Daimyo Senso Review

About Daimyo Senso, from BoardGameGeek:

Manufactured in the USA! Daimyo Senso is a 1-8 player game where each player takes the role of a 16th century Japanese daimyo in conquest to become the next Shogun. Players take turns during 4 seasons per year for 4 years, using predetermined commands during each season. Those commands are Move, Deploy, or Attack. Once per year, each daimyo may use one special skill, which amplifies the power of one of their commands. At the end of each year, players tally up their total Castles, Cities, and Fortresses and are awarded Honor based on that total. The game is over after 4 years, and the player with the most Honor wins. In single player, the board is set up with significantly more troops, and the player must battle through all of them to completely conquer 5 Regions within 4 years. This race against the clock also acts to help players understand the Actions and General Cards. Edit: There are now additional multiplayer rules for playing the game out until only one player is left. This is an optional way to play, and makes the game much longer, but is still as strategic and even more desperately gratifying when a long-term plan comes together through alliance, deceit, and careful planning. Another optional rule sets the board up with all daimyo present even in a less-than-8 player game. Each faction in the game is asymmetrical, and each has its own 4 special skills, called General Cards. The factions include: Oda - Beginning in south central Honshu, the Oda clan has powerful General Cards that allow him to wage war heavily and assign his armies to the most crucial battlefronts. Uesugi - The Uesugi clan's attacks are bolstered by powerful generals, and his tactical movements and deployments insure that his armies are where they need to be. Takeda - While the mighty Takeda war machine has deceptively light attack powers, their troop movements and deployments make them extremely able to defend their hard-won gains. Hojo - The Hojo employ shinobi, which allows them to completely fool their enemies. While an enemy may think the Hojo are weak on one front, their armies can immediately arrive on the opposite end of their kingdom, shocking enemies into submission. Miyoshi - The Miyoshi use deception and surprise tactics to hit their enemies where they're weakest. Their powerful navy insures their ability to suddenly appear on any coast at any time. Mori - The Mori clan uses cunning to thwart their opponents. Their swift advance through unoccupied territories and their ability to fight on multiple fronts at once make them a headache for any enemy to stop. Date - The Date clan can assault enemy castles with heroic actions, and their ferocity makes neighboring armies wither. Beware the city of Sendai, as the Date will fiercely defend it. Shimazu - From the southern tip of Kyushu, the Shimazu wage war with their enemies to the North and East. The Shimazu are supported by the people, who rush to join their cause. -description from designer