Commands & Colors
Subcategories
Rules 15
The Samurai Battles Commands & Colors game rules allow players to portray important engagements of Medieval Japanese history. The battles, included in the scenario booklet, focus on the historical deployment of forces and important terrain features in scale with the game system. The scale of the game is flexible and varies from battle to battle. For some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire clan of soldiers, while in other scenarios a unit may represent just a few brave warriors. |
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Units 17
Terrains 11
Dragon Cards 35
FAQs 15
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Expansion 1 - Ninja Attack 0
The council of war was over, and the samurai returned to their squads, ready to lead their warriors in the morning attack. Silently, a shadow drops from the ceiling beam, landing soundlessly on the floor. Bodyguards rattled their weapons on the other side of the wall… the Shogun mumbled something in his sleep. The ninja paused for a moment, wondering if he should use this opportunity to decapitate the enemy army. But he had not been given such an order. His mission for today was already complete. Besides, he could get the Shogun next time—and the morning will bring a very unpleasant surprise on the battlefield! Soundless as the stars, the ninja lept out the window, crept behind the guards, and like a cat vanished into the maple forest… With the release of the first big expansion for the unique historical military boardgame Samurai Battles, Zvezda is poised to change the nature of warfare forever! The “Shadow Warriors” may be almost useless on the battlefield, but they are indispensable as spies, assassins, and saboteurs. Of course, the ninja will not provide a decisive victory, but they can intercept the orders your foe sends to his units, neutralize key figures in his army, and spoil his plans in every possible way. Plus, they are the only unit that can climb mountains—now the enemy cannot feel safe even behind unclimbable slopes! Ninja Attack introduces new and subtle strategies to Zvezda’s game of feudal Japanese warfare. Included in the set are 18 units of highly-detailed and historically-accurate miniatures: 2 bands of ninja warriors, 8 troops of mounted archers, 6 squads of samurai archers, and 2 groups of samurai commanders (a total of 64 individual warriors!). This is the first appearance of the highly-mobile and extremely powerful mounted archers, which can move around the battlefield and lay waste to the enemy from afar. Samurai archers are a more powerful (and expensive!) version of the ashigaru archers included in the starter set. The box includes everything you need to add these new units to the game, including sashimono (unit flags), decals, and unit cards. Two scenario books are also included, featuring eight scenarios for playing Samurai Battles with the Art of Tactic (designed by Konstantin Krivenko) and eight scenarios for Commands & Colors (designed by Richard Borg). |
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Rules (GMT) 9
The Commands & Colors Samurai Battles game allows players to refight important engagements of Medieval Japanese history. The battles included in the scenario booklet focus on the historical deployment of forces and important terrain features in scale with the game system. The scale of the game is flexible and varies from battle to battle. For some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire clan of soldiers, while in other scenarios a unit may represent just a few brave warriors.
The Commands & Colors Samurai Battles game is based on the highly successful Commands & Colors game system and by design it is not overly complex. The Command cards drive movement and creates a “fog of war” and presents players with many interesting challenges and opportunities, while the battle dice resolve combat quickly and efficiently. The Honor & Fortune game mechanic will task players to maintain a balance and in a roundabout way serves to measure an army’s discipline, honor and the fortunes of war. Using Honor & Fortune tokens to play Dragon cards will also add suspense and surprise that can bend the rules and instantly change the course of a battle. The battlefield tactics you will need to execute to gain victory, however, conform remarkably well to the strengths and limitations of the various Japanese unit types, their weapons, the battle’s terrain, and written history.
Welcome and Enjoy!
Richard Borg