Casualty ratios

[Dwimmerlaik]

I was curious as to the number of casualties in actual battles of the Sengoku Jidai, I realise that the ratios in the game are highly unlikely..I would think that an army of 960 men would withdraw after casualties reach about 200, however in the game they can stay and fight untill less than a hundred are left. Is there precedence for this?

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To be happy it is necessary not to be too intelligent
- Flaubert-

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[Ronin]

it isn´t very normal but it isn´t unprecedented if you take the nagashino example: The takeda army was defeted with 10000 dead of an army of 15000 that´s 67%
And the Oda/Tokugawa side who were the victorios lost6000 out of 38000 someting like 16%

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"yama yama tani tani"- Oda Nobunaga.
on every montain and in every valley!

[Zen Blade]

Dwimmer,

have you been to Seal's site? I beilieve in the battle section you can read under a few battles the estimated dead/injured (and percent of dead relative to the entire army).

However, STW is definitely unrealistic as far as casualties and such. However, it is also unrealistic in how armies engage and as such the casualties reflect that. In the Sengoku Jidai, most military commanders would hold back a decent percentage of their force and use it as a rotating reserve.

-Zen Blade

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Zen Blade Asai
Red Devil
Last of the RSG

[Dwimmerlaik]

Zen_Blade, what's the URL?

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To be happy it is necessary not to be too intelligent
- Flaubert-

http://cgi.tripod.com/smilecwm/cgi-bin/s/ff4summon/indra.gif

[Kurando]

FwS' awesome site is located here: Samurai Archives (http://www.techjapanese.com/~samurai/index.html)

They have a poll up at the moment to pick your favorite samurai movie; so make sure you vote while you are there. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Dwimmerlaik]

Thanks Kurando!!

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To be happy it is necessary not to be too intelligent
- Flaubert-

http://cgi.tripod.com/smilecwm/cgi-bin/s/ff4summon/indra.gif

[loi428]

Most warriors in Japan found it a dishonor to run away from battle. That is why I think after many casualty the warrior still fights on.

[Anssi Hakkinen]

Samurai armies certainly withstood greater casualties than their European counterparts (before Sengoku Jidai) because they were composed mainly of professional soldier-noblemen, as opposed to levied peasants, men-at-arms and mercenaries that were the primary ingredient of European armies since time immemorial.

The samurai ethics were certainly a part of the phenomenon as well - several battles produced almost 100% casualties on the losing side because of mass suicides. Dan-no-ura (the final battle of the Gempei Wars) and the battle for Kagoshima (1587) are just two examples.

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"Crystal clear, / Sharp and bright, / The sacred sword / Allows no opening / For evil to roost."
- Ueshiba Morihei O-Sensei