• Units

Otomo Matchlock Infantry

Otomo Matchlock Samurai

Matchlock samurai fire volleys into enemy ranks to disorientate and weaken them enough so a charge cannot be effectively resisted, as it can be devastating to see comrades falling in a hail of bullets. The Otomo’s matchlock samurai fight in a similar way to matchlock ashigaru, but are much more accurate when firing and can reload at a much faster rate. Reloading guns is still a slow process and it can leave the unit vulnerable to cavalry attacks. Matchlock samurai should retreat behind friendly melee troops once the real fighting begins.

Coming to prominence during the Kamakura Shogunate following the Gempei War, the Otomo clan remained at the forefront of feudal politics for the next four hundred years. Alongside the Shimazu, the Otomo were one of the largest clans on Kyushu, and had early contacts with the Portuguese, soon establishing trade links. Their daimyo, Otomo Sorin, saw the benefits to the clan’s prosperity and wanted the emerging gun technology that European trade could bring. Following the arrival of the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier in 1549, and his subsequent meeting with the daimyo, Otomo Sorin showed tolerance towards the Jesuit conversion of Japanese subjects to Catholicism, eventually converting himself in 1578. During the Sengoku Jidai, the Otomo fought against both the Shimazu and the Mori clans. They retained control of their lands into the Edo Period by playing a minor role during Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Sekigahara Campaign.

Unit Name Otomo Matchlock Samurai

Unit Key Inf_Missile_Matchlock_Samurai_Otomo

Soldiers 120

Category Ranged Infantry

Class Matchlock Infantry

Multiplayer Cost 800

└ Multiplayer Limit 0

Recruitment Cost 600

├ Recruitment Turns 2

└ Unit Limit 0

Upkeep Cost 150

Melee Attack 6

└ Melee Weapon sabre

Charge Bonus 6

Bonus vs Cavalry 0

Range 100

├ Missile Weapon musket

└ Projectile shogun_matchlock

Accuracy 55

Reloading Skill 25

Ammunition 15

Melee Defence 2

Armour 4

Morale 8

Abilities

• Bamboo Wall
  A large wall that can be erected during the deployment phase. It blocks the movement of enemies and protects against cavalry charges.
• Fire by Rank
  Will fire by rank from front to rear, each rank kneeling to reload and allowing those behind a clear field of fire.
• Rapid Volley
  Temporarily increases a unit's rate of fire.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Good range but shorter than bow units.
• Devastating damage.
• Average accuracy, reload rate and morale.
• Vulnerable to cavalry but fairly good in melee against infantry.