Bushi: Sword vs. Sword

"A Samurai knew only loyal service: death was the reward for failure. The way of the Samurai was a harsh one, but it built men as strong as the semi-legendary weapons they carried until both the man and his creed were forged into a living dream, a dream that has survived the fall of empires and the dusts of history . . . This game is extremely fast. It is felt that it reflects the flow of sword vs. sword combat. The players will soon learn that there is more to the game than attack first. Much can be gained by waiting and counterattacking." The game portrays a sword duel between two Samurai swordsmen during Japan's Feudal era. The object is to be the first to make a successful attack. Both players secretly select simultaneous moves (there are 48 different moves including various blocks, cuts, stances, thrusts, etc., with optional rules allowing for feints.) The game is played on two large charts with a series of boxes representing each of the 48 moves a swordsman may make. Each box on the chart shows a player's current move and lists the permissible follow-up moves that may be selected in the next phase. These boxes also display the hit probability for the various attacks. This probability varies based upon the type of attack and the defender's move.