Samurai Skirmish - first proper game

[Mick Hession]

I've got my Samurai skirmish rules (see http://soa.org.uk/sm/index.php?topic=5474.0) to a point where I'm ready to play actual games as opposed to testing interactions in isolation. More importantly, I now have enough figures and terrain actually painted for a tabletop game so set up a simple attack/defend scenario.

The attackers were a force of Samurai: a leader, 4 Samurai and 12 Ashigaru (6 with Yari, 3 archers and 3  arquebusiers). The defenders were Ikko-Ikki: a mixed bag of a leader, 4 Samurai (only one wearing full armour), 5 monks with naginata, 4 arquebusiers and 5 peasants who occupied a hill farm with various outbuildings sited beside a bridge over a stream.

The defenders deployed initially in several groups hidden by the buildings and hills (as it was a solo game I couldn't ambush myself but I didn't want the defenders to sit in the open and offer easy targets for the Ashigaru shooters). The Samurai approached the village along a road, their shooters in the vanguard under the Leader while the main body marched behind. In response the Ikko-Ikki remained hidden apart from their arquebusiers led by a Samurai archer who advanced over a hill on their left. The Ikko-Ikki then got to go first in the next bound (turn sequence is random in each bound) and fired a lethal volley despite shooting at long range, killing three Ashigaru though their return fire downed the Samurai archer. His loss didn't seem to hinder the arquebusiers who managed to keep up a rolling fire that seemed to unnerve the Samurai who stood paralysed for several bounds until their Leader finally urged them along the road to the cover of an outbuilding (the Samurai leader failed two activation attempts despite an 80% chance of success); luckily for the attackers the Ikko-Ikki fire was less accurate than that initial volley and they only lost two more men. The surviving Ashigaru shooters (two archers and an arquebusier) meanwhile made for the cover of a small copse on their right. 

Sensing victory, the remaining Ikko-Ikki emerged from cover and advanced toward the bridge apart from a small detachment of peasants under a Samurai leader who moved wide on the left to winkle the Ashigaru out of the copse. But these now turned the battle as the cover provided by the trees protected them a little while their quick-shooting archers (arquebusiers have to reload after shooting but archers can shoot in each bound, activation permitting) wiped out first the Ikko-Ikki arquebusiers and then the detachment of peasants. 

The Samurai now stormed the bridge and were counter-attacked by the Ikko-Ikki but Samurai armour defeated the Sohei's naginatas and the Ikko-Ikki were driven back. At this point I ended the game: although the Ikko-Ikki would probably fight on for a few turns yet there was no realistic prospect that they would prevail. Plus my wife needed the dining room table back.

I was broadly happy with how things went though shooting is still too deadly for my liking (the hit rate is ok but each hit proved lethal so I need to adjust survivability).

I've attached some pictures though the quality of the lighting is pretty poor I'm afraid

   


 

[Erpingham]

That looked fun Mick.  Took me back to when we played Samurai skirmish way back when.

Like the weedy stream, BTW.

[dwkay57]

Yes - looks like a good run out. I had similar problems with missile fire being too effective as well.
I've purloined one of the photos for the prospective Slingshot article and update the table!

[Ade G]

Yes - looks like a good run out. I had similar problems with missile fire being too effective as well.
I've purloined one of the photos for the prospective Slingshot article and update the table!

One issue with missile fire is that it can have several outcomes even if it does not hit. A hail of missiles may not inflict a single wound but cause a group to take cover. In a skirmish game a hit may slow movement, cause a morale effect or lessen combat effectiveness. A flesh wound may enrage the recipient to charge their opponents.

Always interested in people's rules and these look very playable.