The Great Clans of Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo

Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo invites players to play as one of seven powerful samurai clans that dominate the magical realm of Rokugan.

You’ll be able to choose between the stalwart Crab Clan, the elegant Crane Clan, the enigmatic Dragon Clan, the courageous Lion Clan, the mystical Phoenix Clan, the cunning Scorpion Clan, and the far-ranging Unicorn Clan.

For over a thousand years, those clans have clashed for power and prestige, dueled for love and revenge, and—when needed—sacrificed themselves to protect their land from ancient evils.

Though they all owe loyalty to the same Emperor, the Great Clans’ philosophies and motives differ enough that conflict is inevitable. Open warfare between the clans might be outlawed by imperial edict, but in practice, the clans regularly come to blows, marshaling armies to contest territory, pursue vengeance, or win glory. Some battlegrounds, like the city of Toshi Ranbo, have been the focus of fighting for centuries.

Prior to battle, powerful lords known as daimyō call upon their vassals to conscript ashigaru spearmen and archers from the local peasantry. Ashigaru, or farmers-turned-soldiers, are recognizable by their lightweight armor and conical hats.

Although ashigaru constitute the bulk of a lord’s fighting force, victory is determined by the samurai of Rokugan’s warrior class: elite swordsmen, mounted cavalry, powerful elementalists known as shindōshi, and other specialized units unique to the clans.

Read on to learn more about the seven Great Clans of Rokugan, their strengths in battle, and their individual fighting styles.

The Crab Clan

Endless hordes of monsters, demons, and undead from the Shadowlands would overrun Rokugan were it not for the Crab and the Great Carpenter Wall they defend. The horrors they must constantly endure have hardened the resolve of their samurai, forging the Crab’s armies into a nigh-unbreakable bulwark.

The Crab Clan’s samurai wear some of the heaviest armor of all the clans. Its heroes can withstand attacks that would fell lesser warriors, and they are undaunted when facing overwhelming odds. The clan’s engineering expertise lets it build structures quickly, including highly defensible field fortifications.

The Crab’s master merchants work behind the scenes to ensure the clan always has enough coin, and these traders also maintain the logistics that are essential to feeding, moving, and outfitting Crab troops.

The Crane Clan

The Crane Clan elevates politics to an art form, and its emissaries, artisans, and courtiers wield culture and etiquette to foster peace between the clans. Should diplomacy fail, however, its armies stand ready. The Crane’s legendary swordsmen and “Iron Warriors” fill out their rank and file, while scouts harry enemy forces from the flanks.

Owing to its fertile fields and abundant shores, the Crane is a rich clan, and the resulting surplus koku affords them great flexibility. It is also a prestigious clan, and its clout in the Imperial Court sometimes allows the Crane to act with impunity.

The Crane nurture friendships as deftly as they cultivate their gardens, currying favors that can be called in when they need them most. And as a clan that values peace, their astrologers’ predictions let the Crane make the most of those battles they must fight.

The Dragon Clan

It is said that Dragon warriors are monks, and their monks are inexplicable. From its mountain strongholds in the north, the Dragon Clan reflects on the world and seeks out its wisdom. But in times of turmoil and destiny, the clan’s tattooed monks and dual-wielding warriors make the Dragon’s elite armies a force to be reckoned with.

A clan of contradictions, Dragon Clan samurai are both down-to-earth and mystical, and the clan draws strength from close ties with the common people as well as monasteries and shrines. Compared to other clans, its armies are smaller, but as a result the Dragon can deploy its forces faster. What they lack in numbers, they make up for in quality.

Finally, the Dragon Clan Champion’s powers of prophecy ensure his soldiers are at the right place at the right time.

The Lion Clan

The Lion Clan is synonymous with warfare in Rokugan, having protected the Emerald Empire from direct military threats since its founding. The clan boasts the largest standing army of all the clans, with the sharpest tacticians, fiercest fighters, and most courageous soldiers in the realm.

In the early days of the empire, the Lion Clan’s founder, Akodo “One-Eye,” not only created the code by which a samurai should live, but he also wrote the treatise that would lay the foundation for military strategy and tactics for centuries to come.

Akodo understood that secure supply lines are crucial to victory, and the Lion’s economic interests in the prosperous City of the Rich Frog and surrounding regions helps the clan’s goals of fielding the most troops and holding as large a front line as possible.

The Phoenix Clan

The Phoenix are the masters of magic, more deeply in tune with the elements of Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void than any other clan. Most members of the clan are pacifists who resist violence, but when they must march into battle, the Phoenix wield the fury of typhoons, earthquakes, wildfires, and tsunamis.

The samurai of the Phoenix are the caretakers of the empire’s soul and its shrines, and they draw strength from the spirits that dwell there. The members of its Elemental Council are the most studied and powerful shindōshi in the realm, capable of moving troops with the swiftness of the wind or raising the earth itself in defense of their holdings.

And by studying the mysteries behind the meaning of their clan’s symbol, the Phoenix’s samurai find renewal in sacrifice.

The Scorpion Clan

The samurai of the Scorpion Clan are sworn to defend the empire by any means necessary, even if that means sacrificing their wealth, their reputations, or their very lives. The clan deploys clandestine agents to undermine its enemies before ever meeting them on the battlefield, training Rokugan’s best spies, saboteurs, and shinobi.

The Scorpion prioritizes cultivating information networks in territories it controls and supplanting enemy informants, ensuring the clan is always one step ahead of their opponents. The clan’s agents use this information to deadly effect, whether to extort local magistrates for peasant levies, incapacitate enemy leaders, or eliminate strategic units. Scorpion strategists are master contingency planners, layering schemes within schemes to maintain the upper hand.

The Unicorn Clan

The Unicorn Clan spent long centuries journeying beyond Rokugan’s borders in search of new allies—and to understand outside threats. Its samurai brought back with them new traditions, magic, weapons, tactics, and techniques that make the mounted archers and warriors of the Unicorn Clan’s cavalry unmatched.

Riding atop powerful steeds bred for battle, the sheer speed with which the Unicorn Clan moves its forces can secure victory. A good Unicorn commander aims to outflank their enemies, and should that fail, their archers can rain down death from afar. When the Unicorn cavalry assaults their foes head-on, the legendary Battle Maidens lead the charge.

Its samurai are most at home in the open plains, but the Unicorn Clan still maintains diverse holdings in the Burning Sands, yielding profits and equipment that grants them a powerful advantage.

Seven Clans, Seven Strategies

Each of the seven great clans offers a distinct playstyle, and the endless combinations of clan matchups possible in Gunsen make it an incredibly replayable experience, if we don’t say so ourselves.

After trying each Great Clan out, you might discover that one clan really speaks to your approach as a commander, or you might find there are several that you enjoy playing for different reasons. Have fun, explore, and conquer!

You can discover more about the clans, the families that comprise them, and some of their most heroic members on the Great Clans lore page hosted at LegendoftheFiveRings.com.

Gunsen: The Battle for Toshi Ranbo is available now, which clan will you fight for?