Michikatsu Tsugikuni in a Sengoku Era Battlefield || Part 1: Formations
As we know, the Sengoku era was a period of chaos and bloodshed; lords turning against one another and vassals turning their backs on their lords. In my last post, we attempted to figure out 'What Michikatsu's distinction would be as a samurai.' This did not provide clarity into his specific role within a military context—his position and responsibilities during warfare. Therefore, in this article, we will examine his placement within a battle formation and clarify his role in combat.
A brief overview of the earlier post just in case: I proposed that Michikatsu must have served as an ashigaru kumigashira, likely leading either a spear or archer unit [since his men depicted in the manga panels did not possess any significant weapons during the demon attack]. With this out of the way, let us proceed.
⚠ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠ | Masterlist
⨳ How Foot Soldiers used to be Deployed
Of course, the organisation of soldiers in an army during the sengoku era varied clan by clan, although many elements remained consistent across. The illustration provided [credits to Emmanuel Valerio] depicts the Takeda clan.
× Starting off, let's examine the illustration above. This gives us a basic understanding of how the foot soldiers used to be deployed. At the bottom left, we can see the Taishou (大将) the General, who used to lead an entire tactical unit consisting of about 300-800 men; as well as an Uma-jirushi (馬標), which served to mark his location.
× To the left, there is a lengthy formation of samurai, with ashigaru positioned directly behind each samurai to provide support. Behind them consists a group of similar size and structure. All of these men are armed with yari [spears] and and these are the troops that will take the fight to the enemy.
× Each unit is led by a mounted samurai with foot soldiers, all positioned behind them. The foot samurai are organised into groups, each overseen by a mounted ashigaru/samurai Kumigashira (組頭) the luitenant who is accompanied by two foot soldiers, as well as a mounted troop Kumigashira, the captain having a larger supporting foot soldier.
• The Archer squad:
I couldn't find any illustrations that exclusively feature archery, as firearms were likely not in use during Michikatsu's era. However, I do believe the formation would have been the same, if not similar, considering that the archers were initially few in number and belonged to the same infantry as the yumi ashigaru (archers).
The image above depicts a complete gun/archer squad positioned at the forefront. All five of them are organised under the leadership of a single troop kashira. In total, 10 squads with two captains will be commanding them.
▪︎The Spear squad: I couldn't find anything for the spear group; however, based on my research, it is likely to resemble the archer squad mentioned earlier. Positioned at the front lines, they would be arranged shoulder to shoulder in a long formation, numbering approximately 60–70, with their mounted commanders stationed behind them.
⨳ The Battle Formations
The image above gives us a condensed form of the archer unit [a spear unit would have the same formation], where:
A. Yumi Bugyo (Archer Manager/Commissioner)
B. Yumi Gumi Gashira (Archer Group Foreman)
C. Samurai Yumi Gashira (Samurai Archer Foreman)
D. Samurai Yumi Gumi (Samurai Archer Group)
E. Yumi Ashigaru Gashira (Ashigaru Archer Foreman)
F. Yumi Ashigaru Gumi (Ashigaru Archer Group)
G. Yumi Ashigaru Ko-Gashira (Ashigaru Archer Sub-Foreman)
[Names by EValerio; full credits to him]
× Yumi Samurai are depicted in a more dispersed formation compared to the ashigaru, who maintained a tight and disciplined line at the front. While the samurai engaged in combat as a collective unit, the ashigaru adhered to a more structured arrangement. The ashigaru and the samurai Kumigashiras for both the troops were well equipped for battle and would join their men in combat when necessary.
For instance, Michikatsu above could be represented as 'E' [as mentioned in my previous post; this is supported by the canon manga panels where he leads a small troop of ashigaru. I don't see any evidence to suggest he would be classified as 'B', unless someone can provide additional insights that I may have overlooked.]
⨳ Conclusion
A follow-up of my previous post where we attempted to find out his distinction as a samurai. However, this one goes into much more detail about where he would actually stand in a Battlefield. There are many things that i have skipped over, as to keep this post focused and concise, ensuring it remains dedicated solely to Michikatsu.
