Basic Unit Statistics (can be modified by difficulty level, arts, skills, traits and retainers)
| Upkeep Cost | 0 | |
| Melee Attack | 2 | 5% |
| Charge Bonus | 2 | 4% |
| Bonus vs Cavalry | 0 | 0% |
| Range | 150 | 23% |
| Accuracy | 25 | 25% |
| Reloading Skill | 25 | 25% |
| Ammunition | 20 | 25% |
| Melee Defence | 1 | 2% |
| Armour | 1 | 6% |
| Morale | 4 | 8% |
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Long range and short reload time.
- Low accuracy and morale.
- Very weak in melee.
- Very vulnerable to cavalry.
Abilities
- Flaming Arrows - This unit can fire flaming arrows for a short period of time. Flaming arrows have a greater damage effect and can set fire to flammable objects. Flaming arrows don't function in wet weather.
Description
Bow ashigaru are light foot archers used to screen the front line, harassing enemies with long range volleys of arrows.
These soldiers do not possess the prowess or prestige of samurai, but they are still a formidable force. In the same time it takes to fire and reload a firearm once, these archers can loose a dozen arrows upon the enemy. Once hand-to-hand fighting starts they should retreat to safety behind the battle line, as bow ashigaru are not trained or properly equipped for melee. They must also be wary of cavalry, having little defence against a charge. Historically, bow ashigaru were used as skirmishers and sharpshooters, and were also expected to take part in close combat once they had fired all their arrows. Perhaps surprisingly, they were not made obsolete by the arrival of guns. While gunners reloaded, archers could continue to fire arrows, providing cover and maintaining the pressure on an enemy. It was the job of the yumi ko gashira, an ashigaru commander, to judge when the enemy was in range and when to fire so that no arrows were wasted. Assistants would be ready with well-stocked boxes of arrows for resupply, and, if they ran out, an archer could always pick up enemy arrows and return them to the original owners!