SENGOKU RAMPANT

16th Century Japanese Rules for Lion Rampant

This module focuses on Japanese small scale warfare during the Warring States Era, but could be
stretched back to the Oni wars of the 14th century by removing certain troop types, mainly
gunpowder and lance armed cavalry.

Design Choices

Japanese tactics were quite flexible, even in larger battles. Because of this there’s no Wall of Spears
or similar special rules in play, and playing with unit flanks is discouraged.

In spite of this flexibility, armoured samurai and ashigaru haven’t been given Rough Terrain errain
fighting and movement rules. Even if you could argue that they could fight well in such terrain, they
have been restricted to create more tactical variety and make light and irregular troops have a niche
of their own.

Armoured samurai and ashigaru units have been given 8” movement to simulate their superior
coordination, conditioning and initiative compared to levies and rebellious civilians.

Teppo guns don’t have any special armour piercing rules, since period armour was described as
being surprisingly resilient to bullets. Instead they have been given higher Shoot Value and range,
which will give them quite a punch. Japanese muskets were of high quality and noted to outrange
bows with effective range both domestically and against Korean archers.

I have tried to include some troops types usually not included, and some of these may be seen as
fanciful or fictional. You are free to ignore these as you wish, they’re just there for fun and flavour
if you prefer a more Kurosawa movie experience rather than more strictly historical.

Foot Bushi

Warriors of the Samurai class, wearing heavy armour and fighting with a mix of various polearms,
such as yari or naginata. They can be re-equipped with various options to fulfill different battlefield
roles.

The bushi were still quite sanguine and prone to rushing into combat, but for the more disciplined
forces of the late Sengoku period they can be upgraded to be more controllable.

FOOT BUSHI
Strength 6 Points Cost 6

Charge Order 5 Attack Value 4

Move Order 6 Defend Value 4

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 3 Movement 6”
Armour 4 Special Rules WILD CHARGE

Special Rules

• Wild Charge

Options

• Pugnacious – May activate the same turn they rally, +2 pts

• Fearsome – Courage tests when fighting them are taken with -1, +2 pts
• Banner Carrier – Inspirational Leader, This unit and any friendly units within 6” may re-roll
failed Courage and Rally tests once per test. Does not apply if the leader’s unit is Wavering,
+2 pts
• Drilled – Remove Wild charge, +1 pt
• Swordsmen – Defend 5, Flexible, +0 pts
• Mixed Missiles – Attack Value 5, Shoot Order 6, Missile Value 6/12”, +0 pts
• Yumi – Attack and Defend Value 5, Shoot order 6, Missile Value 5/12”, +1 pts
• Teppo – Attack and Defend Value 5, Shoot order 6, Missile Value 4/12”, +2 pts

Lancer Mounted Bushi

The lance was adopted relatively late in Japanese warfare. In spite of lacking shields, lancer cavalry
did not use twohanded long weapons or European style heavy models, but rather lighter spearlike
ones. While they were effective as shock troops, their offensive potential never surpassed all other
arms available. Some Daimyô still retained large forces of well drilled elite lancers and they were a
force to be reckoned with.

LANCER MOUNTED BUSHI

Strength 6 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 5 Attack Value 4

Move Order 7 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 3 Movement 10”

Armour 3 Special Rules Counter-charge, Wild

Charge

Special Rules

• Counter-charge
• Wild Charge

Options

• Hatamoto – Attack becomes 3, Fearsome, Pugnacious + 4 pt

 • Banner Carrier – Inspirational Leader, This unit and any friendly units within 6” may re-roll
failed Courage and Rally tests once per test. Does not apply if the leader’s unit is Wavering,
+2 pts
• Drilled – Remove Wild charge, +1 pt

Mounted Archer Bushi

Samurai cavalry tradition originally harkened back to mounted archery and their skills were as
highly developed as many other great horse nations. While their importance waned during the
Sengoku era, they were still used to provide effective mobile missile power. With their excellent
cavalry sabers they could also ride down light or disorganized foot when opportunity struck.

MOUNTED ARCHER BUSHI

Strength 6 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 7 Attack Value 5

Move Order 6 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order 5 Missile Value 5/12”

Courage 3 Movement 10”

Armour 3 Special Rules Counter-charge,

Evade

Special Rules

• Counter-charge
• Evade

Options

• Expert Horse Archers – Skirmish, +2 pts

Foot Ashigaru

As the country erupted into all out civil war, the need for ever greater numbers of soldiers became
apparent. Developed from the old retainer forces of previous times, the ranks of non-samurai men
under arms grew exponentially and as time went on they became ever more regimented and well
equipped. Their main armament were long yari spears, which became longer and longer as the 16th
passed. At the scale of the Rampant rules, these are not pike blocks proper (to the extent that the
Japanese ever used analogues to European Kiel or Tercio tactics), but their long spears still make
them excellent for combating enemy cavalry.

FOOT ASHIGARU
Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 6 Attack Value 5

Move Order 5 Defend Value 4

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 4 Movement 8”

Armour 3 Special Rules Ô-YARI

Special Rules

• Ô-yari – Enemy cavalry fighting them count as in Rough Terrain

Options

• Naginata – Attack Value 4, lose Ô-yari, +0 pts

Missile Ashigaru

Massed archery was an important part of Japanese tactics. Large ashigaru archer regiments were an
essential part of every Japanese even after the introduction of gunpowder weapons, both for sieges
and field battles. Sometimes mobile pavaise like screens were used to protect from enemy arrows.
Once gunpowder weapons were introduced by foreign traders, muskets (called teppo in Japanese)
saw widespread use and eventually outmatched the bow and arrow.

MISSILE ASHIGARU
Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 7 Attack Value 6

Move Order 7 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order 6 Missile Value 5/12”

Courage 4 Movement 8”

Armour 3 Special Rules

Special Rules

None

Options

• Expert Shooters – Skirmish, +1 pt

• Teppo – Missile Value 4/18”, +2 pts
• Pavaises – Armour 4 vs shooting, + 1 pt. May not be taken with Expert Shooters.

Skirmishing Ashigaru

These are foot soldiers in lighter armour, skirmishing in even more open order than ordinary
ashigaru, using aimed fire rather than volleys to inflict damage. They are limited in effectiveness by
their smaller unit size, for game balance reasons.
 SKIRMISHING ASHIGARU
Strength 6 Points Cost 2

Charge Order 7 Attack Value 6

Move Order 5 Defend Value 6

Shoot Order 6 Missile Value 5/12”

Courage 5 Movement 8”

Armour 1 Special Rules Evade, Fleet Footed.

HARD TO TARGET,
SKIRMISH, SMALL SIZE

Special Rules

• Evade
• Fleet-footed
• Hard to Target
• Skirmish
• Small Size – Shoots and fights with 6 dice

Options

• Teppo – Shoot 4/18”, +1 pt

Yamabushi (Mountain Warriors)

This troop type encompasses warbands and clans from the most mountainous and forested regions
of Japan. While poorer than lowland clans, their knowledge of and skill at fighting in rough terrain
made them useful for the warlords who could ascertain their loyalty. The most famous Yamabushi
warlord was the legendary Hattori Hanzô, often alleged to have been a ninja, but more likely was
just a canny mountain warrior. He famously had his men guide and escort Tokugawa Ieyasu’s army
across the mountains of Iga province allowing him to defeat the Imagawa clan.

YAMABUSHI
Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 7 Attack Value 4

Move Order 6 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 4 Movement 8”

Armour 2 Special Rules Fleet-footed, Flexible

Special Rules
 • Fleet-footed
• Flexible

Options

• Mixed Missiles – Attack 5, Shoot Order 7, Missile Value 6/12”, +0 pts

Sôhei (Warrior Monks)

Japanese monestaries were far from the peaceful institutions they have become today and often
interfered in the politcs and warfare of the era. Their heyday had long since passed by the 16th
century when they could intimidate even the Emperor. Most were equipped with various spears and
polearms and fought with fierce religious zeal.

SÔHEI Warrior Monks

Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 5 Attack Value 3

Move Order 6 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 4 Movement 8”

Armour 2 Special Rules Counter-charge vs

Infantry, Wild Charge

Special Rules

• Counter-charge vs Infantry
• Wild Charge

Options

• Mixed Missiles – Attack 4, Shoot Order 7, Missile Value 6/12”, +0 pts

• Armoured – Armour 3, +2 pts
• Portable Shrine – Lose Counter-charge vs Infantry and Wild charge, counts as Banner
Bearer from the Foot Bushi Options, +0 pts

Ikkô Ikki (Confederate Commoners)

The Sengoku era was one of great turmoil and at times the feudal dominance fractured in certain
regions. In these, the citizenry of towns and villages sometimes formed confederations for self rule
and defense. These were surprisingly egalitarian and as such were the target of brutal subjugation
campaigns by the Daimyô warlords. They usually fought with a mixture of available weapons but
were much better equipped than ordinary peasant levies. Some Ikkô Ikki were connected to splinter
religious sects which was further motivation for the feudal lords to suppress them.
 IKKÔ IKKI
Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 6 Attack Value 5

Move Order 5 Defend Value 4

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 4 Movement 6”

Armour 2 Special Rules Fleet-Footed

Special Rules

• Fleet-footed

Options

• Mixed Missiles – Attack 4, Shoot Order 7, Missile Value 6/12”, +0 pts

• Religious Fervour – Courage 3, +1 pt

Peasants

During the brutal scourging of rival warlord’s provinces which was part and parcel of the chaos
embroiling Japan, sometimes lowly commoners had to take up arms to defend themselves. While
generally poorly armed, sometimes villagers plundered battlefields or hunted down fleeing samurai,
thus amassing personal arsenals. This eventually became widespread enough that after unification
under the new Shôgunate, large so called “sword hunts” were arranged by the authorities to disarm
the populace.

PEASANTS
Strength 12 Points Cost 1

Charge Order 7 Attack Value 6

Move Order 6 Defend Value 6

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 5 Movement 6”

Armour 1 Special Rules Low Caste

Special Rules

• Low Caste – Doesn’t count towards your army break point

Options

• Captured Weapons – Attack and Defend 5, +1 pt

Rônin Mercenaries or Bandits

In the cutthroat struggles between warlords or all stripes, many samurai found themselves survivors
of battlefield defeat or eradication of their clans. These masterless bushi sometimes stooped to
brigandry in order to survive, but also hired their services to whoever were ready to pay.

RÔNIN MERCENARIES OR BANDITS

Strength 12 Points Cost 4

Charge Order 6 Attack Value 4

Move Order 7 Defend Value 4

Shoot Order - Missile Value -

Courage 4 Movement 8”

Armour 2 Special Rules Fleet-footed

Special Rules

• Fleet-footed

Options

• Swordsmen – Defend 5, Flexible, +0 pts

• Mixed Missiles – Attack Value 5, Shoot Order 6, Missile Value 6/12”, +0 pts
• Seven Samurai – Strength 7, Attack and Defend Value 3, Flexible, +0 pts

Shinobi

While almost all legends of the famous ninja are just that – legends, subterfuge and advanced
reconnaissance was an accepted and widely used part of Japanese warfare. Called Shinobi rather
than ninja, picked teams of bushi could be tasked with carrying out special operations of clandestine
nature. In game terms, Shinobi units are most useful to snag objectives, perform ambushes and
escort important persons or objects.

SHINOBI
Strength 6 Points Cost 5

Charge Order 6 Attack Value 5

Move Order 5 Defend Value 5

Shoot Order 6 Missile Value 5/12”

Courage 3 Movement 8”

Armour 2 Special Rules EVADE, Fleet-footed,

FLEXIBLE, HARD TO
TARGET, SMALL SIZE
Special Rules

• Evade
• Fleet-footed
• Flexible
• Hard to Target
• Small Size – Shoots and fights with 6 dice

Options

• Cunning Disguises +2 pts:

Can deploy anywhere on the table at least 12” away from enemy units, and at least 12” from
the enemy table edge or the exit edge for any objectives or exit points for units.
• Assassination Mission +2 pts:
Any casualty inflicted by the Shinobi unit against the enemy player’s Leader units
causes a Lucky Blow test, with any doubles rolled counting as a lucky blow.
• Previous Reconnaissance +2 pts:
You may designate one point on an Impassable Terrain feature such as a river, wall, chasm
or cliff. Friendly units which contact this point treat it as an Obstacle instead. The unit may
not cross a greater distance of Impassable terrain than its Movement. (Use this rule with a
sense of being reasonable and sportsmanlike.)