Daimyo
Daimyo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game components
Daimyō (大名): 4 metal helmets to be inserted on the wooden cones, one for each color. Each player selects a clan (colors: green, red, yellow and blue) and takes the Daimyō of his selected color.
Bushi (武士): 12 wooden pieces for each of the four clans (colors: green, red, yellow and blue). Each Daimyō leads his army of Bushi, the warriors of his clan.
Rōnin (浪人): 3 white wooden pieces. The famous "Wave men" can be recruited only when playing according to the Advanced Rules.
Han (藩): 24 hexagonal fiefs which represent the battlefield. 12 neutral fiefs (white) and 3 fiefs for each clan (3 green, 3 red, 3 yellow and 3 blue).
Samegawa (鮫皮): 4 game boards, one for each clan, to store the Densho cards and 4 hexagons to store the Bushi pieces.
Densho (伝書): 48 Densho cards which represent the actions that the players may perform during the game. 12 Bushi Moves (A), 8 Bushi Recruitments (B), 4 Daimyō Moves (C), 4 New Han (D), 4 Han Moves (E), 8 Special Actions (F) and 8 Mastery cards.
The aim of the game
Regardless of the number of participants, the aim of each player is to eliminate a rival Daimyō. In the moment this occurs, the game is immediately over, and the winner is the player who has eliminated the rival Daimyō. Alternatively, the game can also be won when, at the end of a round, a player simultaneously controls at least one Han hexagon of each rival clan with a minimum total of 3 Bushi warriors.
Example:
- Game with two players: if the green player controls two red Han hexagons with 1 plus 2 of his own Bushi respectively, then the green player wins the game.
- Game with three players: if the green player controls one red Han hexagon with two Bushi and one yellow Han hexagon containing at least one of his own Bushi, then the green player has won. Otherwise, if the green player occupies both a red hexagon and a yellow hexagon with a single Bushi, he has not won, because the sum of the Bushi, which occupy the rival hexagons, do not total 3.
- Game with four players: if the green player controls a red, a yellow and a blue Han hexagon, respectively, with one of his Bushi, then the green player wins the game.
Game preparation
Selecting the clan: each player chooses a clan, composed of his Daimyō, his 12 Bushi, the Samegawa board and the 3 Han hexagons of his own color. When playing without applying the advanced rules, all the Rōnins are removed from the game.
Laying out the battlefield: the game map is constructed using the Han hexagons that represent the fiefs. The white hexagons are considered neutral territory, while the colored hexagons belong to the respective clans. Any hexagons belonging to clans that are not playing the game are removed.
- Game with two players: in the center of the table 3 neutral Han hexagons (white) are laid out to form a line, after which each player places three Han hexagons of his own clan on one side of the line so that it forms a triangle [See 3]. The 9 neutral (white) hexagons which are not used, make up the Han Reserve after the map has been laid out.
- Game for three players: in the center of the table 6 neutral Han hexagons (white) are laid out to form a triangle, after which each player places three Han hexagons of his own clan on each side of the triangle so that in turn, it forms the player's triangle [See 4]. The 6 neutral (white) hexagons which are not used, make up the Han Reserve after the map has been laid out.
- Game for four players: in the center of the table 8 neutral Han hexagons (white) are laid out to form a diamond shape, leaving a hole in the center, after which each player places three Han hexagons of his own clan on one side of the diamond so that it forms a triangle [See 5]. The 4 neutral (white) hexagons, which are not used, make up the Han Reserve after the map has been laid out.
Placing the units (attention: the term "unit" refers to one or more warriors present in the same hexagon, which can also include the Daimyō): each player places a Bushi warrior on each of his own clan Han hexagons, and the Daimyō in the Han hexagon furthest from the center of the map (in other words, the Han that forms the tip of the triangle nearest the player). The remaining 9 Bushi warriors remain in the Reserve on the player's Samegawa board.
Picking a Densho card: only the cards with player numbers equal to and less than the number of participants in the game must be used. For example in a game with three players, all the cards with the player number 4 must be removed.
Now the red Densho cards are divided, according to the 5 different categories: Bushi Move (A), Bushi Recruitment (B), Daimyō Move (C), New Han (D), Han Move (E). If the game is being played according to the advanced rules, also remove all the Special Action cards (F) colored blue, and all the Master cards colored yellow.
Dealing out the Densho cards: every single pile of Densho cards is shuffled and dealt face down to each player: 3 Bushi Moves (A), 2 Bushi Recruitments (B), 1 Daimyō Move (C), 1 New Han (D) and 1 Han Move (E). At the beginning of the game all the players have the same number of Densho cards in hand for each category, the only difference is their priority.
The Densho cards
As well as the explanatory symbol each card has a letter and a number to indicate the priority. Cards of the same category have the same letter: "A" for Bushi move cards, "B" for Bushi recruitment cards, "C" for Daimyō move cards, "D" for the new Han cards, and "E" for the Han move cards.
The priority of a card is given first of all by its letter, and then by its number. The letter which comes first in the alphabet has precedence over the following cards; if two cards have the same letter, then the card with the lowest number is allowed to play first. In other words the A1 card will always have priority over the others, while card E4 will always be the last to be played in a round. No two cards have the same priority in the game.
Beginning of the game
In Daimyō all participants start to play their round at the same time. A game round is composed of 4 stages:
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Playing the Densho cards: all players must play two of the cards in their own hand, placing them face down on the table in front of them. When all the players have placed their cards, they move on to the next stage.
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Picking a Densho card from the reserve (exception: during the first round the Densho card reserve is empty, so this stage is omitted): before the cards are turned over, each player must draw two cards from his own reserve and add them to his own hand. When all players have taken their two cards, they move on to the next stage.
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Resolving the effect of the Densho cards: all the players turn over the two cards they placed on the table during stage one. The effect of the cards will be resolved according to each priority status. Priority is given to the first letter in alphabetic order. If two cards have the same letter, priority is given to the card with the lowest number printed on the side. No two Densho cards are identical. When all the players have completed this part of the game, they move on to the following stage.
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Creating a Densho card reserve: when all the effects of the Densho cards have been resolved the players must deal the two cards played from their hand into the reserve of their opponent. The cards must be placed face down on the Samegawa board.
- Game for 2 players: each player uses both his own played cards to form his opponent's reserve.
- Game for 3 or 4 players: each player chooses and places one played card in the Reserve of the player to his left, and the other card in the reserve of the player on his right.
Effects of the Densho cards
Bushi Move (A): the player chooses a Han hexagon on which one of his own Bushi is positioned and must move at least one onto an adjacent hexagon. This move can be made with any number of Bushi as long as they are all placed on the same hexagon. If any enemy units are already present on the hexagon he has chosen, this will lead to a Combat, which must be resolved immediately (Refer to the combat section). The Daimyō cannot be moved using the Bushi Move (A) card.
Bushi Recruitment (B): the player must take a Bushi from his Reserve on his Samegawa board and add it to the Han hexagon occupied by his own Daimyō, no matter what hexagon it is positioned on at that moment. Exception: if all the player's Bushi are out in the field, this card will be considered as having the same value as a Bushi Move card, but it will maintain its "B" status priority.
Daimyō Move (C): the player must move his own Daimyō in a Han hexagon adjacent to the Han of departure. Any Bushi that are on the same Han as the Daimyō cannot be moved using this card. Since the Daimyō cannot deliberately commit suicide, he is not permitted to move onto a hexagon occupied by an enemy unit.
New Han (D): the player adds a neutral (white) Han hexagon to the battlefield, taking it from the Han reserve. The new hexagon must be placed with at least one side adjacent to an existing hexagon. Exception: if no Han hexagons are available, the player will consider this card as having the value of a Han Move card, but it will maintain its "D" status priority.
Han Move (E): the player chooses a Han hexagon without any units on it, whether it is a neutral Han or a Han belonging to any other clan, and changes its position on the battlefield with at least one side adjacent to an existing hexagon. Hexagons that divide the field into two non-communicating parts cannot be moved. Also, it is not permitted to move a Han hexagon that has just been created using a New Han card (D) or which has been already moved using a Han Move card (E) during this same round.
Combat
A battle is fought when the Bushi of one player move onto a hexagon occupied by the units belonging to a rival, caused by drawing one of the Bushi Move cards. The outcome of the battle is decided by comparing the number of Bushi of the two players facing each other in battle. The player with the lesser number of Bushi looses the battle and must remove all the warriors present in that Han hexagon.
The winner of the battle removes the same number of his own Bushi (equal to the number of his rival's eliminated Bushi), and leaves the remaining Bushi (a number equal to the difference between total and removed Bushi) to guard the fief. If both players have the same number of Bushi, all warriors are removed and the hexagon remains empty.
Once they have been removed, the warriors are put back in the reserve on the Samegawa boards of the respective players. If a Daimyō is present in one of the units involved in battle, it has the same status value as a Bushi. If the Daimyō is eliminated, the game is over.
Example: 4 red Bushi enter a Han hexagon containing 3 green Bushi. The red warriors are the attackers and the green warriors the defenders. Because of the battle effect, both players remove three units. The red player wins the battle and remains with a single Bushi on the conquered hexagon.
Advanced Rules
Each advanced rule is optional and can be included or not in the game according to the decision of the players.
Battle formation of the Daimyō: the Daimyō can be placed in any one of the three hexagons of the clan. The battle position of the Daimyō is determined by each player taking a Densho card from anywhere in the pack. After this, the position is decided according to priority status. When this operation has been completed replace all the cards in the pack.
Fortifications: the Han hexagons of the clan are considered fortified for the units of their own clan. Fortification adds a bonus of +1 during defense to the total count of the units during battle. This bonus has a value only if units of that clan are already present.
Inaccessible Clans: a Daimyō cannot enter the Han hexagon of a rival clan.
Team playing: a game with four players can be played by two teams composed of two players per team. The players sit at the table in alternating positions so that each player can place his played Densho cards in the reserves of his rivals on each side of him, as described in the basic rules. The conditions for winning do not change: the success of a single player will grant his team victory over the opponent.
Balanced game start: to create correct balance between players during the preparation of the game, change stage: "Dealing the Densho cards". All the Densho cards with a red border have a specific table (symbols for player 1 / player 2 / player 3 / player 4) that shows which player must be dealt the card according to the number of participants. In this way, instead of random dealing of the Densho cards, each player will be assigned an opening hand that is perfectly balanced with that of his opponents. When the cards have been dealt, the players should have an opening hand as follows:
2 player game:
| Player | Cards |
|---|---|
| Player 1 | A1, A4, A6, B2, B3, C2, D1, E2 |
| Player 2 | A2, A3, A5, B1, B4, C1, D2, E1 |
3 player game:
| Player | Cards |
|---|---|
| Player 1 | A1, A6, A9, B3, B5, C3, D2, E1 |
| Player 2 | A2, A4, A8, B2, B4, C2, D1, E3 |
| Player 3 | A3, A5, A7, B1, B6, C1, D3, E2 |
4 player game:
| Player | Cards |
|---|---|
| Player 1 | A1, A8, A12, B4, B6, C4, D3, E2 |
| Player 2 | A2, A7, A11, B3, B5, C1, D4, E3 |
| Player 3 | A3, A5, A10, B2, B7, C2, D1, E4 |
| Player 4 | A4, A6, A9, B1, B8, C3, D2, E1 |
Special action cards
(X) The Special Action cards, which can be recognized by their blue border, are played like all the other Densho cards. At the beginning of the game, the Special Action cards are shuffled in a separate pack. Each player draws two Special Action cards, then (without looking at them) chooses one and discards the other. The Special Action cards eliminated in this manner are removed from the game without being seen so that none of the players know which Special Action cards are actually included in the game. If it is decided to play using the Special Action cards, then the three Rōnins must also be included: these will be used when the "Rōnin recruitment" card is played. Each special action card is unique and has specific rules in order to be resolved. Two Special Action cards can be played at the same time during a player's round if he has two in his hand.
Alternative (F1): the player removes one Bushi warrior from the game from any Han hexagon, and places it in his reserve. Then he chooses an adjacent hexagon that contains enemy units and moves all the Bushi warriors from that hexagon to another adjacent Han.
Ninja Attack (F2): the player chooses an enemy Daimyō. If there are Bushi in the same hexagon, he will remove up to 2 if possible. The warriors eliminated in this manner will return to their owner's reserve.
Rōnin Recruitment (F3): the player adds the 3 Rōnin to the same hexagon as his Daimyō. If the effect of this card is resolved when there are already certain Rōnins on the battlefield, then he will add only those which are available. The Rōnins are considered like standard Bushi. At the end of the round, if the Rōnins are not sharing the same hexagon as one of the player's Bushi or Daimyō, they must be removed from the field.
Mass Recruitment (F4): the player places a new Bushi in the Han hexagon occupied by his Daimyō, and then adds a new Bushi on each of the hexagons belonging to his clan that are not occupied by enemy units, if possible. A total of four new Bushi warriors are introduced into the game.
Treachery (F5): the player chooses an enemy Bushi among those occupying a neutral hexagon adjacent to a Han hexagon occupied by one of his own Bushi warriors or his Daimyō. He places the selected warrior in its owner's reserve and places a new Bushi from his own reserve in a hexagon adjacent to that where the opponent's Bushi was removed and in which the player already has some existing units.
Strategic Retreat (F6): the player chooses up to 3 Han hexagons occupied by his unit, adjacent to hexagons occupied by enemy units. He can move all his units (Daimyō included, if present) that are on the chosen hexagons. As usual, the move can be made only onto a single hexagon at a time. The units which the player moves cannot be placed on hexagons occupied by enemy units.
Breakdown of Morale (F7): the player chooses a hexagon that is occupied by an enemy unit but where the Daimyō is not present. He removes up to 3 Bushi and places them in the owner's reserve.
Forced March (F8): the player resolves the effect of this card as he would with a Bushi Move card respecting its "F" priority status. Given its status, it will always be the last card to be resolved in a round.
Mastery cards
(M) The Mastery cards, recognizable because of their yellow borders, are different from the other Densho cards. Each one represents an expertise in which the Daimyō of the clan excels. Thanks to this power, it is possible perform a specific action with better results than that of your rival.
At the beginning of the game, the Mastery cards are shuffled in a separate pack. Each player draws two Mastery cards (without looking at them), chooses one and discards the other. The Mastery cards eliminated in this manner are removed from the game without being seen, so that none of the players are aware of the actual Mastery cards included in the game. Each player must keep his Mastery card face down until he decides to use his special power for the first time. From the moment it is used, the card will remain revealed for the rest of the game.
Kihei no Syō（騎兵の巧）- Master of Cavalry: when the effect of a Bushi Move card is resolved, the player can decide to move a single Bushi over two hexagons instead of the standard move. When a Daimyō Move card is to be resolved, it can be moved for a distance of two hexagons instead of a single Han.
Gaikō no Syō（外交の巧）- Master of Diplomacy: each time the player decides to use the effect of this Mastery card, he can sacrifice a Bushi from the game placing it in his reserve. When the effects of all the Densho cards have been resolved, but before the reserves have been created, the player can move a neutral (white) Han hexagon on the field as if he has played a Han Move card.
Bōbi no Syō（防備の巧）- Master of Fortifications: the player can add a bonus of +1 to his unit total combat count each time he is in defense. The bonus cannot be applied when his units are attacking.
Sambō no Syō（参謀の巧）- Master of Command: when a Daimyō Move card is played, the player can decide whether to also move a Bushi with the Daimyō, on condition that they are both on the same hexagon. Both must be moved to the same hexagon of destination.
Katsudō no Syō（活動の巧）- Master of Movement: when the effect of a Bushi Move card is resolved, the player can move the whole unit for two hexagons instead of the standard single Han. If the player decides to use this power he is not permitted to attack, and at the end of the move he must sacrifice one of the Bushi that has been moved.
Tyouhei no Syō（徴兵の巧）- Master of Recruitment: when the effect of a Bushi Recruitment card is resolved, the player can decide to transfer one of his units already in the game and place it directly on the hexagon of his Daimyō.
Senryaku no Syō（戦略の巧）- Master of Strategy: each time a player decides to use the effect of this Mastery card, he must sacrifice a Bushi, replacing it in his reserve. Before the Densho cards are played, he must choose a Han hexagon free of any units. Up till the end of the round no players, (including the Master of Strategy) can move a unit onto that chosen hexagon.
Heihō no Syō（兵法の巧）- Master of Tactics: the player can add a bonus of +1 to his unit combat count each time his units attack. The bonus cannot be applied when the unit is in defense.