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Ikusa (Samurai Swords) - In Sotes Now Ikusa (Samurai Swords) - In Sotes Now Hot

ubarose Written by ubarose     May 13, 2011     2638     
Ikusa (Samurai Swords) - In Sotes Now

Game Information

Game Name
Ikusa
MSRP $
80.00

Publisher Information

Publisher
Avalon Hill

Release Schedule Information

Status
In Stores Now
Expected Release Date
2011 Q3
Expected Ship Date
2011 July

It is the sixteenth century in feudal Japan, where war rages across the land. Amid the chaos and conflict, you have risen to power as one of five warlords mighty enough to conquer and control the whole empire. Your victory depends on how expertly you extend your domain while defending it from your enemies.

Send your daimyo leaders, samurai, and ashigaru warriors into battle to seize new provinces and lay siege to castles. Spend your hard-won treasury on building fortifications and bolstering your forces with ronin and ninja.

Prove the strength of your strategy, defeat your rivals, and earn the exalted title of Shogun

 

  • The classic rules of this game have not been changed – still a challenge for any strategy board gamer.
  • The box and game board design have been radically improved. The game board has a new "period feel."
  • All of the classic sculptures used for the figures are back with new colors.

 

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Comments (9)
  • 2011-05-13 11:28:59 | avatarjohnnyspys

    Holy cow....great news!

  • 2011-05-13 12:49:10 | avatarChapel

    This is great, as my copy of Samurai Swords got crushed in the move I made to Austin. So this will be a great way to get it back!

    http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic973044_lg.jpg

  • 2011-05-14 19:48:18 | avatarStan Leer

    What this game needs is some sort of end game timer. I love it but it is just like the original Risk in that it can be played FOREVER. Some sort of time limitation would significantly improve things

  • 2011-05-15 10:27:21 | avatarJonJacob

    The whole game needs to be looked at and reconsidered. As it stands it doesn't stand a chance in todays market... especially with a new name and cover. Survive managed it because it's a better and more unique game but I predict this goes over with a wimper.

    If there was some new design ideas or maybe some variants included it might manage some table time. As is I just don't see it.

  • 2011-05-16 10:48:11 | avatarwaddball

    Totally agree with JonJacob. It's a cool design, and I love the hidden allocation of resources and the combat system (Mike Gray did this one and Fortress America, IIRC, and they both rock), but it's way too long in the tooth. Needs a fixed ending, condensed map, and more general "urgency" in the design.

  • 2011-05-16 10:58:17 | avatarMichael Barnes

    This is one of those games that someone brings out and everybody's like "oh yeah! awesome!"...and then two hours or so later it's being packed up, halfway before it's even close to done.

    It's a shame that they didn't get Mike Gray back in to update the game, or at least make official some of the shorter variants. Or change the map so that there's not so many territories.

    The game is OLD, and it feels like it. Which would be fine, but when you can play TI3, Chaos in the Old World, Mare Nostrum, or any other modern DoaM game in as much or less time and with as many or fewer rules it doesn't make sense to play the game that only offers greater length but not more narrative, depth, or complexity.

    There's some good ideas in the game, they're just stuck in a turgid, boring dinosaur of a design.

  • 2011-05-16 13:47:56 | avatarStan Leer

    Shorter variants?

    Do tell...

  • 2011-05-16 14:57:44 | avatarDair

    Can you really play TI3 in less time than this? I've only played TI3 three times and it has been about two years since I broke out Samurai Swords, but that doesn't sound right.

    I wouldn't mind a shorter variant as part of this, but I think this game is in that 3 to 4 hour playtime that is reasonable for the occasional play. I know I have at least one or two friends who have been jealous of my old copy of Samurai Swords that will likely be picking this up.

  • 2011-05-16 15:12:52 | avatarJonJacob

    You could play TI:3 in 3-4 hours IF you had only 3-4 players but realistically it is a longer game. However it offers so much more for it's time frame there's no way I'd play Samurai Swords/Shogun/Ikusa rhather then TI:3. Runewars would be a good comparison for the time frame though (playing epic) and I'd much rather play that. Or the new Shogun, anything Barnes mentioned, etc...

    Still this might be good for gamers who haven't been in the hobby in awhile and liked this (with no knowledge of newer games it might still shine for them) if only the name and look wasn't so different.

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