I Made a Sengoku Board Game: [Battle of Soryu River Edition] with Instructions

Hello. My name is Aki.
This time, I decided to make a diorama as a Sengoku craft project!
It is a board game inspired by the Sengoku period. ☺️
With the offense and defense between the attacking and defending sides, tactical maneuvering, and a touch of luck, it has become a board game that captures the feel of a realistic Sengoku period with plenty of strategy.

I have included the data at the end, so please try playing it yourselves.

[What You Need]

・ Base: Cardboard, corrugated cardboard
・Magnets
・Dice
・Cloth
・ Terrain: Newspaper, paper clay, egg cartons, corrugated cardboard
・ Adhesive: Wood glue, packing tape
・ Decorations: Disposable chopsticks (for fences), hemp twine (for tying), paint (brown/green), grass sheets for coasters/felt, yarn, construction paper

Deciding the Terrain

I made it in A4 size for a trial run. I set it to a total of 70 squares, 10 vertical by 7 horizontal. The base is corrugated cardboard.

I made banners using toothpicks and colored cardboard. I used red and blue to make them easy to distinguish.

I pasted felt onto the base and made the gate and bridge out of cardboard!

Instead of a grand castle tower, I intentionally built a "mountain castle."

The real thrill of making a diorama isn't just building the shapes, but how it sparks conversation from the perspectives of the "attacking side" and the "defending side."

Rulebook

This is a turn-based progression. There is morning, day, and night, each with different effects on morale.

Morning "Surprise Attack in the Fog": Range is shortened. Damage can only be dealt in melee combat.

Day "All-Out Assault": All pieces can move at maximum movement range. Archer attack range is doubled.

Night "Night Raid": The defender's defense is halved. If a stealth attack (attack from behind) succeeds, it deals massive damage.

Roles of the Pieces

Also, the pieces include types such as Warlords, Archers, Spearmen, Ninjas, and Foot Soldiers, each with different abilities.

Archers can attack two spaces away, and Spearmen can intercept an opponent if they roll a 4 or higher. Additionally, Ninjas can scout the situation two spaces ahead, and Foot Soldiers have a higher success rate for attacks, requiring a roll of 4 or higher.

Natural Disaster Cards

The top row consists of Natural Disaster cards. You can draw one card if you roll a 5 or 6 at the start of each turn.
Natural disasters have various effects, such as lowering the opponent's morale or forcing them to retreat.
These cards add a layer of strategy and test your talent as a military strategist.

[Heavy Rain]: The river becomes impassable until the end of the turn.

[Earth Fissure]: Makes one designated 'Mountain Path (Hidden Path)' impassable.

[Fog]: All ranged attacks (such as bows) become ineffective.

[Lightning Strike]: Forces a designated unit to retreat.

Dice

Used to determine the success or failure of an attack; 1-2 is a 'Miss,' and 3-6 is a 'Hit.'

Weather/Terrain Changes: Determines the 'shift' between morning, day, and night. Rolled at the start of the turn, it applies additional effects such as 'Dense Fog' or 'Heavy Rain' based on the result.

If an 'Earthquake' or 'Heavy Rain' card is played, you actually remove the bridge piece to simulate a 'collapse.'

Stage: [Battle of Soryu River]

Center: A meandering 'river' divides the map into north and south.
Bridge over the river: There is only one 'Frontal Route (Great Bridge)' in the center of the map.

Hidden Path (Downstream): 'Stepping stones (shallows)' are hidden under the bridge near the upper reaches of the river.

Mountains and Forests: There are high mountains at the top and bottom (north and south) of the map, which serve as entrances to the 'Hidden Paths.'

It is possible to feign a 'crossing of the main bridge' while actually maneuvering around through the hidden mountain paths.

Victory Conditions

Infiltrate at least one of your pieces into the opponent's 'Main Camp (Castle).'

Or, defeat the opponent's entire army.

Movement

Flat terrain is 1 space. For rivers and mountains, roll a die; you cannot move unless you roll a 3 or higher (if you fail, you cannot move that turn).

When an enemy reaches the space directly below the defender's castle gate, the defender can roll a die. A roll of 5 or higher repels the enemy.

Keeping a record of battle results makes it very fun and engaging!

It was very interesting to play with a rule where you keep your own board hidden, and only remove the screen when the "night" turn ends to check each other's positions and perform a "reveal (battle resolution)."

Morale

I came up with a "morale system" to incorporate into the rulebook.

The morale of all units starts at "3" for everyone.
If morale reaches zero, the soldiers return to the main camp.

Please download it and enjoy playing! ☺️

About Aki

February 16, 2026: Posted my first note.

Through note, with the idea of bringing the charm of the Sengoku period and the Sengoku era into the modern day, I started Sengoku Crafting.

I will continue to post updates, so please follow and like. (It encourages me!)