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<rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title>Fantasy Flight Games</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/</link><description>Leading publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games.</description><atom:link href="https://drafts.fantasyflightgames.com/en/rss/" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en</language><copyright>2016 Asmodee North America</copyright><lastBuildDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:29:36 -0000</lastBuildDate><item><title>Conflict and Bloodshed</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/12/7/conflict-and-bloodshed/</link><description>
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            Published 7 December 2017
          
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        &lt;span class="meta-productline"&gt;&lt;a href="/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
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          &lt;h1&gt;Conflict and Bloodshed&lt;/h1&gt;
        
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          &lt;p&gt;Battle for Rokugan Is Now Available&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;The Emerald Empire is filled with strife as the seven honorable clans clash and battle to become the dominant force of the realm. Each clan has selected a trusted daimyō to formulate their military strategies and lead their forces to victory. Now, your fight for honor and glory begins: &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; is on sale now at your local retailer and &lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/products/battle-rokugan/"&gt;online through our website&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h2&gt;The Forces Gather&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;, two to five players become the Rokugani daimyō who fight for control of the Emerald Empire in the name of their clan. Over the course of five rounds, these daimyō must gather resources, formulate military strategies, and battle with rival clans. Starting at the beginning of the game, you and those destined to become your rivals each pledge your swords to one of the seven honorable clans, claiming that clan's special ability, daimyō screen, and combat and control tokens.&lt;/p&gt;

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Once you've gained the boons of your chosen clan, you'll draw a secret objective card and begin to lay claim to the bountiful land of the Emerald Empire by placing control tokens in unclaimed provinces. Each of these areas provides you with different amounts of honor—which in &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan &lt;/em&gt;is the ultimate measure of a true leader. When the conflicts and bloodshed are over, the most honorable daimyō shall win the day, proving that their clan is the worthiest of the Emperor’s favor and best equipped to guide Rokugan into a new age of peace and prosperity.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;The Conflict Commences&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Each round of &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; consists of three phases: upkeep, placement, and resolution. During the upkeep phase, you determine the first player for the round by drawing from the initiative deck. Next, you draw a secret hand of six combat tokens that will provide your resources for the duration of the round. With these combat tokens, you will strengthen the defenses of your provinces, seek diplomatic resolutions or divine intervention, bluff your rivals, assemble your military forces, and prepare raiding parties. This is also the time when you can use the powers of territories already under your control by playing territory cards: powerful abilities that you receive as a reward for controlling all of the provinces within a territory.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;From left to right: Blessing, Diplomacy, Army, Navy, Raid, Shinobi, Bluff.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once all the daimyō have taken stock of their resources, you lay your battle plans during the placement phase. Here, you'll distribute your forces by placing combat tokens on the map. For an in-depth look at the different combat tokens at your disposal and their effects, you can view our previous article &lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/8/lay-your-battle-plan/"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. During this phase, reading your enemies' intentions is key. As all combat tokens are placed facedown, there is no certain way of knowing whether your rival is sending an army to your province (and if so, how strong it is), or whether they are bluffing. Truly wise daimyō must be able to divide truth from fiction.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;All truths come to light when the combat tokens are revealed during the resolution phase. To resolve a battle, the invading daimyō weighs the strength of their armies against those of the defender, who may bolster their defenses with bonuses from their control tokens. You can find a closer look at these confrontations, including battle examples, in our resolution phase preview &lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/15/an-honorable-fight/"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. Once strengths have been totaled, the strongest clan wins the conflict and comes one step closer to victory.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;em&gt;Phoenix and Scorpion attack Dragon's province, which Dragon defends. With the strongest total force, Scopion wins the battle.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;The Dust Settles&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When the resolution phase ends, the victorious daimyō claim the spoils of war. If you control all of the provinces within a territory, you'll gain the territory card for that region, offering an edge that you may use during the next round. Alternatively, should you fail your clan and lose all provinces under your control, you'll become a wandering ronin. In this event, the only way to regain your land and honor is to strike anywhere you see an opportunity. Ronin can place combat tokens on any border during the placement phase until they have reclaimed a province to act as the base of their clan.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Unicorn is ronin and may attack any border, in this case targeting Scorpion and Crab.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;After all the bloodshed and shifting areas of control, the daimyō must reach a peace and declare a winner at the end of five rounds. At this time, the player who has earned the most honor by conquering provinces and territories and completing their secret objective will earn the favor of the Emperor and be granted supremacy over the Emerald Empire in the name of their clan. Only one daimyō will conquer Rokugan and lead their clan to glory. Gather your wits and employ all your cunning to ensure that that leader is you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;The Victor Rises&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Fight for the honor of your clan. The land is yours to claim. Take control of the Emerald Empire and win the &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pick up&lt;/em&gt; Battle for Rokugan &lt;em&gt;(L5B01) at your local retailer or on the &lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/products/battle-rokugan/"&gt;Fantasy Flight Games website&lt;/a&gt; today!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

    
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&lt;/div&gt;</description><guid>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/12/7/conflict-and-bloodshed/</guid></item><item><title>Pride Before the Fall</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/12/1/pride-before-the-fall/</link><description>
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            Published 1 December 2017
          
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        &lt;span class="meta-productline"&gt;&lt;a href="/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
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          &lt;h1&gt;Pride Before the Fall&lt;/h1&gt;
        
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          &lt;p&gt;Shadowlands and Ronin in Battle for Rokugan&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;In the early days of the Emerald Empire, the Rokugani daimyō battle for control of the realm and the honor of their clans. The responsibility placed upon these individuals is overwhelming. Some may falter in their duty and lose their hold on the realm, failing their clan, while others feel the pull of the dark Shadowlands and the powers they promise. If a daimyō gives in to the temptation, they may destroy their honor… but they may also lead their clan to victory.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We've already explored the heart of the game with our previews of control tokens and an example of gameplay. Now, as you prepare to launch your conquest of the Emerald Empire, we offer a closer look at what it means to fight without honor in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h2&gt;Command the Shadowlands&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; is a turn-based strategy game played over the course of five rounds in which two to five Rokugani daimyō must form their strategies, distribute their forces, and battle for control of the provinces that make up the Emerald Empire. By bluffing, using diplomacy, and placing combat tokens, the daimyō expand their Clans’ territory and move closer to victory. With each province they conquer, the daimyō earn honor for their Clan, and if they take over an entire territory, they further bolster their strength. In the end, the most honorable daimyō will win the day, but temptation and the fear of failure are ever-present.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To the south of Rokugan lie the blighted Shadowlands, a dark realm under the sway of Fu Leng and the corrupted armies from the realm of Jigoku. The only safeguard between the Shadowlands and Rokugan is the mighty Kaiu Wall and its builders and defenders, the Crab Clan. Should the Wall ever fall, goblins, ogres, undead, and legendary demons known as oni would spill forth from the Shadowlands to destroy civilization. Yet the call of these dark lands is undeniable.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;The Shadowlands are divided into two single-province territories, each of which has its own territory card and defense bonus. These cards grant dark, powerful abilities to the daimyō who use them, but they require sacrifice. No matter the benefits, surrendering to temptation does not reflect well on your virtue—and you will never gain honor for controlling Shadowland territories or for having faceup control tokens in either Shadowlands province.&lt;/p&gt;

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If you control a province within the Shadowlands, you take the appropriate territory card as normal. However, unlike other areas of the Emerald Empire, these territory cards are not played during the upkeep phase. Rather, they are played at the start of the controlling player’s turn during the placement phase. If you take over the northern area of the Shadowlands, which are more heavily surrounded by the Crab Clan’s territory, you may choose to 

  
    
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 and add them to your forces. By using this ability, you can remove one of your control tokens from a non-Shadowlands province and reaplace it with a combat token from your discard pile. Then, after using this ability, you place a combat token from your hand as usual.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, if you claim the area further south, where the clans of Rokugan have little power to stop you, you may murder as you please, keeping only the strongest warriors within your ranks. If you 

  
    
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 you will not place a combat token during your turn. Instead, you discard one combat token from your hand. You may then choose two combat tokens on the board to reveal and discard. With the powers of darkness at your call, not even the strongest clan can stand against you. But will brute force be enough to win the day?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Wandering Ronin&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A loss of honor may occur if you willingly sacrifice it for power, but it can also happen if you fail those who have placed their faith in you. As a Rokugani daimyō, your mission is to defend your people and conquer the realm in the name of your clan. If you fail—if you lose your hold on Emerald Empire—you and the warriors under your command become ronin.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;, to become ronin means that you do not have any control tokens on the board at the start of the upkeep phase. You have lost all the provinces in your care, and are therefore left with no choice but to fight for any area you may hope to conquer. During the placement phase, you may place your army tokens on any land border as you struggle to regain your territory and your honor. However, as ronin have no territories and no influence, you are unable to place raid or diplomacy tokens until you can regain control of a province.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;In the example shown above, the Unicorn clan’s warriors are ronin. During the placement phase, they can place their tokens on any border. In this case they are preparing to attack provinces controlled by the Scorpion and Crab Clans. If either Scorpion or Crab leave their provinces undefended, or if they place military units that are overpowered when the combat tokens are revealed, the Unicorn will gain control of the area and no longer be ronin. They are restored to the heat of conflict between the clans, but whether they are able to bring victory to their clan remains in the hands of fate.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Restore Your Glory&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Will you fall into darkness and sacrifice your honor for power? Should you fail your clan, will you be able to fight your way back from the jaws of defeat? What are you willing to lose in order to win the &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pre-order &lt;/em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;em&gt; (L5B01) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website &lt;a href="https://account.asmodee.net/main/v2/oauth/authorize?nonce=MOHJmJjmEmj3vxxe&amp;amp;state=xNsPRArOHp7rODUd&amp;amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.fantasyflightgames.com%2Fuua%2Fcallback%2F&amp;amp;response_type=code&amp;amp;client_i"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

    
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&lt;/div&gt;</description><guid>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/12/1/pride-before-the-fall/</guid></item><item><title>An Honorable Fight</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/15/an-honorable-fight/</link><description>
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            Published 15 November 2017
          
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        &lt;span class="meta-productline"&gt;&lt;a href="/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
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          &lt;h1&gt;An Honorable Fight&lt;/h1&gt;
        
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          &lt;p&gt;The Resolution Phase of Battle for Rokugan&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;Rokugan is a land of beauty and strife. In the early days of the Emerald Empire, the seven Great Clans struggle for control of the realm. Each clan places their trust in the daimyō who formulates military strategies and leads their armies into battle. In our last preview, we examined how the honorable daimyō lay their battle plans during the Placement phase. Today, we progress to the clashes and conflicts that follow with a preview of the Resolution Phase in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h2&gt;Avoid the Slaughter&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; is a game of conquest and mayhem played over the course of five rounds. The game turns two to five players into Rokugani daimyō fighting for control of the provinces and territories of the Emerald Empire, with the ultimate goal of bringing honor and glory to their clan. To accomplish this task, you must balance your forces and use any advantages your territories lend you, then distribute those forces, trying to read your enemies’ intentions and weighing the risk and reward of each move. Finally, you'll settle disputes through diplomacy or battle as you deem fit.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;These battles take place in the last phase of each round, the Resolution Phase, which is the focus of our preview today. During the Resolution Phase, the daimyō resolve the combat tokens that they just placed facedown on the map. (For more details about each token’s effects and how to lay your battle plans, you can take a closer look at the Placement Phase &lt;u&gt;here&lt;/u&gt;.) Once a token is resolved, it is added faceup to its clan’s discard pile.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;From left to right, the combat tokens are: Blessing, Diplomacy, Army, Navy, Raid, Shinobi, and Bluff.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;As the first step of the Resolution Phase, players flip all of their combat tokens faceup and discard any bluff tokens or those that have been illegally placed. From here, the remaining combat tokens begin to take effect, beginning with Raid tokens. If you execute a raid in a province, all control and combat tokens within its borders are discarded, leaving only a Scorched Earth token behind. No one can lay claim to that province or its honor thereafter.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;After slashing and burning, diplomacy has its time. To resolve a Diplomacy token, the daimyō collectively discard all combat tokens that share a province or border with the Diplomacy token's province. A Peace token is then placed within the diplomatic province, and going forward, a peaceful province cannot be attacked, nor can the controlling daimyō launch attacks from it.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;The Battles Commence&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;After desperation and diplomacy, the daimyō resolve all of the battles across Rokugan. One of these legendary battles will occur whenever a clan’s combat token is either in a province or on the border of a province that that clan does not control. There can even be multiple attackers attempting to take control of a single province in any battle, as the Great Clans clash over particularly desirable land. To resolve a battle, the daimyō calculate their total strengths; the attackers add the combat strengths of their own attacking combat tokens, while the defender adds any defending combat tokens and any defense bonuses within the province. The daimyō with the highest total wins the battle.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;In the example shown above, the Phoenix clan has attacked the Dragon province from two of their bordering provinces, each with an army that has a strength of one. The Scorpion clan has also attacked the Dragon clan’s province with an army that has a strength of three. The Dragon clan defends their province with an army that has a strength of one.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Each clan calculates and compares its total strength; Phoenix with two strength, Dragon with one strength, and Scorpion with three strength. The Scorpion Clan has the highest strength here, and takes immediate control of the province. All three of the clans remove their combat tokens and the Scorpion player places a control tokens facedown within the province.&lt;/p&gt;

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However, if a province is defended successfully—say, if the Dragon clan had defended with an army that has a strength of four—your clan is inspired to greater heights. After successfully defending, the defender places one of their control tokens faceup in the province, provides a defensive bonus to fortify the province against future attacks. You can also solidify your control over a province if you use an army, navy, or shinobi token to defend a province that is not attacked this round.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Emerge Victorious&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;After all the battles have concluded for the round, a daimyō who has established control over all of the provinces within a territory claims the territory cards for that area. If your strategy is sound enough to claim a territory card, you may play it during the next round. These territory cards offer unique abilities that can lend you an undeniable edge in &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;. For example, one of Unicorn’s territory cards, 

  
    
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 lets you choose two army tokens in your discard pile and return them to your hand. Then, you must choose two combat tokens in your hand and either discard them or return them to your pool. In a game of where you must attempt to lay battle plans without knowing your opponent's resources, the ability to tailor your combat tokens and claim armies on demand can prove invaluable in the fight for the Emerald Empire.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Even if you do not claim an entire territory during the Resolution Phase, you'll win honor for your clan with each province you control, indicated by the number of flowers that appear within the province on the map. Claiming this honor from your province is your main objective in the game. When the clashes have been fought and the dust has settled, the most honorable daimyō will be the only player to claim victory for their clan. After honor is received, the round advances, and the &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan &lt;/em&gt;continues!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Stiffen the Sinews&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Take to the battlefield. Fight for honor, glory, and the future of your clan!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pre-order &lt;/em&gt;Battle for Rokugan &lt;em&gt;(L5B01) at your local retailer today or &lt;a href="https://shop.fantasyflightgames.com/preorders/create/L5B01/"&gt;on the Fantasy Flight Games website&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

    
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&lt;/div&gt;</description><guid>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/15/an-honorable-fight/</guid></item><item><title>Lay Your Battle Plan</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/8/lay-your-battle-plan/</link><description>
&lt;div class="blog-detail"&gt;
  
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    &lt;div class="blog-head"&gt;
        
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        &lt;span class="meta-date float-left"&gt;
          
            Published 8 November 2017
          
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        &lt;span class="meta-productline"&gt;&lt;a href="/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
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          &lt;h1&gt;Lay Your Battle Plan&lt;/h1&gt;
        
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          &lt;p&gt;The Placement Phase of Battle for Rokugan&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Over the centuries-long history of the Emerald Empire, the seven Great Clans have been in constant conflict. The Rokugani daimyō lead the armies of their clans on the battlefield as they compete for control of new territories and earn honor and glory for their clan. Soon, you'll be able to take your place among those warring clans and beging your own struggle for dominance, so today, we're starting our series of previews with a more detailed look at how to build your strategy in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h2&gt;Gather Your Forces&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; is played over the course of five rounds, each consisting of three phases: upkeep, placement, and resolution. At the end of five rounds, the daimyō agree that enough Rokugani blood has been shed and the most honorable clan who controls either the most territories or the most valuable provinces will be named the victor.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;At the beginning of each round, during the upkeep phase, you and your fellow daimyō will take stock of your resources before you take to the battlefields. In turn, each player will draw six combat tokens from their personal pool of tokens and examine them to formulate their battle strategies. There are seven different types of combat tokens that you may integrate into your strategy and send out during the placement phase, but there's no guarantee that you'll see every type of combat token each round.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;From left to right: Blessing, Diplomacy, Army, Navy, Raid, Shinobi, Bluff&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once you and your fellow daimyō have drawn your combat tokens, you'll lay your strategies into action during the placement phase. This is the phase in which you must make your decisions regarding which provinces to defend and where to attack. Beginning with first player and proceeding clockwise, each daimyō places one combat token from their hand facedown on the map until each has placed five tokens, leaving one behind. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The placement phase of the game is your chance to demonstate your tactical acumen and outwit your opponents. As you try to read your enemies' intentions and develop an effective master plan, you must choose carefully how to use the combat tokens that you drew at the beginning of the round. Your pool could be filled with military units, methods of nonviolent confrontation, and desperate efforts to be used when no other options remain. Because all combat tokens are placed facedown on the board, only you know the true power of each token that you place… but this also leaves you to wonder about the might of your enemies. &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; invites you to engage in a tactical game of cat-and-mouse, reading your enemies’ intentions and weighing the risks and rewards of each move. If you succeed, you can ensure the survival of your people and bring glory to yourself and those who have placed their trust in you. If you fail, your clan could fade into obscurity or be wiped from the map entirely.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;A Direct Assault&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When formulating a plan of attack, &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; provides you with several options through the combat tokens that you draw. Armies are the most common token that you will use to attack enemy provinces and defend your own holdings. To attack, a player can place an army token on a border that divides one of your provinces from one you wish to attack. If, however, you are a daimyō on the defensive, you could place an army token in any province you control. For example, below, the Unicorn Clan has placed a combat token on their shared land border to attack the Crab Clan. In response, Crab Clan has placed a combat token within their own province to defend it. As both tokens remain facedown until the Resolution phase, neither side knows how powerful their enemy's military—or even if the combat token is truly an attack—until battle is joined.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;In the same example, the Crab Clan's province is on a coastal border and must also fear if the Unicorn or another clan have a Navy combat token. Navies allow you to attack distant shores beyond the reach of land armies. No man rules the sea, and to attack, you can place a navy token on any coastal border. Similarly, you can defend your coasts by playing your own Navy tokens facedown in a costal province. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sometimes, a direct attack will prove ineffective against a powerful rival. In this case, you may call upon the rare and secretive shinobi to launch surprise attacks in any province. The shinobi strike over great distances, and can be called upon to either defend or attack by placing a shinobi token in the center of any province. Shinobi deployed to one of your own provinces are used to defend your claim—but they can also be placed in any other province, potentially attacking and striking far behind enemy lines.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;A Dragon Clan shinobi strikes behind enemy lines in a Crab Clan province!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Even the greatest armies or navies can benefit from the blessings of the kami. Occasionally, a clan daimyō’s strategic plan requires additional guidance from the kami in the form of a blessing combat token. Unlike other combat tokens, you may place a blessing token faceup on top of any of your facedown army, navy, or shinobi combat tokens. If you bestow a blessing on your attacking or defending forces, they cannot be targeted by card effects or clan abilities—and what's more, the strength of the blessing is added to the strength of your attack or defense!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Covert Tactics&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Regrettably, at some times, the odds may not fall in your favor and you may not have drawn the necessary combat tokens to execute an effective attack. In these instances, the best strategy can be deception. The bluff token allows a daimyō to make a feint in the hopes of drawing out the enemy. To bluff, you can place this token as if it were any other combat token (except a blessing). Placing a bluff token can also give you the opportunity to save a more valuable combat token for a later round, as over the course of the placement phase you will use five of the six tokens that you drew at the beginning of the round. By saving your most powerful combat tokens for future rounds, your enemies may believe that you're falling behind, but in truth you are simply lying in wait.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;War is inevitable in &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;, but there are alternatives to fighting that still give further your goals. When peace is desired, a diplomatic approach is best. The diplomacy token bestows a permanent peace token on a province—by placing your diplomacy token in one of your provinces, you protect it against all current and future attacks. This peace goes both ways, however. You cannot attack adjacent provinces from one of your provinces with a peace token.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Dragon Clan executes a raid in a Unicorn province, causing them to lose their control and combat tokens.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Finally, as a last resort, a daimyō may choose to destroy a province rather than allow it to fall into enemy hands. You can execute a raid on a province that you don't control, so long as your target is next to a province under your control or in a province with one of your shinobi tokens. Successfully raiding a province strips it of all combat and control tokens, and permanently places a scorched earth token in that province, keeping that province from being controlled or attacked for the remainder of the game. Raiding a province in this way means that you lose the potential to obtain any honor the province would provide, but you also ensure that no one else can claim it either.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once you and your rivals have placed your combat tokens for the round, the resolution phase commences, where all truths are revealed and the bloodshed begins. Have you read your opponents accurately? Will you be able to expand your territory or defend the provinces under your control? Will you earn the kami’s favor or will you be forced to turn to darkness in order to earn the victory you crave? Only time will tell.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Execute Your Strategy&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Prepare your forces for battle. Conquer the Emerald Empire, bring honor to your clan, and win the &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pre-order &lt;/em&gt;Battle for Rokugan &lt;em&gt;(L5B01) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website &lt;a href="https://account.asmodee.net/main/v2/oauth/authorize?nonce=J7FyXZBZjxs937Xl&amp;amp;state=rkox5SpCC2d0LD8W&amp;amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.fantasyflightgames.com%2Fuua%2Fcallback%2F&amp;amp;response_type=code&amp;amp;client_i"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

    
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&lt;/div&gt;</description><guid>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/8/lay-your-battle-plan/</guid></item><item><title>Battle for Rokugan</title><link>https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/8/30/battle-for-rokugan/</link><description>
&lt;div class="blog-detail"&gt;
  
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            Published 30 August 2017
          
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          &lt;h1&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/h1&gt;
        
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          &lt;p&gt;Announcing a New Game of Conquest and Mayhem&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="flavortext"&gt;&lt;em&gt;The wind whipped across the banners that formed a row of color stretching the length of the field. The line represented the full measure of her province’s strength. Would it be enough to hold the castle?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;It would have to be. Her honor depended on it.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Rokugan is a land filled with spirits, beauty, and strife. Seven great clans inhabit this diverse realm, ever loyal to the Emperor, but ever fighting for dominance among themselves. As they battle for supremacy, the daimyōs who lead their people must use all their cunning and skill to gather information, anticipate their opponent’s actions, and lay battle plans that will lead them to victory. Only one can prove themselves worthy enough to become the true voice of this land and usher Rokugan into an age of prosperity. Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/battle-for-rokugan/"&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, a new strategic board game based in the &lt;em&gt;Legend of the Five Rings&lt;/em&gt; universe!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h2&gt;Make Your Claim&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; puts two to five players in the roles of Rokugani daimyō fighting for territory in the early days of the Emerald Empire. The beautifully illustrated game board transports players to this new world that is ripe for the taking. The land of Rokugan is divided into territories that belong to each of the seven honorable clans: Crab, Crane, Dragon, Phoenix, Lion, Scorpion, and Unicorn, that have been battling for dominance since their foundation by the Kami.  Past the safety of these provinces' walls lay several unclaimed territories, including the mysterious Shadowlands that beckon to those who desire power no matter the cost. The players' ultimate goal is to conquer as many of Rokugan's provinces as possible to gain honor for their clan and prove that their people are truly superior, and the only clan fit to guide the Empire.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Each territory contains provinces that serve as battlegrounds for the daimyō. With each province claimed in the name of their clan, the daimyō gain honor that will be weighed against that of their rivals at the end of five rounds of play. Should these leaders claim all the provinces within a territory, they also gain special abilities that can be used to either bolster their clan’s strength or sabotage their enemies' plans. By taking control of these territories, the clan leaders of Rokugan hope to prove their clan's superiority and bring the Emperor's favor to their people.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;Before the battle begins, players pledge their sword to one of the great clans and gain its special ability, daimyō screen, and control tokens. One of these tokens is placed on the clan’s capital, located in the heart of their province. From here, the daimyō begin their struggle to spread their clan’s influence by placing control tokens in the center of any unclaimed province. Among these are the forbidden Shadowlands—single-province territories with a significant defense bonus. Both the north and south provinces of the Shadowlands have two powerful territory cards, despite only containing a lone province. However, taking these dark territories comes at a high cost for a daimyō. While the power they offer is formidable, their use does not garner favor with the Emperor, providing players with no honor. It is up the daimyō to decide whether the dark power these lands provide is worth the price of their morality.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;The Battle Begins&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; is played over a series of five rounds, each consisting of three phases: upkeep, placement, and resolution. At the beginning of the upkeep phase, the daimyō determine the first player through the initiative deck and draw combat tokens. Each daimyō has a secret hand of six tokens that may be used to bolster defenses, seek peace or a divine blessing, bluff, initiate military attacks, or raid a province and leave nothing but ash. Once their forces have been gathered, each daimyō may use any territory cards that might aide their pursuit of power and begin to form their battle plans.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;During the placement phase, the clan leaders of Rokugan seek to expand their territory by placing combat tokens. The daimyō must balance their resources to fortify their defenses, attack neighboring clans, and engage in diplomacy. A rash strategy that focuses solely on one aspect, such as pursuing military conquest while leaving one’s province undefended, might grant you some early, and important victories, but can just as easily lead a clan to ruin. The placement phase is also when the daimyō may utilize scouts and shugenja to gather information on their opponents’ battle plans. After the clans have prepared and battle plans have been set, the resolution phase begins.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When the resolution phase commences, players reveal their combat tokens, returning bluff tokens to their daimyō, and resolve their conflicts. First, the clans send out their raiding parties to destroy any province they wish to prevent their enemies from gaining. Next, the daimyō attempt to settle claims through the use of diplomacy. Finally, if no other course of action remains, the clans will engage in battle. Each time a province is successfully defended, the defender places one of their clan tokens in that province to further defend it from future attacks. However, if the daimyō’s defenses fail, they cease to rule the province and control passes to the attacking clan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;An Honorable Victory&lt;/h2&gt;

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Once the dust has settled and all battles have been resolved, players who control all the provinces within a territory claim the territory card for that region. These provide daimyō with single-use abilities that they may resolve during the upkeep phase to further strengthen their hold on the realm. However, if a player has lost all their provinces and has no control tokens on the board, they become wandering ronin who must fight to regain their land and honor. During a ronin’s placement phase, they may place army tokens on any land border, but without a home or influence, the ronin cannot play raid or diplomacy tokens. This continues until the ronin is able to reclaim a province. As the &lt;em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;/em&gt; rages on, more than one group is bound to be lost in the clans’ fight for dominance.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;At the end of five rounds, the daimyō must agree that enough blood has been spilt and determine who is the most honorable leader, the worthiest of ruling Rokugan. Each daimyō reveals their secret objective card and determines their total honor by accounting for each of their faceup control tokens, provinces, territories, and whether they have completed their secret objective. The most honorable clan gains control of the Emerald Empire, wins the favor of the Emperor, and ensures their clan’s place in the annals of Rokugan.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;Lead Your People&lt;/h2&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you are strong enough to seize control of Rokugan, you can end the strife that has plagued this realm since its founding and prove the superiority of your clan in the process. Plan your conquest, outwit your rivals, bring honor to your people, and claim Rokugan in the name of your clan!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;em&gt;Preorder &lt;/em&gt;Battle for Rokugan&lt;em&gt; (L5B01) from your local retailer or online &lt;a href="https://shop.fantasyflightgames.com/preorders/create/L5B01"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

    
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