The goal of this review is to help the reader decide whether or not this is a game they may want to purchase. I’ll discuss components, gameplay, rules, criticisms and finally offer my opinion of the game. If you are just interested in a quick wrap up, you can skip down to the bottom where I give a conclusion of Shogun.
Shogun and I…
Acquiring Shogun for me was like a game in and of itself. Boardgaming as a hobby started for me about two years ago and like most, began with settlers than onto puerto rico later power grid and the like. I still enjoy a lot of the games that got me here, but I’ve been thirsting for a game that’s a bit more confrontational and maybe one that is overall just a little less friendly than trading beans. After reading about Wallenstein, this seemed like the perfect the blend of a good Eurogame with some direct conflict. At the time of my discovering Wallenstein, I read about the about the re-themed and future reprinting of what is now Shogun. That was about this time last year(jan 06), much like the real game I planned my actions and orders each season to no avail. Essen came and went…nothing, I left some extra room in my bag when I went to bgg.con…got to play it at the con but still no luck acquiring it, I thought for sure I’ll have it in time for Christmas…but no luck. I finally received my copy about a week ago. However I must say that even given my high expectations this game has not disappointed and seems to have really scratched me right where I itch.
Big Beautiful Box
Simply put, the majority of the components are stellar. The game box is HUGE, it’s the largest box of any game I own, certainly deeper than Battlelore. The artwork on the box is topnotch, I’m sure you’ve seen photos on the geek, but they really don’t do it justice until you see it in person. 504
The game board is also very well done, the color choices could have been a little better as sometimes it’s difficult to denote the different regions but overall it’s one of the nicest boards I’ve seen. It’s also worth noting, that the game board is two sided, the maps are similar but this clearly adds to the replayability and is a nice touch for what could be considered a reprint. The colored cubes are just that…colored cubes not much to say there. The regions on map are all represented with cards, and there are cards to denote the different actions as well as the seasons and while they are small, the size totally works with the game, each territory card contains the attributes for the amount of tax/rice/buildings that are available in this region . The game also includes 5 player boards, think Puerto Rico or Princes of Florence.
These player boards are two sided, one side is used for the initial setup/placement of armies and the second side is used to decide your actions for each turn of the game. You’ll notice on some photos that they appear to bow, my copy along with the other 2 I’ve seen all seem to have this, but it’s really not a problem nor does it affect gamplay, but it’s worth noting.
Lastly, of course is the famous cube tower. It comes in three pieces, with the main body preassembled and you only need to attach the body to the clear bottom tray and put the clear funnel top on. It’s awesome. Once you start dropping cubes into the tower you’ll want to use this for all your games. I’ve heard some different comments about the tower being too sensitive but in the few games I’ve played, this has not been an issue, the only time cubes fell out was when there was a battle being decided. What can I say, I love the cube tower and it’s always a draw when you break it out.
How do you play? (How much time you got ?)
You’ll understand how the basics of how to play Shogun after one turn, assuming you had a decent explanation. Check in with <PERSON> PR person to see if he’ll be touring your town soon for an explanation by the master…
Ok here we go… Wallenstein fans, feel free to skip ahead, I’m not going to speak to the differences between the two games, as I’ve never played Wallenstein.
The gameboard is made up of 5 regions and each region has 9 provinces.
The object of the game is to score victory points, the game is played over 2 years(no no, game time) and 4 seasons or phases. Scoring comes after first and second years. 336