With Wars of the Samurai out soon, there’s never been a better time to dive into the turbulent Sengoku Jidai (warring states) period of Japanese history. This period is perfect for wargaming with Pike & Shotte, and brings a completely new look and feel to the venerable game. Naturally, you’ll want plenty of awesome miniatures to represent the troops, as the armies of this period and region look like nothing else in history.
Good news – our model range is extensive and very detailed, giving you all the kits you’ll need to field a mighty host. Let’s dive in and see what your options are!
At the core of any army is the infantry, and for the Sengoku Jidai period you’re looking at a few distinct types. As with most armies throughout history, it’s the lower classes doing the bulk of the fighting, and for Japanese armies that means ashigaru. These commoners would be lightly armoured (their name broadly translates to ‘light infantry’), and fight with a few main types of weapons – the yari spear, yumi longbow, and teppo matchlock arquebus. This may seem very similar to the ‘Pike and Shotte’ of the eponymous period in Europe, (and it’s why they’re best represented on the tabletop with the game of the same name!), but ashigaru would usually fight in much more open formations than their European counterparts.
Blocks of ashigaru look absolutely fantastic on the tabletop, no matter their armament. With their lacquered armour, wide-brimmed hats, and back-mounted banners they’re a great way to get a uniform-looking force to allow your more colourful samurai to ‘pop’. Assembling your units couldn’t be simpler – we’ve got two plastic ashigaru boxes to choose from; one with yari spears, and the other with the earlier yumi bows and cutting-edge teppo matchlocks. With 20 models in each, you’ll have plenty of support for your Samurai in no time at all!
Interestingly, there are well-documented instances of fairly substantial numbers of Japanese women taking up arms, with some rising to high rank. These women, known as onna-Bugeisha, were renowned for their courage and skill, and can be represented either as samurai or ashigaru on the tabletop, as you prefer. To represent them, our metal boxed sets of onna-bugeisha with yumi longbows and armoured onna-bugeisha with naginata polearms are absolutely perfect. Originally designed for Warlords of Erehwon, and packed with character, they make for great centrepiece units for any army.
While the ashigaru were given at least some training, and equipped to fight as cohesive units, local peasants would also be conscripted, armed with whatever weapons they could scrounge up. Others would band together to try to defend their homes from rampaging forces, and some were little more than bandits, simply in it for plunder. While not particularly enthusiastic or effective troops, they do have the advantage of being cheap and plentiful! Our metal boxed set of Bandits & Brigands is ideal for representing these ill-equipped desperados on the table, although you could also mix in a few ashigaru models as well to create an even less ‘uniform’ appearance.
Moving on to the elite troops, we’re of course going to need samurai – lots of samurai! These elite warriors are the cream of any Japanese army, and their iconic armour and weapons, provide both a vibrant and colourful collection of individuals in every unit, and serious punch in battle. Our plastic samurai infantry and cavalry boxes are a great way to build the core of your units, boasting great detail and all the weapon options you need.
From there you can add some fantastic character (and characters!) to your units with our expanded range of metal and Warlord Resin models. Whether you go for the Daimyo & Retinue or Samurai Heroes boxes, or the brand new Seven Spears of Shizugatake (or all three!), these miniatures are a great way to make your units really stand out on the tabletop!
The final troop types you can expect to see on a Sengoku Jidai table are the slightly more ‘out there’ options. The sōhei warrior-monks bring a particularly militant form of Buddhism to the table, boasting fearsome martial prowess and dedication. Armed with naginata, they’re perfectly represented in metal, and a great way to field some infantry with a difference. Lastly the infamous shinobi (the ‘ninja’) so beloved of martial arts movies do make an appearance, albeit in a much more historical guise as saboteurs, spies, and assassins in the background of the game. Almost any models can be used to depict them (they’d be in disguise after all!), but if you want to go ‘full Hollywood’, the metal Ninjas boxed set provides plenty of suitably dramatic poses and probably made-up weapons – but there’ll be no doubt as to their identity.
The quickest way to get a Japanese force started is with the Way of the Warrior bundle, which includes a Samurai Starter Army, alongside the new book and all the new miniatures coming out at the same time. Do you have what it takes to stand alongside the great Daimyos?
