Gunsen - The Battle For Toshi Ranbo: Rapid Review
Information:
Mechanics: Area Control, Engine Building, Assymetrical, Race
Player Age: 14+
Player Count: 2 - 6 Players
Time to Play: 45 -90 Minutes
Game Designer: Matthew O'Malley, Ben Rosset
Publisher: Office Dog, Asmodee
Year Published: 2026
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the Asmodee ANZ.
Rundown:
Gunsen is a goal orientated area control game. Players can complete any amount of achievements in a turn and will instantly complete the achievement if applicable. The first player to reach seven completed achievements will be the winner.
These achievements cover completing individual player goals, winning battles as an attacker, playing three tactics, building two buildings; control Toshi Ranbo; control two shrine temples at a time; have currently three village tokens; lastly use all three noble actions. There is only one achievement point (hence referred to as points) that can be lost during the game (holding control of Toshi Ranbo) the rest cannot be lost after gained so speed and gaining numerous points on a turn (keeping under the radar of the other players) is pivotal.
The great thing about Gunsen is actual turns on the pursuit of these points could not be simpler. The player will gain one of the five order cards in the display, if there are four with cost or four of the same colour all five can be discarded and refreshed. When gaining this card they will need to pay the resource cost at the bottom if any. They then place the card at the top of the column of that colour, then proceeding to do every visible action in the column one at a time from top to bottom.
Each column will represent different benefits but all have the chance to move units on the board; the armory (blue) doesn't achieve much on a turn but the cards add benefits for combat (displayed by the symbols with a red background); the recruit (yellow) will gain more troops to spawnable locations; the influence (purple) will gain more influence that can be spent to do the secondary action or to move faster through the map; Expanding (brown) will gain coins / wood and allow for buildings and tactics to be played, however only this column contains no movement for troops.
The alternate action a player can take is to still take the order card but spend influence and place it under one of the noble actions at the bottom of the board. Gaining the action, this could be placing an order on a different column, recruiting a hero or playing a special order. These noble actions can only be performed once each.
Alteration:
Gunsen is widely replayable, there are seven factions with varied play styles and card effects. Each faction has some cards that are unique to them but also cards that are the same across all factions. These card types are; goals, heroes, tactics, buildings and special orders. Teaching these cards can be a lot for the players to take in, but once understood offers a wide range of replayability. Even when using the same faction, since all cards won't be used in every game players will often have to decide which card of each type they will choose not to use. All card types will be elaborated on below.
Goals:
Each faction will have three goal cards. These will occur automatically and count for one of the seven points when achieved. Only two of these will be achievable during the game.
Buildings
There are two building types, both are available to be built in a game. There is the camp building (which everyone has) that allows for any amount of troops to be in this locations. The normal maximum per territory is five. There is also the unique building. The unique building has an additional benefit that is only available to the player that controls the building. Both of these building types can be controlled by any player. It is pivotal to control the right unique buildings to gain additional benefits. All buildings also work as spawn locations creating pivotal access for board manoeuvrability.
Tactics:
Each game a faction will have two tactics (one of which can be used to gain a hero) and the player will gain another two general tactics. In each game only three tactics can be used per player. Tactics will either award one time benefits like a hero or add an ongoing benefit.
Special Orders:
Only one special order out of the two each faction has available will be used in each game. The special orders will be added to the matching order column and contain more advanced activations.
Heroes:
There are three heroes unique to each faction. These heroes have to move with a group of troops and count as an additional troop allowed on the hex exceeding the five troop limit. The heroes cannot die they will simply return to the fort or a controlled camp. Each player can control numerous heroes, but no heroes can share a hex. Heroes have unique benefits and often benefits to combat they are in.
Production:
I am not surprised by Office Dog but the production is top notch. Each faction has colour-coded victory fans (that stack) and troops.
As well as a faction box creating a very useful ease to setup and tear down.
There is a lot to understand in the game for the first play. Once the game has commenced the iconography and layout is very easy to follow.
Interaction:
This is an area control game with constant swings. Players will constantly be vying for control. Something that is relevant for players to understand is players will gain the point, when they achieve it. With no limit to how many points can be gained in a turn. If a player has been carefully planning they can swing numerous points in one turn. In fact taking over Toshi Ranbo can easily be three points in one turn. One for controlling Toshi Ranbo for the first time, one for winning, one of the first two combats, and one for currently controlling Toshi Ranbo. Everything is open information meaning it is crucial for players to keep an eye on other players board states.
Only one player can control a hex at a time, whenever a player moves into a hex with another player their movement concludes and combat will commence. The results of combat are best shown by this table below.
For players to better understand. Combat isn't purely focused on winning. There are three factors in combat, swords with the largest value winning combat, blood used to eliminate troops from the board and shield prevents one blood for each shield. Players can gain static benefits in these values through heroes in combat, order cards and defend Toshi Ranbo. It can be crucial for players to not win combat but eliminate all of the opponent's troops though high blood.
When combat occurs players roll dice equal to their die roll value, they can then reroll equal to their reroll value; lastly they will keep the die equal to the amount they are able to keep. All of these values are variable based on the benefits and static values players have in place. At the end of combat the winner will steal a village token gaining the benefit of the token and gain a point if they currently hold three. Any surviving troops will move back to a controlled camp or fort.
Players will be fighting often to gain village tokens, points for winning combat they started, fighting for Toshi Ranbo or lastly fighting for shrines. If a player controls two shrines at a time they will gain a point. Just as importantly for any shrine the player controls they will gain an enhancement to one of their starting order benefits; recruiting more, gaining more influence or rolling more dice in combat.
Determination:
- Very Fast gameplay, select an order to add to your tableu then activate the column.
- Lots of range in the different factions. Also range in variability in each faction.
- Rules are simple once learnt but information overload for the original teach, due to all the starting open information for each faction.
Gunsen is going to be compared to point focused area control games like Scythe alot. Personally the main benefit I think Gunsen has is the rapid speed at how fast a game will be played. Players are trying to be the first to gain seven points. These points are gained from controlling areas, successfully attacking, focusing on personal goals or simply building their own tableu. The gameplay is very straight forward players are taking an order on their turn and enhancing a column, they will then activate every action in that column. Moving troops around the board, recruiting troops and improving their engine. Each play is going to feel unique as their are seven factions in the game, each with a unique range of cards that will deliver to give the faction uniqueness but also each player agency in how they want to develop their faction. Not every card will be used each game, but players will be fully aware of their choices in heroes, tactics and even individual goals they choose to pursuit. If you enjoy goal oriented area control games which are more focused on how players can gain points instead of holding regions this is the kind of fast paced area control game you have been looking for. Gunsen has earned a Silver Seal of Approval..
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