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Japanese Warring States
Armies in Pike & Shotte
by Marcus Vine · March 12, 2025 · 4 minute read
How to use our newest book and extensive model range to field a mighty
Japanese host!
With Wars of the Samurai out soon, there’s never been a better time to dive into the
turbulent Sengoku Jidai (warring states) period of Japanese history. This period is
perfect for wargaming with Pike & Shotte, and brings a completely new look and feel to
the venerable game. Naturally, you’ll want plenty of awesome miniatures to represent
the troops, as the armies of this period and region look like nothing else in history.
Good news – our model range is extensive and very detailed, giving you all the kits
you’ll need to field a mighty host. Let’s dive in and see what your options are!
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Onna-Bugeisha – well versed in the art of the longbow
At the core of any army is the infantry, and for the Sengoku Jidai period you’re looking
at a few distinct types. As with most armies throughout history, it’s the lower classes
doing the bulk of the fighting, and for Japanese armies that means ashigaru. These
commoners would be lightly armoured (their name broadly translates to ‘light infantry’),
and fight with a few main types of weapons – the yari spear, yumi longbow, and teppo
matchlock arquebus. This may seem very similar to the ‘Pike and Shotte’ of the
eponymous period in Europe, (and it’s why they’re best represented on the tabletop
with the game of the same name!), but ashigaru would usually fight in much more open
formations than their European counterparts.
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Rival ashigaru spearmen, keen to demonstrate their mettle
Blocks of ashigaru look absolutely fantastic on the tabletop, no matter their armament.
With their lacquered armour, wide-brimmed hats, and back-mounted banners they’re a
great way to get a uniform-looking force to allow your more colourful samurai to ‘pop’.
Assembling your units couldn’t be simpler – we’ve got two plastic ashigaru boxes to
choose from; one with yari spears, and the other with the earlier yumi bows and
cutting-edge teppo matchlocks. With 20 models in each, you’ll have plenty of support
for your Samurai in no time at all!
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Ashigaru Spearmen
Ashigaru Missile Troops
Interestingly, there are well-documented instances of fairly substantial numbers of
Japanese women taking up arms, with some rising to high rank. These women, known
as onna-Bugeisha, were renowned for their courage and skill, and can be represented
either as samurai or ashigaru on the tabletop, as you prefer. To represent them, our
metal boxed sets of onna-bugeisha with yumi longbows and armoured onna-bugeisha
with naginata polearms are absolutely perfect. Originally designed for Warlords of
Erehwon, and packed with character, they make for great centrepiece units for any
army.
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Onna-Bugeisha with Longbows
Armoured Onna-Bugeisha with Naginata
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Armoured Onna-Bugeisha with Naginata
While the ashigaru were given at least some training, and equipped to fight as cohesive
units, local peasants would also be conscripted, armed with whatever weapons they
could scrounge up. Others would band together to try to defend their homes from
rampaging forces, and some were little more than bandits, simply in it for plunder.
While not particularly enthusiastic or effective troops, they do have the advantage of
being cheap and plentiful! Our metal boxed set of Bandits & Brigands is ideal for
representing these ill-equipped desperados on the table, although you could also mix in
a few ashigaru models as well to create an even less ‘uniform’ appearance.
Bandits & Brigands
Moving on to the elite troops, we’re of course going to need samurai – lots of samurai!
These elite warriors are the cream of any Japanese army, and their iconic armour and
weapons, provide both a vibrant and colourful collection of individuals in every unit, and
serious punch in battle. Our plastic samurai infantry and cavalry boxes are a great way
to build the core of your units, boasting great detail and all the weapon options you
need.
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Samurai
Samurai Horsemen
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Samurai horsemen wheel into combat, lusting for enemy blood
From there you can add some fantastic character (and characters!) to your units with
our expanded range of metal and Warlord Resin models. Whether you go for the
Daimyo & Retinue or Samurai Heroes boxes, or the brand new Seven Spears of
Shizugatake (or all three!), these miniatures are a great way to make your units really
stand out on the tabletop!
Daimyo & Retinue
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Daimyo & Retinue
Samurai Heroes
The final troop types you can expect to see on a Sengoku Jidai table are the slightly
more ‘out there’ options. The sōhei warrior-monks bring a particularly militant form of
Buddhism to the table, boasting fearsome martial prowess and dedication. Armed with
naginata, they’re perfectly represented in metal, and a great way to field some infantry
with a difference. Lastly the infamous shinobi (the ‘ninja’) so beloved of martial arts
movies do make an appearance, albeit in a much more historical guise as saboteurs,
spies, and assassins in the background of the game. Almost any models can be used to
depict them (they’d be in disguise after all!), but if you want to go ‘full Hollywood’, the
metal Ninjas boxed set provides plenty of suitably dramatic poses and probably made-
up weapons – but there’ll be no doubt as to their identity.
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Sohei Warrior Monks with naginata
Ninjas
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Ninjas (Hollywood-style) launch their assault under cover of dusk, but their intended targets are not as
defenceless as they seem…
The quickest way to get a Japanese force started is with the Way of the Warrior bundle,
which includes a Samurai Starter Army, alongside the new book and all the new
miniatures coming out at the same time. Do you have what it takes to stand alongside
the great Daimyos?
MUSTER YOUR TROOPS!
Tags: Collecting History Upcoming Releases
Marcus Vine
Marcus enjoys playing Bolt Action, buying models he swears he'll paint one day,
and hitting people with swords at the weekend. His proudest hobby moment was
when Rick Priestley told him he was rubbish at rolling dice.
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