Ikusa-by any name

[Old Dwarf]

Ok this is for all you Nippon history junkies out there
in TZG land.Ikusa is a reprint of the old Shogun/
Samurai Swords Game that's been kicking around for 20
some years.

It's a game on the Unification of Japan in the 16th Century.
(exciting stuff I know) It's sort of an Axis & Allies 400
years earlier.It scales from 2-5 players & has a mega
ton of not bad plastic figs that represent some 6
types of military units.

It you like Axis & Allies it plays similar (both were originally
Milton Bradley Games).The mechanics are streamlined but
still give a feel for the period .

The Problem is in 3 printings going back a quarter
of a century no one ever really looked into history.
The Clans (each player has 3 clans as an alliance)
given as Alliances in some cases were bitter enemies
& some weren't around during the period.The Leaders
are Generic & your starting territory is chosen by a
random draw .

This is something like having an America Civil War Game
with Generic generals & selecting Confederate
& Union States by randomly dealing State Cards
to each side.I guess they got away with it as
the US game consumer is not to up on Japanese
history.

The Game flows smoothly & if you don't know the
actual history of the period it seems historical.
In any case it's a great Beer & Pretzel Game.

I bring this up only because I've spent the last week
pimping this Game with the actual Clans involved,
starting in their own territories with the real Leaders.
Oda nobunaga lives!


OD

[Old Dwarf]

I know this isn't a hot Zombi Topic,but I put a damn lot of
work pimping Ikusa into something resembling history this
past week(I have to burn some Vacation Time or loose it
so I've been free this week ). Plus Sakku pays Mods by
the post So here's my background of a campaign
I'm starting.

Disclaimer-This ain't your Daddy's Ikusa(Samurai Swords,
Shogun,whatever).I picked Ikusa as I wanted
some Samurai Action & realized it was rather lacking
in any semblance of real history.Great Mechanics,
cool figs but the random assignment of Provinces
& the nonhistorical clan alliances didn't' work for me.

So I pimped up with Historical Alliances,actual
Leaders & the Provinces they started with, plus
everyone favorites the Ikko-ikki Warrior Monks.

Background: Daimyo Oda nobunga,controlling 7
Provinces in Central Honshu has lost a little face in his
drive to bring all Japan under his control.

A diplomatic insult by Asakura yoshikaga resulted in Oda invading
Omi Province only to have Azi nagamasa of neighboring Echizen
Province support the Asakura Clan.Oda was forced to regroup
back to Yasmashiro Province .However even there trouble was brewing,
the Warrior monks of the Enryaku-ji Sect revolted
& Oda's puppet Shogun Ashikaga yoshiaki intrigued
against him.

Saika magoivhi sensing opportunity allied Kii
Province with the Azi & Asahura Clans.The smaller
Clans Miyoshi in Settgu province & Rokkaru in
Omi also sided with the anti-Oda forces.

The Major Clans of Uesugi controlling 7 Provinces ,
Mori & Unika controlling 9 provinces & Takeda controlling
6 Provinces looked on to see how things developed
against the Oda Clan & it's allies Clans Tokugawa,
Matsunaga ,Tustsui.

The year is 1570 & Honshu erupts in WAR!

ビールとすべてプレッツェル

OD

[themanfromsaturn]

Way to do your homework! It seems like you've taken a game you enjoy and elevated it into something more than it was by infusing it with some historical accuracy. Nicely done!

[Atraangelis]

pictures please!..

[Old Dwarf]

Pictures!! you confuse me with samuraitrev,I'm not Tech savy enough for that (sad I know)
The whole thing does look impressive all set up,it's a ' Oh let's get a Game out & play"
thing. The set up time is major duty.

OD