User blog:Ekreture/Ashigaru vs Yeoman Archer

First: This is my first battle...so yeah.

Ashigaru vs. Yeoman Archer: while not the most 'epic' of matchups, it is still a  fairly interesting nonetheless. Both were soldiers and aspects of armies which while were not especially glamorous or legendery, were still vital to their respective forces.

The Ashigaru, peasant foot soldiers employed by Samurai in Feudal Japan, who became increasingly important as time went on, as battles turned bigger, and as guns grew more popular after their introduction by the Portuguese.

The Yeoman Archers, skilled English longbowmen taken from the Yeoman class, who decimated French forces in the Hundred Years War.

Who is Deadliest?

Ashigaru


The first of their kind being from the 14th century, Ashigaru were a staple of the armies of Feudal Japan. Though not nearly as exciting as the better known Ninjas, Samurai, and Warrior Monks, the Ashigaru were very important because of their sheer numbers, and were vital during the Sengoku Period (c. 1467-c. 1573).

While at first the foot soldiers were somewhat unimportant compared with the far more skilled samurai at a warlord's disposal, as time went on, battles grew more strategic. Warfare became less about the one on one fighting the samurai specialized in, and more about group fighting. These peasant soldiers proved most effective when armed with the long yari spear, especially against cavalry.

The fate of Japanese warfare was practically sealed when a Portuguese ship landed on the island of Tanegashima in 1543. While he was disgusted with their manners, the lord of the island noticed their strange weapons they carried with them, and after seeing a demonstration, bought two of their matchlocks and gave them to a swordsmith to recreate. These weapons, while not having as long a range as the local bows, were simple, required little training to use, and were more effective against armor. It was through tanegashima (the type of Japanese matchlock was named after the island) armed ashigaru that Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun.

Yeoman Archer
Originally, the term "yeoman" simply referred to a land owning farmer in medieval England and Wales. At the time, a farmer who actually owned the land they worked was to be set apart, since most farmers worked land owned by a noble lord. While a yeoman was considered lower than a noble, they were also considered to be higher than a knave.

The use of the longbow goes back far into Brittanic history. The best longbows were made of yew, and the yeomanry were especially skilled with their use. Perhaps the most famous Yeoman Archer is the fabled Robin Hood. While his historicity is questionable, he is a still a good example of the legacy that these archers left. WIthout a doubt, their most famous use was during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). The longbowmen decimated French forces at battles such as Crecy and Agincourt. With incredible accuracy, a much longer range than most crossbows at the time, and being able to penetrate deep into armor, yeoman archers were truly some of the earliest snipers.