GP17. SECOND BATTLE OF UJI, February 1184
In response to retired emperor Go-Shirakawa’s plea for help, Minamoto no Yoritomo sent a large army from the Kanto to oust his cousin Yoshinaka from the capital. Vastly outnumbered, Yoshinaka’s only hope was to block the river crossings at Seta and Uji. Yoritomo’s army divided into two divisions, commanded by his brothers, the main force under Noriyori attacking Seta and a smaller one under Yoshitsune making for Uji.
At Uji, Yoshitsune found the river in spate with early spring snow melt, the bridge dismantled, the riverbed obstructed with stake, rope and abatis barriers, and a small but determined force of defenders on the far bank. Under arrow fire Yoshitsune’s men cut their way through the obstacles, forded the flood waters and drove off the defenders. Yoshinaka was outflanked.
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Northern Minamoto (Red)
Dragon Cards 1
H&F 2
Eastern Minamoto (Yellow)
> Move first
Command Cards 6
H&F 4
Victory
5 Banners
1 Victory Banner for each Leader or Unit eliminated.
The Yellow army may not win unless they have 2 units on the Red side of the river at the same time as they have 5 Victory Banners.
(See the Snow Melt Special Rule)
Special Rules
- The Uji River is fordable.
- * Snow Melt - The Uji River is in flood and flows in the direction indicated by the arrow. At the end of its army’s turn, any unit on a river hex is moved to the immediately adjacent river hex downstream. If this movement takes the unit off the edge of the board, it is eliminated and 1 Victory Banner is awarded to the enemy (2 Victory Banners if a leader is attached)
- * Underwater Obstacles – There are stake, abatis and rope obstacles in the riverbed. Before each time an ordered unit on a river hex attempts to move or take ground, it must roll its normal 2 close combat dice (this may be increased by Leader Inspiration or card effects). The unit may move or take ground and battle normally if a sword is rolled. If no sword is rolled, it may not move but may still battle normally (a unit must still successfully take ground to perform bonus close combat).
