How to Play Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North – Japanese Islands

1. Game Objective

In Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North – Japanese Islands, players take on the roles of two new Japanese clans (Saikoro and Umineko), competing to gain honor and glory through trade, exploration, and resource management. The exact victory conditions are not detailed in the provided context. Consult the manual for details on this section.

2. Setup

To prepare the game:

• Add the new Distant Islands cards to their corresponding deck.
• Add the new Near Islands cards to their corresponding deck.
• Players may now choose to play as one of the two new Japanese clans (Saikoro or Umineko) in addition to the existing factions.
• Each player receives their respective clan cards and Clan Ship tokens.

Consult the manual for details on this section.

3. Game Flow

The game follows a structured turn order with specific phases. For the Umineko clan, the phases are:

1. Observation Phase
2. Storage Phase – Resolve storage effects on cards by discarding assigned goods.
3. Delivery Phase
4. Actions Phase
5. Expedition Phase
6. Maintenance Phase

Consult the manual for details on other clans or additional phases.

4. Actions and How to Play

Clan Abilities

• Saikoro Clan: Expert negotiators who can trade with opponents. They may use opponents' cards, except those requiring card types they don’t have or cards with Storage or Assign effects.
• Umineko Clan: Specializes in managing goods in ports, with a focus on the Storage Phase.

Key Mechanics

• Exchange: When trading with an opponent, you choose the resource you give and take a different one from their stock. Identical resources cannot be exchanged.
• Give: When giving a resource to an opponent, select one from your stock and transfer it to theirs.
• Storage Effects: During the Storage Phase, discard assigned goods to activate card effects. If you assign double or triple the required goods, resolve the effect multiple times.

Example: The Commercial Counter (224) requires discarding 3 assigned goods to gain 3 resources and 1 additional resource. If 6 goods are assigned, resolve the effect twice.

Consult the manual for details on other actions.

5. End of Game and Scoring

The exact end-game trigger and scoring criteria are not detailed in the provided context. Consult the manual for details on this section.

6. Tips to Win

• Saikoro Clan: Leverage your trading advantage by negotiating with opponents for favorable exchanges.
• Umineko Clan: Maximize your Storage Phase by assigning extra goods to activate effects multiple times.
• Pay close attention to card interactions, especially those involving Storage or Exchange mechanics.