Bushido Civil Hands Unclean Review - Expanding the Starter

Just over 3 years ago, we reviewed the current 2-player starter set for Bushido Risen Sun. That set introduced 2 rival families, which could be included as ronin across all factions. Civil Hands Unclean, which adds new ronin sent in support of the families, is releasing soon as an expansion to the 2-player starter set. In this article, we'll have a look at the new fighters and which factions can use them. We also have a preview of an upcoming card that's currently in playtesting at the end of the review.

We've been covering Bushido for years, so if you'd like to learn more about the game, check out our guide to Bushido Risen Sun, our review of the Bushido Risen Sun 2-player starter set, and our "Start Collecting" guide to Bushido, which includes an interview with the game's developer.

Two Tribes Go To War

In the Bushido 2-Player Starter Set, the Hozumi and the Kiyozumi family are at war, framed by the Romeo and Juliet love story of Koga and Hinadori. Civil Hands Unclean is a 2-Player Starter Set Expansion, and while the Bushido 2PSS isn't required to use this product (the minitures it contains are Ronin and can be used by a variety of factions), it continues the story, and the contents add directly to the original box, taking both forces up to the full 100-rice warbands.

Old Reinforcements

Hozumi Daihanji, the senior Hozumi, has called on warriors from his past to assist in the feud. The first of these is Gocho, a battle-tested warrior, summoned back from retirement. While not a dangerous fighter, Gocho does well in groups of Ashigaru, with a ki feat that can grant other ashigaru within its aura a fear stat equal to the number of friendly ashigaru within it, and while Gocho has a Frightened marker, which his steadfast trait negates a lot of, other friendly ashigaru gain fearless.

Gocho can join Prefecture of Ryu, Minimoto, and Shiho warbands, and his Permission to Speak unique effect means that he can be included in themes for those warbands as if he were friendly ashigaru.

The second fighter Daihanji summoned is a former bandit leader who, after being defeated, swore to aid Daihanji when needed. Tozoku has some history with Kenmeina from the opposing family, which is demonstrated through the Hatred trait. In offence, Tozoku has a Bandit Blade ki feat that can remove enemy dice from a melee exchange, with the option for your opponent to transfer ki to Tozoku to keep the dice.

Tozoku also comes with a Hozumi Introduction enhancement that can be purchased, allowing them and other Hozumi models to be included in themes as if they were faction models. Tozoku can be taken by Ito, Silvermoon, Descencion, Jung, and Shiho warbands.

The Unwanted Cousin

To aid their cause, Kiyozumi Sadaka has called upon a distant cousin from the great Ito clan, Ito Saiaku. Although Ito in name, Saiaku's profile is a ronin profile, and they deploy with their 2 servants. Saiaku is an interesting unit. He can sacrifice either of the 2 servants to prevent damage and has a melee of 3 with Prowess (1), which allows him to reroll a dice during the exchange. He has to use fortune each turn, which is a coin flip to gain 2 or zero ki a turn. Saiaku and the 2 servants must also use leech each turn, which they can't do off each other, so you'll need to keep other fighters nearby, or risk them all gaining control markers and your opponent getting an action out of each of them.

Saiaku does have some solid ki feats, including a once per game that can stop your opponent outright winning the tactical roll that turn and also negating the tactician trait from the unit using it for the rest of the game. An aura ki feat that increases the cost of ki feats and ki boosts from all units within the aura by 1, and my favorite, Inflated Reputation, which gives Saiaku Fear (6) until the end of the turn, unless he has 3 marked wound boxes, as his facade fails.

Saiaku can also have any number of Enhancement - Equipment cards, and one of the servants, Tahei, has a ki feat that can add any permitted Ronin Enhancement - Equipment card to Saiaku. If this ability isn't used each turn, Saiaku and both servants are removed from play. So you will want to bring a stock of permitted equipment cards to throw on Saiaku throughout the game, gaining him more abilities with each turn, along with making sure Tahei has ki to spend and is nearby Saiaku to use it.

Ito Saiaku comes with the permanent unique effect of allowing themselves and Kiyozumi models to be taken in themes as if they were faction models, and can be taken as standard by the Cult of Yurei, Ito Clan, Silvermoon Syndicate, and the Shiho Clan.

Witches Boon

GCT Studios have kindly offered us a preview of an upcoming card for the next cycle deck that's currently undergoing playtesting, so is subject to change:

Jade Witch Enhancement

When the Attached model Targets a Soulless model with a Ki Feat, the Ki Feat loses {Opposed Ki}.

When the Attached model performs a Simple Ki Feat Action, this model gains a Spell Token.

The Attached model may remove 2 Spell Tokens to gain a third Activation Counter that turn but it must perform a Simple Ki Feat Action during that Activation.

For effects that count number of Shisai, this model counts as 2 Shisai. (it does not count as 2 models for any other purpose).

Requirement [Ayako] Rice Cost: 1 Max: 1

A messiah may draw the attention of the people, but the priestess has the notice of the kami.

This enhancement card, for the Ito Clan, means that Ayako's ki feats all become regular tests against soulless models, rather than opposed tests. All 3 of her ki feats are also simple, meaning that she can essentially use 2 ki feats a turn and still take another action. The final part of the enhancement, making Ayako count as 2 Shisai, means that for her own unique ability, she grants herself Resistance (2) and Willpower (2), giving her an advantage of opposed ki tests.

GCT will be revealing more cards from the upcoming cycle as it approaches release.

What Are Our Final Thoughts On Civil Hands Unclean?

Civil Hands Unclean includes some incredibly thematic new units that play into their lore very well. It expands the Bushido 2-Player Starter Set perfectly and adds interesting dynamics to the game. Not all factions can use the units in this set, Savage Wage, Shadow Wind, Temple of Ro-Kan, The Awoken and Kinshi Temple are locked out, but if you have the 2-Player Starter Set, you can build 2 100-rice warbands under the Kiyozumi and Hozumi themes, and add these units to any factions that allow their use.

The Bushido Civil Hands Unclean 2-Player Starter Set Expansion will be available soon as a Retailer exclusive.

The copy of Bushido Civil Hands Unclean Expansion used to produce this review was provided by GCT Studios.