Sekigahara: Unification Of Japan: 3rd Ed

Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan The battle of Sekigahara, fought in 1600 at a crossroads in Japan, unified that nation under the Tokugawa family for more than 250 years. Sekigahara allows you to re-contest that war as Ishida Mitsunari, defender of a child heir, or Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's most powerful daimyo (feudal lord). The campaign lasted only 7 weeks, during which each side improvised an army and a strategy with what forces their allies could provide. Each leader harbored deep doubts as to the loyalty of his units—for good reason. Several daimyo refused to fight; some even turned sides in the midst of battle. To conquer Japan you must do more than field an army—you must be sure it will follow you into combat. Cultivate the loyalty of your allies and deploy them only when you are confident of their allegiance. Win a battle by gaining a defection from the ranks of your opponent. From the designer (Matthew Calkins): "[Sekigahara] plays like poker sometimes. You know how strong you’ll be in a hypothetical battle, and your opponent knows how strong he/she will be, so you read each others’ actions to gauge whether you want to initiate it. Time scale: 2 weeks per turn Players: 2 Playtime: 3 hours Product Part Number: 1101

• Sekigahara is a 3-hour block game based on the Japanese campaign waged in 1600. The 7-week war elevated Tokugawa Ieyasu to Shogun and unified Japan for 265 years.
• Sekigahara is designed to offer an historically authentic experience within an intuitive game mechanic that can be played in one sitting. Great effort has been taken to preserve a clean game mechanism. (Despite a healthy amount of historical detail, the ruleset is a brief 6 pages.)
• No dice are used; combat is decided with cards. The combination of army and motivation produces impact on the battlefield - armies without matching cards don't fight. Battles resolve quickly, but with suspense, tactical participation, and a wide range of possible outcomes.
• The initial setup is variable, so the situation is always fresh. Concealed information (blocks and cards) lends additional uncertainty. In this way the game feels like the actual campaign.
• From the designer (Matthew Calkins): "[Sekigahara] plays like poker sometimes. You know how strong you’ll be in a hypothetical battle, and your opponent knows how strong he/she will be, so you read each others’ actions to gauge whether you want to initiate it.