500 Koku Starter Armies

By Andrew Kluis (addendum by Shosuro Josai) These armies are specifically designed to use half of the models included in the Daimyo Edition Boxed Set. It is my intent that the following armies be used by a pair of players who are splitting a boxed set, someone wishing to get a good feel for each clans' style of play, or anyone who just need a good starting point. All units are composed of troop types listed in the Basic Rulebook included with the boxed set. This does not mean that they are limited or in any way inferior to 500 koku armies designed with unlimited access to units and models. Experienced games will recognize these armies as well balanced and capable foes for small and quick games. The majority of the armies are composed of an infantry element and an archery element. The archery elements here usually are lead by Leadership Packages, which are promising troops with a little extra training, they don't have all the skills and force of a true personality, but come at a much lower cost. Remember that even though your archers are not skilled in combat, if they don't have anything to shoot at, they can be used to attack an enemy in the flanks or rear, especially if that enemy is tied up fighting. The following armies are designed so that each player takes half the infantry and half the archers from the Basic Set. Each listing in this section includes suggestions on what to purchase next if you find that the army fits your playing style: Determination - a 500 Koku Crab Army Left Hand of the Emperor - a 500 Koku Crane Army Heart of the Mountain - a 500 Koku Dragon Army Blood of my Ancestors - a 500 Koku Lion Army Arcane Fury - a 500 Koku Phoenix Army Fleet of Foot - a 500 Koku Unicorn Army Underhand of the Empire - a 500 Koku Scorpion Army (suggested by Shosuro Josai, added by Kuni Tetsu) The following armies are designed to fight each other, using one set of figures in the Basic Set. They do not split up the models evenly as the previous list did: Crane vs. Lion - Two 500 koku armies

Determination - a 500 Koku Crab Army

10 Hiruma Archers @ 185 Koku Crab Chui; Battle 2; Leadership 2; Defense 3; Stalwart Defender; Skills; Defense 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi 11 The Damned @ 315 Koku Skills; Defense 3; Traits; Fearless; Infantry; Tainted; Equipment; Light Armor; Two-Handed Weapons Lead by Hida Tampako @ [128] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 2; Defense 4; Leadership 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Tetsubo Total Honor: 4 Total Army Cost: 500

The crab army is a stalwart, heavily armored affair. The damned, when lead by Hida Tampako, are able to withstand large amounts of damage without faltering. Let the enemy come to you, harassing with your archers, but keeping The Damned close. Slip the archers away and let your opponent engage the The Damned, as this is when they are at their best. The damned stand up well to ranged attacks, but still keep them away from enemy archers as much as possible. Special Rules Remember that both The Damned and Tampako have defense, which works in conjunction, plus The Damned ignore the first wound in close combat (but not ranged attacks) This means to cause a single wound against The Damned your opponent must roll 27 damage! (if he rolls 26, subtract 7 for your defense, leaving 19. Remember that you need to do a full 10 points to cause a wound, and extra does not carry over. That 19 remaining causes only one wound, and in close combat, The Damned would ignore that wound!) Additionally, Tampako's ability causes the enemy to suffer - 1 to all the attack rolls on the turn when they engage your unit of The Damned. Don't forget that The Damned get a moral bonus when in close combat. What figures should I get next? 12-16 Crab Heavy Elites are the best bet for the aspiring Crab General. Every crab army I have seen in tournaments have included at least some of these outstanding troops. They have tremendously thick armor, better than any other Crab unit, making them nearly impervious to your enemy's katana and yumi fire. The unit is able to deal out large amounts of damage, and has strong training and moral. Finally, this is a two wound unit, giving it great staying power. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars.

Left Hand of the Emperor - a 500 Koku Crane Army

7 Empress' Guard @ 281 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; No-dachi Lead by Doji Chomei @ [162] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Defense 3; Iaijutsu 1; Leadership 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 12 Crane Elite Archers @ 219 Koku Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi Total Honor: 8 Total Army Cost: 500

The Crane Clan is known for courtly honor, dueling and archery skill. Archers are one of the strong points of this Crane Army. The Crane Elite Archers have a +2 ATT modifier to their ranged attack rolls. This negates the long-range penalty, so as long as the unit does not have to move, many of their arrows will strike true. During army setup, place the archers last, across from your target unit. Pay attention to 'lanes of fire' clear paths through the terrain, which the enemy will try to advance up. If you are not able to get a good placement, move your unit quickly and early so that you do not have to move on turns where it will affect your firing. Remember that the enemy will have to come to you. The Crane Elite Archers should be able to weaken the enemy forces enough for the Empress Guard to finish them off. Even though the Empress Guard is a smaller infantry unit that employed by the other armies, the moral of this unit is outstanding low. The Empress Guard will stand and fight to the bitter end, or long enough that the enemy's moral will fail. Special Rules As long as the Empress Guard is not under duress (unformed, flanked, broken, or spent) the unit gains +1 ATT and +1 DAM for one turn when an enemy engages your unit with either the charge ability or charge card. What figures should I get next? 12- 16 Daidoji Iron Warriors are the cream of the crop for the aspiring Crane General. The troops are equipped in heavy armor and armed with yari. Yari allows the unit to strike first on the opening turn of an engagement. Casualties are removed before the enemy can even strike back. This powerful unit is able to deal out large amounts of damage, and has strong training and moral. Finally, this is a two wound unit, giving it great staying power. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars.

Heart of the Mountain - a 500 Koku Dragon Army

10 Dragon Flame @ 170 Koku Dragon Gunso; Battle 2; Leadership 2; Defense 2; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi 13 Dragonscales @ 330 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Daisho Lead by Mirumoto Taki @ [122] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Defense 2; Iaijutsu 3; Leadership 2; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Daisho Total Honor: 5 Total Army Cost: 500

Most armies to a few things extremely well, whereas the Dragon Clan is strong in all areas. This is a well-rounded army, as both the Dragon Flame and the Dragonscales are on par with the best archers and infantry in the game. This leaves you with few weaknesses for your enemy to exploit. Sit back and allow your enemy to give you an opening. Whatever the opponent does best, do the opposite. If the enemy has strong infantry, use your archers to weaken him. If the enemy has strong archery, engage them with your Dragonscales. One of the hallmarks of the Dragon Clan is Daisho Technique, which gives the unit better armor when in close combat. Combine this with the heavy armor and combat skill of the Dragonscales, and they are very potent infantry. While the Dragon Flame don't have quite the attack modifiers of the Crane Elite Archers, they do have damage modifiers, which allows each shot to deal out more damage. Weaken the enemy infantry, then turn your attention to the opposing archers after the Dragonscales have engaged. Special Rules The Dragonscales have split ATN, the higher number is used in close combat only What figures should I get next? The best choice for the enlightened Dragon General is 12-16 Ise Zumi. These are the martial arts monks of the Dragon Clan. Arcane tattoos heighten the ability of these troops. By activating tattoos these units can run faster than a horse, strike with the strength of ten men, or even breath fire. This unique unit is able to deal out large amounts of damage, and has strong training and moral. Finally, this is a two wound unit, giving it great staying power. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars.

Blood of my Ancestors - a 500 Koku Lion Army

15 Lion Heavy Regulars @ 395 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Katana Lead by Kitsu Motso @ [155] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 2; Charge; Iaijutsu 1; Leadership 4; Tactician 1; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 9 Medium Infantry w/ Yumi @ 105 Koku Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi Total Honor: 9 Total Army Cost: 500

The Lion, like the Crane, are a clan of great honor. Unlike their hated Crane counterparts, a Lion Samurai believes honor resides in one are, the battlefield. The Lion have an impressive array of infantry, but have no archers in the clan. Instead, the Lions recruit ronin archers or rely on ashigaru, or trained peasants, when archers are needed. This Lion army is designed with a small contingent of archers to give cover fire, but the key to a Lion victory is to race across the field and charge into the enemy. The enemies' plan is to kill as many of your samurai as possible before the Lion are close enough to use katanas. The Lion Heavy Regulars are thickly armored to get them to the enemy, and are lead by the outstanding Kitsu Motso, whose great leadership will pull his already strong unit though the toughest moments. Special Rules Most Lion leaders, including Kitsu Motso have the skill Charge. This allows up to +4 inches of movement when engaging if a charge is declared. If you are playing with tactical cards, the Charge Card can be used to boost the movement to +8 (or will give a standard +4 to a unit who does not have charge). Additionally, charging gives bonuses to ATT and DAM. However, a charge that falls short will leave you very vulnerable. There are also cards that allow the enemy to back up a few inches in the face of an incoming charge. If the enemy does not have any tactical cards in his hand, charge when you are an estimated 6-7 inches away, to give yourself a little buffer zone. If you fear he has cards that will allow him to retreat, come to as close to four inches as possible. The enemy may wish to engage but then they have the risk of falling short by a quarter inch, and you most likely will be able to make contact even if he does retreat. What figures should I get next? For the Lion General, there are two candidates, Lion Heavy Elites and Akodo Deathseekers, 12 -16 of either would be a great place to start. Lion Heavy Elites are heavily armored and fierce fighters. They have as strong of moral as any other clan's elite units, and outstanding training. No Lion commander can go wrong with these troops. Deathseekers are in some ways the opposite of the

Lion Heavy Elites. They have no armor, so a general must be careful to avoid arrow fire as much as possible, and they will suffer greater losses against heavily armed infantry in close combat. Without armor, how can they be better? The Deathseekers will stop at nothing and fight with inhuman fury. They have the strongest moral in the game, and will fight for the general to the bitter end. A single remaining Deathseeker will stand and fight when even the most elite troop would turn and run. Both of these troops are two wound models, giving the unit great staying power. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars.

Arcane Fury - a 500 Koku Phoenix Army

10 Heavy Infantry @ 120 Koku Generic Chui; Battle 2; Leadership 2; Defense 2; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Katana 12 Hurricane Initiates @ 381 Koku Skills; Traits; Elemental; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi Lead by Isawa Uona @ [213] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Magic 5; Battle 1; Iaijutsu 4; Leadership 2; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Wakizashi; Yumi Wind Borne Speed [15] Tempest of Air [20] Fury of Osano-Wo [10] Total Honor: 8 Total Army Cost: 501

The Phoenix is the Clan of the masters of magic. They have integrated the shugenja of the clan into the military, often in the roll of unit commander. Without such leaders, the Phoenix Clan's small army would soon fall to aggressive neighbors. The Ronin infantry are included to give some protection to the rather fragile archery unit. Under normal circumstances, the Hurricane Initiates have a few inches greater range than normal, but with Uona leading, they have nearly unprecedented ability to strike at the far corners of the table. The key to this army is to do as much archery damage as possible, tie up the survivors with your ronin infantry, and move to a better position to finish off the enemy if they destroy the ronin. The infantry is still a strong force and may even be able to defeat a weakened clan unit. Special Rules Isawa Uona is a shugenja capable of leading her clan's forces into battle. As a Shugenja, she has access to spell scrolls. A shugenja can cast only one spell

per turn. Wind Borne Speed: Isawa Uona may cast this spell 7 times. This takes place in the special action phase. Uona gives one unit the cavalry trait. For one turn, they may move in the cavalry phase in addition to the infantry phase. Use this spell for quickly moving your ronin infantry in, or your archery units out of harms way quickly. Tempest of Air: Isawa Uona may cast this spell 7 times. Target an enemy unit within 18". The unit must roll a 7 or better (modify the dice roll by +1 if it has a leader with an Earth Ring of 1-2, +2 for 3-4, and +3 to the roll for 5-6 ) If the target unit fails the roll, the unit's movement rate is reduced by until the end of the turn. (If the targeted unit has movement increases such as +4 for charge, which is unchanged) Use this spell to keep the enemy back so you have more time to launch your arrows. Fury of Osano-Wo: Isawa Uona may cast this spell 3 times. This takes place in the ranged attack phase. This spell is a ranged attack, with 30" close range, no extended range, and you get 3 attack dice, at +1 ATT a die of damage for each of those that successfully hits at +1 DAM. If Uona casts this spell, she cannot use her bow. Uona increases the range of the archers (and herself when using her bow) to 21" close and 37" extended. What figures should I get next? The aspiring Phoenix General would do well to consider 12-16 Avalanche Guard for his first combat unit. Phoenix troops are associated with one of each of the five elements, and the Avalanche Guard tap the strength of the earth. Even though they wear no armor, they are as invulnerable as the hardest crab unit. These are two wound troops so they have good staying power. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars.

Fleet of Foot - a 500 Koku Unicorn Army

15 Striders @ 321 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 1 Shinjo Mosaku @ [156] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Countercharge; Defense 2; Iaijutsu 2; Leadership 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 12 Otaku Archers @ 176 Koku

Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi; Generic Chui; Battle 2; Leadership 2; Defense 2 Total Honor: 5 Total Army Cost: 497

Unicorn is predominantly a cavalry army, but all size unicorn armies require a core of infantry models. As no cavalry models are included with Daimyo Boxed Set, this army is set up totally with standard infantry and archers. With the Unicorn's faster units, this army should be able to move quickly and decisively. Force the enemy to react to you. In all other aspects, this army will play like any other Special Rules When an enemy unit declares an engagement against Mosaku's unit, you may countercharge. This gives your unit a +1 ATT the first turn of the fighting. If your unit has not moved yet, move it up to 2" toward the enemy. You are still considered the defender. All Unicorn models, whether Cavalry or Infantry based, get 5 inch movement, instead of 4 inch movement. What figures should I get next? Cavalry! The single most expensive unit in Clan War are the Otaku Battle Maidens. These women warriors are the terror of infantry. With charging steeds, thick armor, and two wounds, they spell disaster for whichever unit receives their charge. They are one good choice for the aspiring general, but many large armies do not include them because the koku cost is so great. The most commonly seen Unicorn unit is Shinjo's Thunder. They are a single wound unit, but can give a devastating charge, plus have ablities to foil the enemy's plans. 612 of either would be a good choice, and of course you could get one type and use the models to represent the other. With all their abilities, this troop type has a higher koku cost than most of your clan units, but they are worth every grain of rice! This has the added benefit of getting the most koku of troops for the least investment of dollars. Although the Unicorn army above can be built with half the figures from the Basic Set, it is not really a representative army for the Unicorn. Below is a more representative army that is built in the 500 koku limit, but requires cavalry models to build:

Thundering Hooves - a 500 Koku Unicorn Army

7 Shinjo's Thunder @ 338 Koku Skills; Charge; Traits; Cavalry; Mounted; Equipment; Heavy Armor; No-dachi 1 Otaku Tetsuko @ [170] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Charge; Countercharge; Go Master; Leadership 2; Traits; Cavalry; Mounted; Equipment; Light Armor;

Yari 12 Striders @ 157 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana; Unicorn Chui; Battle 2; Leadership 2; Charge; Fearless Total Honor: 7 Total Army Cost: 495

This army is a good representative of Unicorn play style. The Cavalry can move across the field, and Otaku Tetsuko and the Leadership Package have the skill of Charge. This allows up to +4 inches of movement when engaging if a charge is declared. If you are playing with tactical cards, the Charge Card can be used to boost the movement to +8 (or will give a standard +4 to a unit who does not have charge). Additionally, charging gives bonuses to ATT and DAM. However, a charge that falls short will leave you very vulnerable. All mounted troops get bonuses on the first turn of engagement, as well as bonuses against infantry bases (both archery and standard infantry models). Combined with other special abilities, this gives Unicorn Cavalry an extremely strong opening hit. However, with only 8 models, the Cavalry can be fragile and start to falter on the second or third turn of an engagement. This is where the Striders come in. They are in infantry which can hold and assist the cavalry in the engagement. The basic tactic of this army is to race across the table and smash the opponent. The strong first hit of the Unicorn should be able to break an archery unit, but if the enemy infantry is close by, it can catch you in the flank. Another option is to go for the enemy infantry with the cavalry, and quickly bring the Striders up for support. A final option is to engage the enemy infantry with Striders, and flank the enemy with the Thunder. If the enemy units are positioned right, the Striders can hold their own long enough for the Thunder to smash the archers, and then come in to flank the enemy infantry. Special Rules Shinjo's Thunder have a special ability that gives the unit up to +4 more movement if the enemy tries to back up far enough so your engaging move falls short. There can be a large buildup of modifiers for your cavalry unit. Shinjo's Thunder starts out with +1 ATT and +2 DAM. Charge gives your unit +1 ATT and +1 DAM the first turn, in addition to the extra movement. Otaku Tetsuko's skill of Go-Master gives the unit +1 ATT on the first turn when the unit is the attacker. All mounted units gain +1 ATT and +1 DAM on the first turn when they initiate the combat. All of these modifiers only work the first turn and when your unit is the attacker. Finally, mounted units gain +1 ATT whenever fighting against any models on standard size infantry bases, for the entire engagement. This means that if you charge the enemy, your first turn of combat you get +5 ATT and +4 DAM on the first turn. On the second turn, only the bonus for mounted against infantry applies, so modifiers drop to a total of +2 ATT and+2 DAM. Don't forget Cavalry advantage. This means that if you have only cavalry left, the

opponent must place two units when it is his turn. If you have to place first, put your Striders on the table, then claim Cavalry advantage. The opponent must place two units before you must place your Thunder.

Crane Vs Lion
Crane and Lion are traditional enemies in Clan War, and also have very opposite methods of combat. Lions have no use for archers, while the Crane Clan cannot get enough. The Cranes have 4 different troop types that use yumi, The Doji Houseguard, Crane Elite Archers, Asahina Archers, and Crane Regular Bowmen. The Crane do rely on infantry to a degree, but their most elite infantry is armed with yari. The Lion are just the opposite, having no clan aligned archers, but always in need of more katana armed troops. If two players are interested in Crane and Lion, splitting a box with Crane getting all the archers and Lion all the katana armed infantry going to benefit both. Even if both players get a full boxed set themselves, trading away half of the archers for katana infantry will still be a great move for both players.

Blackened Sky - a 500 Koku Crane Army

15 Crane Elite Archers @ 373 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi Lead by Doji Kimura @ [118] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Defense 2; Iaijutsu 3; Leadership 2; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 9 Crane Regular Bowmen @ 127 Koku Generic Nikutai; Battle 1; Leadership 1; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi Total Honor: 7 Total Army Cost: 500

The maximum frontage of a unit is twelve, so the best formation for the Crane Elite Archers is 8 frontage 2 depth. The unit can then go into archer's rows, allowing the back 8 to be able to fire as well. One large unit of archers is best, as it takes the most advantage of the fact that damage must be rounded down. Place the regular bowmen first and slightly closer to your enemy; place the Elite archers back a little farther where they still will have clear lanes of fire. The optimal position would be where both units have a clear lane of fire to the enemy, but set up so that if the enemy moves to engage one, the units will be moving away from your other archers. This will give you more time to fire as he returns towards the remaining unit. If you cannot place the Elite Archers in a good position, start them in a frontage of 4 depth 4. You can move around easily in this formation, and a single maneuver (expand frontage) will allow you to

move to a 8 frontage 2 depth formation. Special Rules Duels, the leader of the Crane Elite Archers has an innate dueling ability. On the second or subsequent turn of an engagement with his unit, Doji Kimura may challenge the enemy commander to a duel. (Kimura cannot challenge a Leadership Package) If duel is accepted, each leader rolls dice equal to the void ring on their stat card. . Each die gets a modifier equal to the Iaijutsu skill of the duelist, which in Kimura's case would be four dice at +3 each. This is how much damage the duelist does. Each duels then converts the damage to wounds and does wounds to the opponent, one wound for each full 10 points of damage. If you do enough damage to kill your opponent, you ignore his damage. If you both do enough to kill each other, the commander who causes the most wounds survives unharmed. Don't forget, killing a leader in a duel will cause a moral check. If the enemy refuses, the leader cannot roll dice in close combat for the rest of the battle, but the commander must remain in the middle of the front rank. The enemy commander is also dishonored, which means all of his skills and abilities are reduced by the honor requirement of the unit. The honor requirement is found on the troop stats under the heading "honor". In the case of Lion Heavy Regulars, this would be a -1 to the leaders stats (while this means the leadership of the commander may go down, he is still allowed to command the same amount of samurai as before.)

Charge! - a 500 Koku Lion Army

20 Lion Heavy Regulars @ 405 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Katana 1 Matsu Goemon @ [85] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Charge; Leadership 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 9 Medium Infantry @ 88 Koku Lion Chui; Battle 3; Leadership 2; Charge; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana Total Honor: 8 Total Army Cost: 493

(one more model of Medium Infantry would bring the army to exactly 500 points) While it would be possible to put all the points into an even larger unit of Lion Heavy Regulars, one unit would leave your flanks very vulnerable. Even troops as weak as Cane Regular Bowmen can do damage when hitting your troops in the rear. The unit of ronin can keep your flank clear just by being a threat. Matsu Goemon is a very effective leader for his point value. Leadership 3 will help your unit out a lot with difficult moral and maneuver tests. Both Matsu Goemon and the Lion Chui have the skill Charge. This allows up to +4 inches of movement

when engaging if a charge is declared. If you are playing with tactical cards, the Charge Card can be used to boost the movement to +8 (or will give a standard +4 to a unit who does not have charge). Additionally, charging gives bonuses to ATT and DAM. However, a charge that falls short will leave you very vulnerable. The best tactic for this force is to rush at the archers, and give them as few turns of firing as possible. Remember that archers cannot fire into engagements, so if a unit is engaged, it is safe. While facing this Crane Army, Matsu Goemon may be challenged to a duel. Duels are the downfall of the Lion. Goemon will not win the duel; he probably will not even survive. Dishonor would seem to be the better option, but could any true Lion General allow his samurai to take such action. The other option is to cause such damage that the little crane flee in terror on the first turn of engagement. This is a feat a charging lion army is capable of doing.

Underhand of the Empire

[Editor's Note: The Scorpion are a very difficult clan to play, whic is why they are not included in the Basic Rules. However, this addendum is an attempt to create a Scorpion army to match the other armies in Andrew's article. My appologies to Andrew for the liberty I have taken by adding this army here. - KT] 9 Scorpion Strike @ 117 Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yari; Poison Weapons #1 Lead by Shosuro Hametsu @ 124 Skills; Battle 2; Countercharge; Defense 1; Go Master; Iaijutsu 3; Leadership 2 Traits; Infantry; Ninja; Equipment; Light Armor; Yari; Army General; 7 Shosuro Actors with Yumi @ 112 Traits; Infantry Equipment; Yumi; Range: 12" Lead by Yogo Asami @ 90 Skills; Battle 3; Defense 2; Iaijutsu 2; Leadership 1 Traits; Infantry; Kolat; Equipment; Wakizashi; Ranged Weapon; Gives this personality a ranged weapon equivalent in all respects to those used by the unit being led 1 Shosuro Spy @ 50 Total Honor: 2 Total Cost: 493 The Scorpion trade in lies, and so does this army. There are a lot of hidden elements to this army that most opponents won't expect. The poison weapon card doesn't get announced until you use it, same with the Shosuro Spy. I would recommend placing the spy in a unit you know you can hit with the Strike. Also the Actors can pretend to be any 1-wound infantry unit, make them look like Med

Infantry with yumi and a gunso. They have decent range and don't have any penalties in Close Combat. You'll have to for go using the special MIS with them until you decide to reveal the ruse and expose them for what they really are. The best idea for this army is to concentrate on one unit with everything and break it. Also its important to keep in mind that scorpion are one of the more difficult armies to play, so don't be expecting a win every time with them. Some tricks work, some don't. Special Rules Scorpion MIS Ability is a Special Action so make sure not to forget to use it. Also keep in mind that to use the poison weapons card you have to decide that in the Special Actions/Orders phase as well. What figures should i get next? Well, definitly get the House Guard, you'll find that they are a very imtimidating figure and very solid in close combat. One of there advantages over some of the other clans House Guards is that the Bayushi HG will rout as long as you aren't spent. A very important distinction from other HG units whose ability is reliant on Honor. Also the Scorpion MIS ability is a big help, letting you help better decide when you want them to move. Two wounds, Heavy Armor, the Daisho Technique and +1 ATT/DAM will help ensure they out last most who decide to cross swords with them. Also one must not forget their Morale of 4, allowing them to stay when other units around them break and run. Worth the 22 koku a peice to field.

500 Koku Starter Armies II

by Andrew Kluis I have received many requests for Clan War starter armies of factions other than those included in the limited book found in the Daimyo Edition Boxed Set. These included Naga, Shadowlands, Scorpion, Toturi's Army, and Yoritomo's Alliance. These often come from people already deditacted to one of these groups through exposure in the Legends of the Five Rings CCG or the Rokugan set RPG. Others come from players who want to fully explore the options before choosing a clan or faction. For these potential players I have created 500 Koku "starter armies" for the Naga, Shadowlands, Scorpion, Toturi's Army, and Yoritomo's Alliance. In combination with the previous document, this covers all factions currently available to play in Clan War For all armies except Naga, the Daimyo Edition Boxed Set is still a good starting point for miniatures and basic rules, if not necessarily the specific units of the chosen faction. These armies will as much as possible only use game rules present in the Boxed Set book. Players may get the force profiles of their faction through a shared Daimyo Edition Hardbound Rulebook, or through the free Demo Version of ArmyBuilder (link to kuni's AB stuff) For that reason, as well as fairness in comparison to the first group of starter armies, these armies will as much as possible only use game rules present in the Boxed Set book. However, each will use many more special rules than the normal great clans (this is part of the reason why they were not included in the boxed set.) With the exceptions of Naga, all armies are designed to use half the figures included in the Boxed Set. In addition, wherever possible, I have chosen units that are also currently available as miniatures for people who decide they may never want the boxed set, but instead purchase the Hardbound Daimyo Edition Rulebook and the specific miniatures of a single clan. As previous, the armies are composed of an infantry element and an archery element. The archery elements here usually are lead by Leadership Packages, which are promising troops with a little extra training, they don't have all the skills and force of a true personality, but come at a much lower cost. Plus, detrimental cards that target enemy unit leaders(like Iaijutsu Duel or Arrow Knows the Way) can't target them. Remember that even though your archers are not skilled in combat, if they don't have anything to shoot at, they can be used to attack an enemy in the flanks or rear, especially if that enemy is tied up fighting

The armies included are: Under the Pale -- a 500 Koku Naga Army Hidden Sting -- a 500 Koku Scorpion Army Marching Corpses -- a 500 Koku Shadowlands Army Everyman's Chance -- a 500 Koku Toturi's Army For Glory or Gold -- a 500 Koku Yoritomo's Alliance Army

Under the Pale -- a 500 Koku

9 Naga Bushi @ 292 Koku Skills; Traits; Fearless; Naga; Non-human; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana Led by Naga Warlord @ [112] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Defense 3; Iaijutsu 2; Leadership 3 Traits; Fearless; Naga; Non-human; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 8 Naga Bowmen @ 207 Koku Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Fearless; Naga; Non-human; Equipment; Katana; Yumi (15"close, 30" long) Total Honor: 5 Total Army Cost: 499

Both the Naga Bushi models and the Naga Bowmen models are currently available, and will continue to be of use as your army expands. (No Naga commander can ever have too few bowmen!) Naga are a half-man/half snake creature from the dawn of time. They have recently awakened from a long slumber and are beginning to contact the great clans. The Naga use a larger base than normal infantry. This makes them slightly easier to outnumber head to head, and can make the Naga tricky and clumsy to maneuver. All Naga troops have two wounds, this allows them to take quite a pounding, so don't be afraid to take them head to head with more numerous human units. In addition, most Naga units have Moral of 5, making them unlikely to break after taking a few losses. The bushi are a solid unit, so use them to strike at the heart of the enemy. The Naga bowmen are likewise a solid unit, but while they can take more damage than other archer units, they have less members to shoot back. Try weakening up the unit your Bushi are going to strike rather than getting involved in an archery duel. Additionally, the Bowmen are very competent in close combat. Bring them up and use them against the same unit your Bushi are fighing. After you destroy his core, you can chase down his archers. As you approach with your bowmen, watch your opponent closely in case he also brings up his archers to threaten your flanks. In that case, engage his archers with your Bowmen; the little humans will be no match for your Naga!

Special Rules Once per game, the Warlord will be able to give his unit +1 ATT and +1 DAM for a single turn. Combining with the modifiers listed in their profile, the Bushi will be at +2 ATT and +2 DAM for that turn. Its best to wait unit you can get rank or overlap bonuses, so the most dice are affected (this means the second turn of an engagement) The moral of 5 means that if one Naga unit breaks or routs it will not affect other Naga units. The Naga are fearless. If they are facing Shadowlands or other fear causing troops, they ignore the special fear rules. Models with two wounds take 20 damage points to remove a single model. For every full 10 damage points generated, a wound is given. Wounds are done to one model at a time until it is dead, and any left over wounds pass to the next target. If there is not enough wounds caused to kill a Naga, make a note that the Naga is down one wound. (Many players put one troop facing backwards). Example: The enemy gets very good rolls and does 31 damage to the Naga Bushi. The Warlord's Defence reduces the damage to 28. This results in two wounds (20 is two wounds with the eight left over affecting nothing.) One Naga model is removed. Later, 37 damage is done to the Bushi. Defense reduces this to 34, which means 3 wounds (and the 4 left over is ignored.) One Naga model is removed, and one is turned backwards to indicate it has take a wound. If three wounds are done again, one wound would finish off the backwards Naga, and the other two would take out a second Naga. A Naga who has received one wound fights normally. Ignore any references to High Strike, it isn't an important rule right now (plus it's not guaranteed to work., and if you fail it your Naga are in trouble!) What figures should I get next? One of Naga's greatest strengths lies in pearl magic and the ability to stack modifiers. Aquiring a few Naga Shugenja models or special Shugenja like Taquar and Shashakar is a vital first step. For troops, Shahadet's Legion is an outstanding unit to receive these modifiers. The unit has the typical two wounds of the Naga, and it is capable of producing a devastating ranged attack, as well as being unequaled in the Naga army for its ability in close combat. The unit is even capable of firing a volley of arrows on a unit as it engages them, and still fighting in hand to hand combat! This unit will be the core of any Naga force.

Hidden Sting -- a 500 Koku Scorpion Army

12 Black Cabal @ 316 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; No-dachi, Two Poisoned Weapons tokens Led by Shosuro Hametsu @ [124] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 2; Countercharge; Defense 1; Go Master; Iaijutsu 3; Leadership 2; Traits; Infantry; Ninja;

Equipment; Light Armor; Yari 8 Ninja Bowmen @ 135 Koku Ninjato; Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Skirmish; Infantry; Ninja; Equipment; Light Armor; Han-kyu (12"close, 24"long) 1 Shosuro Spy @ 50 Koku (write what unit he sneaks into before starting the first turn, no model is on the board. The Spy can only sneak into human units, even the best Scorpion cannot pretend to be a Naga or a Skeleton) Total Honor: -1 Total Army Cost: 503

The Scorpion Clan is the dark underhand of the empire, but honorable in their own special way. The clan's strength lies not in the blades and arrows they bring to the field, but the tricks they hide. As this is a starter army, the tricks have been kept to a minimum, but should still be enough assure victory! The Black Cabal is a solid unit, use it to engage the standard infantry your opponent brings against you. Don't let your opponent know about the Poisoned Weapons or Shosuro Spy. Wait with the poisoned weapons until at least the second turn, your rank and file bonuses kick in then, and you will modify more dice. Remember that you must declare use of your poisoned weapons in the special orders phase, and that you can only use it twice. Ideally, time the poison weapons so the extra casualties caused by the poison, combined with casualties from previous turns, will be enough to force a moral check. Follow this up with the use of your spy, which hopefully will be enough to make him fail that moral check and break very early in the game. Once he is broken, chase him down and finish him off. Your archers don't have great range, but can sneak up close to the enemy units without fear of enemy archers firing at them. The archers can do some okay damage, but they aren't terribly powerful in a straightforward fight. Their real power lies in sowing confusion and dissent. Bring them up close (10") to his archers and shoot point blank (or just act like you are going to) or dance around the enemy infantry unit, or anything else that will make him sweat. Special Rules Tricks and special rules are the key to playing Scorpion. Scorpion ignore honor rules, so Low honor is nothing to concern your-self with. Both units have the Kiso: Modify MIS by 2. For both your units, every time you are able to modify your initiative score with a leaders battle skill, you can also add or subtract two more points. You can go up with the battle and back down with the special scorpion trick, or vice versa, or use both modifiers in the same direction. When the unit your spy snuck into needs to make either a Maneuver Test or a Moral test, your spy can try to cause him to fail. The spy can stop him from playing any card on his unit, and just make the test (if you choose to include the cards in your first few battles) or the spy can give the test a -2 modifier. Whether the spy is able to make them fail the test or not, you must roll a 7 or higher to keep your

spy hidden. If he is caught he is killed and you loose a victory point, but if he stays hidden, he can act again! The Black Cabal, under the instruction of the poison master Shosuro Hametsu, may use Poisoned Weapons, but only once per token, and only one token per turn. You must declare you are using the token during the Special Orders Phase, so plan ahead and don't forget. Normally the tokens give all the troops in the unit +2 DAM for the entire unit for one turn, but Hametsu increase this by +1DAM. Combine this with the +1DAM the Black Cabal have on their profile, and twice during the game the Cabal will get a total of +4DAM. Hametsu has both Go-Master and Counter-charge so his unit will gain +1 ATT for the first turn of an engagement, either if they start it, or if the enemy engages them (as long as the unit hasn't moved that turn). The Ninja Assassins can sneak around without being seen, so enemy archers cannot shoot at them until the Ninjas shoot first, or until the Ninjas get involved in close combat. What figures should I get next? Scorpion armies rely more on deceit, trickery, and special rules than troops, so a Scorpion's first choice should be the full Daimyo Edition Hardcover Rulebook. Still, dirty underhanded tricks can only cripple the opponent, you still need troops to deliver the final blow. The Bayushi House Guard will see you in good stead. The unit has two wounds for great staying power. Its thick armor is increased by the daisho technique, making them almost impervious to close combat attacks. Furthermore, the unit has very solid moral, as well as the special rule that they will not rout as long as their leader is unspent. For the aspiring Scorpion General, these troops will finish off the enemy left confused by the Scorpions Tricks. The army relies on special characters to provide many of these tricks, so Legendary Heroes of the Scorpion boxed set is also a very useful purchase.

Marching Corpses -- a 500 Koku Shadowlands Army

15 Plague Zombies @ 350 Koku Skills; Traits; Fear 1; Fearless; Infantry; Tainted; Undead; Equipment; Various Weapons Led by Moto Tsume @ [154] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 3; Charge; Defense 3; Iaijutsu 2; Leadership 3; Traits; Fear 1; Fearless; Infantry; Tainted; Undead; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Katana 9 Skeletal Archers @ 155 Koku Skills; Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Traits; Fear 0; Fearless; Infantry; Tainted; Undead; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi (12" close24" long) Total Honor: -11 Total Army Cost: 505

The great power of the Shadowlands is its power to bring forth wave upon wave of undead troops, pulling down the clans with weight of numbers, and gathering the fallen to fill its horrid ranks. These shambling corpses will strike fear into the opponent. March forward to lock the Plague Zombies in combat as soon as possible. The zombies carry a disease that will strike down almost as many enemies as the rusted blades they wield. Don't waste time trying to get your archers to fire at the enemy infantry, the Zombies will have little need of help. Use your archers against his archers. Soften him up with arrows if you need to, but remember the opponent will likely have a farther range. Don't hesitate to engage his archers with your own, the fear effect may break his archers before a blow can land, plus your special moral rules will prevent your own corpses from running away. Eventually he will fall under the unrelenting dead. Many opponents will chose to avoid your Plague Zombies, fearing the disease and to be bogged down fighting them forever. The will maneuver back, hoping to do as much damage as possible with their own archers until as late as possible engaging the zombies. In this case, swing your zombies into his archers (they can't fire effectively as they scrabble to stay away) This will leave your flank open, but if you can engage the archers, it is well worth it. If you are flanked, that's just more troops to catch your putrid diseases. Your own special moral rules will keep you in the fight much longer than would be possible for living troops, meaning even more time for the plague to take hold. Finally, flank his infantry with your archers. This will slow them in killing the zombies, again giving the plague even more time to do damage. The longer he is engaged with your Plague Zombies, the worse off he is. Also, as your units cause fear, he will face extra modifiers to his own moral, as the fresh corpses begin to outnumber the cold, rotting Shadowlands corpses. Special Rules The dead cannot fear death, but they do risk becoming unstable. Moral works as normal for undead, but if they fail a moral check, rather than becoming broken they become unstable. Like being broken, unstable models suffer a -2 to all rolls, but unlike being broken, it does not mean you must leave combat, nor does it affect your other units if they are close by. If your unit is already unstable and it fails a moral test, it takes two wounds for every point you miss the test by. (if you need a 7, and you shake a 4, you take 6 wounds). This may seem harsh, but it actually is better than routing. You can rally from being unstable regardless of how many tests you have failed; routing is permanent. Routing troops can do nothing and are as good as dead (worse even, as they damage the moral of friendly units within 8") whereas unstable units can continue to fight until the last model becomes a casualty to enemy blades or crumbles from instability. Fear means that if you declare your intent to engage an enemy (and after measuring to prove that you are close enough so you can engage him), he must make an immediate moral check, risking becoming broken, in which case he is much weaker, or may flee. Also, before he can engage you, he must make a moral check, although here failure does not cause the unit to become broken, his troops just refuse to move. Also, Plague Zombies have Fear 1, meaning all

enemy moral tests involving the Zombies get a -1 modifier in addition to all else. (Units with fearless, like the Naga, ignore your fear, no matter its level.) The final blow to the living is the Plague itself. After any turn of close combat, before moral is rolled, all units engaged with the Zombies must make a Resistance test against the plague. The enemy must roll a 6 or higher. If he fails, for every point he is short of 6 the unit takes an additional wound, (adding to the casualties caused in close combat for moral test purposes.) Any modifiers that will affect Resistance Tests will help against the plague, but these are few and far between. Now what figures do I get? The best match for the large shambling hordes of the Shadowlands is a large Oni or Ogre. (This does not include Oni Podlings, and other standard size Oni.) Kyoso No Oni is a good choice and currently available. If you can get an Oni no Tsuburu he is really great too! These corrupt monstrosities are fun to paint and even more fun to slam into the flanks of units tied down with piles of cheap troops. Beware though that these lone Oni are vulnerable to arrow fire. Good, errr Bad Luck! NOTE: The boxed set infantry and archers are of course modeled to represent living humans, not animated corpses. With a little green, purple or brown in place of flesh tones, they can quickly become zombies, and if your skeletal archers have more of a zombie look than skeleton, well they just are much fresher corpses that's all, fresh from the last opponent you defeated. It can be fun to paint some undead so that it is clear what clan they served before "joining" the Shadowlands army.

Everyman's Chance -- a 500 Koku Toturi's Army

17 Heavy Infantry @ 285 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Katana Led by Mokoto @ [135] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 2; Defense 2; Leadership 3; Revered Sensei; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; No-dachi 12 Veteran Ronin Archers @ 215 Koku Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi (15" close, 30" long) Total Honor: 3 Total Army Cost: 500

Note, even though the boxed set doesn't contain Rules for Toturi's Army, it is a must for the Toturi General, as he will need as many regular infantry models and archers as he can get. In this army, you will be short on infantry models, so fill it

out with 2 archers. The key to Toturi's army is great leaders leading masses of decent quality troops. They can make the excellent use of Ashigaru, but have relatively few high quality troops. The Elite troops they do have are very solid, very inexpensive, but don't have many special rules like Elite Clan troops. The leaders bring copious skills to these unassuming units at low prices. The Veteran Archers are equal to the best clan archer unit, but don't have anything special. They can trade arrows with the enemy archers all day long and not be outmatched, and can support a flank as necessary, or be used to weaken the main enemy unit before the infantry is engaged. The Heavy Infantry unit is straightforward, and quite large. The unit is a little light in moral and training, but the leadership of Mokoto will compensate. If you decide to make the enemy come to you, make sure the Heavy Infantry is not exposed to prolonged archer fire. Alternatively, bring the fight to them! The first round should go average or slightly in favor of flashy clan troops, but the second round your numbers and Mokoto's bonus will turn the tables. The following rounds you should be able to grind against the enemy with your superior numbers making up for his bells and whistles, unit he breaks. Special Rules Once per battle, when his unit is engaged, Mokoto gives himself and all his men +1 ATT and +1 DAM. Use this the second round of engagement, when you will have a lot of dice due to rank and file bonuses Toturi's Army is for me! Now what figures do I get? Elite Heavy Infantry have two wounds, good training and moral, and solid bonuses. They are equal to the clans can offer, and demand much fewer Koku for their services. Plus, you can field up to 40 of them (some Toturi's troops got mislabeled, Elite Infantry have no-dachi, a two-handed sword. Some blisteres marked Elite Infantry have spears and are actually Elite Ronin Guard, so be sure to double check what you are buying.)

For Glory or Gold -- a 500 Koku Yoritomo's Alliance Army

15 Mantis Bushi @ 346 Koku Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Heavy Armor; Various Weapons Led by Kanbe @ [121] Koku Unit Commander; Skills; Battle 2; Countercharge; Defense 2; Iaijutsu 2; Leadership 3; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Katana 14 Medium Infantry w/ Yumi @ 155 Koku Generic Gunso; Battle 1; Leadership 2; Defense 1; Skills; Traits; Infantry; Equipment; Light Armor; Yumi (12"close 24" long) Total Honor: 4

Total Army Cost: 501

Yoritomo's Alliance is reliant on decent troops with outstanding leaders. Unlike Toturi, the Alliance relies on the lesser clans troops, as opposed to Ashigaru. The Alliance troops often have special abilities and stats, and a leader that specifically compliments that unit. The Mantis Bushi get a moral bonus when being lead by a Mantis personality. The unit itself is straight forward, heavily armored, and hard hitting. Maneuver it towards the greatest threat. If the enemy has an equally strong and numerous infantry unit of his own, the low moral of the Mantis Bushi will keep them in the fight. While the Alliance does have elite archers of the Wasp Clan, they fill a special function as scouts and skirmishers, so Yoritomo must use unaligned troops when standard archers are needed. The archers are not able to compete directly with the archers of the major clans. Of couse this means less koku is spent on them, and a more devastating infantry can be fielded. Use your archers to weaken his infantry, so your Bushi can defeat that unit quicky and move onto enemy archers. When your archers do turn to the enemy archers remember the enemy unit will usually have a longer range. This is why you have more than twelve, don't worry about getting the last two to fire, they are there so you have more survivors to return fire after you get close enough to reach the enemy. Special Rules None What figures do I get next? Yoritomo's Alliance troops from a specific minor clan usually have a special leader from that same clan that works exceptionally well for them. The key to Yoritom's Alliance armies is to capatilize on these combinations. Any of these combinations would make a good cornerstone, but I recommend the Tortouie Marines. These troops only use light armor, but each has two wounds, allowing them to stand toe to toe with most elite clan units. Each troop costs only 16 koku, which is what most armies pay for one wound troops with similar stats. Finally, if Hyobe is chosen to lead the Totoise marines, the unit will not rout.