Gamehelpfortheemperor

For the Emperor

Overview

Two rival armies battle across 7 battlefields.

Players take turns deploying elite Warriors, using their unique abilities to gain strength and control of the battlefield.

The player controlling the most battlefields at the end of the game wins.

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Goal

Control more battlefields than your opponent.

A battlefield is controlled by the player with the greater total strength there.

Strength comes from:

• Warrior strength
• Ability Tokens
• Ongoing abilities
• Game End abilities

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Components

• 7 Battlefield cards
• 18 Warrior cards (9 per player)
• 7 Banner tokens
• 8 Ability Tokens (4 per player)
• 2 Player Aids

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Setup

1. Place the 7 Battlefield cards in a row with space between them.
2. Place all Banners nearby in numerical order.
3. Each player chooses an army:
   • Crane
   • Turtle
4. Each player takes:
   • • 9 Warriors
     • 4 Ability Tokens
     • 1 Player Aid
5. Shuffle your Warrior deck.
6. Draw 3 Warriors.
7. Place the remaining Warriors face-down as your draw pile.
8. The Crane army takes the first turn.

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Battlefields & Banners

Every battlefield will eventually receive exactly one Banner.

The Banner determines the battlefield's capacity.

Example:

• A battlefield with a 2 Banner may contain exactly 2 Warriors total.
• Both players' Warriors count toward this limit.

Once a battlefield reaches its Banner limit:

• No more Warriors may be played there.

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Game Turn

Players alternate turns.

Each turn consists of:

1. Play 1 Warrior.
2. Assign Banners if necessary.
3. Draw 1 Warrior.

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1. Play a Warrior

Choose any battlefield that:

• Has no Banner

OR

• Has fewer Warriors than its Banner allows.

Play 1 Warrior from your hand face-up on your side of that battlefield.

If the Warrior has a When Played ability:

• Resolve it immediately.

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Warrior Abilities

Warriors may have one of three ability types:

• When Played
• Ongoing
• Game End

If multiple Warriors occupy the same battlefield:

• Keep Strength values visible.
• Keep Ongoing abilities visible.
• Keep Game End abilities visible.
• When Played abilities may be covered.

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2. Assign Banners

After every Warrior is played, check whether one or more Banners should be placed.

Always follow these steps in order.

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Step 1: Highest Available Banner

Look at the highest-numbered Banner still in the supply.

If any battlefield without a Banner has exactly that many Warriors:

• Place that Banner there.

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Step 2: Repeat

Continue checking the next-highest Banner remaining.

Keep placing Banners until:

• The highest remaining Banner can no longer legally be placed.

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Step 3: Place the 1 Banners

Finally, check whether exactly 2 battlefields contain:

• 0 Warriors

or

• 1 Warrior

If so:

• Place a 1 Banner on both of those battlefields.

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3 With 3+ Rule

At no point during the game may more than 3 battlefields count as having 3 or more Warriors.

This means:

Once 3 battlefields qualify,

• Every other battlefield is limited to a maximum of 2 Warriors.

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Battlefields with 3 or 4 Banners

A battlefield with a:

• 3 Banner
• 4 Banner

always counts toward the 3 With 3+ Rule

even if it currently contains fewer than 3 Warriors.

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3. Draw a Warrior

Draw 1 Warrior from your draw pile.

If your draw pile is empty:

• Skip this step.

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Game End

When both players have only 1 Warrior remaining in hand:

• Finish the current turn.
• The game immediately ends.

Each player will have exactly one unplayed Warrior remaining.

This becomes their Tiebreaker Card.

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Determining Control

For each battlefield, total each player's strength.

Count:

• Warrior Strength
• Ability Tokens
• Ongoing abilities
• Game End abilities

The player with the greater total controls that battlefield.

If tied:

• Neither player controls it.

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Winning the Game

The player controlling the most battlefields wins.

If tied:

• Compare each player's Tiebreaker Card (the Warrior remaining in hand).

The player with the higher-strength Warrior wins.

If those are also tied:

• Both players share the victory.

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Warrior Clarifications

Ronin (4)

• If no Banner is present and one can legally be placed, you must place it.
• You may not place a second Banner on a battlefield.
• A battlefield with a Ronin-created 3 or 4 Banner immediately counts toward the 3 With 3+ Rule.

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Ashigaru (2)

Leaves an Ability Token behind when returned by Yamabushi.

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Kyudo (3)

Leaves an Ability Token behind when returned by Yamabushi.

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Yamabushi (5)

If you return your:

• Ashigaru

or

• Kyudo

their existing Ability Token remains in play.

If you later replay that Warrior:

• Place its second Ability Token.

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Wokou (6)

Move any Ability Token on the board.

You may move:

• Your own

or

• Your opponent's

Ability Token.

The token's effect is removed from its original battlefield and immediately applies to the new battlefield.

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Onna-musha (7)

Normally restricts where your opponent may play.

If your opponent has no other legal play:

• They may ignore the Onna-musha restriction.

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Sohei (8)

At game end, you may choose either:

• Your normal Tiebreaker Card

or

• Your Sohei

whichever gives the better tiebreaker value.

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Strategy Tips

• Banners determine the final size of each battlefield, so early placement has long-term consequences.
• Keep the 3 With 3+ Rule in mind before committing Warriors.
• A single Ability Token can swing control of a battlefield.
• Sometimes leaving a powerful Warrior in your hand provides a stronger tiebreaker than playing it.
• Watch your opponent's remaining Warriors to anticipate where they can still play.

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Credits

• Game Design: Whitney Loraine
• Illustration: Sai Beppu
• Graphic Design: Sai Beppu & Anca Gavril
• Development: Breeze Grigas, Michael Dunsmore, John Brieger
• Consulting: Velgus
• Editing: Jeff Fraser