Mandarin Duck

[SirGarnet]

This post includes some notes on the Mandarin Duck formation and its significance for Chinese and Korean armies, then I'll add a suggested representation.


The most distinguished and best known general of the late Ming dynasty was Qi Jiguang (1528-1588)(aka Ch'i Chi-kuang), a hereditary officer on active service from 1544 to 1585. He was a top administrator, organizer, military engineer, manual writer, and field commander, with enough political skills in compromise to achieve some positive results within the restraints of the Ming system thanks to top-level bureaucratic patronage from Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng based on his successes. His military manuals were republished into the 19th century, and were the prime reference for the Korean military reorganization starting in late 1593.

The Mandarin Duck was a successful squad formation he developed between 1556 and 1560 while in command roles on the southern coast. It was designed primarily for street fighting and defiles against Wo-k’ou pirates, intended to obstruct their archery and melee attacks using skilled swordsmanship and defeat them with coordinated melee action and shooting (to avoid thoughts of retreat, if the squad leader died so did everyone in his squad). After Qi Jiguang was appointed to the north in 1568 it was adapted and used in Qi’s mixed brigade system, directed primarily against close combat with northern mounted tribesmen rather than expert infantry swordsmen. In each case, it involved multiple ranks of Chinese troops with complementary equipment focusing on defeating the front rank of their adversary.

Thread for info and illustration of the original Mandarin Duck formation (web searches will turn up other images as well, mostly more cryptic). Note that each company had some matchlockmen and each battalion had some cannon, and that the initial formation evolved towards integration of more firearms (which means fire lances & three-eyed guns as well as matchlocks at this point) in the mixed brigade context. Its significance is that troops trained in these methods were later effective and sought after in Korea and imitated by the Korean army.

http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index. ... formation/

Qi’s Mixed Brigade
Qi’s reforms in Chichou focused on enabling formations of brigade size to deal with northern horsemen in generally open terrain, even when greatly outnumbered. His system was based on battle wagons, sometimes called “firearms chariots” by the Chinese, echoing the chariots of antiquity. Each wagon carried two standard fo-lang-chi light artillery pieces plus muskets (these might be of wall gun size). Building on the Mandarin Duck concept, each wagon had a crew of 20 men, half tasked to move and remain defending the wagon and use its firearms, and half tasked to act as an assault force including 4 with firearms (ideally matchlocks) and 6 with spears, swords and shields, and a bamboo tree branch still considered useful to obstruct an enemy. The matchlockmen also carried changdao (long swords similar to Japanese no dachi, considered anti-cavalry weapons). The infantry assault was intended to engage enemy cavalry close to the wagon once their charge halted. These assault troops did not venture more than a short distance from their wagons. Firearms included fire-lance equivalents (gunpowder propelled arrows), light mortars, blunderbuss equivalents and others.

The cavalry component of the brigade was also organized based on 10-men squads, those of 1/3 of the companies 8 men with changdaos (also equipped with muskets) and 2 men with tridents (also equipped with fire arrows) and the remainder of 4 men with single_handed sabers (also equipped with composite bows and arrows), 4 men equipped with spears, specially designed with downward curving hooking blades on both sides of the spearhead to unseat enemy horsemen (plus composite bows and arrows), and 2 men with tridents (also equipped with fire arrows).

As described in writing, his mixed brigade would include 3,000 cavalry (basically mounted infantry), 4,000 infantry, 128 battle wagons and 216 light (transport) wagons. The cavalry served to screen the infantry and wagons as they deployed in a square or circular wagon laager, with gaps between the wagons blocked by removable obstacles. The cavalry retired into the laager when a hundred or more Mongols approached, suggesting a very cautious and defensive tactic.

[SirGarnet]

This is my current best thought on FOGR representation in relation to its adversaries.

Medium Foot Unarmoured Average Shooting Pistol Spearmen, with Regimental Gun.
Cost per base is 4, RGun is 9. Total cost 6x4+9=33 (Their drill can justify 4s, but I think it needs to be 6s)

1. Medium Foot: Consistent with Chinese troops generally and suitable for Zhejiang-type and Korean terrain where it was employed.

2. Shields were employed but not enough armour to count.

3. Pistol: This was not initially a firepower formation, but reaching out with firearms was an integral part of its tactics that complemented its frontal resilience. Pistol is a second-grade shooting POA for foot and at 1 per 2 bases is one die per base frontage, with very short range. In game terms, it can encourage opponents to charge in or move off.

4. Regimental guns option consistent with Ming practice and the unit TOE. It is pricey for pistol range, but I think the role of the organic guns works representationally and the relatively cost ineffective Reg Gun offsets the relatively inexpensive infantry.

5. Spearmen: Spearmen represents the effect and cohesion of the carefully organized and drilled formation and has the right effect.

POAs:
6. Cavalry gets an Impact POA against them in the open but the Spearmen get a POA against mounted in Impact and Melee.

7. Steady Spears neutralize Japanese Lancer Impact POA and Melee Swordsmen POA, which is the key intended effect against Wo-k'ou, Mongols, and Japanese with Swordsmen or no Melee POA.

8. Spearmen 2 deep get Impact POA against foot unless protected pike/shot or Impact Foot. Works vs Manchu and Wo-k'ou.

9. Late Japanese foot may have POA advantage in Impact, and POA neutral in Melee against Swordsmen (Samurai) and shallow Pike. which works.

Cheers,

Mike

[nikgaukroger]

I am not convinced that the Mandarin Duck formation used against the wokou really justifies any missile capability - other than regimental guns representing attached light artillery and a few matchlockmen - it appears to be very much a close combat formation.

[SirGarnet]

Shooting was a key part of their method - at squad level early on it was not matchlocks but 2 men with a combination polearm / fire lance (not sure if it was a 3 eyed gun). I don't recall what the diagram I linked to shows, but it was the most intelligible regarding the concept.

There is a lot about the Mandarin Duck but often different periods are confused - can't simply ignore it particularly given the Wo-k'ou get a list. My main source book is borrowed but I can check further at some point.

See Beta forum, but I don't think Reg Guns can shoot except with the BG's shooting, but doesn't work for close combat BGs (the Spear-dao BGs for the Ming are my concern).

Dropping Reg guns but having a weak Pistol type POA would make sense to me for the Wo-k'ou front. Firepower was ramped up later, but what there was early on was an important offensive element.

If the Wo-k'ou are going to be all close combat, maybe close combat will work. The Wo-k'ou where mentioned in relation to Qi Jiguang's activities are smart, tough operators but don't bear similarity to the musketeer force depicted in DBR. Countering blades is the priority, blocking arrows a concern. Doubtless there were teppo marksmen among the actual Japanese. But I digress, again.

[nikgaukroger]

Shooting was a key part of their method - at squad level early on it was not matchlocks but 2 men with a combination polearm / fire lance (not sure if it was a 3 eyed gun). I don't recall what the diagram I linked to shows, but it was the most intelligible regarding the concept.

Well the CHF info barely mentions firearms in the formation used against the wokou. Here are bits I gacked ages ago from the forum - excuse spelling, etc. as I haven't edited it:

Qi Ji guan and the mandarin duck formation

The great general qi ji guan developed a tactic to fight the japanese pirates,

on land he made a force of 12 men units; 2 shield carriers, 2 long bamboo lancers, 2 short bamboo lancers, swordsmen, archers, a cook, and a commander.

If the commander dies in battle the rest was put to death, so all the unit has to do everything it can to protect the commander. The bamboo lances are used to trap the swords of the japanese and the other lancers will chop the samurai into pieces. The shields men are used to stop japanese long bow arrows.

4 of this twelve men unit makes up a platoon, and 4 platoons make up a campany, and 3 campanies make up a batallion. Each company is accompanied by musketiers, and each batallion include cannons.

This organization was effective and drove the japanese pirates out of land.

On ocean qi ji guan adopted a encirclement of spikes to prevent the samurais climbing on board, however this was never used, for naval battles was few. However the great korean admiral yi sun shin later learned and used this tactic and proven effective.


Basically, in 1557, Ming Emperor Jia Jing summoned Qi Jiguang to be the commander in charge of defending the attack from the Japanese pirates. Qi Jiguang was sent to Zhejiang/Fujian region to train a new army there and recruited 3,000 men.

The Japanese pirates were used to using Heavy Bows, Lances and Samurai Swords to fight. In the region of Zhejiang/Fujian, the terrain was mountaineous and full of swamps, making it difficult for large forces to be dispatched or to be manouvered. The Japanese were also used to ambushed tactic and thus, only short-distance contact form of weapons/fighting can be utilized there.

Based on this situation, Qi Jiguang devised the so-called "Mandarin Duck Formation 鸳鸯阵". This was a fighting formation consisting of 12 men (units): A commander (队长), 2 shield carriers (盾牌手[/color]), 2 long bamboo lancers (狼筅手), 4 lancers (长枪手) , 2 swordsmen (短兵手), a cook (负责伙食的火兵) . Weapons in formation used comprised of short and long weapons.

Commander
If the commander dies in battle the rest was put to death, so all the unit has to do everything it can to protect the commander.

2 Shield Carriers
The Shield Carriers were comprised of two soldiers: one carrying a long shield and another carrying a rattan shield. The Long shield was used to defend against Japanese's Bows and Lance. The rattan shield soldier also carries the Javelin and Short Sword. The Shield Carrier's function was to cover up for the soldiers at the back while the soldiers at the back can advance and fight.

2 Long Bamboo Lancers
The two bamboo lancers carry a form of lance that was made of bamboo in the south. They were sharpened into blades and left 4 surrounding pitchforks of the bamboo trees around to kill.
Each lance is about 3 m long. The two bamboo lancers used their sharp blades to fight and cover up for the shield carriers in front and helps to allow the two lancers at the back to advance forward.

4 Lancers
There were 4 lancers, 2 on each side used for fighting in co-ordination with shield carriers and bamboo lancers in front.

2 Swordsmen
At the back of the 4 lancers are the 2 swordsmen. If the lancers did not manage to pierce the enemy, the 2 swordsmen will rush forward to hack the enemy.

Cook
The cook was in charge of food for the formation.

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The Mandarin Duck formation was a highly flexible formation that combines the use of lance, swords and shield . It can be re-organized into an single array (12 men), 2 arrays (left right) formation or 3 arrays (left, middle, right) formation.

Two arrays (left and right) formation is known as "Liang Cai Zhen 两才阵", while three arrays formation (left, middle, right) formation is known as "San Cai Zhen 三才阵".

2 Arrays Formation
Left array: Left shield Carrier will cover up for 1 left bamboo lancers, 2 left lancers and 1 left swordsman in order to advance forward
Right array: Right shield Carrier will cover up for 1 right bamboo lancers, 2 right lancers and 1 right swordsman in order to advance forward
Commander/Cook: In front/back

3 arrays (left, middle, right) formation
Left array: Left shield Carrier will cover up the side
Middle Array: 2 bamboo lancers, 4 lancers, 2 swordsman, Commander, Cook
Right array: Right shield Carrier will cover up the side

The change between one array, two arrays and three arrays is known as "Changing Mandarin Duck Formation (变鸳鸯阵)". It was extremely effective in combat against the Japanese pirates.

This all looks like a close combat formation to me, with little reliance on missiles - certainly if the bit about "platoons", "companies", etc. is correct then firearms were added well outside of the individual "fighting squad" level. Pity firearm numbers were not mentioned.

See Beta forum, but I don't think Reg Guns can shoot except with the BG's shooting, but doesn't work for close combat BGs (the Spear-dao BGs for the Ming are my concern).

Good point, it may be that for Qi against the wokou it will need light artillery instead - it was an atypical army and we need not be constrained by how a normal Ming army is structured.

[nikgaukroger]

I should add that other sources mention 2 of the soldiers armed with some sort of firelance as opposed to spears. However, this would be just 1/6 of the formation which, IMO, would hardly justify a shooting capability.

[SirGarnet]

I think that still works out to 1 Pistol roll per BG, but on the whole I think that for this region there are bigger fish to fry than early Mandarin Duck.

[rbodleyscott]

I should add that other sources mention 2 of the soldiers armed with some sort of firelance as opposed to spears. However, this would be just 1/6 of the formation which, IMO, would hardly justify a shooting capability.

Agreed.