Pikemen and Muskets

[Steeleye]

ok, I've just come across a good general, using something that looks like its straight out of roundheads and cavaliers - namely a whole army of musksets backed up by many yari's. Unfortunately it was summer, and I was defending, so I only had 6 odd N-D units and 1 YC. I couldn't disrupt his musk's, as they were so well protected. After a few minutes of being slicedndiced I decided the only thing to do was to charge and try and get his gen', as he was slowly advancing and totally depleting my defending Yari's. In actual fact, the resulting mayhem wasn't too awful - I lost, but not awfully.

SO:- What's the best thing to do with these armies on sunny days? If you've got an attack army (eg:- many ND's/Monks), then I guess you just don't beat around the bush and charge in headlong (if they don't rout before they make contact). But i'm not sure what you do with a more balanced army. IDEAS PLEASE.

[Magyar Khan]

if u were defending and the attacker is chosing for some type of army cause he gambles on the weather and attacking him would bring u death, i would say ur allowed to shelter in the woods or behind an high hill.
but u said u had just some units, what koku were u playing?

[BakaGaijin]

The obvious thing to do would be to employ terrain to your advantage. Even gently-rolling hills can provide cover against musket-fire. Forests also work wonders. Force the enemy to get up close, then charge at the ends of his line with your Nodachi, going downhill if possible. The goal would be to kill as many of the muskets as possible. You should also hold your YC in reserve somewhere nearby so if he withdraws his muskets behind the Yari line, you can attack them with the YC while his Yari are occupied from the front.

[Vanya]

I bet them Yaris you faced were high honor too... at least higher honor than your yaris...

And charging head-on into gunfire is foolhardy... unless it rains; then the bullets just roll out of their barrels harmlessly! I train my ashigaru to pick up the spent bullets and throw them back at the enemy... taunting them. This usually breaks their morale!

[solypsist]

I've trained my Ashigaru to actually fight back by attacking the bullets with their chest!

[ShaiHulud]

Soly...That's a novel approach...I'm SURE it'll be widely practiced, now...hehe

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Wind fells blossoms, rain
fells steel,yet bamboo bends and drinks

[Tachikaze]

I've used this combination myself. I only use it in the summer on flat or bowl-shaped maps (all hills on the edges), and when I'm the attacker (so I can choose the day).

It is very risky, but I haven't been defeated with it yet. I have been lucky with the weather. In one game, the weather was rainy until the last day (whew!).

It is fascinating to watch, because in some games, no melees occur; all of my casualties are from enemy missile units.

I don't like to use it in serious games, though.

I think BakaGaijin has a good solution. I'm always afraid my opponent will do what he described.

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A murky puddle becomes clear when it is still.