How not to become a Tokugawa Shogun

Here's a description of a game of Shogun Triumphant (Command #23) we played last week. The outcome (between two players who had played before) was memorable enough to record it for posterity. Only the names have been deleted to protect the innocent. Every turn lists the command points available. The side that got initiative is listed first.

Turn 1: E4,W3. Clan R-Kyoguku is activated on the Eastern side and occupies Sekigahara village, with K-Terazawa following. Clan 13-Ukita is activated and starts a counterattack.

Turn 2: E4,W3. Clans P-Kuroda and Q-Ii activate to aid R-Kyoguku, but interclan rivalry keeps them from attacking the exposed units of Clan 13-Ukita effectively. In the counterattack, clan 14-Konishi is activated. Both K-Terazawa and R-Kyoguku are eliminated, and Clan 13-Ukita occupies Sekigahara. Clan S-Fukishima is activated by movement.

Turn 3: E6,W3. Clan 5-Kobayakawa is asked to activate, but remains neutral for the moment - the first sign of wavering in the Western ranks? Clans L-Tanaka and H-Honda are activated to support P-Ii. In what is probably the most important move in the game, Clan S-Fukishima is also drawn back to attack Clan 13-Ukita from a different direction (instead of pushing forward away from the endangered center and causing some loyalty checks on the Western right wing). Clan 12-Shima is activated by movement. Clan P-Ii flees due to its losses, and Clan 13-Ukita pushes beyond the village while its right wing envelops a large part of S-Fukishima. The attacks on S are still completely ineffective, but the Eastern situation is not good. The Western player also activates Clan 3-Otani to stabilize the right wing of his army. In is his preoccupation with the desperate situation outside the village, the Eastern player concentrates on feeding the nearby smaller clans into the fray and has neglected to check on the activation of Clan D-Tokugawa.

Turn 4: W4,E5. Clan 5-Kobayakawa checks again and is activated - on the Western side. Clan 13-Ukita has now become embroiled with no less than three other clans behind the village, but its position remains strong, no attacks occur at a real disadvantage. Its attacks cause Clan Q-Todo to flee, and S-Fukishima suffers several losses. Clan 11-Ishida is finally activated and advances to the stream to its front. In the Eastern turn, the Eastern player again forgets to push D-Tokugawa and activates J-Matsudaira and I-Tsutsui instead. Clans L-Tanaka and, worse, S-Fukishima, flee, and so does Clan J-Matsudaira after its very first attack (a cavalry charge against stacked infantry which inflicted 4 hits on the attackers by a lucky fire result) results in the attackers' elimination. The Clan H-Honda cavalry unit manages to retreat. After the appalling losses on the Eastern side, we checked totals, and came up with 133-12. It was pretty clear that except for a quick activation of the so far neglected Clan D, Tokugawa's side was doomed.

Turn 5: W3,E5. With the Westerners again on the initiative, the H-Honda unit is surrounded by Clan 13-Ukita and cut down. Clan 10-Gamo is activated, while clans 11-Ishida and 14-Konishi cross the stream separating them from the Eastern right wing. At this critical juncture, Clan D-Tokugawa keeps out of the battle [DR2] again, and it is clear now that the end is only a matter of time. G-Yoshida and N-Hosakawa are activated instead, in preparation for pulling the Eastern right flank back.

Turn 6: E7,W3. A 3 is rolled for the activation of D-Tokugawa sealing the Eastern side's fate; Tokugawa clearly has missed the monent. Clans F-Kanemori and O-Kuroda, which are activated, merely pull back with the rest. Clan 13-Ukita slowly advances towards D-Tokugawa on a broad front (but not within movement range). A single unit of Clan 14-Konishi lunges forward and attacks the cavalry of Clan M-Kato.

Turn 7: The Westerners have the initiative. Clans 11-Ishida and 14-Konishi strike at G-Yoshida and M-Kato. An enveloped unit of Clan G-Yoshida is eliminated, and G-Yoshida runs, ending the game with an Eastern rout on a score of 164-12.