- BGG rank
- BGG #21,040
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Gangster Dice
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2015
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Rules assistance for Martial Art: Battlefields
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 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Martial Art: Battlefields
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Martial Art: Battlefields is an expansion for Martial Art released in 2018 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.
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About the game
The battle continues for feudal Japan in this expansion to Martial Art. Battlefields introduces two new mechanics: terrain and weather. Terrain cards may be played before battle to augment your battle card and affect the outcome. Because terrain is played before battle but the effects don't happen until later, other players may guess your intention and act accordingly. Alternatively, terrain may be used as a feint to trick your opponents before you surprise them with an unexpected battle card. Weather cards are shuffled into the land deck at the start of the game. When a weather card is drawn, its effect continues until a new weather is drawn to replace it. Weather will affect the battles in unpredictable ways, forcing you to adapt your strategy to what the battlefield is giving you. Will you charge your troops through the snow to capture a valuable bridge? Will you send your troops to battle during a severe drought? It is up to you to decide if the risk is worth the reward.
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- Spider-Goat Games
Questions and answers
Martial Art: Battlefields 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: Battlefields 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: Battlefields 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: Battlefields has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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: Battlefields belongs to these categories: Card Game, Medieval, and Expansion for Base-game. 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: Battlefields 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: Battlefields as an expansion for Martial Art. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Martial Art to use it. Check that your edition of Martial Art is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.