Samurai LotR Rules

Adjustments to Main Rules

Priority Players roll for priority on the first turn of the game in the same manner as all other turns.

Movement All models on foot move 6” in the movement phase. Models mounted on horses move 10” instead.

Shooting All models are considered ‘evil’ for the purposes of firing through intervening friendly models and firing into combat (meaning they can do so). However, soldiers are not generally expecting shots from their friends and are not ready to defend from them. If a ranged attack hits a friendly model you must reroll the to wound roll if it fails.

Combat Fight rolls no longer have a minimum or maximum: they can be increased above 6 and decreased below 1 by modifiers.

Wounding Instead of strength and defense values, all models have a single defense stat in the form of a roll eg 4+, 5+. To wound, the attacking model must roll this value or higher on 1d6 for each attack they make. These D6 are rolled separately instead of totalled. For example, a model with two attacks that wins its fight rolls 2D6, and scores a wound for each D6 that equals or exceeds the defending model’s defense value.

Courage Instead of a normal value as their courage score, each model has a roll in their statline in place of their courage value, for example 3+ or 4+. To make a courage test you must roll this value or higher on 1D6. If you roll less than the value, the test has been failed.

Wargear

These rules for wargear replace all wargame rules in the LotR book.

Katana (sword) A katana is a melee weapon which has no special rules.

Naginata (glaive) A naginata is a short, sword­like blade mounted on a pole. A naginata is a melee weapon which gives its wielder +1 to all rolls to wound.

Nodachi (great sword) A nodachi is an extra long, extremely weighty katana. A nodachi is a melee weapon which gives its wielder ­1 to all fight rolls but adds +2 to all wound rolls.

Yari (spear) A yari is a melee weapon which does two different things depending on whether the model wielding it is mounted on a horse or on foot:

Mounted All models mounted on a horse with a yari add +1 to their fight rolls and +1 to their wound rolls on any turn in which they charged.

On Foot All models on foot wielding a yari add +1 to their fight rolls in all fights in which they are fighting a model mounted on a horse as long as they did not charge this turn. In addition, they cannot be knocked down by the impact of a mounted model charging.

Yumi (bow) Japanese bows were extremely length bows made of bamboo which were unusual due to their asymmetric design: the grip is generally located only a third of the way up the bow. A yumi is a ranged weapon with a range of 24”. It follows all normal rules for ranged weapons. A model firing a yumi suffers a ­1 to wound rolls. Models armed with yumis can use volley fire as described in the LotR rule book.

Tanegashima (arquebus) Tanegashima is the name of the most common firearm used during the Sengoku Jidai. It was introduced to the Japanese by Portugese in 1543 and quickly became one of the most important weapons in Japanese warfare. Tanegashima are ranged weapons with a range of 24”. Since they are highly unusual compared to the weapons that had previously been used in Japan they have a number of special rules:

Slow to Reload Reloading a medieval firearm was a length and complex process. After a model has fired an tanegashima, mark it somehow as needing to reload. During any of your following shooting phases, a model which needs to reload and has not moved may elect to reload. A model cannot reload while engaged in combat. A model cannot shoot in the same turn in which it has reloaded. A model which needs to reload cannot fire its tanegashima until it has done so, but it may still use any other weapons it has.

Inaccurate Medieval firearms were also notoriously inaccurate, since they were not yet rifled or particularly precisely made. This meant bullets bounced around the barrel when fired, making the direction they exit unpredictable. All models firing an tanegashima have ­1 on rolls to hit.

Powerful The impact of a bullet fired from a firearm easily passed through any armour produced at the time and would gravely wound any soldier hit. When rolling to wound with an tanegashima you only need 2+ regardless of the defense value of the model hit.

Direct Fire Models armed with tanegashima cannot volley fire.

Ninja Weaponry

In addition to conventional weapons, ninjas used a variety of unusual, specialised weapons.

Shuriken The word ‘shurikens’ strictly refer to any easily concealed throwing weapon used by ninjas, as well as the traditional image of a bladed throwing star. A shuriken is a throwing weapon with a range of 6”, but they cannot be used in close combat.

Tanto (dagger) Tanto were useful to ninjas since they were easy to conceal. On the battlefield ninjas can surprise distracted enemies with a tanto. A tanto is a melee weapon. When using a tanto against a model which also engaged with another friendly model, the wielder gets +1 to fight rolls and +1 to wound.

Kusarigama A kusarigama is a sickle­like weapon with a blade on one end and a small weight on a chain on the other. It was used to disable an opponent before striking them with the blade. A kusarigama is a melee weapon. When using a kusarigama in close combat the user suffers ­1 on the fight roll. However, if the user of the kusarigama wins the fight, the defender is knocked down as well as being pushed back 1”, and is then struck as though they are on the ground.

Blinding and Smoke Grenades Ninjas often carried with them a variety of hand held bombs intended to conceal themselves with smoke, or blind or otherwise disorientate an opponent. A ninja may declare the use of these bombs at the start of any priority phase, before the role for priority is made. If he does so, he is placed back in stealth (see the ninja’s special rules). He cannot be returned to the board in the same turn in which he uses grenades. A ninja can use bombs even when engaged in combat.

Army List

Daimyo

F D A W C

Daimyo 6/3+ 5+ 3 3 2+

Wargear Katana

Costs

Base 50

Horse 10

Yari 5

Battlefield Commander A Daimyo is a battlefield commander. An army must contain one and no more than one battlefield commander.

Leader of Men A leader of men is an inspiring presence on the battlefield. A model with this rule may benefit from the Stand Fast rule in the LotR rule book as though they were a hero.

Expert Training Models with this rule receive +1 to fight roles when they are using a katana.

Honourable Leader A daimyo who leads his men from the front is clearly an honourable man and inspires great commitment from the men he leads. All models within 6” of the daimyo have +1 to their Fight value.

Crucial Figure The loss in battle of a daimyo is a crippling blow to a clan. If the daimyo is killed the force he leads is considered to be broken regardless of the number of remaining models on the board. In addition, if the number of models on the board is below half the number that started on the board (rounding down) and the daimyo is dead, all models have ­1 to their Courage value.

General

F D A W C

General 6/3+ 5+ 2 2 2+

Wargear Katana

Costs

Base 30

Horse 10

Yari 5

Named Daimyo A daimyo may be upgraded to one of the following historical daimyos for the listed cost. The rules for the listed daimyo are given in the ‘Named Daimyo’ section of these rules below.

Takeda Shingen 15

Uesegi Kinshen 20

Battlefield Commander A Daimyo is a battlefield commander. An army must contain one and no more than one battlefield commander.

Leader of Men A leader of men is an inspiring presence on the battlefield. A model with this rule may benefit from the Stand Fast rule in the LotR rule book as though they were a hero.

Expert Training Models with this rule receive +1 to fight roles when they are using a katana.

Samurai

F D A W C Samurai 5/4+ 5+ 1 1 3+

Costs

Samurai with Yari 8

Samurai with Katana 9

Samurai with Naginata 9

Samurai with Nodachi 10

Samurai with Yumi and Katana 10

Samurai with Tanegashima and Katana 11

Samurai with Banner and Katana (only one 35 banner per force)

Expert Training Models with this rule receive +1 to fight roles when they are using a katana.

Ashigaru

F D A W C

Ashigaru 3/5+ 4+ 1 1 5+

Costs

Ashigaru with Yari 7

Ashigaru with Katana 6

Ashigaru with Yumi and Katana 7

Ashigaru with Tanegashima and Katana 10

Ashigaru with Banner and Katana (only one 30 banner per force)

Ashigaru Captain

F D A W C

Ashigaru Captain 5/4+ 4+ 1 1 3+

Cost

Ashigaru Captain with Katana 14

Ashigaru Captain with Yumi and Katana 16

Ashigaru Captain with Tanegashima and 18 Katana

Ashigaru Leadership All Ashigaru within 6” of this model get +1 to all courage rolls made.

Captain Your force may only include a maximum of one Ashigaru Captain.

Samurai Cavalry

F D A W C

Samurai 5/4+ 5+ 1 1 3+

Horse ­ 4+ ­ 1 5+

Wargear Samurai Cavalry are mounted on horse and have a choice of weaponry shown below.

Costs

Samurai Cavalry with Yari 15

Samurai Cavalry with Katana 15

Samurai Cavalry with Yumi and Katana 17

Expert Training Models with this rule receive +1 to fight roles when they are using a katana.

Warrior Monks

F D A W C

Warrior Monk 6/3+ 5+ 1 1 3+

Cost

Warrior Monk with Yari 10

Warrior Monk with Katana 9

Warrior Monk with Naginata 10

Warrior Monk with Nodachi 11

Warrior Monk with Yumi and Katana 13

Warrior Monk with Tanegashima and Katana 15

Rare Warrior monks were unusual fighters who might be recruited into a daimyo’s army but would very rarely make up a significant part of it. No more than half the models of your army, rounding down, may be warrior monks.

Ninja

F D A W C

Ninja 7/3+ 4+ 3 2 2+

Wargear Katana

Costs Base 40

Naginata 2 Yumi 8

Tanegashima 10

Shurikens 5

Tanto 5

Kusarigama 10

Blinding and Smoke Grenades 5

Expert Training Models with this rule receive +1 to fight roles when they are using a katana.

Stealth A ninja does not fight using conventional methods but instead stalks around the battlefield, waiting for a chance to strike where the enemy is vulnerable. Ninjas are not deployed on the battlefield at the start of the game unless specified by the scenario. Instead they are kept in ‘stealth’. At the start of any Priority Phases, before rolling for priority you may place any ninjas you own in stealth anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 12” from an enemy model. The ninja may move, shoot and assault as normal that phase. A ninja is not counter for the purposes of breaking, either for the amount of models you start with or the number of models left. A ninja in stealth when the game ends is treated as a casualty for the purpose of the scenario.

Agile Ninjas may reroll the dice when rolling on the jump chart or the climb chart. However, they must accept the second result, even if it is worse.

Specialist Ninjas are rarely committed to the battlefield and tend to work alone. An army may only contain a single ninja unless otherwise specified by the scenario or a special rule of another model in your army.

Named Daimyos

Daimyos may be upgraded to named daimyos, representing historical figures, for the costs listed in the ‘Army List’ section of these rules. Such an upgrade grants the daimyo in question the special rules listed under his name below.

Takeda Shingen

Kiba Gunden (mounted army) Takeda Shingen was famous for popularising mounted samurai lancers at a time when most mounted samurai used only bows. His army became known as the kiba gunden or mounted army as a result of his use of massed cavalry. All Samurai Cavalry have +1 Fight value in any force containing Takeda Shingen.

Popular Leader Takeda Shingen was much loved by his people after introducing popular changes like lowered taxis and the removal of corporal punishment for petty crimes. As a result his soldiers are more willing to fight alongside him. On the first turn after your force become broken, all ashigaru get +1 to their courage rolls.

Uesugi Kenshin

Fresh Blood Uesugi Kenshin was a skilled tactician who is particularly famous for his rotating formations (‘winding wheel’) where tired troops were retreated and fresh soldier brought forward to take their place. All models in a force containing Uesugi Kenshin (including himself) can move an additional 2” in the first turn of the game.

Warlike Leader As the leader of the Uesugi clan, Uesugi Kenshin was always more interested in leading battles than administration. He was eager to lead his forces into strikes on enemy territory. While this model is in the opponent's half of the board it may reroll a single dice for any combat in which it is involved.