"Killer Katanas II queries" Topic

Can I ask if base sizes are critical to the game? Can figures be mounted in 4x2 on an 80mm x 60mm base for instance or 40mm x 40mm square bases?

In organising units, can clans be joined together in the same unit? Thus, can a 32 figure ashigaru teppo unit be made up of 4x8 figure bases each of a clan or 'sub-clan'? I have tried to visualise small clans for some of the scenarios and if one thinks of a clan being composed of a small mumber of samurai and a larger number of ashigaru, how should this best be represented on the tabletop given what each base is meant to represent?

In the army lists, does it matter which tabletop clan supplies, say, the bulk of the teppo or the bulk of the samurai?

Why cannot hatamoto be both horse and foot?

Thanks in anticopation.

Zurlauben

I have not played it, but wouldn't it work as long as you use similar sized bases and unit distributions for both sides?

From my reading of the rules it doesn't matter so much what clan they are from, but the quality (+1,+2 etc) of the commander. In your case I would just make a unit with bases from various clans (different banners etc), and then assign a leader to that group of bases. Do this for both sides, and it should work.

Really, the army make-up of medieval Japanese massed warfare doesn't lend itself perfectly for wargaming, which is based on and steeped in the behaviour of Western armies in the 19th century. You can't really have several small clans fighting mostly independently with their own cavalry and various types of infantry. But you could represent them with a base or two in other units, as units of single bases or units with mixed troops doesn't seem to work that well in KK2.

In my case I'm slowly gathering some 6mm armies that include several clans. My solution is to choose four clans, two for each side, that I paint up separate units of 4-6 bases for. If I wanted a smaller clan to join, I'd either paint up single bases and cram them into the larger units, or just make a single 4-6 bases unit of that clan. It is not perfect, but it works. Since I do it in 6mm I can include some infantry in my cavalry bases, which gives me a slightly more realistic mix as well.

Hello Setsuko and Brian,

Thank you for your thoughtful replies.

I am simply trying to organise my samurai armies, hence the queries. I am thinking of teppo units of 32, ashiaru lance or spear armed units of 12, bow armed units of 8 or 16 and samurai foot units of 12, mounted units of either 8 or 12 figures. Brian, does that sound about right? Each of these will have to be from a single clan?

Sorry, just trying to make sens eof army organisation.

Zurlauben

I have found very few rules where you couldn't tinker with the base size a bit as long as you are consistent and all bases for that rules set are the same for the respective figure type.

Yeah, I'm doing 6mm, but I plan to simply say "each base counts as x figures", and take it from there. There's always room to adjust rules to suit the way you want to play if you use your imagination.

Brian,

Thanks for your reply.

Thanks, too, for all the research etc that you have made available. The booklet on Korea looks excellent to me!

What might be typical unit sizes then? Forgive me, but I am trying to visualise how my army will look as I plan it out 'in theory'. Looking at the scenarios in the booklets I am struggling to visualise how they would look on the tabletop – ie how many ashigaru, how many guns, spears etc. Do you see what I mean?

Can foot units be designated hatamoto alongside mounted troops? As I read about, say, the battles for Osaka in 1615, Tokugawa's hatamoto was several thousands strong.

Of course, I appreciate that what is going on here is a balance beytween realism and playability and the parameters of the rule mechanism.

Z

PS May I ask if KK2 can allow foot samurai with guns?

Dear Brian,

That last post was a 'light bulb' moment! I can 'see' how an army might be organised. Thank you very much.

I can now try to do the same with Sanada Yukimura at Osaka in 1615 – if you have any advice about organising a similar force for him (i.e. roughly what a force might be composed of), I would sincerely appreciate it. Actually organsing a samurai army is something of a 'new' venture for me. The last time I did it was for WRG rules way back in about 1982 when I was going up against the army of Oliver Cromwell! (We thrashed them and then destroyed a Viking army a few weeks later!!! .. it was all different in those days!)

I am busy reading Osaka in the Osprey series and trawling through the various books on the samurai that I have amassed over the last few years.

Again, Brian, my sincere thanks to you.

T

"I can now try to do the same with Sanada Yukimura at Osaka in 1615"

I always wanted to game the attack on the Sanada barbican in 28mm! Some day!