Shogun Showdown is a turn-based roguelike where you play a samurai fighting along a short, straight track. Your attacks come as tiles, small cards that each carry their own damage, reach and cooldown. You start every run with a couple of basic tiles, then build your set as you go, so knowing how they work helps you plan each fight.
Queue Timing
Turn-Passing Tiles
Katana
A no-cooldown strike against the cell right in front of you.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 0
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- A basic strike against the cell directly ahead.
Tetsubo
A heavy strike that hits the cell right in front of you.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 4
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 3
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- A basic strike against the cell directly ahead.
Sai
A timed forward strike that doubles its damage against an enemy attacking this turn.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 15
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Deals double damage if the target is about to attack this turn.
Blade of Patience
A queued strike that gains one damage each turn it waits.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 0
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 10
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Gains 1 damage for each turn it remains in the attack queue.
Hookblade
Chains forward attacks when each hit kills its target.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead, then one step forward after a kill
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- After a lethal strike, moves one step forward and strikes again for 1 less damage.
Dragon Punch
Pushes a struck enemy backward and can damage enemies it collides with.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 1
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pushes the target as far back as possible; collisions with other targets deal damage.
Bo
Turns an enemy around so its attack can point elsewhere.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Flips the target's facing.
Back Strike
A strong hit against the cell behind you.
- Range / Target
- Cell directly behind
- Damage
- 3
- Cooldown
- 3
- Skull Cost
- 15
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the cell directly behind the user.
Swirl
Hits adjacent enemies in front and behind at once.
- Range / Target
- Cells directly ahead and behind
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 3
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the cells directly ahead and behind.
Twin Tessen
Hits and pushes adjacent enemies on both sides.
- Range / Target
- Cells directly ahead and behind
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pushes targets as far back as possible; collisions with other targets deal damage.
Spear
A piercing strike that covers the two cells in front.
- Range / Target
- Two cells directly ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pierces the two cells directly ahead.
Shadow Kama
Strikes the second cell in front, skipping an adjacent enemy.
- Range / Target
- Cell two spaces ahead
- Damage
- 3
- Cooldown
- 3
- Skull Cost
- 6
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the cell at distance 2 ahead.
Nagiboku
Damages enemies on both sides without killing them.
- Range / Target
- Two cells ahead and two behind
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pierces but cannot kill; targets retain at least 1 HP.
Earth Impale
Hits enemies two spaces away in front and behind.
- Range / Target
- Cells two spaces ahead and behind
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the cells at distance 2 ahead and behind.
Meteor Hammer
Hits a target in front, then swings back behind you if the first hit lands.
- Range / Target
- First target up to 3 cells ahead, then the cell behind the user
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- After a successful forward hit, bounces back to strike the cell directly behind the user.
Blazing Suisei
Can hit a target at range and blast nearby units when the hit is lethal.
- Range / Target
- First target up to 3 cells ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- On a lethal strike, explodes for 2 damage to units in adjacent cells.
Shuriken
A quick ranged strike against the first enemy ahead.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 3
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the first target ahead.
Arrow
A ranged strike that hits the first enemy in its path.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes the first target ahead.
Kunai
Throws one-damage kunai equal to its attack value.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Throws as many kunai as the tile's attack value; each kunai deals 1 damage.
Mon
A high-damage ranged strike that costs one coin per use.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 5
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Spends 1 coin when used.
Crossbow
A piercing shot that can hit two enemies and needs an attack to reload.
- Range / Target
- First two targets ahead
- Damage
- 3
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 15
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pierces through the first two targets; after firing, it must be used again in an attack to reload.
Grappling Hook
Pulls the first enemy ahead into the cell in front of you.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 3
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pulls the target to the cell directly in front of the user.
Ki Push
Moves the first enemy ahead far away and can cause collision damage.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 0
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Pushes the target as far back as possible; collisions with other targets deal damage.
Tanegashima
A ranged strike that knocks both you and the target backward.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 4
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- After the hit, the attacker and target each recoil one cell; collisions may deal damage.
Chakram
Builds damage as enemies die, then hits enemies ahead and behind.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead and first target behind
- Damage
- 0
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Each enemy death adds 1 damage; the damage resets after use.
Lightning
A ranged strike aimed at the farthest enemy in front.
- Range / Target
- Furthest target ahead
- Damage
- 2
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 3
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Hits the furthest target ahead.
Scar Strike
Hits enemies that have already taken damage.
- Range / Target
- All targets below full HP
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 10
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Strikes all targets that have lost HP.
Trap
Places a trap in front of you that activates when an enemy steps onto it.
- Range / Target
- Empty cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 3
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 6
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Places a trap that triggers when a target steps on it.
Thorns
Sets a one-HP barrier in the cell ahead.
- Range / Target
- Empty cell directly ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Creates a 1-HP barrier.
Charge
Moves you toward the first enemy in front and hits it.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 4
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Dashes forward and strikes the first target ahead.
Shadow Dash
Passes through enemies to an open cell behind them.
- Range / Target
- First empty cell beyond targets ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Passes through targets and stops in the first empty cell behind them; has no effect if no empty cell is available.
Smoke Bomb
Swaps places with the first enemy in front.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 1
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Swaps positions with the first target ahead.
Back Charge
Moves backward and hits the first enemy behind you.
- Range / Target
- First target behind
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 3
- Skull Cost
- -
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Dashes backward and strikes the first target behind.
Back Shadow Dash
Passes through enemies behind you to reach an open cell farther back.
- Range / Target
- First empty cell beyond targets behind
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Passes through targets behind and stops in the first empty cell farther back; has no effect if no empty cell is available.
Back Smoke Bomb
Swaps places with the first enemy behind you.
- Range / Target
- First target behind
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 5
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- No
- Effect
- Swaps positions with the first target behind.
Queue Timing
Free-Play Tiles
Curse
Marks the first enemy ahead so the next hit deals double damage.
- Range / Target
- First target ahead
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 1
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Curses the target so it takes double damage from the next hit.
Sharp Turn
Turns you around and hits the adjacent cells on both sides without spending a turn to queue it.
- Range / Target
- Cells immediately ahead and behind
- Damage
- 1
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 3
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Turns the user around and strikes adjacent cells on both sides.
Signature Move
Adds the chosen hero's unique ability to the attack queue without passing a turn.
- Range / Target
- The selected hero's special move
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Performs the special move for the chosen hero.
Swap Toss
Switches the positions of objects in front of and behind you.
- Range / Target
- Contents of the cells directly ahead and behind
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 7
- Skull Cost
- 25
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Swaps the objects in the cells directly ahead and behind.
Dash
Moves forward as far as possible without spending a turn to queue it.
- Range / Target
- Forward as far as possible
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 10
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Dashes forward as far as the board allows.
Origin of Symmetry
Returns you to the battlefield center and trades places with any target there.
- Range / Target
- Center cell
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 30
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Teleports to the center cell, swapping positions with a target there if occupied.
Mirror
Crosses to the mirrored side of the battlefield and flips your facing.
- Range / Target
- Mirrored position across the battlefield center
- Damage
- -
- Cooldown
- 6
- Skull Cost
- 20
- Free-Play
- Yes
- Effect
- Moves to the mirrored position and reverses facing; at the center, turns around without moving.
What Tiles Are and How They Hit in Shogun Showdown
Tiles are the attack cards you use in battle. Each one shows a damage number, which is what it deals when it connects, plus a reach that decides which spaces it strikes. Some reach one space ahead, some reach two or farther, and a few hit behind your samurai or swap positions with an enemy. Most tiles only strike forward, so the direction you face counts as much as a tile's damage.
How Queuing and Cooldowns Work
You can line up to three tiles before you act, and the queue fires from the bottom up. Adding a tile to the queue usually uses up your turn, and enemies act after that. This is how you chain combos that can clear several enemies at once, but firing three tiles in a row can also leave your whole set cooling down.
A tile can only be queued once its cooldown is fully charged. After you use it, the cooldown starts over whether or not the tile hit, and it recharges by one at the end of each turn. Moving, turning and waiting each pass a turn too, so every action brings your tiles closer to ready, and all of them recharge fully at the start of a new level.
What Free-Play Tiles Do
Curse, Sharp Turn, Signature Move, Swap Toss, Dash, Origin of Symmetry and Mirror carry the Free-Play label. Unlike most tiles, queuing one of these doesn't use up your turn, so you can set it up without giving enemies a move.
Most of them have no damage number, since they're built to reposition or set up rather than hit hard. Signature Move is tied to your hero, because it performs that hero's special move.
The Freeplay enchantment can make a regular tile skip the turn too. It adds three to the cooldown, so you pay for that convenience with a slower recharge.
How to Get New Tiles
Every hero starts with two basic attacks, so early battles run on a small set. During a run, a few set levels and bosses swap the usual upgrade for a choice between two new tiles, and you can reroll that choice for a few coins.
Between runs, you use skulls to unlock new tiles. Skulls come from bosses, and the first unlocks are cheap, but prices climb quickly, so filling out the full set takes a while.
How to Upgrade Tiles
Most levels give you an upgrade, which you apply to one of your tiles. Options include more damage, shorter cooldowns, extra upgrade slots, and trades like cutting four off a cooldown for one point of damage.
A tile's upgrade slots top out at eight, and upgrades that add a slot don't use one up. Each new tile also gets a random max level between 2 and 4, and every upgrade uses up one point of it. Shops sell +1 max level, so a favorite tile can keep growing. After each region, the shops also sell upgrades like extra damage or a shorter cooldown for coins, and each purchase makes that upgrade pricier.
Enchantments add an effect such as Poison, Ice, Shockwave or Double-Strike, and every one raises the tile's cooldown. The cost runs from one more turn for Shockwave up to four for Double-Strike, which attacks twice. Most tiles can hold only one enchantment.
Which Tiles Matter Most
A few kinds of tiles come up again and again in player advice. Tiles that hit behind you are a common favorite. A backward strike saves the turn you'd spend turning around, and it can rescue you when enemies pin you against the edge of the track.
Heavy single hits get attention too. Players often point to Tetsubo, one of the hardest-hitting single strikes, as a way to take out tougher enemies in one hit.
Ranged tiles come up often as well, because they let you hit enemies without getting close. Curse is also worth knowing for boss fights, since a cursed target takes double damage from the next hit.
FAQ
Are skills the same as tiles in Shogun Showdown?
No. Tiles are the attacks and moves you queue in a fight, while skills are passive effects you buy in the shops after each region. Each hero also has a special move that isn't a tile, and Signature Move is the tile that lets you queue it.
What does the Perfect Strike enchantment do?
If a hit uses up exactly the enemy's remaining health, Perfect Strike recharges the tile right away. As an enchantment, it adds one to the tile's cooldown.
What is the Chakram tile in Shogun Showdown?
Chakram hits the first target ahead and the first target behind you. Each enemy death adds 1 damage to Chakram, and that bonus resets after you use it.