Sword Of Shoguns Slot Review: Rules, Features and RTP

Sword Of Shoguns game artwork by Thunderkick

Sword of Shoguns gives its expanding-symbol bonus an unusual starting condition: six different reel heights change order during ordinary play. The layout present when the bonus triggers then stays in place for the feature. A Sword serves as both a substitute and an entry symbol, while another paying type is selected to expand. Understanding that division explains why the bonus is more than simply filling reels with the Sword itself.

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Sword Of Shoguns at a glance

Provider	Thunderkick
Genre / theme	Asian
Game type	Video slot
Reels / grid	6 reels; heights2,3,4,5,6,7 in changing order
Reference RTP	96.15%
Volatility	Very High
Payout mechanic	5,040 pay ways
Maximum win	25200 the bet
Main features	Random reel-height order; three Swords open randomly allocated Free Spins; selected expansion; retriggers add spins and expanding types, maximum four.

RTP and stake limits can vary by version and market. Check the information screen in the game you open. Maximum win is a ceiling, not an expected result.

The heights move while the ways count stays fixed

The six reels hold two, three, four, five, six and seven symbols, with their order changing between ordinary spins. The published win system has 5,040 ways. This is a rearrangement of a set of heights rather than an assertion that every reel grows simultaneously. Matching symbols generally need three adjacent reels beginning at the left, while the highest-paying male character can pay with two matching appearances.

The Sword combines Wild and Scatter functions. It can help regular combinations and, when three land anywhere, activate Free Spins. Its dual role does not make it the bonus’s selected expanding symbol: the selection excludes the Sword. This matters when reading the board, because an icon that helped entry can have a different job from the paying type whose expansion the player is waiting to see.

The triggering layout is locked for the bonus

Before Free Spins begin, the game randomly awards five, seven, eight, nine, ten or twelve spins and chooses a paying symbol to expand. The reel-height arrangement from the triggering spin stays fixed throughout the bonus. When enough selected symbols appear, they cover their respective reels and pay in Scatter style, without requiring the occupied reels to be consecutive. The ordinary left-to-right rule and the expansion evaluation therefore have different conditions.

The normal expansion threshold is three appearances of the selected type, reduced to two for the highest-paying male character. This exception is attached to that symbol, not to every premium icon. A useful locked arrangement can provide more positions on particular reels, but the player does not choose either that arrangement or the selected type. A large opening count still needs the expansion condition to occur.

Retriggers build a collection of expanding types

Three Swords during Free Spins award another three, four, five, six or seven spins and add an expanding symbol. Up to four expanding types can be collected. Once all four are awarded, Swords are removed from the reels. The rule sets a definite limit on progression: it should not be described as an unlimited stream of new expansion types or a guarantee of further Sword retriggers after that point.

Where offered, direct bonus entry costs 120x the stake. The supplementary rules distinguish its return setting from ordinary play, so the current official 96.15% RTP figure is not presented as universal across entry modes. The official card labels volatility very high, and the confirmed win ceiling is 25,200x the stake. A paid entry purchases access to the random opening setup; it does not choose the spin allocation or assure a return above its cost.

Strengths and weak points

Strengths

Changing reel-height order gives the ordinary game a distinct setup, and locking that setup in Free Spins makes the expansion board easy to follow across the bonus.

Weaknesses

The opening spin allocation and expanding type are random. Expansion requires enough matching appearances, and collecting four types removes Swords, limiting further retrigger progression through that symbol.

Our Editor’s View

Sword of Shoguns makes its bonus identity depend on a locked arrangement, a randomly chosen expanding symbol and a bounded collection of further types. Its strength is connecting the ordinary layout directly to the feature that follows. The limitation is that several appealing ingredients must still align: a useful configuration, enough selected symbols and timely retriggers. Readers who enjoy an expanding-symbol format with a variable starting board may appreciate that structure, while the four-type limit and separate bonus-buy configuration prevent the feature from being mistaken for an open-ended accumulation system.