Slitherine

A question to those following this mod. The spear units are now square blocks (Halberdiers model). Do you want them to be linear instead?

These typically range from 500 to 800 men. Maybe keep the 500 men square while elongate the 800 men so that we can visually distinguish in the map. Another option is to make the 500-men linear and 800-men units thicker. What do you prefer?

Fantastic pictures, Jomni! Love the new building models! The unit textures and flags seem to be of good quality and the rice paddies give the map a Japanese touch. True, this isn't Europe anymore. Great work!

Concerning the Yari units: I would prefer a more linear model, because I still associate the square blocks with Landsknechts or European pikemen a bit, so I'd go with the second option. But that's just me, maybe the others think different.

This looks awesome - great work!

These screenshots! Fantastic. I'm really looking forward to this mod.
Keep up the great work.

Unit identification can be problem as the order of battle has several quality levels and number of men. Based on Richard's suggestion, I devised a scheme that will enable the players to identify the units easily. So here are the Yari (spear units) for the generic Red and Blue armies.

Front row = Superior / Elite. They have three fancy flags (hatajirushi) and have colored or black armor.
2nd row = Average. They have two normal flags, brown armor, colorful clothes.
3rd row = Raw. They have one simple flag, brown armor, drab clothes.

As you can see, unit size can also be distinguished in the model. The smaller one represents 6 FOG bases or 500 men. The larger one is for 8 FOG bases or 800 men.

The skins of other support units (archers, arquebus, cavalry, monks, etc.) won't be this extensive but quality can still be determined by the number of hatajirushi.

excellent, this mod indeed deserves to become an official expansion for P&S

Official expansion? Hehe. Thanks for the encouragement.

I need to get rid of copyrighted artwork as Richard suggests.

Self-drawn unit portrait. This should be fun.

Nice Jomni

Very nice, yes.

Info on Japanese Armor from myarmoury.com
http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_jpn_armour.php


Samurai with Yari

This is a typical Samurai with Yari (spear). His armor is of contemporary Sengoku Jidai design which features less lacing and larger plates. Most ukiyo-e woodblock prints during the Edo and Meiji era actually show Samurai in more classical armor from an older era called o-yoroi .

Heavy Armor Samurai with Yari

This samurai wears a hybrid version, mixing a contemporary Do with classical Sode and Kusazuri. He wears a mask and a neck guard. His sleeve has chain mail to cover the gaps between the plates.

Ashigaru with Yari

Ashigaru are the regular non-samurai foot troops. They don't usually wear Sode and Haidate. His headgear is a conical hat made of iron or leather.

Unarmored Ashigaru with Yari

This ashigaru does not wear any other form of protection aside from his Do and headband. He head is protected by a headband with a single metal plate instead of a hat / helmet. Many soldiers actually wear this sort of headband under their helmets. I could have drawn an ashigaru without any armor at all but I don't think it looks nice and they would just look like peasants which is another unit type.

Samurai with teppō. I will use proper romanization from now on. It will be an 'ō' which is pronounced as 'ou' and not 'o'.


Contrary to popular belief, the samurai warrior class actually embraced firearms. Pictured above is a samurai with an arquebus (teppō or tanegashima) in classical armour. Exercising my artistic license, he does not wear a helmet because he does not expect to perform melee combat. In the mod, samurai with firearms are "dragoon" units.

Mounted Samurai with Yari



During the Sengoku Jidai, mounted samurai evolved from the traditional mounted archers to shock troops armed with spears. In the mod, they are equipped with light lances.

Mounted Samurai with Yumi



Just like the Mongols, Chinese and Koreans, the Japanese cavalry used to be mounted archers before transitioning to shock cavalry. The samurai above wears classical armour. Notice that only one arm has an armoured sleeve (kote). The hand that draws the bow is un-armoured so that there is unhindered range of movement.

Thats some very interesting information. Looking forward to this mod. Looking great so far.

And here the ashigaru ranged units.

Ashigaru with teppō


Ashigaru with yumi

It is going to look great!

Just awesome. Great work.

Miscellaneous units.

Rōnin (masterless samurai)

A samurai becomes masterless when his lord is killed or if he leaves his lord's service for one reason or another. Rōnin wander the land looking for employment as mercenaries. They join campaigns of various daimyo hoping to prove that they are worthy of permanent employment. They are poorly equipped since they do not have any regular stipend. But their superior fighting ability still make them useful in battle.

Sōhei (warrior monks)

Buddhist temples train militant monks as a defence against rival sects. Daimyo who support temples in their domain get access to the Sōhei in battle. Pictured above is an unarmoured monk weilding a naginata - a polearm with a large blade.

I think I need to draw two more portraits. Then I'll be able to go back to finishing up the factions for release.

Bonus video. Japanese hand cannons. Can be fired by hand, though impossible to be accurate, or placed on a cart like a cannon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6QBGV0mtGc

The Daimyo (lord) in his Honjin (command tent)

During the Sengoku Jidai, fancy helmets called kawari kabuto were very popular among samurai, especially the daimyo. The name literally means "unusual helmet". The unique and extravagant designs enabled easy recognition in the battlefield. For the enemy, this announces who they are up against. The daimyo above wears a "catfish tail" namazuo kabuto inspired by the one worn by Kato Kyomasa. He holds a gunbai war fan made of iron. It is used for signalling and as a small shield. It was said that Takeda Shingen used his gunbai to block the blows of Uesugi Kenshin's katana when the latter was able to infiltrate Shingen's honjin during the 4th battle of Kawanakajima.


4th Kawanakajima Monument

I'm now working the historical clans.

Here's the Oda clan.


And the Uesugi clan.