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How to play
Grounded in Rising Sun's rulebook — cite-checked answers, not guesses.
Get a straight answer with the exact rulebook passage to back it up.
The easy-to-forget bits, straight from the rulebook.
Seasonal income
Players receive a number of COIN from the common pile equal to their Seasonal Income, as indicated on their Clan Screen, and should have no COIN at this point.
Return hostages
For each hostage figure a player returns at the start of Summer, Autumn, and Winter, they get 1 extra COIN from the common pile.
Unlimited components
COIN and Ronin tokens are considered to be unlimited; use substitute components if the common piles run out.
Game end tie-breaker
If tied for most VP at the end of the game, the player with the highest Honor wins; if tied are Allied, they share the victory.
General tie-breaker
Whenever there is a tie, the tied player with the highest Honor wins.
Mandate timing
All events of a Mandate are considered to happen in a single moment.
Daimyo immunity
Daimyo figures are immune to special effects that target a specific figure, but not immune to general effects that target a player.
Winning battle ability
If a figure has a special ability that triggers off of winning a Battle with that figure, it has to still be alive and in the Battle at the end of it for its ability to take place.
Here's how to set up the game of Rising Sun: 1. **Choose Clans**: Each player selects a Clan, places a Clan Screen in front of them, and puts a Political/War tile behind it (Political side up). Any unchosen Clan materials and figures are returned to the game box. 2. **Prepare Season Decks**: Take the Core Season cards and create three facedown decks: Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Then, players choose one of the three available Sets of Season Cards (Horseman, Archway, or Teapot) to use for the game (first-time players should use the Archway Set). Add the 5 cards for each Season from the chosen Set to their respective Core decks. Each Season deck should then have 12 cards. All other Season cards are returned to the game box. 3. **Prepare Kami**: Shuffle the 7 Shrine tiles facedown. Draw 4 Shrine tiles and place them faceup on the Shrine Slots on the board, from left to right. For first-time players, use Amaterasu, Fujin, Hachiman, and Tsukuyomi in that order. The remaining 3 Shrine tiles are returned to the game box. 4. **Place Common Components**: * Separate War Province tokens by number (I, II, III), shuffle them into 3 facedown piles of 8 tokens each, and place them next to the board. * Place all War Number tokens next to the board. * Shuffle the 10 Political Mandate tiles facedown into a pile next to the board. * Place all Monster figures next to the board, within reach. * Place all [COIN] and Ronin tokens in common piles next to the board, within reach. These are considered unlimited, so use substitutes if they run out.
During your turn in the Political Phase, you select a Political Mandate. Each Mandate offers an ability to all players, and a bonus ability specifically for you and your Ally (if you have one), or for you alone. Here are the Mandates you can choose and what they let you do: * **RECRUIT**: * All players: Summon one figure at each of their Strongholds. Shinto can go to a Shrine tile. * You and Ally: Summon one additional figure. * **MARSHAL**: * All players: Move each of their figures across one border or shipping route. You decide where to move your figures after your opponents. Each figure can only be moved once. * You and Ally: May also build a Stronghold for 3 coins. * **TRAIN**: * All players: Buy one available Season card, paying its coin cost. * You and Ally: Pay one less coin. * **HARVEST**: * All players: Collect 1 coin. * You and Ally: Collect Rewards from each Province where you have superior Force. * **BETRAY**: * You Only: Replace any two figures (from different players) on the Map with one of your own of the same type. If you have an Alliance, you break it and lose Honor.
Rules summaries are AI-generated from the official rulebook and may contain mistakes — check the manual for anything critical.
To win Rising Sun, you must have the most Victory Points (VP) when the game ends. The game concludes at the start of the Winter Season. At this point, players gain additional VP from: * **Winter Upgrades** - These are Season cards that grant VP based on various criteria. * **War Province Tokens** - Each token collected during a War Phase gives VP depending on the Season it was won (1 VP for Spring, 2 VP for Summer, 3 VP for Autumn). * **War Province Set Bonus** - You earn a bonus for accumulating tokens from different provinces: * 3-4 different tokens: 10 VP * 5-6 different tokens: 20 VP * 7-8 different tokens: 30 VP After all VP are tallied, the player with the most points wins. **Tie-breakers:** * If players are tied for VP, the tied player with the highest Honor wins. * If two Allied players are tied in first place, they share the victory.
Players accumulate Victory Points ([VP]) throughout the game, and the player with the most [VP] at the end of the Winter season wins. You can gain [VP] in several ways: * **Harvest Phase** During the Harvest action, if you have the most Force (or highest Honor in a tie) in a province, you can gain [VP] as a reward from that province. * **War Phase** If you win the Imperial Poets ability during a battle, you gain [VP] equal to the total number of figures killed in that battle, regardless of which player they belonged to or how they were killed. * **Endgame** At the end of the game, you add extra [VP] from any Winter Upgrades you have, War Province Tokens, and the War Province Set Bonus (as shown on Clan screens). Winter Upgrade cards specifically offer bonus [VP] triggered at the end of the game [LEGEND]. * **Other ways** [VP] can also be gained from winning battles (in general), and by playing to the Virtues accumulated by your Clan. Virtue cards can grant extra [VP] or other benefits [LEGEND]. If players are tied for the most [VP], the player with the highest Honor wins. If tied players are Allied, they share the victory.
The game ends at the start of the Winter Season, which is the fourth and final round of the game, following Spring, Summer, and Autumn. When Winter arrives, the game concludes as follows: 1. Any hostages are returned. 2. Players then gain extra Victory Points ([VP]) from the following sources: * **Winter Upgrades:** These Season cards grant [VP] based on specific criteria. * **War Province Tokens:** Each War Phase token collected grants [VP] depending on the Season it was won: 1 [VP] for Spring, 2 [VP] for Summer, and 3 [VP] for Autumn. * **War Province Set Bonus:** Players receive a [VP] bonus for collecting War Province tokens from different provinces: * 3-4 different tokens: 10 [VP] * 5-6 different tokens: 20 [VP] * 7-8 different tokens: 30 [VP] 3. Each player's Clan marker is moved along the [VP] track to add these extra points. If a player goes beyond 50 [VP], their marker returns to 1 and is flipped upside down to indicate an additional 50 points. 4. Once all [VP]s are tallied, the player with the most [VP] is declared the winner. 5. In case of a tie in [VP], the tied player with the highest Honor wins. 6. If two Allied players are tied for first place, they share the victory.