• 1 Commands & Colors Samurai Battles Rule Booklet
• 1 Commands & Colors Samurai Battles Scenario Booklet
• 1 Battlefield Game Board
• 4 Punchboards
• 45 Terrain Tiles (double-sided)
• 30 Honor & Fortune Tokens
• 18 Victory Banner Counters
• 60 Samurai Command Cards
• 40 Dragon Cards
• 12 Battle Dice (laser printed)
• 2 Unit Reference Sheets
• 5 Block Label sheets
• 316 Blocks - Red Blocks represent red Samurai Army units, Blue Blocks represent blue Samurai Army units, and Special Black Blocks represent Army Commanders and Bodyguards
• 220 Small blocks for foot units
• 68 Medium blocks for cavalry units
• 10 Medium rectangular blocks for foot Leaders
• 8 Large rectangular blocks for mounted Leaders
• 2 Medium rectangular blocks for Army Commanders
• 8 Small blocks for Bodyguards

Note: Some spare blocks are included.

• All foot infantry unit blocks are small blocks 16x16x8mm in size.
• All cavalry unit blocks are medium blocks 21x21x8mm in size.
• All mounted Leader (cavalry Leader) blocks are large rectangular blocks 21x26x8mm in size and are placed so the 26mm edge runs vertically.
• All foot Leader (infantry Leader) are medium rectangular blocks 16x21x8mm in size and are placed so the 21mm edge runs vertically.
• All Army Commanders are medium rectangular blocks 16x21x8mm in size and are placed so the 21mm edge runs vertically.
• All bodyguards are small blocks 16x16x8mm in size.

Battlefield Game Board

The battlefield game board (hereafter referred to as the battlefield) is a hex grid, 12 hexes wide by 11 hexes deep. The battlefield is divided into three sections by two dotted lines, giving each player a left flank section, a center section and a right flank section.
Where the dotted line cuts through a hex, the hex is considered to be part of both the flank section and the center section.

Note: Left Flank Section, Center Section and Right Flank Section will often simply be denoted as Section or Sections in these rules.

Terrain Tiles

These tiles represent a wide range of terrain features and are placed on the map board to recreate the historical battlefield for each scenario, see Terrain rules section.

Honor & Fortune Tokens

In terms of game play, Honor & Fortune tokens are a measurement of the strength and staying power of a player’s army. These tokens will also act as the currency that fuels the play of Dragon cards.

Victory Banner Counters

The Victory Banner counters will track a player’s quest for victory.
When the last block of an enemy unit or enemy Leader block is eliminated, you will gain 1 Victory Banner.
When a player’s unit occupies an enemy’s command tent hex at the start of the turn, the enemy command tent hex is removed from the battlefield. A command tent when removed is worth 3 Victory Banners. Victory Banners are also gained when completing a scenario specific victory objective.

Command Cards

Command cards are used to order a player’s troops to move, battle or do something special. Units may only move or battle when given an order. For a description of all command cards, see Command Card rules section.

Dragon Cards

These cards represent powerful, mythical and sometimes unexplainable happenings in a battle.
Dragon cards may hinder the opposition army, enhance a player’s unit or may instantly change the course of a battle. For additional Dragon card details, see Dragon Card rules section.

Battle Dice

The battle dice are used to resolve combat and for other game functions.
The Samurai core game includes 12 custom dice with 1 of the following 6 images laserprinted on each die face; Green Circle, Blue Triangle, Red Square, Flag, Honor & Fortune Symbol, Crossed Swords.

Reference Sheets

The Unit Reference Sheet summarizes the characteristics of the units and leaders.

• Unit (Artwork, type, symbol, letter code, and number of blocks)
• Movement in hexes
• Fire Range in hexes
• Ranged Combat Dice
• Close Combat Dice
• Close Combat may ignore
• Retreat details and honor loss details
• notes

Units, Leaders & Blocks

Each unit is composed of a number of blocks. Blocks grouped together on a hex form a unit.

Foot Units

Infantry unit blocks show two soldier figures and in the core game all foot units are composed of 4 of these small blocks.

• Samurai Infantry Spearmen (Yari)
• Samurai Infantry Bowmen (Yumi)
• Ashigaru Infantry Spearmen (Yari)
• Ashigaru Infantry Bowmen (Yumi)
• Ashigaru Infantry Arquebusiers (Teppo)
• Levies Irregular Infantry (Peasants)

Mounted Units

Cavalry unit blocks show a single mounted figure and are composed of 4 medium size blocks.

• Samurai Cavalry Spearmen (Yari)
• Samurai Cavalry Bowmen (Yumi)

Leaders

A Leader is not a unit.

• A mounted (cavalry) Leader block shows a single mounted Leader figure and is represented by 1 large size rectangular block.
• A foot (infantry) Leader block shows a single foot Leader figure and is represented by 1 medium size rectangular block.
• An Army Commander block shows a commander figure and is represented by 1 medium size rectangular block.
• An Army Commander’s bodyguard unit is a special 4 small block unit that is deployed along with an Army Commander’s block and his command tent terrain hex.

Unit Symbols

To help further identify a unit, each block label in a unit block has a colored symbol. The colored symbol on a block (green circle, blue triangle, red square, or crossed swords) offers a visual clue as to the type of the unit and help define the unit’s rank and armor.

• Green circle symbol: Ashigaru Infantry Bowmen, Ashigaru Infantry Arquebusiers, Levy Irregular Infantry
• Blue triangle symbol: Ashigaru Infantry Spearmen
• Red square symbol: Samurai Spearmen Cavalry, Samurai Bowmen Cavalry, Samurai Infantry Spearmen, Samurai Infantry Bowmen
• Crossed sword symbol: Army Commander’s Bodyguard

Leader Symbols

Leader blocks have Leader symbols.

• Foot leaders have white circles
• Cavalry leaders have white stars
• Army Commanders have white diamonds

Applying the Stickers from the Label Sheets

Apply appropriate unit stickers to the front and back of the blocks for each unit. Place the red Samurai army unit labels on the red blocks and blue Samurai army unit labels on the blue blocks. We suggest separating the blocks by color, then sort the blocks by size. Start with the red army units. Pull out 20 small red blocks. Find the red army Samurai infantry spearmen stickers on sheets 3 and 4 of 5. Peel and place a sticker on the front and back of the 20 small red blocks. When you finish, move on to the red army Samurai infantry bowmen units. Pull out 12 small red blocks. Find the red Samurai infantry bowmen stickers on sheets 3 and 4 of 5. Peel and place stickers on the front and back of the 12 small red blocks. When you finish, move on to the red army Ashigaru Infantry Spearmen units that need 32 small blocks. Keep going in this fashion until all the red Samurai army units are completed. Then move on to the blue Samurai army units and blue blocks.
It will take a little time, but it will be worth the effort!

A few extra blocks and stickers are supplied as spares.

Note: an Army Commander and bodyguard stickers are placed on special black blocks.