Today, we did a Samurai skirmish game, its been a while!
Ian set up the scenario, and was rather mysterious about it - we soon found out why!
Initially, Lawrence, Phil and I were told to choose and deploy about 30 men in each of 3 retinues. We were told that we were a small force going to join a siege further up the road...when we heard shouts and conch shell blasts to our right! - an ambush!
We rapidly deployed into defensive positions....
My force of armoured Samurai and Ashigaru set up behind some reeds.
Lawrence set up his mounted armoured Samurai behind the well armoured village garrison.
His unarmoured Ashigaru were safely deployed in reserve.
Phil defended the left.
Lawrence placed a small group of missile troops in front of the village, supported by his commander.
Having placed our Samurai, Ian sprang his surprise...We would be running his newly painted Korean guerillas. We would therefore be fighting our own best deployment. Clever.
Ian took a small group of Warrior monk archers on my right.
The Korean commander occupied an enclosure on the largest hill in the area.
Lawrence got a body of Regular Korean heavy infantry...
...and a small body of heavy cavalry.
Phil got a sizeable group of (former!) Garrison troops!
They included a large group of the excellent Korean archers.
After a brief discussion, Phil's semi-regulars began to outflank the unsuspecting Japanese left. Having deployed the Japanese, he knew the weakest point in their position to attack!
Fearsome looking bunch!
Lawrence left his infantry on the road, and sent his horse behind the village.
Ian sent his archers to demonstrate against the front of the village.
My horde filtered trough the woods, the plan being to engage the enemy after the flank attack had gone in.
As the Garrison troops approached the Samurai left, a group of archers heard them coming trough the woods and attacked. One can imagine their surprise to have met a full third of the Korean army!
The Japanese were quickly surrounded, but continued to fight bravely!
Suddenly, the village garrison Samurai came under a storm of arrows.
Ian's monks had arrived!
..and were also making things difficult for the Japanese advance guard.
My Guerrillas had reached the edge of the woods overlooking the Japanese positions, but stayed hidden.
My Guerrillas had reached the edge of the woods overlooking the Japanese positions, but stayed hidden.
Meanwhile, the brave Japanese archers finally succumbed to numbers.
The Korean cavalry now arrived and began harassing the unarmoured Japanese troops at the village rear.
The Japanese began to take losses.
The Korean archers, having decided the woods were not archer friendly, now moved to shoot the Japanese in the rear.
Unable to reply, the Samurai had to stand and 'take it'.
The Japanese advance guard, overwhelmed by numbers, now fled back into the village.
The Japanese advance guard, overwhelmed by numbers, now fled back into the village.
Having disposed of the archers, the massed Korean Garrison troops now attacked the Japanese left from the rear.
The fighting was brutal.
The Samurai counter-attacked and the Koreans found they had a fight on their hands!
Now, my Guerrillas began their attack.
In the village, the Ashigaru died to a man, rather than give ground.
On the left, the Koreans lost one of their commanders.
Numbers once again began to tell, as the Japanese ranks thinned.
The brave Samurai fought bravely to the end.
At this point, the Samurai position became untenable,and the survivors retreated back up the road.
The scenario was clever in making us play both sides to our full abilities, but I have updated my rules to make them more suitable for this sort of scenario.
I think next time too, we may have to balance the forces a little better too, as, at least to me,sadly, it seemed rather less than challenging!
