Nagashino 1575
In May 1575, Takeda Katsuyori besieged Nagashino Castle in an attempt to isolate the Tokugawa from their Oda allies, in order to defeat them in detail.
Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu led a combined army to relieve the siege, establishing their position on the plain of Shitaragahara, with their right flank anchored on Mount Gambo. Wary of the feared Takeda cavalry charge, Nobunaga had a series of wooden palisades constructed facing the small but high-banked Rengogawa stream, to protect his arquebusiers, and interspersed with breaks to allow counteratacks. To strengthen the arquebusiers’ resolve, he placed spearmen with them and members of his own bodyguard to command them. Heavy rains the night before had made the ground sodden and the air humid, which he hoped would impede the cavalry.
When Katsuyori emerged from forest into the open space across the stream he saw an opportunity to defeat both enemies in one battle. Counting on the Oda gunpowder being wet from the recent rains, and goaded by skirmishers Nobunaga had sent forward for just that purpose, Katsuyori ordered a cavalry charge. Time and again the famous Takeda cavalry was repulsed by three rank volley fire from the Oda arquebusiers, who had kept their powder dry. Those few that made it through the breaks in the palisade to the Oda rear were brought down by spearmen and samurai. Katsuyori himself led a charge on the Oda left flank where there was no palisade, but his troops were held by stiff resistance. Unable to breach the Oda defenses by mid-afternoon, the Takeda were forced to retire and the siege on Nagashino was lifted.
Takeda Katsuyori had lost one third of his army and eight of his famous “Twenty-Four Generals”. The once mighty Takeda were crippled by these losses and eventually destroyed in 1582. Oda Nobunaga became renowned for his gunfire tactics and is believed to be the first general in history to employ volley fire, 25 years before it was seen in Europe.
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Set-Up Order
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Oda-Tokugawa Samurai Army (Red)
5 Command Cards
2 Dragon Cards
8 Honor & Fortune
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| 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Takeda Samurai Army (Yellow)
Move First
5 Command Cards
2 Dragon Cards
7 Honor & Fortune
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| 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Victory
6 Banners
1 Victory Banner for each unit or leader eliminated.
Special Rules
* Volley Fire
Any ordered Ashigaru Arquebus unit may perform one additional ranged attack against enemy units at 2 hex range if the Oda player discards an H&F token for each individual unit. Arquebus units ordered by a Hold and Fire card may produce a third ranged attack against enemy units at 2 hex range for the cost of an H&F token.
* Palisades
The building hexes do not function as buildings but represent palisades, providing protection to the units behind them. For any enemy combat across the two palisade hex sides facing the stream, infantry units on the palisade hex may ignore one sword and one banner. The two hexsides facing the stream are also considered impassable terrain. The palisades provide no protective benefit or movement restriction across the other 4 hex sides.
The palisades do not block line of sight.
* Sodden ground
No units may have their base movement increased by Command or Dragon cards. Units on the Rengogawa stream, or any hex adjacent to it, may not gain ground after a successful attack.
* Rengogawa Stream
The Regongawa is fordable river along its entire length.
