Campaigns of the Mōri clan

Details

Written by: Mark McG

Category: Campaigns of the Mōri clan

Published: 05 July 2021

Last Updated: 14 July 2021

Hits: 1359

• Amako
• Ouchi
• GMT Base Game

HISTORY DETAILS
In late December, Sue Harukata arrived with the Ouchi relief force. Motonari decided to strike again and ordered Harukata to guard his rear with the Ouchi, while he moved to attack the Amako allied camp at Miyazaki Nagao. But Harukata had no intention of waiting to do battle and seeing that Akihisa’s main camp was inadequately defended, also attacked. Amako Hisayuki's bold charge to check the Ouchi did not slow their advance and the Akihisa’s camp was overrun. Losing both camps in the days fighting, Akihisa took council and after months of fighting choose to lift the siege.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. Can you change history?

1	1	7	6	2

Ouchi Samurai Army (Red)
Move First

5	1	2	2	2	2	2

Amako Samurai Army (Blue)

3	2	2	2	1	2	2	2

Victory
6 Banners
• 1 Victory Banner for each unit or leader eliminated.
• The Amako Command Tent, although not occupied by a command unit is still worth 3 Victory Banners to the Ouchi player when occupied at the start of his turn and removed. When the Command Tent is removed, the Amako player must discard one of his Command cards at once, selected at random.

Special Rules
• The River Tajii is impassable except at the river ford.

Posts in discussion: G07 KORIYAMA CASTLE 1541 AD (January)

Pevans replied the topic:

#1098

9 months 6 days ago

Nephew Tom had a week off work at the end of May and we fitted in a couple of sessions picking up where we'd left off 14 months ago with this scenario.

My initial hand as the Ouchi allowed me to make a sustained attack in the centre, letting me punch through with my samurai and take the tent. However, this left me with two samurai units on their own in the middle of the Amako army, which was still in good order. The score's 4:0, comprising three for the Command tent and one fallen Amako unit, while my forces are intact.

My samurai made a fighting retreat from their exposed position, ashigaru spearmen coming to support them. However, I lost one samurai, one ashigaru and a leader as Tom fought back to 4:3.

We swapped ashigaru in the centre, 5:4, before I got my samurai horsemen into the fight on the left, the final banner being an Amako leader.

We re-set the board and swapped seats for the re-match. Initial manoeuvres let me get my army into a contiguous line (I had a "Serpent Command" card to move the entire force in one go). However, Tom disrupted this by attacking in the centre, heading towards the command tent. I took out two ashigaru units and pushed back the rest. So the score is 2:0 to me.

Tom then outflanked me on the right with the two mounted samurai, riding down one of my ashigaru - 2:1.

As Tom rolled up my right flank with his cavalry, I attacked with my centre and left cards. However, he had better luck than me, taking out another three units and a leader to my one. And my mounted samurai bowmen got cut off in the centre for Tom to eliminate them as the coup de grace.

The final score was 3:6, making the overall score for this scenario 9:10 to Tom.

I’ve also posted this report (with pictures!) on my BGG blog: boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/162885/samurai-battles-in-may

RiverWanderer replied the topic:

#841

3 years 5 months ago

I enjoyed a close game of this scenario as Blue. My opponent advanced to form a strong attack on the centre. I scraped a win 5:6, which could have gone the other way had a die roll been different in any of 2 or 3 places.

My chances looked strong after "Physician" brought back a Samurai Spearmen from the brink in the centre (benefit of the Command Tent) and White Dragon blunted Red's attack.  Still, from 1:4, Red came back with a strong response. Rice Famine took Blue's last remaining H&F and subsequent Lack of Honor rolls weakened several Blue units and helping the scoreline to 4:4. The melees continued, sweeping up a weakened unit on both sides. Lack of 1 more hit on Red's last melee gave Blue the last turn; cavalry charge bonus combat finally catching a retreating 1 block Red Ashigaru Infantry Spearmen unit.

 

NightOwl3 replied the topic:

#797

3 years 7 months ago

Going into the scenario it seemed that Red would win. I decided to go straight for the tent and crush the weak green units. I also wanted to swing my bow CAV and hit the isolated medium troops on my left near the river. I got a good start, but then Judd went into a great defensive position by pulling back and getting his troops together. We had some back and forth, but I finally made contact on his right and weakened several units. I also got two flags by taking out a medium troop and a leader. Judd also pushed up a samurai cav on his left/center threatening to break my line. I hit his right and got two more banners, but did not deliver the knock out. He responded well, and with is spear Cav took out three of my units all samurai. I pulled back my remaining troops on his right to avoid a CAV charge. It took two attempts but I finally took out that bow CAV and got a good roll to get its leader as well. We ended up 6-3, but it was closer than the score shows. I may have pushed a bit too much given his defense. I tend to forget that those samurai bowmen roll 3 dice.

Read More...

Details

Written by: Mark McG

Category: Campaigns of the Mōri clan

Published: 05 July 2021

Last Updated: 07 July 2021

Hits: 1205

• Mori Clan
• Amako
• GMT Base Game

HISTORY DETAILS
In October, although rebuffed on a number of occasions, Akihisa renewed the offensive, burning the remaining buildings outside the castle. Mori Motonari still believed he could prevail and decided to risk a general engagement, but before he marched out he sent a small force to each side of the valley to set up an ambush. The Amako army under the command of Misawa Tameyuki advanced straight at Motonari. When the two forces met, the ambush force was given the signal and emerged from hiding and the Amako army broke in panic.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.

6	7	2	3

Mõri Samurai Army (Red)
Move First

3	3	2	2	1	1	1

Amako Samurai Army (Blue)

4	1	2	1	3	1	1

Victory
5 Banners
* 1 Victory Banner for each unit or leader eliminated.

Special Rules
* The Tajii River is impassable.

Posts in discussion: G06 KORIYAMA CASTLE 1540 AD (October)

Pevans replied the topic:

#1069

2 years 2 weeks ago

Nephew Tom is between jobs for a couple of weeks, so we took the opportunity to play some games. For our first session, we picked up where we left off 18 months ago with this scenario.

As we were playing with the physical game (rather than on Vassal), I don't have a turn-by-turn record of what happened, so this account will be more of a summary. I drew Amako first. The advanced Amako force may well be outnumbered, but my reinforcements could even things up.

The trap is sprung as the Mori archers open up on the foremost Amako troops from both sides. Then mounted Samurai spearmen led by Kodama Narimitsu attack the Amako front lines and start demolishing the hapless Ashigaru spearmen. Amako's horsemen on the flanks trot forward to support the centre. {The score's quickly 0:3 as I have no centre cards to respond to the initial attacks.}

However, Mori's samurai are unsupported and exposed to Amako's archers who take them out. {And I get on the scoreboard 1:3} Mori throws more troops at the Amako centre, one unit at a time. They take out the last of the Ashigaru spearmen, only for the bowmen to take revenge. {2:4, but Tom only needs one more banner for a Mori win.}

By now the Amako forces were lined up across the valley, facing the line of Mori troops. But the Amako troops were almost all armed with bows. As the Mori samurai tried to close in, arrows took out unit after unit to win the battle. {5:4}

That was quite a comeback. Tom's initial attacks went well, but this pushed back my centre and left space between the two armies. My bowmen did the rest.

A quick re-set and it was Tom's turn to be ambushed. My opening hand contained an "Infantry Onslaught" and three Centre cards. So I attacked in the centre. And attacked in the centre. And attacked in the centre.

The Mori centre simply destroyed the Amako centre without losing a single unit - though several of them were pretty battered. {That's a score of 5:0 and an aggregate of 10:4.}

RiverWanderer replied the topic:

#853

3 years 4 months ago

Close game that looked like blue had it in the bag at 4:2 after destroying red's centre assault with an Ambush and First Strike combination. This was after blue's main leader was dispatched in personal combat only for his counter-part to fall in the subsequent melee.

Red scraped back in to win 5:4, largely thanks to keeping blue's archers at bay and gaining a straight wipe-out of a blue SBC as the left side of the board came to life.

Played on Vassal. The module has got the Victory conditions incorrect (stating 2 banners per leader).

NightOwl3 replied the topic:

#785

3 years 8 months ago

Judd and I moved on to scenario #6. It favors Red (Mori). I was Blue. I came in hoping to pull back towards the bottom left of the map and try to combine to take our Red’s three units on my left. Judd opened strongly, and I was only partially able to fall back. By being limited to four cards, it is dicey to pull off. Things were not too bad till his samurai Cav unit hit and I lost my mounted leader in a casualty check. At that point his left was on me in the center. I elected to take out his Cav, but in doing so did not pull back the rest of my men. He got several good attacks in and about 3 VPs in a row. I did not recover. I hoped to come back with a Shogun card but rolled three swords out of hour. It was over at that point. This is one we should play again for sure.

Good game Judd!

Read More...

Details

Written by: Mark McG

Category: Campaigns of the Mōri clan

Published: 05 July 2021

Last Updated: 07 July 2021

Hits: 1202

• Mori Clan
• Amako
• GMT Base Game

HISTORY DETAILS
In early September, Motonari sent a small group of Ashigaru across the Tajii to provoke the Amako into attacking. When the Amako troops came out to drive them back, the Ashigaru fled back across the river to the safety of the castle. The Mori force, that was waiting in Ambush, then took the Amako soldiers by surprise in their flank. The Amako were immediately routed and fled back to their camp.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. Can you change history?

1	4	4	2	1

Mõri Samurai Army (Red)
Move First

5	1	1	2	2

Amako Samurai Army (Blue)

5	2	1	2	1	1

Victory
4 Banners
• 1 Victory Banner for each unit or leader eliminated.
• The Mori army gains 1 Victory Banner for each Ashigaru spearmen unit that crosses the River Tajii. When the unit is on a hex across the river, remove the unit from the battlefield and gain the Victory Banner.

Special Rules
• The River Tajii is impassable except at the river ford.

Posts in discussion: G05 KORIYAMA CASTLE 1540 AD (September)

Pevans replied the topic:

#817

3 years 6 months ago

Run away, ashigaru! Starting as Mori, I managed to get two of them acros the river, but nephew Tom's ashigaru and mounted samurai archers were in pursuit and took out the third, along with the attached foot leader. (That makes the score 2:2) I actually had the Turncoat card this time, but not the advantage (ahead in banners and Honor and Fortune chips) to use it successfully.

And I'm now outnumbered, so I went defensive. Tom's archers engaged in the centre, killing my remaining leader. (2:3) His ashigaru swung across from his right to join his central forces and I lost another unit for no reward. That finished the game. (2:4)

For the re-match, I started with low-powered right section cards, so I couldn't pursue Tom's retreating ashigaru in any numbers. The units I did send after him got battered and he got all three ashigaru across the river. (0:3)

Exchanges of archery in the centre made little impression. Then Tom snuck his samurau through a wood to attack my battered ashigaru on the right. Removing them gave him the win in short order. (0:4) Ouch!

(This report is also on my BGG blog, with photos: boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/123222 )

Pevans replied the topic:

#812

3 years 6 months ago

GMT scenario book has a Mori SSp with the infantry leader in the centre, not the SSpC shown here. Oops: just spotted that's already been mentioned (wipes egg off face).

NightOwl3 replied the topic:

#783

3 years 8 months ago

Judd jumped in again for this series of playing through the CCS scenarios. Coming in, we were tired 2-2 in the first four battles. Tonight, I was Red and Judd Blue. I had the option of getting VP for crossing the river with my medium troops. Red goes first, and I was able to pull some left cards and fall back towards the river. Judd charged up and we had a battle line. I decided not to fall back again and we fought. I got one unit across the river, and killed a Blue unit. Judd attacked and it was 2-2. Maybe I should have fallen back after all. He had an ambush card that foiled my death blow. One of my leaders had to fall back to the ford. I joined a medium unit with him. Judd pushed up his Cav for the kill but failed. On the next turn I played Shogun, and rolled two blues, and two flags. I retreated the blue unit across the river, and elected two samurai units to take out one of his mediums which just had one block left. It was 4-2 and over.
I like this scenario, and I know Judd wants to play it again. I think it favors Red if he can get some left side cards early.

Also, in the map above Mori should have a foot samurai with a leader not a Cav. samurai with a leader. The troop roster is correct, but not the unit on the map.

Read More...

Details

Written by: Mark McG

Category: Campaigns of the Mōri clan

Published: 05 July 2021

Last Updated: 07 July 2021

Hits: 1418

• Shishido
• Shinguto
• GMT Base Game

HISTORY DETAILS
Early in 1540, Akihisa, leader of the Amako, proposed a full-scale invasion against the Mori. Before attacking the capital city of Mori, as an advance force, he sent the troops of Amako Kunihisa, of the Shinguto clan, via the Bingo pass to take the castle of Mori loyalists, the Shishido. Kunihisa moved quickly into Yoshida, but when his troops reached the River Enokawu, it was so bravely defended by the Shishido, that he was forced to give up and he returned to Izumo.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. Can you change history?

2	2	5	6	6	3

Shishido Samurai Army (Red)
Move First

2	1	2	1	2	1

Shinguto Samurai Army (Blue)

5	1	1	2	2	1	2

Victory
5 Banners
• 1 Victory Banner for each unit or leader eliminated.
• The Shinguto army gains 1 Victory Banner for each unit across the river at the start of the Shinguto player’s turn.
The Victory Banner is retained as long as the unit remains on the Shishido side of the river.

 Special Rules
• The River Enokawa is impassable except at the shallow fords. The fords do not have any movement or combat restrictions.
• All hill hexes are impassable.

Posts in discussion: G04 ARITA CASTLE 1540 AD (Enokawu River)

Pevans replied the topic:

#865

3 years 3 months ago

Time (17th Nov 2021) for Evert's and my return match at this scenario and my turn to attack with the Shinguto.

I decided on a bold approach and made an immediate assault on the leftmost ford. [ I had a stack of left wing cards.] I expected my Ashigaru to be pushed back, thus allowing my Samurai to attack in their place. However, my Samurai Spearmen were caught napping [an "Ambush" from Evert] and the attack was quickly on the back foot. [The score's 0:1 to Evert]

Nothing daunted, I threw my Samurai Bow Cavalry across the river, taking out the Shishido Samurai Bowmen in their way. [1:1]

The mounted Shishido Samurai archers promptly occupied the ford, attacking my cavalry from the rear and killing their Leader. [1:2]

Shinguto efforts came to nought [a spectacularly bad "Shogun" card] and my cavalry fell. [1:3]

The Shinguto still had the numbers on the left to force the ford, but it was obstinately defended by the Shishido mounted Samurai archers. First my Ashigaru spearmen fell to their swords [1:4] and then so did my Samurai Bow Cavalry. [1:5]

This was a significantly quicker - and more ferocious - battle than our previous play. The result was the same, though, leaving the aggregate score at 6:6. I think Evert's a quick learner.

Pevans replied the topic:

#864

3 years 3 months ago

My regular C&C opponent, Evert, fancied a go at Samurai Battles as a change from our continuing Napoleonics play-through. We opted for this scenario (on 7th Nov 2021) so that Evert could give his attacking instincts full rein as the Shinguto while I could defend the fords to my heart's content (and shoot the sh*t out of the attackers).

Evert duly moved spearmen towards the fords, only to have them scampering backwards again as my archers opened up ["Hold and Shoot"]. But not all of them. One gallant band of Shinguto Ashigaru charged across the ford centre-left. Straight at the Shishido Samurai Spearmen. Oh dear. [And the score's 1:0 to me]

Bolstered by the mounted Samurai, the archers on my right inflicted further damage on the Shinguto forces on their centre-left and they pulled back out of bowshot. The Shinguto continued to advance centre-right with occasional push-backs from the Shishido archers here. Retreats were leaving the Shinguto with little in the way of Honour points.

Then I sprinted my Samurai horse archers across the leftmost ford to hit the Shinguto lurking out of range. [Well, I had a "Cavalry Charge"] The Shinguto fought hard, but superior tactics ["Ambush"] allowed my cavalry to finish off the opposing [one-block] Samurai Spearmen and then [with the help of a "Physician"] wipe out the Samurai Bowmen. [3:0]

However, the remaining Shinguto on (their) left finally did for the brave cavalry. [3:1]

Attention now switched to the other side of the battlefield where the Shinguto were massing against the two fords. The mass was reduced when my Samurai horse archers finished off the Ashigaru Bowmen pinned against the hills. [4:1]

The Shinguto then attacked both right-hand fords. The single combat between leaders [Evert tried a "Personal Combat"] over the rightmost ford came to nothing and the attackers were repulsed from the other. The Shishido Samurai Spearmen chased them across the ford and attacked, backed up by fire from their Bowmen colleagues. Fierce fighting followed until I finished off the Shinguto Samurai Spearmen. [That's a win, 5:1]

Having played this scenario before, that was pretty much what I expected - though nephew Tom has shown that the Shinguto can win if they can force one of the fords (and rack up points for units across the river.

Pevans replied the topic:

#816

3 years 6 months ago

As I was already on the blue side of the board, I took Shinguto first against nephew Tom's Shishido. I was able to attack on both flanks. On the left it was an archery duel. I brought up my mounted samurai bowmen, but Tom did the same, making it three Shishido against two Shinguto. Hmm... But I really didn't want to march my spearmen slowly forward against the bows.

On the right, the Shinguto forces massed against the ford just right of centre. My samurai foot spearmen led the charge, forcing Tom's defending ashigaru (down to a single block) to retreat and seizing a bridgehead. Tom hit them with his samurai foot spearmen, supported by the samurai archers from the centre and the Samurai bow cavalry that were in reserve. Bye bye my samurai spearmen (and that's 0:1 to Tom) as the ford was occupied by the Shishido samurai.

Bad news on the left flank, too, as my mounted archers took 4 hits to the 2 I inflicted on their opposite numbers. That's 0:2.

With a lead in victory banners, Tom then played his masterstroke. With plenty of Honor and Fortune chips built up, he played the "Turncoat" Dragon card. For the fourth time in six battles. However, this time I managed to roll some 'Honor and Fortune' and the Turncoat failed. Phew!

My ashigaru and mounted bowmen pressed the attack on the ford, eliminating the Shishido samurai (1:2) and again getting across the river. Tom threw everything he had on that flank (including the one-block ashigaru) into a counter-attack. A lucky die roll removed my mounted archers and I lost an ashigaru unit as well, while I took out that damaged unit and Tom's foot samurai. (3:4)

The Shishido mounted bowmen stormed across the ford to chase down my ashigaru, eliminating one unit, whose leader took the honourable course of seppuku (I didn't have enough Honor and Fortune chips to pay for a retreat!). On top of this, Tom's archers took out my bowmen on the left. That's 3:6, which is when we spotted that he only needed five victory banners to win. Oops!

We re-set the scenario and played the other sides, which went pretty quickly. We both started with lots of left section cards and Tom charged his left flank forces up to the river. With no cards to do anything on my right, I just had to stand there and take it. My archers were engaging his archers on my left (to little effect) and I had some archers in the centre just in range to support my right. Tom powered through my defenders, destroying two units and getting his first one across the river. (0:3)

I got one back, taking out an ashigaru spearmen unit (1:3) but Tom had moved another unit over the river (1:4). Finally, he brought two more units across the ford and eliminated a third ashigaru unit to take the score to 1:5. Those extra units across the river mean it would have been 1:7 on his next turn. Sigh.

(This report is also on my BGG blog, with photos: boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/123222 )

NightOwl3 replied the topic:

#773

3 years 8 months ago

In this battle Judd jumped in to play one side, just like I jumped in to his CCN solo march through those scenarios.

Judd and I are still getting our feet wet with CCS, so it has been fun learning the new tricks and tactics.

Judd was Red and I was Blue. For the first part of the game, Judd kept me pinned down and hitting me with ranged weapons. I took some hits. I finally was able to push in the center section with my two Cav archers and my one foot archer. Then with a charge I sent the Cav to push him back from the river. We had an epic battle at the ford in the center section where our Cav and foot bowmen went down to the wire. I had one Cav bowman who just would not die. When Judd rolled a double red to take him out, I played the "Shot Proof" dragon card to save him. At the end my 1 Cav unit took out two units on Judd's side and was one his side. Blue wins 6-2. However, it was much closer that it seems on paper.

Good Game Judd!

Read More...