Nihon Maru

Naval_Inf_Nihon_Maru Image

Basic Unit Statistics (can be modified by difficulty level, arts, skills, traits and retainers)

Recruitment Cost 5000
Upkeep Cost 100
Marines 80 66%
Seamen 200 100%
Hull Strength 600 6%
Morale 13 26%

Strengths & Weaknesses

  • Encourages nearby friendly units.
  • Very large crew, in particular melee troops.
  • Slow and not very manoeuvrable.
  • Vulnerable to cannon fire.

Abilities

  • Battle Speed - This increases a ship's rowing speed for a short period of time.
  • Encourage Fleet - Some command ships can encourage other vessels within their area of influence, increasing their melee attack, reload skill and accuracy.
(Click here to learn more about unit abilities)

Description

This mighty vessel is the Shogun's personal flagship, and his presence at sea encourages nearby ships to fight hard and with great courage.

The Nihon Maru is an extremely heavy ship. It is, in fact, the largest ship used for naval warfare. Looking very much like a vast floating fortress, it has a massive superstructure with an impressive three-storey keep as a centrepiece. It is a physical manifestation of the Shogun's power, and its presence is enough to raise the morale of nearby friendly ships and keep them fighting. It carries a large number of soldiers for boarding actions, but its sheer size and extravagant design makes it a slow and cumbersome vessel. Historically, the Nihon Maru was a huge, three-decker flagship, built for the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1591. It was a lavish masterpiece that symbolised Hideyoshi's wealth, power and ambition and it was decorated with Shinto designs and a brocade curtain. Although built to impress visitors, it did see action during the Korean War of 1592 when the Koreans attacked the harbour of Angolp'o. The Nihon Maru had just returned from battle and was an irresistible target for the Koreans' fire arrows. Fortunately, the ship's three-fold curtain functioned as an arrow catcher, and a team of carpenters kept the ship seaworthy by quickly repairing damage caused by Korean cannons, ensuring the Nihon Maru survived the onslaught.