Embracing Change: The Mandate

Change can be a curious thing, don’t you think? Sometimes it feels like a gentle breeze, subtly shifting the path we walk. Other times, it hits us like a storm, washing away the familiar and replacing it with something new.

This is especially true when it comes to the digital landscape. The online world is in a constant state of flux, forever transforming and evolving. With every passing day, new tools, technologies, and trends emerge, challenging us to adapt and stay ahead.

Today, as I navigate the vast ocean of possibilities before me, I find myself faced with a unique challenge – the Mandate.

The Mandate is more than just a catchphrase or a passing trend. It is a call to action, a reminder that staying stagnant is not an option. It’s a call to embrace change, and to do so with open arms.

But what does it mean to embrace change? For me, it means being open-minded, willing to explore new ideas and approaches. It means stepping out of my comfort zone, daring to try something different. It means acknowledging that the status quo is not always the best path forward.

Embracing change also means staying curious, constantly asking questions and seeking knowledge. It means being adaptable, ready to adjust and pivot as new information arises. It means recognizing that the world is not black and white, but a vibrant tapestry of colors and possibilities.

So, why is embracing change so important? The answer lies in the power of growth. When we resist change, we limit our potential and prevent ourselves from reaching new heights. Change is the catalyst for innovation, pushing us to think creatively and find new solutions.

By embracing change, we also become more resilient. Change is inevitable, and the ability to adapt will determine our success in an ever-changing world. Resilience is the key that allows us to weather the storms of uncertainty and come out stronger on the other side.

Ultimately, embracing change is a choice. It’s a decision to let go of the familiar and embrace the unknown. It’s a commitment to personal and professional growth, always striving to be better than I was yesterday.

So, as I embark on this journey, I invite you to join me. Embrace change with an open heart and an open mind. Embrace the Mandate and let it guide you to new and exciting possibilities.

Together, we can navigate the ever-changing digital landscape and come out on top.

When the game begins, the player whose Clan holds the highest position on the Honor track becomes the first to take a turn with the Political Mandates deck.

In subsequent Seasons, the player to the left of the one who took the last Mandate Turn in the previous Season is the first to perform a Mandate Turn.

To easily remember this rule, keep the Political Mandates deck close to the player who will play it next.

During a Mandate Turn, the player currently in possession of the Political Mandates deck draws the top 4 Mandate tiles and looks at them secretly. They choose 1 Political Mandate to use and return the other 3, face-down, to the top of the deck without reshuffling.

When it’s my turn, I pick a Political Mandate card from the deck. The Political Mandate card tells me what action I can take this turn. I put the card faceup on the board, so everyone can see what action I’ll be doing.

I bet you’ve wondered why it’s such a big deal to choose the right keyword for your content. Well, let me tell you, it’s not as simple as it seems. You see, when I’m writing a piece, I have to think about how people will find it, how search engines work, and how I can make my content stand out. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle, don’t you think?

So, here’s the thing: keywords are like magic words that unlock doors leading to your content. When someone types a search query, search engines use these keywords to find relevant content and show it to the searcher. That’s why it’s so important to understand how keywords work and choose the right ones for your content.

But wait, there’s more! Keywords are a double-edged sword. On one side, they can help you get more visibility and attract the right audience to your website. On the other side, if you choose the wrong keywords or use them too much, you can end up hurting your website’s ranking. It’s all about finding the balance.

Now, let me share some tips with you. When you’re choosing keywords, think about what people are looking for. What words would they type in the search bar? Put yourself in their shoes and imagine what would catch your attention. Also, pay attention to long-tail keywords – they may have less competition and can bring you more targeted traffic.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to limit yourself to single-word keywords. Sometimes, phrases or questions can be great keywords too. Think about what people would ask if they were looking for content like yours. Use that to your advantage!

And here’s a pro tip for you: use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find keyword ideas and see how often people search for them. This will give you a better idea of what keywords to focus on.

So, next time you’re writing a piece, take some extra time to choose the right keywords. They will be the magic words that guide people to your content and make it shine. Remember, keywords are the key!

Here’s how it goes: I get to choose a Political Mandate, and then everyone takes their turn performing it. The player to my left goes first, and we keep going in a circle. It’s important to note that I’ll be the last one to perform the Mandate I chose, except for the Train Mandate, which works differently (page 16 has all the details on that). Each Political Mandate has different effects, and you can find a summary of them on the Political tile behind your Clan screen. Now, all Mandates have two parts: one that everyone can do and one bonus part only I and my ally (if I have one) can do, except for the Betray Mandate.

In this game, each player takes turns performing a chosen Mandate. The player who selected the Mandate, as well as their Ally, are the only ones allowed to perform the Mandate’s Bonus. Each player takes their turn in clockwise order, one by one, until all players have performed a Mandate.

After the current Mandate Turn is completed, the current player passes the facedown deck of remaining Political Mandates to the player on their left. This new player becomes the next current player and executes the next Mandate Turn, unless the Political Track indicates that a Kami Turn must be performed next.

Now, let’s delve into the details of each of the 5 Political Mandates that a player can select.

Recruit

The Recruit Mandate is a powerful ability that allows me to strategically position more of my figures on the board, strengthening my forces. When I choose this Mandate, I have the advantage of observing my opponents’ moves before deciding where to place my own figures.

Hold on, this is important!

Now, here’s how it works for all players: I can bring forth one figure from my reserve and deploy it to each Province where I have a Stronghold. For instance, if I have three Strongholds on the Map, I have the flexibility to summon three distinct figures. Each of these figures must be placed in the Provinces that house my Strongholds. So, the more Strongholds I possess, the more figures I can call into action!

Did you know that a player can have multiple Strongholds in the same Province? It’s true! And if they do, they have the power to Summon a number of figures to that Province equal to the number of Strongholds they have there. It’s like having your own little army!

But here’s the catch: there’s no limit to the number of figures that can occupy each Province. So, you better be careful not to run out of figures in your reserve. Once you do, you won’t be able to Summon any more of them.

Let’s Talk About You

Now, let’s say you have a Stronghold. Well, guess what? You get to Summon one additional figure to that Stronghold, even if you’ve already Summoned a figure there. It’s like a special bonus just for you! So make the most of it and strengthen your forces.

A Tip for Negotiating

When you have more Strongholds than your opponents, recruiting becomes advantageous. You’ll be able to gather more figures than them, giving you an edge in the game. To further your advantage, you can even bribe another player to choose this Mandate at the most opportune time for you.

Once you assign a Shinto to a Shrine, that Shinto will remain there for the entire Season. It’s a good idea to discuss with your Ally which Kami each of you will worship, to avoid wasting a Shinto needlessly.

How to Summon Shinto

When I summon a Shinto warrior, I have the option to send it to climb the holy mountains and worship one of the Kami. If I choose to do so, the Shinto is taken from the province where it was summoned and placed on any of the 4 shrine tiles on the top of the board. Each shrine can hold multiple Shinto figures, so there’s no limit to how many can be there.

A Shinto worshipping at a shrine is separate from the map. It can’t be moved to the map or to a different shrine.

Example: So, here’s what happens in the game of LOTUS. When it’s my turn as the LOTUS player, I get to play Recruit. But before that, all the other players get to do their thing. After they’re done, it’s my turn to shine. Since I have a whopping 3 Strongholds on the Map (2 in Kyushu and 1 in Nagato), I can Summon a total of 4 figures. That’s right, 4! I decide to bring a Bushi and a Shinto to the Kyushu Strongholds, a Shinto to the Nagato Stronghold, and, as a bonus, I Summon the Yurei Monster I kept in reserve to Nagato. Pretty cool, huh? But that’s not all. I also decide to send my Nagato Shinto to worship Hachiman in his Shrine. Gotta keep the gods happy, you know?

Let’s Play!

Hey there, let’s talk about the Marshal Mandate and how it affects our game strategy. With this mandate, I have the power to Move my figures on the Map wherever I want, and even build new Strongholds if needed. It’s a pretty cool advantage!

Here’s what you need to know:

As a player, I can Move each of my figures on the Map to a neighboring Province. I can do this by crossing a Border or using a Shipping Route. The choice is mine! I have the flexibility to Move as many figures as I want or none at all. However, I can only Move each figure once during the Marshal Mandate, so I need to plan carefully.

Here’s what happened: I’m playing as the DRAGONFLY player, so I’ll be the last one to take my turn. The KOI player, on the other hand, gets to make their moves first. They start by Moving a Bushi from Kansai to Nagato, crossing a Border. Then, they use the Shipping Routes to move their Oni of Blood and Daimyo to Hokkaido. They decide not to Move the Bushi in Edo, and they can’t Move the Shinto in the Raijin Shrine since figures on the Shrines can never be Moved. Lastly, because they are Allied with my DRAGONFLY Clan and I chose the Mandate, they get to enjoy the Marshal Bonus. They spend 3 Coins to build a new Stronghold in Shikoku.

Negotiation Tip

Winning without fighting is a smart move. When playing the game, try to form alliances with other players. This way, there’s a chance you can take control of a Province without facing any opposition when War breaks out.

You and Your Ally

If you want, you can spend 3 Coins to construct a new Stronghold anywhere on the Map. To do this, you just need to discard 3 Coins into the common pile. Then, take one Stronghold token from your Reserve and place it in any Province you desire.

The new Stronghold doesn’t have to be next to your existing Stronghold, and there’s no limit to the number of Strongholds you can have in each Province. However, keep in mind that you can only build a maximum of 4 Strongholds in total.

Train

When it comes to the Train Mandate, you have the chance to get new Season cards for your Clan. These cards will upgrade your Clan with amazing new abilities and even add Monsters to your ranks.

But here’s the catch – unlike other Mandates, if you choose the Train Mandate, you get to go first! This means you have the first pick of all the available cards.

All Players

When you choose the Train Mandate, you can acquire one of the Season cards currently displayed next to the board. All you have to do is pay its Coin cost. Once you’ve chosen the card you want, you’ll discard the number of Coins listed on the card to the common pile (some cards are even free!). Finally, you’ll place the newly-acquired Season card faceup next to your Clan screen for everyone to see.

Once you’ve acquired the card, its ability will take effect immediately.

Hey there! Here’s some important info you need to know:

The Player and their Sidekick

When you pick up a Season card, you can pay 1 Coin less than its original cost (but not less than 0). Just remember, you can only get one Season card during each Train Mandate.

The TURTLE player is the one who plays Train and gets to pick a Season card. I pick the Oni of Skulls Monster card, which costs 2 Coins. I played the Mandate, so the Train Bonus lets me pay 1 Coin less. I take 1 Coin from my reserve and put the card I chose next to my Clan Screen.

Here’s a tip when negotiating. If you notice that your opponent doesn’t have many Coins left and they really want a card from the Train Mandate, offering to help pay for it can give you a strong advantage.

Now let’s talk about acquiring Monsters.

When you get a Monster Season card, you not only put the card next to you, but you also get the corresponding Monster figure. You attach a counter base of your Clan color to the figure and immediately bring it into play in any Province where you have a Stronghold.

Now, the Monster is counted as one of your Clan’s figures, just like your Daimyo, Shinto, and Bushi. It has 1 Force, unless it says otherwise. If the Monster is defeated, it goes back to your reserve and can be brought back into the game just like any other Clan figure. You can have as many Monsters as you want in your Clan.

So here’s what happens: when it’s my turn to play as the TURTLE, I grab a counter base that matches my color and stick it onto the Monster figure. Then, without wasting any time, I bring the Monster to one of the Provinces where I’ve got a Stronghold set up.

Gathering Resources

The Harvest Mandate is a special rule that gives players a chance to earn some Coins and enjoy the benefits of the Provinces they control.

For all players, the Mandate allows me to acquire 1 Coin from the common pile. It’s a small but helpful bonus that adds to my resources.

But if I am the current player and I have an ally, things get even better. The Mandate lets us collect the rewards from each Province where we have the most Force. We go through each Province one by one and add up the Force from all the figures in our Clans.

However, we only receive rewards from the Provinces where our figures have more Force than any other Clans. In case of a tie, the player with the highest Honor is considered to have the most Force in that Province.

So, with the Harvest Mandate, I can gain Coins and enjoy the benefits of my controlled Provinces. It’s an opportunity to strengthen my position and gain an advantage over my opponents.

Hey there! Let me tell you about a cool player called the DRAGONFLY. When the DRAGONFLY player plays Harvest, they automatically gain a Coin. After that, they get to perform the Mandate Bonus. Here’s the interesting part: they check all Provinces where they have a presence, and see which one has the most Force.

Let’s go through some examples to make it clearer. First up is Nagato. The DRAGONFLY Clan is the only one with Force there, so they score a Victory Point, a Coin, and receive a Ronin token. Nice, right? Next is Kansai. The DRAGONFLY Clan has 2 Force there, while the LOTUS and TURTLE only have 1 each. As a result, the DRAGONFLY Clan gets 3 Victory Points. Sweet!

Now we move on to Kyoto. The DRAGONFLY Clan has 2 Force, and the TURTLE Clan also has 2 Force. However, since the DRAGONFLY Clan currently has higher Honor than the TURTLE Clan, they receive an additional 4 Victory Points. Awesome! Edo is next. Both the DRAGONFLY and KOI Clans have 1 Force there. But since the KOI Clan has higher Honor, the DRAGONFLY Clan doesn’t get any Harvest Reward for Edo. Bummer, right?

Finally, there’s Oshu. The KOI Clan has 2 Force there, while the DRAGONFLY Clan only has 1. So, unfortunately, the DRAGONFLY Clan doesn’t receive any Reward for Oshu.

Now, here’s a negotiation tip for you: always take into account the Force presence and Honor of the Clans in different Provinces. By following these strategies, you’ll have a better chance of maximizing your rewards. Good luck!

Timing is crucial when it comes to Harvest in the game of Harvest – your actions have consequences. If you know that a bountiful Harvest is on the horizon, you might make a deal with your Ally. Promise them some of the rewards that will come their way if they help you with the Harvest right now.

Let’s take a look at the rewards that each Province may offer:

1. Victory Point: This reward allows you to advance your Clan marker by one slot on the Victory Point Track at the bottom of the board.

2. Coin: With this reward, you can take one Coin from the common pile.

3. Ronin: This reward grants you one Ronin token from the common pile.

Now, let’s talk about the option to Betray.

When it comes to the different Mandates in the game, one really stands out – Betray. Unlike the others, it’s a powerful action that only benefits the player using it. With this move, I can turn my opponents’ figures to my side, but it comes with a price. It creates irreparable rifts in any Alliance, making it a dangerous strategy that should be approached with caution.

If I’m already part of an Alliance, using the Betray action will immediately break it. Not only that, but I will also lose Honor in the process. However, if I’m not in an Alliance to begin with, I won’t lose any Honor when using Betray. It’s a tricky move that requires careful consideration and clever thinking.

When you play the game Betray, you have the power to make some big moves. You can choose two figures on the map, and replace them with figures from your own reserve. There are some rules to keep in mind. First, you can’t replace two figures that belong to the same player. That wouldn’t be fair, would it? You also can’t replace an opponent’s figure with one of yours if it’s already on the board. And lastly, you can’t replace an opponent’s figure with a different type of figure from your reserve. Make sure you choose figures of the same type!

Now, what happens to the figures you replace? Don’t worry, they’re not gone forever. They are returned to the reserve of their owners. So even though it may look like they were defeated, they’re not really out of the game. Keep in mind that if you just broke your alliance with someone, you don’t have to replace one of their figures. That’s only fair, right?

But wait, the power of betrayal doesn’t apply to all figures. Daimyo figures are untouchable. You can’t affect them with your betrayal moves. They’re too strong for that!

When it comes to the Shrines in this game, the Shinto figures that you find there are special. They are not affected by Betrayal, which is a powerful ability. Unlike other figures on the Map, the Shinto figures on the Shrines cannot be turned against you.

If you want to replace a figure on the Map with one from the Shrines, there is a rule you need to know. You can only do this if you have a figure of the same type in reserve. So, if you want to swap out a figure on the Map, make sure you have the right replacement ready.

Replacing a figure from the Shrines is different from summoning a figure. The figure you take from the Shrines cannot be sent to worship like other summonable figures. It’s a special ability that only works for replacing figures on the Map.

Here’s a tip for negotiation:

Even when you’re trying to betray a player, you still have a way to negotiate. You have the power to remove almost any figure from the Map. So, why not use this leverage to your advantage? You can make requests to your opponent in exchange for sparing one of their valuable assets. It’s a strategic move that could greatly benefit you in the game.

Example: When I play Betray, I can swap out the Oni of Skulls Monster on my TURTLE team and replace it with the Komainu Monster I have in Reserve. I can also switch out one of my DRAGONFLY Bushi and replace it with another Bushi from my Reserve.