II. Player Roles

- Overview -

In Sengoku, each player, with the exception of members of the Bakufu team, assumes the role of a historical figure belonging to a clan, temple, or political faction active during the Sengoku period.

Characters are divided into three broad ranks:

Leader

The ruling head of a clan, sect, or political faction. Leaders are typically Daimyo, Abbots, or equivalent authorities responsible for directing the overall strategy and conduct of their faction.

Heir

The designated successor or senior subordinate of the faction leadership. Heirs often act on behalf of the Leader and may command armies, conduct diplomacy, or administer clan affairs in their absence.

Retainer

Trusted vassals, officers, monks, administrators, agents, and other important figures within a faction’s hierarchy.

While characters possess differing levels of authority and prestige, players are expected to cooperate as part of a broader faction structure. In general, the Leader of a clan or faction is considered the final authority on military, diplomatic, political, and economic policy.

Open disobedience, betrayal, or defiance of one’s lord may carry serious political and social consequences within the game world, particularly in matters involving Honor, legitimacy, and internal stability.

However, Sengoku is intentionally designed to encourage player initiative. Leaders are expected to delegate responsibilities, and retainers are encouraged to act independently within the broader interests of their clan.

Areas of Play

Sengoku is divided into several interconnected areas of play. Most players will participate in multiple activities throughout the game depending on the needs of their faction.

With the exception of a faction’s primary military commander, players are generally encouraged to move between responsibilities as circumstances demand. A player may negotiate treaties during one turn, administer provincial affairs during the next, and later command troops on the battlefield.

The primary areas of play are described below:

Diplomacy

Diplomats manage relations between factions through:

negotiation,
alliances,
trade,
treaties,
hostage exchanges,
marriages,
and informal political arrangements.

Diplomacy in Sengoku includes both:

formal agreements recognized through the Document System,
and unofficial agreements enforced only through trust, reputation, leverage, or mutual interest.

Diplomatic activity may occur through:

face-to-face meetings,
written correspondence,
formal treaties,
intermediaries,
or negotiations overseen by Diplomacy Control or other authorities.

Diplomats are often responsible for maintaining alliances, gathering information, coordinating agreements, and representing their faction abroad.

Governance

Governance concerns the internal administration of a faction and is heavily supported through the Sengoku Application.

Players involved in Governance oversee:

taxation,
resource management,
recruitment,
construction,
provincial administration,
infrastructure,
Clan Focus decisions,
upkeep,
and long-term strategic planning.

Governance players are often responsible for maintaining the broader operational picture of their faction and ensuring that military, diplomatic, and intelligence activities remain financially and politically sustainable.

They also commonly coordinate with:

Economic Control,
Diplomacy Control,
and Intelligence Control

to manage the clan’s ongoing affairs.

Politics & Court

Political players travel to Kyoto to interact with:

the Imperial Court,
the Bakufu,
religious authorities,
and other centers of formal authority.

Court Politics is distinct from ordinary diplomacy. While diplomacy concerns negotiations between factions, political play concerns legitimacy, prestige, titles, law, ceremony, and influence within Japan’s broader political order.

Political activity may involve:

petitioning for official rulings,
seeking appointments or recognition,
requesting titles or offices,
answering summons,
participating in legal disputes,
conducting ceremonial obligations,
or influencing national affairs through court connections.

Players involved in Politics & Court are often responsible for preserving the legitimacy and prestige of their faction beyond the battlefield.

Conduct, etiquette, social standing, and public reputation carry significant weight within these spaces.

Warfare

Players participating in military operations are referred to as Generals.

Generals command armies on the Main Map, issue military orders, direct troop movements, conduct sieges, and oversee battlefield operations.

Military players are responsible for:

coordinating allied forces,
defending strategic Locations,
seizing territory,
responding to rebellions,
and managing the risks of prolonged campaigning.

Generals are expected to remain at the Main Map during the Action Phase while actively commanding armies in the field.

Although warfare is an important element of Sengoku, military victory alone is rarely enough to secure lasting power. Excessive warfare can destabilize regions, damage legitimacy, and create opportunities for rebellion or political collapse.

Intelligence & Subterfuge

Players involved in Intelligence & Subterfuge manage covert operations through the Mission System and their faction’s network of agents and informants.

This area of play includes:

espionage,
intelligence gathering,
counter-intelligence,
covert political activity,
sabotage,
smuggling,
instigation of unrest,
and other clandestine operations.

Missions are submitted through the Sengoku Application and resolved by Intelligence Control.

Unlike diplomacy or warfare, intelligence operations are frequently hidden, indirect, or only partially understood by other players. Information itself is often one of the most valuable resources in the game.

Players managing Intelligence operations must balance:

secrecy,
risk,
political consequences,
and the safety of their agents.

Movement Between Roles

Players are generally free to move throughout the play area as needed during the game.

However, factions are encouraged to maintain a presence at their team table in order to:

receive diplomatic visitors,
process correspondence,
coordinate strategy,
manage application systems,
and receive information from Control.

Maintaining players at the team table also helps reduce congestion elsewhere in the venue and ensures that factions remain accessible to allies, rivals, and officials.

Because Sengoku contains several overlapping systems operating simultaneously, no individual player is expected to participate fully in every aspect of the game at once. Successful factions rely on communication, delegation, and coordination between players specializing in different areas of play.

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III. Player Factions

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I. Understanding the Game

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