Tatsu cover
2016BGG rank #5,308

Tatsu

by John Yianni · Gen42 Games

Browsing is free. Ask BoardGameBrain about this game when rules coverage is ready.

Players2
Time30–45m
ComplexityLight
Age8+

About the game

What is Tatsu?

Tatsu is a two-player game in which players control three different types of dragon pieces. By rolling two six-sided dice to decide movement and either combining or splitting the values, the pieces travel round the inside circle of the board, only swapping to the outer circle when landing on the same space as another piece, which will affect the piece in the following ways: Vine dragons (green) entangle a player’s dragon. Water dragons (blue) expel a player’s dragon off the board, back to their holding tray. Fire dragons (red) destroy a player’s dragon, removing it entirely from play. Victory is gained when a player manages to destroy all of one type of the opposition's dragons or knocks all the opposition’s dragons off the board so that none remain in play. The Story Japanese legend tells of a great battle between two mighty Dragon Lord armies, locked in combat on the peaks of Mount Hotaka, competing to win the hand of Princess Kushinada, the last and most beautiful of eight sisters. A battle so ferocious, that the villagers fearing for their lives, acquire the help of a powerful Wizard, who casts a spell over the Dragon Lords to keep them imprisoned in a circle of combat and to be freed only at the battle’s end. Their struggle continues to this very day, even though the Princess and their fateful story have long passed into legend.

How it plays

Mechanics

Roll / Spin and MoveStatic CaptureTake That

On the shelf

Categories

Abstract StrategyDice

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Tatsu?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?