Art De La Guerre

[Mark G Fry]

Ikko-Ikki (1351-1515)

Followers of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, the Ikko-Ikki started off as mutual defense leagues, amongst oppressed smaller landholders, middle-class merchants and more well off peasants. The first Ikko-Ikki uprisings took place in 1351, 1353, 1369, 1377, 1384–1386, and 1366–1369, breaking out sporadically across Japan, with no clear associations between each uprising. However, in the early C15th and particular during the chaos and disorder of the Onin War (1477), the ranks of the Ikko-Ikki were swollen by lord less, dispossessed and starving peasants. Larger armies were often supported by the Sōhei - Warrior Monks, who saw advantages in harnessing the fury of the Ikko-Ikki to spread terror and further their own ends. Similarly lesser, poorer samurai clans, usually with strong affiliations to Shinshū Buddhism, threw in their lot with the Ikko-Ikki, often as a means of avoiding becoming a target for Ikko-Ikki wrath themselves. The Ikko-Ikki remained a consistent nuisance throughout the Senguko era, and due to the social, economic and religious upheaval they caused they were finally eradicated in the late 1570's and 1580's by Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Command: +2 or +3 if an allied contingent is used

Camp: Standard or Fortified Camp @ 6pts (see Notes)

Field Fortifications: 0-6 @ 1pt (see Notes)

Terrain: Plain, Mountain


Fanatical Peasants*: 0-40
Levy, impetuous @ 4pts

Peasant Mob: 0-10
Levy, impetuous, mediocre @ 3pts

Light Infantry bow @ 4pts 0-4pts

Women, children and elderly: 0-6
Levy, mediocre @ 2pts

Notes:
Either a Fortified Camp or Field Fortifications may be fielded, not both.
Fanatical Peasants must always outnumber any other troop type.
An allied Buddist Samurai or Warrior Monk contingent may be used from the lists below.

Buddhist Samurai Lord allied contingent

Samurai*: 2-4

Mounted Samurai
Heavy Cavalry, Bow (Yumi) @ 11pts
Heavy Cavalry, Impact (Naginata or Katana) @ 10pts

Foot Samurai
Medium swordsmen, Bow (Yumi) @ 9pts
Heavy swordsmen, 2HW (Naginata) @ 9pts
Medium swordsmen, 2HW (Yari) @ 7pts
Upgrade any Samurai to elite @ 2pts

Followers or Ashigaru: 0-6 (see Note)
Bowmen (Yumi) @ 7pts (max 2 only)
add Pavice to bowmen @ 1pt
Medium swordsmen @ 6pts
add 2HW (Naginata) to swordsmen @ 1pt
add Polearm (Yari) to swordsmen @ 1pt
downgrade any to Mediocre @ -2pts

Notes:
Only one type of Samurai Heavy Cavalry can be fielded
Yari armed troops cannot be used pre 1465

Sōhei - Warrior Monk allies

Mounted warrior monks* 0-2
Medium Cavalry bow @ 9pts
Medium Cavalry impact (Naginata & katana) @ 8pts

Foot warrior monks* 0-4
Medium swordsmen, 2HW (Naginata) @ 7pts
Medium swordsmen, impetuous @ 6pts

Poorly armed and Novice monks: 0-4
Medium swordsmen, mediocre @ 4pts
Medium swordsmen, impetuous, mediocre @ 4pts
Levy @ 3pts

Notes:
If any Impetuous troops are bought all foot must be bought as their impetuous option[/u]