Hey,

I'm interested in playing Shogunate. Is there anywhere available character sheet and inventory options for each character so I can briefly hava a look before I buy expansion and models?

I have a video series on my blog that covers all the expansions up to Natalya at the moment.

http://miah000.blogspot.com/p/tannhauser-video-review-series.html

I covered all the Shogunate characters, and showed their Character Sheet, and most of their tokens and some of the rule books and cards.

U r a star!

One more: if I'd like to play Shogunate do I have to buy Operation Hinansho or just all models?

if you'd like to play a Shogunate-only team, yes. Hinansho has the faction-specific tokens you'd need. For the flags & CP counters, you could use the ones from one team you're not playing from the core set, but the Objective tokens would have specific skills, tailored to the Shogunate Heroes' skill sets.

Of course you could just use the flags, CPs and objectives of another faction not engaged in the field. There is no Shogunate sign an the back side, but there is no need to buy Hinansho just for these markers. of course, due to its map and other nice goodies I would strongly recommend buying it. But it is not absolutely necessary at all to play a shogunate team. Charakters are sufficient here.

And how could you describe Shogunate team (I haven't seen their rules yet)? Close combat specialists, tricky tricksters (traps, sneaky guys), long-range experts?

Mainly close combat, and a little bit tricksters. Quite weak at long range, as just Ashigaru has any skills really useful in this field.

I put a nice overview of all the characters on my blog (see signature below)

Katsuyori said:

I agree, they are the HtH specialists, I think that Iroh is the best HtH specialist in the game.

But actually IMO the best ranged skills are the Shin Agent skills. She rolls two extra dice if not sharing a path with the target at the start of her activation. Plus she makes opponent reroll 2 dice when she is being shot at with stamina pack. Downside is she has just a pistol as starting weapon.

I usually trade her pistol for the ashigaru automatic in first turn. Thats seven dice rolled. And she is the one to get the X5NR bonus token by default. that puts her on a usual range of 4-5 success range per shot.

I also tend to use wolf when I run with Shogunate to have one good guy to put in overwatch (+1 to stamina and +1 to combat) to overcome shogunate ranged shortcomings. With combat pack he shoots twice on overwatch and with Combat 7 he is usually on the 4-5 success range as well.

In CFT and Domination they have a very good hero, Mizu, she moves 8 and with her stamina pack she gets to move 3 circles once per turn after being declared as target, plus an insta drop smoke bomb, that makes her very difficult to catch if she is carrying a flag...