Shogun (1986 board game)

Shogun is a strategic board wargame designed by Michael Gray and published by Milton Bradley in 1986 as part of its Gamemaster series of complex, high production value games, supporting two to five players in sessions that typically run four to six hours. The game is set in feudal Japan, where each player takes on the role of a warlord commanding daimyo generals and their armies in a struggle for territorial control and ultimately for the title of Shogun. Units include samurai, ashigaru foot soldiers, ninja assassins and mercenary ronin, with six twelve sided dice used to resolve battles, and generals gain experience and levels over the course of play in a manner reminiscent of role playing game characters, while unpredictable ronin placement adds a further tactical wrinkle. Income for building armies is drawn from controlling territory, measured in a currency called koku, and each player is given a small katana prop to track turn order along with unit trays styled after Japanese fortresses to reinforce the game's theme. The design was later re-released under the names Samurai Swords in 1995 and Ikusa in 2011, with a fortieth anniversary edition planned.