Samurai Battles at the Club

Battle Three

Yesterday morning (Sunday), Andy rang unexpectedly inviting me to join him chez Woolston Club to try out the Richard Borg authored Samurai Battles. I'd never tried them before, though am aware that they bear strong similarities to the same author's Memoir '44, Command and Colours and other semi-board games. As it happens, Memoir '44 is the only game system of the type I have played. So the thing was something of an orientation introduction, as we played the first three scenarios.  

I ought to have taken photos of the first game - an introductory set piece depicting no actual battle. Reasonably close: I scored three banners whilst Andy achieved the five required to win. Getting the hang of the Dragon Cards took some doing, and I don't reckon even at the end of the day, I quite had them sussed. Mind you, not having seen the game before, I didn't know what all the Dragon cards could do!

Now, for all three battles, I had the RED side (versus the BLUE), so it was a litttle bit like playing a campaign. The second battle involved just four mounted samurai bowmen against a whole lot of enemy foot.  Going first, one of the first tactical cards I had drawn was 'Cavalry Charge'. Even though my horsemen were bow armed, this just had to be the opening move, right?  The picture shows the aftermath... 

Battle Two: after the mighty cavalry charge.

Some losses to deplore, but the enemy first line entirely overrun. In the distance, some naginata-armed ashigaru may be discerned, shaking in their boots.  Victory to RED.

The feature that sets Samurai Battles apart from other Command and Colours involves an interpretation (possibly stereotypically) of the bushido moral code that formed the samurai sense of honour. One picks up 'honour points' at the end of each turn, or after a combat. These one can 'spend' upon Dragon cards, which can enhance the effectiveness of one's own warriors, or diminish those of the enemy. Although it doesn't really mean you are sacrificing your honour in order to do something underhand, it sometimes feels that way! The expenditure can vary, depending upon what you want to achieve.  Playing a Dragon Card will more often than not require the expenditure of just one honour point, but some of the more effective might cost as many as four. Oh, yes: retreats forced by combat are likely to cost honour points as well. 

I do wish in that last battle I had remembered to try and suborn one of the enemy units onto my side...

The next battle was a lot more elaborate, and mainly owing to unhandy tactical cards being drawn by both sides, took a long time to play out. The REDs had the advantage of more tactical and Dragon cards, the first move, and the possibility of winning two banners if the enemy commander was eliminated. The downside, when I looked at the set-up, was that the RED army was split into three groups, two of which were split by the river. There were fords, of course, four of them, but they presented defiles easily blocked. Not very convenient. Interesting situation.

Opening situation Battle Three: from BLUE side. 

Well, we began all right, taking the fight to the enemy, and made some progress in the centre. But a BLUE attack against my left forced my withdrawal to the near bank, leaving a unit of samurai bowmen stranded and surrounded on the other side.  

Early moves: RED advancing slightly in the centre,
but pulling back on the left.

Eventually I managed to organise a counter-offensive on that wing that rescued the isolated samurai and pushed the enemy, with heavy losses to the far edge of the woods behind the line. By then something of an impasse - a battle of attrition - was being reached in the centre. A bold band of ashigaru spearmen punched a hole in the enemy line and pressed on as far as their rear reserves. But the rest of the RED line was proving hard to organise. My general led a mounted spear attack against the enemy commander's bodyguard and destroyed it. Given the chance to cleave the fellow from poll to chine, which would have won the battle, my guys flubbed it.  OK, the chance was five to one against, but one can hope, eh?

Boldly carrying the fight to the enemy.  Isolated 
samurai rescued, but a band of rash ashigaru 
have fetched up surrounded by enemies

Another chance they were never to get. The bold ashigaru who burst through the enemy line were surrounded at last and wiped out to a man. At this point, the BLUE army having won the six banners required for victory, the battle was decided. It had been a close run affair: for a long time the REDs had been sitting on 5 banners, but never quite able to secure that last one...

A chance missed: the enemy commander escapes the 
destruction of his personal bodyguard

Surrounded by hordes of samurai, the ashigaru 
die with their  boots firmly on...

The last stand...

Thanks to Andy for thoroughly enjoyable day. The battles were interrupted by a fine meat-lover's pizza.  It seems, too that Memoir '44 has become something of a 'thing' at Wooston. Three games were going at once. I notice that part of the fashion is to paint up the soldiery and equipment like any other war gamer's kit. That does enhance the appearance of the thing...