Le Château Blanc : Duel (FR)

*French version

Le Château Blanc : Duel (FR) immerses you in the Nanban trade era, a pivotal time when Portuguese merchants reshaped Japan’s economy and political landscape. Two rival clans now confront each other at the court of the White Heron, centered around the iconic Himeji Castle, in a tense struggle for prestige and influence.

Designed exclusively for two players, this duel version delivers a streamlined yet highly strategic experience inspired by the original game. On each turn, you carefully use Lantern tokens to activate actions such as acquiring and upgrading Influence cards, placing clan seals in gardens or training grounds, advancing your courtier on the social ascension track, or trading with the Portuguese for valuable goods.

The game unfolds over two distinct phases. The first focuses on anticipation and engine building, while the second rewards precise timing and optimization. Throughout the match, you collect icons such as flags, katanas, kabutos, and origami figures, which interact in sophisticated ways during final scoring, ensuring strong strategic depth and replayability.

Le Château Blanc: Duel is perfect if you are looking for an expert two-player game that offers meaningful choices, tight interaction, and a rich historical theme seamlessly tied to its mechanics.

An interesting fact: despite its compact format and shorter playtime, this Duel edition preserves the full strategic density of Le Château Blanc, delivering intense and satisfying matches in about 30 minutes.

Created by Sheila Santos and Israel Cendrero and beautifully illustrated by Joan Guardiet, Le Château Blanc : Duel combines elegant visuals with thoughtful design to capture the refined yet competitive atmosphere of feudal Japan.

BOX CONTENTS
1 main board
2 personal domain boards
12 Weapon cards (green Influence cards)
12 Flag cards (blue Influence cards)
12 Origami cards (pink Influence cards)
15 Lantern cards
6 starting Resource cards
6 Action tiles
6 Social Ascension tiles
6 Location tiles
8 Garden tiles
4 Novice Training Ground tiles
4 Elite Training Ground tiles
6 Merchandise tiles
20 1-yen coins
20 Daimyo seals
16 Clan seals
12 Lantern pawns
2 Courtier pawns
6 Resource markers
2 Fan markers
4 Exchange tokens
1 First Player marker
2 Clan Point tiles +40/+80
Rulebook

Number of players: 2
Playing time: About 30 minutes
Age: 10+