Foot Samurai (ROTS Unit)
| Foot Samurai (ROTS Unit) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Bow Infantry |
| Recruitment Cost | 700 |
| Upkeep Cost | 150 |
| Requires | Buildings: |
| Melee Attack | 14 |
| Charge Bonus | 6 |
| Bonus vs Cavalry | 0 |
| Range | 150 |
| Accuracy | 60 |
| Reloading Skill | 60 |
| Ammunition | 25 |
| Melee Defence | 6 |
| Armour | 6 |
| Morale | 8 |
| Speed | 4 |
Description
Samurai infantry well able to fight in melee and with the bow, making them superb all-purpose warriors.
To be a samurai was, originally, to be a mounted warrior with bow and spear; mastery of the sword and fighting on foot were later developments. However, once adopted, these new ways were treated with equal sincerity and dedication. Samurai infantry are master archers, capable of hitting targets at impressively long ranges, and also quite capable of defeating enemies in close combat. However, the numerically small size of the unit does make them vulnerable to being overwhelmed by numerous lesser enemies. A wise commander also makes sure they are carefully handled when cavalry threaten.
War, the skills of war, and the spirits went hand in hand in Japan. According to the "Azuma Kagami", a written account of the Gempei War, Minamoto Yoritomo's first action when summoned to war was to put on ceremonial robes, and bow towards the Iwashimizu Hachiman shrine. By doing this, the Minamoto Shogun placed the destiny of his family in the hands of Hachiman, the kami of war and the Minamoto's tutelary spirit. To make sure Hachiman continued to favour his clan, Yoritomo had a Shinto priest and a samurai "deeply versed in Shinto ritual" offer prayers on his behalf.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Very good accuracy and reload rate.
- Very good in melee.
- Very good morale.
- Vulnerable to cavalry and massed levy troops.
Special Abilities
- Flaming Arrows - This unit can fire flaming arrows for a short period of time. Flaming arrows have a greater damage effect and can set fire to flammable objects. Flaming arrows don't function in wet weather.
- Whistling Arrows - Whistling arrows have an unsettling effect on both enemy and friendly troops, reducing their morale and combat ability for a short period when they fly over them.
Other Information
The Excellent Stats of Foot Samurai are badly offset by their expensive recruitment and upkeep costs and the fact that there are only 45 men per unit, meaning that they're simply too valuable to recruit unless you've built up a strong economy to support them. And even then, they're still too valuable for anything else other than turning the tide of a battle or defending a castle against an enemy assault. The most recommended Improvement that they should be given is Exceptional Armour as they are simply too good with the bow and sword to need either Exceptional Accuracy or Exceptional Weaponry, respectively. Extra Armour is also very helpful in reducing the risk of damage from arrow fire and engaging in melee with, more often than not, overwhelming odds. And the last thing that anyone would want is to have to replaced a decimated unit of Foot Samurai.
