Quote Originally Posted by Rosacrux redux
Almost all battles during WWI in the estern front, after the stabilization of the front in 1914. Pointless bloodbaths for virtually no gain (tactical, strategical or at least considerable land gains).

I would definitely not call Nagashino "pointless" at all... on the contrary, it was a battle of incredibly high stakes and the outcome pretty much determined the future of not only the Taked clan, but also a significant part of the subsequent events in Japan.

Also, I wouldn't call any of the "last stand" battles as 'pointless', as they are valuable for strategical reasons (boost of morale, delay of enemy force, political reasons, motivation etc. etc.).
I agree, Nagashino, while a battle that the Takeda needn't have fought, was probably one of the more significant battles of the period, strategically and technologically.

I nominate Fredericksburg, ACW 1862. Gen. Burnside is put under pressure to pursue the retreating Confederates following Antietam, and attacks them in entrenched positions while getting his army across the Rappahannock. His troops are duly slaughtered in large numbers (some 12,000 casualties, compared to only around 5,000 Confederates) in a futile series of assaults. End result, Lee's army kept the field and Burnside withdrew to his former position and was replaced by the equally disastrous Joe Hooker. It basically achieved nothing except bloodshed.

(A similar example of this would be New Orleans 1812, fought after the peace treaty was signed!)