Seven clans, one fortress, and only one of them gets to write the history books. Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo is a new area-control game from Office Dog set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings, the long-running saga of honour and intrigue in the fantasy empire of Rokugan. It puts you in charge of one of the Great Clans as they fight for control of the contested border fortress of Toshi Ranbo.
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Set up your group for freeEach of the seven clans, Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Scorpion and Unicorn, comes with its own abilities and secret agendas, so no two games play out the same way. Over the course of a match you recruit legendary samurai, draft orders to bend the battle your way, and push to hit seven victory objectives before your rivals lock you out. It supports 2 to 6 players, ages 14 and up, and runs about 45 minutes, which is brisk for a game with this much scheming baked in.
Longtime L5R watchers might do a double take at the name. The game was first revealed as Tessen, but the team renamed it to Gunsen partway through development after realising another published game was already using a very similar title. Designers Ben Rosset and Matthew O'Malley are behind the box, with Office Dog handling publishing.
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Start organising for freeGunsen is set to hit retail on 28 August 2026, with an early showing at Gen Con. If your group loves a tense fight over territory with a bit of backstabbing, start lining up who plays which clan.
Sources: Office Dog Games | Legend of the Five Rings | ICv2
