Taiko! - Samurai Warfare During the Age of the Country at War

Have you spent hundreds on Two Dragons' samurai figures, only to watch them collect dust for want of a set of samurai warfare rules you can really sink your teeth into? Well, look no further, because us folks here at Flagship Games have the ruleset for you!

Written with 15mm figures in mind, Taiko! converts easily to 6mm and 25mm as well. The rules play to two levels of combat, 1:1 scale, and 50:1 scale. The former is used for small skirmish battles, and has a fast and chaotic feel to it as units of warriors engage, pursue their beaten foe, and then perhaps find themselves being beaten and pursued. The 50:1 scale is ideal for recreating the larger battles of feudal and/or renaissance Japan, with large formations of infantry and cavalry maneuvering around the battlefield under the control of their lord or one of his generals.

Besides the "must-have" Flagship Games traits of playability and speed-of-play, Taiko! faithfully recreates the command and control methods of the samurai warlord, who, in the period covered by these rules, typically led from the rear where he could keep a watchful eye on the proceedings of the battle. While he can join the fray (perhaps to bolster the flagging morale of one of his units), his ability to control the rest of his army will suffer, maybe evening failing to follow his orders.

The basic military formation in Taiko! is the unit. A unit is composed of similarly armed and armored troops who will operate in a more-or-less cohesive manner throughout the battle. One or more units are grouped together to form a Tai, or corps. Each Tai is led by a commander, representing a notable samurai or (hopefully) trusted retainer. Each army is led by an army commander who will be protected by his own Tai, typically composed of his very finest troops.