Bushido
GCT Studios' fantasy skirmish game set in the Jwar Isles, a world drawn from Japanese and East Asian myth. Two players field warbands of samurai, ninja, monks, oni and stranger things, and fight over scenario objectives on a 2' × 2' table.
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What is Bushido
Bushido is a fantasy skirmish game for two players from GCT Studios. It’s set in the Jwar Isles, a world GCT draws from East and Southeast Asian myth, Japan most of all. Factions scheme against each other for control of the isles beneath the notice of the Imperial Court.
The current edition is Bushido: Risen Sun. GCT called it the third edition of the game when it announced it in December 2018. The big change was a single dice mechanic that replaced the many different ways of rolling in the older rules.
Everything runs on Ki, the life force that lets the game’s heroes and villains do superhuman things. The rulebook puts it simply: “the fate of the world hangs not on armies but on individual heroes.”
GCT lists 15 factions. Among them are the samurai of the Prefecture of Ryu, the snake-touched Ito Clan, the bear-clan Minimoto, the ninja of the Shadow Wind Clan, the Jung Pirates, the undead Cult of Yurei, the oni of the Savage Wave, the Tengu of the Descension and the monks of the Temple of Ro-Kan. Masterless Ronin can join the warbands of the factions they’re tied to. The miniatures are around 32mm tall.
How it plays
- Rice, not points. You pick a faction and spend Rice on models, enhancements and event cards. 100 Rice is the standard game and the tournament size. 70 Rice is the suggested introductory level. Most warbands land at six to ten models.
- Two activations each. Every model gets two Activation Counters at the start of the turn. Players alternate, activating one model at a time. A player with fewer models gets Pass Tokens to make up the difference.
- Ki fuels the tricks. Each turn every model generates Ki Tokens, up to a personal limit. Ki pays for Ki Feats, the special powers on each model’s card, and for Ki Boosts that raise its stats for a moment.
- One dice mechanic. Roll your dice, take the highest, and add +1 for each of up to two other dice. Any die showing a 1 is thrown out.
- Melee is a secret split. In a Melee Exchange, both players secretly divide their melee dice between attack and defence, using two colours of dice, then roll together. Beat the other side’s defence and the difference sets how hard you hit on the wound table. Special attacks and defences cost dice from the pool, so you’re always trading safety for damage.
- Scenarios win games. Scenario objectives decide the game. The scenario sets how many turns you play.
- Bring your own terrain. The rules want at least six pieces, none larger than 9” × 9”, placed by both players before deployment.
How to start
- Read the rules for free. The full-colour rulebook, a print-friendly version, the errata and FAQ, reference sheets and the tournament pack are all free on the rules page. The rulebook needs ten six-sided dice in two colours and a 2’ × 2’ space.
- Pick a faction starter. GCT sells a starter set for each of ten factions at £38.40. The Prefecture of Ryu box, for example, holds five miniatures on 30mm bases and ten cards. Goonhammer’s beginner guide pointed new players at the Prefecture of Ryu and the Minimoto Clan.
- Want the book? The printed Risen Sun rulebook is 94 pages and costs £22.00 from GCT. A two-player starter set is listed at £70.00 but shows as sold out.
- Build lists for free. The volunteer-made Bushido Companion app (Android, iOS) holds the cards and rules, and Warrior Way is a web-based warband builder.
Community & reviews
The official GCT Discord is the centre of the community. Goonhammer notes the designers are active there, sharing playtests, errata and clarifications. Tournaments run through Longshanks, and top finishers at the Grand Masters event get to design profiles for new models.
Official
Reviews & coverage
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