Samurai of the Sengoku

Deck Backstory

The Sengoku period in Japanese history was rife with wars, both civil and otherwise. While the Samurai and Shogun were iconic across many periods of Japanese history, and cards from this deck are not unique to the Sengoku period, this combative era serves as the perfect name for the deck.

Other aspects of Japanese battle culture are represented here, including the famous Ninja and Ronin, as well as the less famous female bushi Onna-musha and the warrior monk Sohei.

Ikko-Ikki were mobs of peasants, buddhist monks, and farmers who rose up against the Samurai and Shogun during the Sengoku period. Their strength in numbers was often formidable.

A fictitious side of the deck is introduced with the Oni, a demon known for its strength and violence, along with the Itako, blind women who are though to be powerful spiritual mediums. And Abe no Seimei's legend comes with both historical and mystical elements.

The deck symbol is Kanji for Samurai.

Deck Cards

Cards with more than 1 copy per deck appear with their number in parentheses (#).

(4) Valuable for a free play

Use to discard your cards

(2) Deploy as early as possible

Protect valuable cards

Anchor those moving cards

Bye-bye valuable card

Help you, annoy them

(2) Use to discard your cards

Stop those instants

Use to gain and discard

Its might remains a mystery

Stun those conditionals

(2) Free cheap deployment!

Use to discard your cards

Big might, annoy them

Might or cards?

Use to deploy Ikko-Ikki or Shogun

Versatile from your hand, the discard pile, or for Oni

Deck Strategy

Samurai of the Sengoku is a Low Complexity deck that relies on discarding cards to both build might and surprise your opponent with free deployments to the battlefield.

Deploy Sohei as quickly as possible so it can build might as you discard cards throughout the game.

While Ashigaru's ability allows you to deploy it for free when you discard, sometimes it makes sense to deploy it from your hand. Balance having cards in hand to discard versus deploying them.

Itako and Abe no Seimei offer ways to deploy discarded cards for free. Plan ahead to use those surprise deployments to your best advantage.

The Shogun can be powerful deployed from your hand, the discard pile, or to set Oni's might at the end of the game. While it's most powerful when deployed from the discard pile, it's still valuable when used the other two ways.

Deck Notes

You must discard a card if another card tells you to and you are able. If you discard a card, place it face-down in the discard pile. You may look at the cards in the discard pile at any time.

The discard ability for Ashigaru and Ikko-Ikki resolve as the following: decide to discard either card by placing it face down in the discard pile, then announce its ability to your opponent, then lastly perform its ability. This discard does trigger the Conditional ability on Sohei.

Cards deployed from the discard pile by Ashigaru, Itako, and Abe no Seimei are actual deployments and should be placed face-down and revealed after any other cards you deployed this round.

The final discard for Oni follows First Player Token order. You must have a card to discard for Oni to gain might.

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