associating each unit with a particular form of arms (cavalry, infantry, etc). From this, the skewed nature of the combat table was developed. Depending on the nature of combat, and according to the strengths of a unit, the result may be in the high column number (high Elan) or the high Line part (high Mass). The results vary on a continuous basis. Elan gives a slight advantage over the Mass, as it was more likely to cause the opponent to retreat, giving a more clear-cut result. In turn, Mass tends to lead to a battle of attrition, with more casualties, but more evenly distributed.
The fact that the game is focused on the commander-in-chief also affected the mechanism for resolving combat: except in special cases, players can not rely on the superiority of one unit to overcome another. To win a melee, the players must put themselves in a dominant position, either by superior numbers or through terrain, or by surprise (by attacking Clans whose Modes are detrimental to combat) and so on. Otherwise, the result of the combat will be beyond the control of the commander-in-chief. In game terms, this is reflected by the highly variable nature of the results of the Combat Table.
All the other game mechanisms are intended to be very simple (for example: no stacking or orientation) but these often reflect the particular circumstances of the time (lack of coordination, routing clans, and samurai).
In the battles of the Sengoku era, there was often a fortress to take or defend (in Kawanakajima, this is only in the hypothetical scenario). It was therefore necessary to add rules allowing the assault of fortresses. These rules are rather abstract, reflecting a desire for simplification, but I find it interesting to have the opportunity to follow the progress of the assailants in the maze of forts and fortified gates which constitute Japanese castles. The whole game gives, I think, an overview of the battles of the era, and is exciting too. I hope that you will have as much fun with Sengoku Jidai as I have.
Examples of Play
I. The Chit for Clan B of Uesugi's army is drawn, so Kakizaki (B) is activated. The Clan is in Attack Mode, so it must move towards the closest enemy unit. The player chooses to move the 2 units along the path indicated by black arrows. One unit of Takeda Clan (D) is attacked. Kakizaki is in Attack Mode, so there is a Charge. Takeda is in Defense Mode, so there is no counter-charge. The modifiers to the Column Score are therefore: +2 +1 (attacker's Elan) +1 (Leadership value - player's choice as to whether this applies to the Column or Line Score) = +4. The modifiers to the Line Score are: +2 +2 (attacker's Mass) - 1 -3 (defender's Elan and Mass) = 0. The dice (Column/Line) give a 4/9 modified to 8/9: d11. The defender's unit takes 1 Step Loss and is now Shaken (indicated by a marker).
II. The Combat! Compulsory Chit for Takeda's army is drawn. There are no Clans in Attack Mode in Takeda's army, so no units can move. But Takeda's units must attack enemy units in their ZOC, so Takeda's Shaken unit must attack the 2 units of Kakizaki's Clan. Neither unit moved, so it is a Melee. The modifiers are as follows: Column: -1 (attacker Shaken) -1 (Leadership value of a defending unit: the player can choose whether to apply this to the Column or Line score) = -2; Line: +1 + 3 (attacker's Elan and Mass) - 2 - 2 - 1 -2 (defending units' total Elan and Mass) = -3. The dice are 8/9 modified to 6/6 for no effect.
III. The Combat! Compulsory Chit for Uesugi's army is drawn. Nakajo (J) is in Attack Mode and must move one hex towards the closest enemy unit. The player can ignore the unit in the ZOC of Kakizaki, and so moves as shown by the blue arrows. All units must then attack those in their ZOC, so the three same units take part in another round of combat (again, a melee), with the following modifiers: Column: +1 (defender Shaken) +1 (Attacking unit's Leadership) = +2; Line: +7 - 4 = +3. The dice are 8/6 giving 10/9: d1R1. The defending unit suffers another Step Loss and must retreat one hex. The unit is now Disorganised, so the Shaken Marker is removed and the counter is flipped. Kakizaki is in Attack Mode, and so must advance into the newly-vacated hex.
IV. The Chit for Clan G of Takeda's army is drawn. Hara is activated, and the Clan is in Defense Mode. That means that the units cannot enter an enemy ZOC unless the enemy unit is already in a friendly unit's ZOC. The player therefore attempts to change Mode to Attack. To change from Defense to Attack Mode requires a d6 roll of 3 or more (see the Mode Change Table). The player rolls a 5, and the Clan changes mode: put a marker next to the Clan's unit. He must now move towards the closest enemy unit, and chooses to move as shown by the red arrows. In the Combat stage of this Activation, Hara must attack the Kakizaki unit to which he is adjacent. Both units are in Clans in Attack Mode, and so there is a Charge and a Counter-Charge. The modifiers are: Column: +2 (attacker's Elan) -1 (defender's Elan) = +1, and Line: +3 (Attacker's Mass) -2 (defender's mass) = +1. The dice are 6/6, which is modified to 7/7, giving a1-d1. Both units suffer a Step Loss and become Shaken.
V. The Move Compulsory Activation Chit is drawn. All Clans in both armies in Move Mode can move up to 4 MPs without entering an enemy ZOC. Imafuku is the only Clan in Move Mode. This is not a Clan Activation, so the Takeda player may not try to change the Clan's Mode. The player moves the unit as shown by the green arrows.
VI. The Chit for Clan J of Uesugi's army is drawn: Nakajo is activated, and is in Attack Mode. The units must move towards the closest enemy units. The player can choose which unit moves first. Nakajo is able to engage with Takeda, Hara or Imafuku, but the player decides to move as shown by the purple arrows in order to take advantage of Hara's inferior Status and Imafuku's disadvantageous Mode. The combat consists of two Charges: one of Nakajo's units (0-2) Charges Imafuku, and the other (2-2) Charges Hara, who Counter-Charges. The modifiers for the first combat are: Column: +2 (defender in Move Mode) and Line: +2 (attacker's Mass) - 2 (defender's Elan and Mass) = +0. After modification, the result is 10/7: dRR. Imafuku must retreat one hex, and Nakajo's unit enters the vacated hex. In the second combat, the modifiers are: Column: +2 (attacker's Elan) -2 (defender's Elan) +1 (Support from Kakizaki's unit) +1 (defender Shaken) = +2; Line: +2 (attacker's Mass) -3 (defender's Mass) = -1. The modified roll is 12/8: d21. Hara suffers 2 Step Losses, taking the unit from Shaken to Exhausted (flip the counter and replace the Shaken Marker with an Exhausted Marker). The situation now is as shown on the illustrated map.
VII. The Clan Initiative Compulsory Activation Chit is drawn. Some Clans are allowed to try to change Mode. In this case, Imafuku is in a disadvantageous Mode for combat (Move Mode) and in the ZOC of an enemy unit. The player can therefore attempt to change to Defense Mode, which he achieves, having rolled a 4 on a d6 (see the Mode Change Table). The Clan is now much better prepared for combat.
VIII. The Chit for Clan J of Takeda's army is drawn: Imafuku is activated. Imafuku cannot move (because only units conducting a Retreat can voluntarily leave an enemy ZOC) and must attack the enemy unit in his ZOC. The modifiers are now (as it is a Melee): Column: +0; Line: +2 (Attacker's Elan and Mass) -2 (Defender's Elan and Mass) = +0. The dice are 10/6, which has no effect.
Errata and Clarifications (Official FAQ)
Reproduced from the official English FAQ, "Kawanakajima 1561 - FAQ 20/07/09". Where this FAQ corrects the rule text above, the FAQ takes precedence.
1 - Errata
1.1. Counters: Atobe (2-3) (Takeda Clan I) and Murakami (1-3) (Uesugi Clan L) units are missing their leader values on back side. They should retain them.
1.2. Map: There are two Takeda "C" clan setup hexes but this is an error. There is only one "C" clan unit. The Takeda player can choose in which hex his unit is set up.
1.3. Rules:
- [11.6] -2: if at least one attacking unit belongs to a Clan in Move or Regroup Mode; +2: if all the enemy units belong to a Clan in Move or Regroup Mode;
- [17.4] The first chit has to be a Uesugi activation chit: regular or special activation chit.
- [18.1] Clan M of Takeda Shingen's army is placed in the Fort Kaizu hex in Defense Mode. The other Clans are placed at the player's discretion so as to form a column on each side of the red line in the west corner of the map, with the remaining units left over as reinforcements. There are much more than 3 units left.
1.4. Play Aid:
Combat modifiers: Any attacker in Regroup or Move Mode: COL -2. All defenders in Regroup or Move Mode: COL +2.
Combat results: dXy: defender suffers the following: 'X' step losses suffered by 1 unit of defender's choice; 'Y' step losses suffered all other DEFENDING units.
Mode Change Table: a) also applies to units attempting a mode change when the initiative chit is drawn (9.3.4).
2 - Clarifications
- [8.3] Delay occur if the entire clan is outside the command range. Determine the distance between the commander and the closest unit of the selected clan.
- [9.3.1] Pursuit: applies to all retreats, whichever phase they occur in (for example, they apply to the 1 hex retreat that may occur during combat, or the longer retreats triggered by the Retreat Compulsory Activation Chit or Special Activation Chit, or those triggered by a roll on the Rally or Rout tables).
- [9.5.5] Special activity 'Combined Maneuver': The clans can be in different modes. Each can try to change mode (one check for each clan). The activated units can attack without being restricted by [11.4] Combined attack.
- [11.1] The activated units have to attack the units that are in their ZoC when the chit is drawn.
- [11.2] Streams and fords are equivalent in this game. 11.2 applies. If in defense mode the unit doesn't have to attack through a stream.
- [11.11] Leader Loss. You roll for leader loss if there are two or more losses at once.
- [11.12] Rout. Check for rout immediately after the unit is eliminated. Before any other combat.
- [17.3] Uesugi Kenshin's reinforcements. The player must spend a Command Point [8.3] in order to place the Clan N chit on the Delay Track. If the Clan N activation chit is not drawn from the Selection Bowl on the turn on which it is placed in the Bowl (because the five Compulsory Activation Chits are drawn first, for example), then this process will need to be repeated should the player wish to try to activate Clan N again, i.e. the player will need to spend a Command Point in order to put the Chit on the 3 box of the Delay Track. Once the units of Clan N have entered the map, the Clan can be activated as normal.