Song of Spear and Shield Tomoe Gozen-ish Japanese Fantasy

Song of Spear & Shield Japanese Fantasy All The Way!

This game is loosely based on the first book in the Tomoe Gozen series. So I won't give too much away in case you haven't read it. Get it, do it now. There is a test at the end.

I decided to divide the forces into 3x600 point forces each so that a battle can break individually. It didn't occur to me to assign a leader group and then dice for the other components, which would have given a completely different game.

A further note on damage taking. To kill you must equal the armour. For each multiple another was removed. An extra 1 up to a maximum of 4 was added for extra troops/overlap. Common sense was used in determining same. For instance the Oni vs follower bow battle the followers got no plus as the Oni would have been capable of striking any, whereas the followers did not have effective weapons to use. However, when shot at by the larger Samurai unit, these were equipped with better bows, at close range and faced with large targets. The unit of 8 got +4 vs 3 targets. Plus 1 per short distance and +1 for strong shot. As the Oni had armour of 3, a result of +6 saw 2 killed. Ouch.

Force 1                           Morale

Goblin Leader 78                  14

12 Goblin @ 20 = 240          24

6 Goblin archers @ 15 = 90 12

3 Oni @ 57 = 171                 18

Total 579 Morale 68 Break 23

Force 2

Goblin leader = 78                14

Shugenja = 80                       14

12 Goblin @ 20 = 240          24

6 Goblin archers @ 15 = 90 12

Kirin 92                                10

Total 580 Morale 74 Break 25

Force 3

Ensorcered Samurai Hero Commander 143                       20

3 Big spiders 81                                                                 24

6 mounted goblins, 1 upgraded to leader @ 30 = 195 5 = 15

                                                                                             8

6 small spiders @ 30 = 180                                               18

Total 599                            Morale 85 break 28

Army total 1,758

Samurai force 1                                             MORALE

Mtd commander 98                                                      16

8 Samurai archers @ 51 = 408                                     40

4 follower naginata @ 39 =156                                    16

Total 662                                      Morale 72 break 24

Samurai force 2

8 Samurai foot @ 56 1 upgrade to commander = 463 42

                                                                                     13

4 follower bow @ 39 = 156                                        16

Total 619                                    Morale 71 break 24

Samurai force 3

6 Samurai cav 1 leader = 513  45

                                                15

Total 1,794 Morale 60 break 20

Goblin Leader Points 78 Quality 4+ Combat 2 Special Rules Armor 3, Hero, Leader, Sword

Goblin Naginata Points 20 Quality 5+ Combat 2 Special Rules Terrifying Charge, Two Handed Weapon

Goblin Bow Points 15 Quality 5+ Combat 2 Special Rules Bow: Short

Mounted goblin Points 30 Quality 5+ Combat 2 Special Rules Bow: Short, Long Move, Mounted: Light Horse

Spiders Small Points 30 Quality 5+ Combat 3 Special Rules Dashing, Mounted: Pony, Sword, Terrifying Charge

Oni Points 57 Quality 4+ Combat 4 Special Rules Armor 3, Axe, Dashing, Long Move, Slow

Spiders Big Points 81 Quality 4+ Combat 3 Special Rules Armor 2, Dashing, Long Move, Mounted: Warhorse, Terrifying Charge, Two Handed Weapon

Tengu Points 94 Quality 3+ Combat 3 Special Rules Armor 2, Dashing, Long Move, Sword, Terrifying Charge, Two Handed Weapon

Kirin Points 92 Quality 4+ Combat 5 Special Rules Dashing, Elephant, Long Move, Terrifying Charge

Goblin Shugenja Points 80 Quality 2+ Combat 1 Special Rules Hero, Standard

Samurai Foot Points 56 Quality 4+ Combat 3 Special Rules Armor 3, Sword, Terrifying Charge, Two Handed Weapon

Samurai Cav Points 83 Quality 4+ Combat 3 Special Rules Armor 3, Bow: Long, Expert Horse Archer, Long Move, Mounted: Regular Horse, Sword

Samurai Bow Points 51 Quality 4+ Combat 3 Special Rules Armor 3, Bow: Long, Sword

Follower Bow Points 39 Quality 4+ Combat 2 Special Rules Armor 2, Bow: Long, Sword

Follower Points 39 Quality 4+ Combat 2 Special Rules Armor 2, Sword, Two Handed Weapon

Shugenja Points 95 Quality 2+ Combat 1 Special Rules Hero, Mounted: Regular Horse, Standard

Monks Points 30 Quality 4+ Combat 2 Special Rules Dashing, Two Handed Weapon

Peasants Points 8 Quality 5+ Combat 1 Special Rules Spear

There's a few extra we didn't use, but I see no reason to delete-.

The Game.

Tony had the Samurai and me the Goblins. Nothing spectacular with the deployment, we both had our cavalry force of the far flank where there was maneuvering room. I sent my spiders in, to loose one to shooting. Next the smaller spiders, who got stalled by shooting. My Goblin cavalry proved useful for “area denial”. Tony's cavalry kept moving and shooting, keeping out of harms way. I sent my spiders into the Samurai archers, but this cost me one. My mad general advanced to keep most in command radius and got shot for the privilege. This broke that force and they all went back 2 moves.

Now my centre came on in a huge Goblin wave to contact the followers and grind them down. Meanstwhile the Kirin crashed into the Samurai and died. After a so-slow advance using reactions the Oni finally get to the follower archers and a push and shove battle begins. Each side could have lost one but it just-didn't-happen. The Samurai make their move and advance on the Goblins, hitting them hard. The remaining spider comes in, but the Goblins get pushed back allowing them to kill it.

The archers lay down withing close range shooting into their lightly armoured opponents. Protected by the cavalry on their flank, they wheel and shoot 2 Oni dead. That breaks that battle and the remnants retire. Tony starts picking off my commanders and the Goblin Shugenja.

Once my last leader was slaughtered, I was lost and broken-.

Tony's armour stopped everything, despite some huge pluses. The Samurai quality shrugged off the Goblins terrifying charge. Ouch.

Reactions allowed extra shooting that cut me up. I was able to move up Oni using Tony's reactions faster than my actions. This could be tweeked into a fast, effective large combat game.

Oni moved slow and hit like hammers, just kept going.

Spiders moved and hit like lightening, like a good heavy or super heavy cavalry.

Light spiders acted as I expected, a real menace to lighter troops.

Goblins without armour died. I could have given them some, the archers better bows but then they'd simply be ersatz humans.

Goblin shugenja was behind the line, driving them to madness. I used same to give, on an action or reaction an extra 6 (total) “Fanatic” national trait, +1's to units within a medium. That worked (although not well enough!) Rather than the artillery option as in DR which would have given a shot (at individual) of +6 then if won a target in line behind at +4, +3. He would then require a 6 activation reload. You could use both styles in a game.

Last in this series, Hope you've enjoyed it. Some of figures staging union action due to management exploitation.  I shall think and plot on. Watch this space.