Samurai archers and yari armies

[Draksen]

Have you ever tested to play (and win) a campaign with SA and YS ?

I mean, no monks, no no-dachis, no cavalry or muskets, ONLY Samurai archers and yaris.

I think that it can be more "realistic" no?

Is this kind of army structure good enough for a multiplayer game ?

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Kazamatsuri clan
www.geocities.com/draksen

[Ii Naomasa]

While I never have intentionally started a campaign with the intention of not using certain troops, nearly everyone one of my campaigns ends up with an abundance of Yari Ashigaru, Yari Samurai, and Archers. I don't know why (perhaps that little nagging piece of me that wants to stay semi-historical, or maybe the fact that I like versatile troops over specialized ones), but I almost never produce No-Dachi and Naginata, and very rarely (only when I'm rolling in case) bother with warrior monks. I usually eventually use cavalry for elite shock value, but even then I tend to produce Yari Cavalry more than any of the others (and only very rarely produce Heavy Cavalry at all). Campaigns can just as easily (perhaps even moreso) won with just the basic units.

In my opinion, for realism's sake, you'd want to load up with Yari Ashigaru, with a smaller amount samurai spearmen to act as bolstering units and a few archers. Using YC for shock and flanking attacks (daimyo with access to horses did have lancer units) and later incorporating guns into the picture.

As for multiplayer, I tend to use ashigaru only when I feel the need for one or two more units for filler and can't afford better, but otherwise my personal default army is again heavy on yari and archer/guns with one or two YC for maneuvering and a CA taisho (call me old fashion for liking my head samurai a mounted bowman) for his ability to run around and provide some cover fire for the rest of the army. I sometimes toss in one Warrior Monk group to provide a punch where I might need one, but otherwise I once again forsake the three specialized ground pounders. With that, I still manage to win a good percentage of battles. The weakness of using a setup like that is that there's no superstars to rely on. Your army needs to work together to be successful and once it starts to fall apart, things can unravel quickly if you don't manage things properly. It also takes some micromanagement as most of my units can't decimate another unit all by themselves. But its fun in its versatility and feels right to me. I would like to deploy more Ashigaru, but people in multiplayer know all too well how to make them run back home to their mommies...

[EasyCo]

The Samurai Sourcebook his author Turnbull says "With the Takeda clan the propertion was between one-half and two-thirds.(Ashigaru)" Thats alot of people! He said the Ashi was disciplene not just some peasants.

EasyCo

Monto sect Monks: 'He who advance is sure of heaven,but he who retreat of eternal damnation.'

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well eurosan has done on exp level withn shimazu a campaign with only peasants (ya and musks) also with archers i presume.

Right san?

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Honour to Clan No Fear.

Visit my resource centre at: http://terazawa.totalwar.org

[EuroSan]

hehe yes Tera....Ashiguras, Arq´s, muskeeters, Yari Samuraijs and Archers(not Cav archers)... and it can be done with out guns i think...same thimg as when it rains...it takes alot of reinforcment of archers and units when meeting the Horde....and i played as Christian...for the better moral vs Monks.

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May the honour be with you all..........EuroSan the reborned spirit of LinkSan

[borisus]

I won an Oda campaign just using YS,YA,SA.

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"A WISE MAN ONCE SAID,LETS KICK THAIR ASS!"

[BanzaiZAP]

My campaign armied tend to also be heavy- yari samurai and archers. I prefer to spend koku on improving my yari, rather than getting the specials. Only when I have a level-2 armory and possibly a swordsmith up and running, then I make a sword dodjo for random no-dachi, or cavalry perhaps. The only times I build monks are when A) I play Mori, or B) I have captured either Kaga or Kii, the places that give bonuses to monks. Otherwise, they're too expensive to build until later in the game. Cavalry is a bit more effective, but again, I usually don't get them until later in the game. I actually use Ashigaru to take out archers! Peasants run faster than archers, so I have a yari samurai unit hold the archers' attention, then sneak attack with a peasant group. My own archers can handle enemy specials. Both no-dachi and monks die easily under arrow-fire.

I may change my tune when the Pack comes out. No-Dachi with an armor bonus can be a very unpleasant surprise! Cheaper than monks, but now with added defenses! Add a few swordsmithed ashigaru to handle the cavalry, and things are looking good!

-- B)