The movement table below shows the maximum line formation move distances in centimetres for the different type of moves per troop type. Note that rout and pursuit moves are diced for using 1d6. Attached leaders move at the speed of the unit they are accompanying. Leader move rates are for unattached leaders. Units in Column add 3cm if on good terrain. Column moves double distance if on road.
Obedience
Units out of command radius of their Daimyo must test obedience to make normal voluntary movement when their clan is active. Similarly, hatamoto must test obedience should they stray more than 20cm from the General. This test is not required when responding to an enemy charge. To test obedience, add the roll of 1d6 to the Daimyo’s (or General’s) Command Rating. A score of 6 or more is required to move or manoeuvre the unit. The unit must halt on a score less than 6.
Unit Formations
Units should have an equal number of stands in each rank. Any odd stands should be placed in the rear rank.
Line – A unit is in line when 2 or more stands wide and no more than two stands deep. This is normal battle formation.
Column – A unit is in column when it is only 1 stand wide and any depth, or two or more stands wide and three or more stands deep.
Wheeling
A wheel is a pivot movement. Wheels can only be made in a forward direction.
Elite and Veteran troops wheel at normal speed.
Seasoned troops count double the distance travelled.
Raw troops count three times the distance travelled.
A disordered unit wheels at half the speed of good ordered troops.
Turns
A unit may turn 90° or 180°. A 90° turn allows a unit in column to form a line or vice-versa. A 180° turn allows a unit to do an about turn.
Elite and Veteran troops deduct 1/4 of normal move distance to make a turn.
All others deduct 1/2 of their normal move distance to make a turn.
Double these deductions for disordered troops. There are no deductions for any troops making a required 180° turn as part of a rout or retreat move.
Falling Back
A fall back move is a voluntary move backwards facing the enemy. Infantry and cavalry can move up to 3cm regardless of terrain. Missile armed ashigaru may fall back up to 1/2 normal move distance and still fire either as a normal move when their clan is active or in response to a charge. Any firing is calculated from the starting point of the move.
Reform
Disordered units must reform to regain good order (see section 4 – Disorder). However, good ordered troops may perform a reform to change formation and facing. The unit is faced in any direction and formation but can perform no other movement or firing during the game turn other than that forced by morale or combat.
Terrain Effects
Bad terrain slows movement and can disorder units. Movement through light terrain reduces movement by 3cm. Movement through dense terrain counts double distance for infantry and three times for cavalry. Units adopt the movement allowance of difficult terrain as soon as any of their stands touches the edge of the terrain. This may mean the unit cannot move into the terrain this turn. Undefended linear obstacles reduce the movement of infantry by 3cm and cavalry by 6cm. Some linear obstacles can be deemed impassable to cavalry or all troops depending on scenario requirements.
Dense Terrain – Woods, swamps, bogs, paddy fields, streams and shallow rivers.
Light Terrain – Steep hills, beach and rocky ground.
Linear Obstacles – Fence, palisade and walls etc.
Low hills don’t count as bad terrain but give a combat advantage to troops higher than their opponents.
All units, except peasants, become disordered when they move into an area of dense terrain.
All units are disordered by charging / counter-charging in light or dense terrain. Infantry may charge or counter-charge through light or dense terrain. Cavalry may only charge or counter-charge through light terrain.
All units are disordered by movement across linear obstacles.
Charge distances through light or dense terrain are penalised in the same way as normal movement through such terrain.
Rivers may only be crossed at bridges or fords or treated simply as wide streams as dictated by scenario.
Villages may be represented by one or more model buildings. These count as dense terrain for units moving through them. A unit of up to 4 stands may occupy each building; for convenience, remove the figures but just remember they are there! Settlements of 2 or more buildings should be enclosed by fencing.
Interpenetration
Interpenetration occurs when any stands of one unit pass through any stands of another friendly unit. Both units become disordered unless the moving unit is missile armed ashigaru and the unit being interpenetrated remains stationary this turn. Should a unit interpenetrated by missile troops move later in the turn, that unit becomes disordered. A unit which moves into a friendly unit is placed directly on the far side of that unit and halts there. The penetrated unit can make no movement for the rest of this turn (except combat/morale induced).
Contacting Enemy Leaders
Should a non-routing unit’s movement bring it into contact with an unattached enemy leader, the leader is killed but it is assumed he died gloriously! An unattached leader is unaffected by an enemy unit routing around him.
Leaving the Table
If any part of a unit’s stand crosses the table edge, the whole unit is removed from the game. No unit can return to the battlefield after it has left.
Charge
The only way in which opposing units may come into physical contact with each other is by one or both sides charging (or pursuing) into contact. Units merely advancing towards an enemy unit under normal movement conditions must halt at least 3cm away.
A unit must be within charge move distance to declare a charge on a target unit.
A unit may expend up to half of its charge move allowance wheeling and/or turning at the beginning of its charge/counter-charge. At least the last half of its maximum charge move allowance must be in a straight line to gain the melee charge bonus.
Missile armed ashigaru (archers and arquebusiers) and peasants must take a morale test to initiate a charge. All other troops may charge freely. The target of the charge may have to test morale if any of the following apply.
- Any infantry (except elites or frenzied) in open terrain charged by cavalry.
Missile armed ashigaru or peasants charged by any troops.
Stands of opposing units in contact should be aligned neatly so that their stands’ base corners touch.
Chargers whose charge fails to contact enemy because the target unit moves out of reach may halt anywhere after completing at least half their charge move. Frenzied troops must move full distance though.
Charge Response
Infantry (except elite or frenzied), charged by Cavalry, and Ashigaru or Peasants charged by any troops must take a morale test to determine their reaction to being charged. They are not required to test morale if they are currently engaged in melee.
Infantry may not counter-charge cavalry. Otherwise, all troops may counter-charge provided they pass any required morale tests.
The target of a charge may choose to stand and receive the charge at the halt, which can include a wheel or turn to face chargers. Good order missile troops, who have not yet fired this turn, may fire at the chargers before contact provided the chargers are within their line of sight and over half their charge move away at the start of the charge. If they have to manoeuvre to face chargers, they cannot fire.
Units already in melee may turn rear rank stands to face a rear attack. A single rank unit doesn’t turn any stands but will fight with half their stands to frontal attackers and half to rear attackers. If attacked on flank while engaged in melee, no stands are turned to face but the flank stand(s) contacted will fight to the flank. See melee rules for details of multi-unit melees.
Leaders
Generals and Daimyos may move independently or they may accompany a friendly unit by attaching themselves to it. Daimyos may only attach to a unit of their own clan but the General may attach to any unit in the army. Attached leaders move at the speed of the unit they accompany.
A Daimyo may freely attach to and leave units during his clan’s activation providing neither he nor any of the units exceed their maximum move distance during the turn.
If the General is attached to a unit, and the unit has not yet been activated this turn, the unit may become active (but only the unit with the General, not all units in the clan). The unit may of course wait for its clan to be activated as normal. This is to simulate initiative by the General. If the unit does act, it may not then act again later in the turn when its clan is activated. An unattached General may join a unit. If the unit he joins has not yet moved, he may move again with the unit when its clan is activated, but only to accompany the unit.
An unattached leader may move into contact with an opposing unattached leader to challenge him to personal combat. If the challenge is rejected, the refusing leader reduces his leadership rating by 1 (to a minimum of 1) for his shameful cowardice and retreats 5cm away from his adversary. The challenging leader may remain where he stands or return to where he started his move. His movement is over. If a General refuses to duel with a Daimyo, he does not reduce his rating since the Daimyo would be considered an inferior.
If the challenge is accepted, both leaders roll 1d6 and add it to their command rating. Highest score wins and the loser is killed. Re-roll if it is a tie. The winning leader adds 1 to his command rating (due to his increased prestige!) up to a maximum of 4. He may now return to where he started the move with his latest trophy or remain where he is.
Daimyo Samurai Wargames Rules 1550-1615
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