- BGG rating
- 7.8
Martial Art: Battlefields
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,949
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Martial Art
2016
Rules assistance for Martial Art
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Martial Art
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Martial Art is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jonathan Ruland and Adrian Marrs and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Simultaneous Action Selection.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Martial Art: Clans
- 2–4 players
- 10–30 min
- 2020
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About the game
Featuring historic Japanese artwork, Martial Art is a card game of factions warring for dominance of feudal Japan. The game consists of a series of battles in which players must anticipate their opponents' actions, build their hands, and manage their cards to acquire enough land and power to defeat the other clans and win the game. As clan leader, command your armies and muster forces to find the tools to conquer places of economic and cultural importance such as the capital Kyoto or the rising city of Edo. But to win takes more than foot soldiers. Provoke a peasant rebellion, influence the emperor to support your claim, or even distract the enemy commanders with lovely Geisha.
Designers
Publishers
- Spider-Goat Games
Questions and answers
Martial Art supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Martial Art is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Martial Art for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Martial Art has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Martial Art belongs to these categories: Card Game and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Simultaneous Action Selection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Martial Art are: Jonathan Ruland and Adrian Marrs. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Martial Art as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.