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Kamakura Samurai

Page history last edited by PBworks 18 years, 2 months ago

Introduction

 

The Heian period ended, leading on to the Kamakuran Shogunate (1192-1333). This period saw the Shokyuki war (1221) between the armies of the Shogunate and the Imperial factions. The defeat of the Imperial forces and their allies, led to a major expansion in the Kamakura bakufu (government).

 

The main motivation for including is the attempted invasion of Japan by Kublai Khan, which was defeated by the Kamakura bakufu.

 

The inability of the Kamakura bakufu to reward its followers after the invasions, led to a breakdown in order. While the end of the Kamakura period is usually set at 1333, civil war continued until 1392.

 

In this period, archery still dominated warfare. Some battles were characterised by missile exchanges that could last for days. The loose formations of the Japanese foot, is indicated by the ability of mounted bushi to sally into- and out of- their opponent's battle lines. Such tactics failed dismally against the Mongols, with Japanese historians of the time drily noting that all who tried this tactic were killed.

 

Wargamers often hold Samurai armies in high repute, but this is often based on 15th and 16th Century battles. Japanese warfare of this period was still characterised as the 'way of the horse and bow'. Use of swords and polearms was not a common motif of warfare in the Kamakura (and prior Heiean) periods.

 

If anyone can provide me with any evidence that would justify the use of 'shock' foot, I'd be interested in learning more.

 

While armies were usually formed into mixed mounted and foot divisions, evidence from the Shokyuki War is of all mounted forces on occasion.


Army List

 

1-2 Imperial or Shogunate Division

2-3 Mounted Bushi

0-1 Mounted Wako

 

1-4 Provincial Divisions

1 Mounted Bushi or Bushi

0-1 Mounted Wako

2 Wako

0-1 Wako Archers


Units

 

Mounted Bushi

Elite Medium Horse Archers- Initiative 6

3 bases (pts)

4 bases (pts)

Mounted Bushi cannot form wave

 

Note- the bow remained the preferred weapon of these mounted warriors. While riders could be relatively well-armoured, Japanese horses were typically small. The small-size of these horses is the main reason why mounted Samurai are not classed as 'heavy'.

 

Mounted Wako

Audacious Irregular Horse- Initiative 5

3 bases (pts)

4 bases (pts)

 

Note- not all mounted were equipped with bows, and many used bladed weapons instead. These were typically the lesser or poorer bushi and their followers.

 

Bushi

Heavy Archers- Initiative 6

4 bases (pts)

6 bases (pts)

 

Note- Bushi could dismount to shoot, and were still erecting palisades of shields to shoot behind.

 

Wako

Medium Irregulars- Initiative 6

6 bases (pts)

8 bases (pts)

 

Note- Wako form a warband of mixed foot types, varying in equipment. Bases can include poorer Buishi on foot and lesser troops armed with spears and nagintas.

 

*Wako Archers

Light or Medium Archers- Initiative 5

4 bases (pts)

6 bases (pts)

 

 

Optional**

0-1 pavise per 2 Bushi archers- Light Fortifications


References

 

Invasion Scrolls

http://www.bowdoin.edu/mongol-scrolls/

 

Some photos

http://www.ualberta.ca/%7Echor/mongolin.htm

Comments (1)

Anonymous said

at 9:22 am on Apr 26, 2006

Quotes from the 'Shokyuki'
"Mitsusue dressed simply for battle that day, wearing a white unlined under garment and wide-cuffed trousers with a narrow-sleeved robe checkered in diagnonal lines. He insrted a dagger in his belt, strung up three rattan-striped bowsm and had brought to him three sixteen-arrow and two twenty-arrow quivers..."

"...Juo donned his battle attire. With a narrow sleeved robe in a design of small linked coins he wore a white unlined under garment and yellow wide-cuffed trousers. he fastened on arm shields of brocade leather and a corslet laced with light green cords, and inserted in his belt a nine-inch dagger. The tying on a quiver containing sixteen brightly fledged arrows, he tightened the string of his rattan-striped bow"

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