Yoshikazu's Samurai Armour Sugoroku Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Yoshikazu's Samurai Armour Sugoroku, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

The order of dressing: from loincloth to helmet

Lesson 1

As the title says, the first half of the board is the order of putting on armour. Along the bottom row (squares 1–8) you put on a loincloth, undershirt, sash, short hakama, tabi socks, leggings and straw sandals, then shin guards.

Up the left column (9–13) come the thigh guards, the archer's glove, armoured sleeves (kote), the armpit guard and the body armour (domaru).

Along the top row (14–20) you tie the outer sash, add the shoulder guards (sode), tuck two swords into your belt, put on the throat guard, headband and face guard, and on square 20 the helmet.

Because the board is Yoshikazu's own print, zooming in on each square shows the figure putting on that very piece. The name is also spelled out in the label box under the board.

The start table: 1 is the loincloth, 6 the leggings

Lesson 2

The start square at the bottom right shows the numbers one to six in yellow circles, with the item each one leads to: 1 loincloth, 2 undershirt, 3 sash, 4 short hakama, 5 tabi and 6 leggings.

Those six squares sit in order just left of the start on the bottom row, each marked ① to ⑥ under its label. So the table is simply the rule of moving by your roll. Your first roll decides which piece you start dressing with.

These are the only printed numbers on the board. BGJ numbers the rest along the route and shows the number in the label box.

The red label at the right edge of the start square reads 振出し (start). From there you head left along the bottom row, dressing piece by piece.

From making ready to battle: back banner to command baton

Lesson 3

After the helmet, the right column (squares 21–24) prepares for battle: a back banner (sashimono), a spear holder, a wooden shield and a bundle of bamboo used as a bullet screen.

The inner bottom row (25–31) goes on with a matchlock gun, the first spear (the honour of first crossing spears), the horo cape that billows behind a rider, signal smoke, first into the enemy camp, bow and arrows, and a long-handled war rake.

The inner left column and top row (32–38) show a lone horseman, a naginata, a head register, a strategist, leather armour, great armour (the old, grand style) and a post-road bell.

The last column (39–41) is a commander's: the war fan (gunbai), the battle surcoat (jinbaori) and the command baton (saihai). Dressed as a general, you head for Victorious Return to Camp in the centre.

Finishing: the yellow panel's rule for extra pips

Lesson 4

The yellow panel to the left of the goal lists where extra pips send you. It begins "one extra, back to the saihai", then 2 to the surcoat, 3 to the war fan, 4 to the post-road bell and 5 to the great armour.

Each is the square that many steps back from the goal: 1 extra sends you one square back to the Command Baton (41), 5 extra five squares back to the Great Armour (37).

A house rule offers "Over is fine" (any roll that reaches the goal wins). "Bounce back" gives the same result as the printed rule on this board.

To count how far you are from the goal, look at the numbered dots (1 to 6) in the zoomed view: the dot on Victorious Return to Camp is the exact roll you need.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.