GMT: Sekigahara - 5th printing (English)

The Battle of Sekigahara, fought in 1600 at a crossroads in Japan, united the nation under the Tokugawa family for more than 250 years.

Sekigahara allows you to reenact the war as Ishida Mitsunari, the 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 the forces their allies could provide. Each leader harbored deep doubts about the loyalty of his units - and with good reason. Several daimyo refused to fight; some even switched sides in the middle of the battle.

To conquer Japan, you must do more than deploy an army - you must ensure that it will follow you into battle. Cultivate loyal alliances and deploy them only when you are sure of their fidelity. Win a battle by gaining a transition from your opponent's ranks.

Sekigahara is filled with unusual mechanics: No dice are used. Cards represent loyalty and motivation. Without a matching card, an army will not go into battle. Loyalty is represented by hand size, which swings each turn. Battles are a series of deployments from hidden unit stacks, based on hidden loyalty factors. Loyalty challenge cards create potential transition events.

Sekigahara is a 3-hour block game based on the Japanese campaign of 1600. The 7-week war fought along Japan's two main roads and in scattered sieges and hinterland skirmishes elevated Tokugawa Ieyasu to shogun and united Japan for 265 years. Sekigahara is designed to offer a historically authentic experience within an intuitive game mechanic that can be played in one sitting. Great effort has been made to preserve a clean game mechanism. (Despite a healthy amount of historical detail, the rule set is only 6 pages.) Randomness takes the form of uncertainty and not luck.

No dice are used; battles are resolved with cards. Blocks = armies, and cards = motivation. The combination of army and motivation impacts the battlefield. Armies without matching cards do not fight. Battles are resolved quickly, but with excitement, tactical engagement, and a wide range of possible outcomes.

Legitimacy is represented by hand size, which swings each week according to the number of castles a player owns. Certain events reduce legitimacy, such as forced marches and lost battles. Recruitment, on the other hand, is a function of a daimyo's control over key production areas. Objectives (enemy units, castles, resources) are found throughout the map.

The initial setup is variable, so the situation is always fresh. Hidden information (blocks and cards) adds further uncertainty. In this way, the game feels like the actual campaign.

Blocks are large and can be stacked. Each unit on the board is visible at once, and the strategic situation is understandable at a glance. Components use authentic clan designations and colors and have a Japanese feel.

True to history, the objectives (castles and economic centers) and strengths (armies of allied daimyo) are spread out. Supporting one front means neglecting another. The player is pulled between competing priorities. Each side wonders where their opponent wants to fight and where they are unprepared. There is a great deal of bluffing in the game.

Each player must gather the various daimyo from his coalition and manage the morale and motivation of each clan. The strengths are spread out, and while there are reasons to unite them, the objectives are also scattered, and the timeframe is compact, so skirmishes will occur all over the island.