Ashigaru

"Common foot soldiers with swords."

- In-game description

Ashigaru are a unit in Sengoku Jidai.

Gameplay
Ashigaru are a fairly basic and weak infantry unit. They are not cannon fodder, but it could be said that putting them up front would be to protect more important units.

In the combat model swords are somewhat of a secondary weapon, and for Ashigaru this is their only one. Swords provide no Impact capabilities and the +15 POA bonus for lapping around smaller enemies is tiny at best and conditional at that. They have a +100 bonus against foot unless they are steady and protected, meaning they fall relatively quickly against spearmen in the open. They do, however, have a +100 bonus against any mounted, but this is only a Melee Capability.

Despite these disadvantages, Ashigaru can be valuable in forests because they only become Moderately Disordered and because Sword Capabilities are not hindered by terrain. This can turn the tables on spearmen and cavalry, their counters.

That being said overall there is little reason to buy Ashigaru considering unless you are handicapping yourself. Simply put there are better units available for the same cost and you should buy those instead. Naginata Ashigaru, for example, receive the exact same POA bonuses as Swordsmen on top of having an Impact Capability, keeping their foot POA against protected units, and negating enemy Armor advantages. It also is only Moderately Disordered by terrain.

History
Samurai were the horse-riding, landowning class of feudal Japan, and Ashigaru footsoldiers were the peasants who worked their lands. Armor varied and they were provided with mass-produced armor and weapons.

Unit Lists

 * Aoi Before 1530