''Shogun'' is a

board wargame A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military exercises, o ...

set in feudal Japan, first released in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

by game maker Milton Bradley.

Publication history

''Shogun'', designed by Michael Gray, was first released in 1986 by Milton Bradley as part of their Gamemaster series. It was renamed to ''Samurai Swords'' in its first re-release (1995) to disambiguate it from other games with the same name (in particular, ''

James Clavell's Shogun James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

'', a wargame with a similar theme, released in 1983), and renamed again to ''Ikusa'' in its 2011 re-release under Hasbro's Avalon Hill banner.

Gameplay

Set in feudal Japan, two to five players take control of a fictional warlord and pit their armies against one another in hopes of winning the title Shogun. Each player controls a number of daimyō, or generals, who command an army. Other forces on the board represent militia and garrisons. Players have the option of hiring ronin (mercenaries). There is a ninja, principally used as an assassin against enemy daimyō. Units include samurai swordsmen and bowmen, and ashigaru spearmen and gunners. Income, called

koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. 1 koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about . It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1000 gō. One ''gō'' is the volume of the "rice cup", the plastic measuring cup that is supplied ...

, is derived from control of territories. Players attempt to destroy their rivals in battle and seize their territories. Some interesting features include the orchestration of armies in battle, the emphasis on generals (who gain levels, much like roleplaying game characters), and the unpredictable element of ronin placement. The game uses six twelve-sided

dice Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing g ...

. The trays for units are designed to resemble Japanese fortresses, and each player receives a small katana (to display the order in which players take their turns).

Reception

''Shogun'' was awarded the Origins Award for "Best Pre-20th Century Boardgame of 1987" and "Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame of 1987". David M. Ewalt of Forbes commented on the 2011 release of Ikusa: "The game formerly known as Samurai Swords (and before that as Shogun) gets another makeover. Still the same strategy classic where players compete to rule feudal Japan, but the box, board and pieces have been updated. Not cheap, but the redesign looks great and the game’s as fun as ever." In a review of the game as ''Ikusa'' in '' Black Gate'', Scott Taylor said "Truly, it's a fantastic game, and that's the reason it's been around so long and still maintains viability. As for the newest version, I'd say it carries much the same properties as its predecessors, with beautifully updated art by Steve Argyle and Gonzalo Flores. A single knock on this version is the change from hard plastic play pieces to soft plastic, some of the bases becoming warped in packaging. Still, I'd give ''Ikusa'' four stars out of five and highly recommend picking it up for anyone who loves strategic warfare games."

Reviews

*''Backstab'' #4 *'' Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine'' v12 n8 (1988 08) *Best Games of 1988 in ''

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

'' #94https://archive.org/details/games-94-1988-novembers/page/n61/mode/2up

References

External links

*
Rules of ShogunWizards of the Coast/Avalon Hill ''Ikusa'' product page
{{Gamemaster Board games about history Board games introduced in 1986 Board wargames set in the Middle Ages Japan in non-Japanese culture Milton Bradley Company games Origins Award winners Sengoku period in fiction