Follow Champions of Rokugan on Gamefound

“Knowledge cannot save you. Magic cannot save you. Nothing can save you.”
– Hida Kisada, Champion of the Crab Clan

At the Cannes International Games Festival (FIJ), Monolith showcased their upcoming Legend of the Five Rings board game Champions of Rokugan. It was the very first opportunity for the public to discover Champions of Rokugan (and Rokugan itself for some), and it was a resounding success! You can now follow the upcoming Champions of Rokugan campaign on Gamefound to get all the latest updates and receive a free, exclusive miniature of Togashi Yokuni when you back the campaign after following!

Champions of Rokugan at Cannes

Monolith unveiled two demo scenarios to play with their prototype components and work-in-progress maps. In each, players embodied a champion of the Great Clans. In these demo scenarios, players could choose from the powerful warrior Hida Kisada, the mystic artificer Asahina Takako, the crafty shinobi Bayushi Aramoro, the fiery berserker Matsu Tsuko, and the corrupted Name Keeper Iuchi Shahai.

The first scenario focused on combat in the Shadowlands, with the group of samurai fighting their way through a pack of zombies and skeletal warriors in pursuit of a necromancer. The game system uses a flexible and elegant dice mechanic based on the Five Rings. Players could divide their results into different combinations, allowing them to succeed in their actions in different ways, while also triggering various effects and techniques specific to each hero. However, they quickly learned that their resources were limited, and that how their achieved their objective was as important as completing it.

The second scenario highlighted some of the game’s narrative mechanics with a tense investigation. After discovering traces of corruption in a cursed village, the champions’ investigation led them to a magnificent palace, where a general from the Great Clans was suspected of betraying Rokugan to the forces of Jigoku. First, they needed to infiltrate the palace to confirm the accusations, and second, they were charged with eliminating the threat if the evidence proved overwhelming.

ElliottAbg Miniatures brought Monolith’s miniatures to life with his incredible painting work featured in the header image for this article. Also on display was a set-piece diorama of the Carpenter Wall, the massive bulwark defended by the Crab Clan, and the twisted Shadowlands beyond. This incredible piece was created by Rémi Bostal.

In case you missed the minis we showcased last year, check out this post to see previews of Hida Yakamo, Shiba Tsukune, the Isha, Moto Tsume, and more!

Follow Now on Gamefound

Champions of Rokugan is a beautiful miniatures-based board game from Monolith, allowing one to five players to recreate the most epic moments of the Clan Wars. It is coming soon to crowdfunding, so be sure to follow the upcoming Champions of Rokugan campaign on Gamefound to get all the latest updates. If you follow the campaign now and later back it using the same email address, you’ll receive a free, exclusive miniature of Togashi Yokuni as part of your pledge!  You can also sign up for the L5R email newsletter to receive all the news from Rokugan directly in your inbox!

And check out these close-ups of Rémi Bostal’s diorama of the Carpenter Wall!