User blog comment:Ekreture/Ashigaru vs Yeoman Archer/@comment-4661256-20140724210743

El Alamein's Edges:

 Close Range: Wakizashi vs. Sword and Buckler:  The Wakizashi is a curved blade, which makes it superior for slashing attacks. The (relatively) unarmored longbowmen would find it difficult to hold off against such slashes in close quarters, but they still have the buckler to ward off aggressive attacks. The sword is a longer weapon, and based on the design it looks to be a primarily piercing weapon. Honestly, it's even for me - the closer the fight gets the more advantage the Ashigaru has with the Wakizashi, as the length of the sword will work against it. But the shield still offers a lot of defense that the Ashigaru isn't bringing to the fight.

Edge: Even

 Mid Range: Yari vs. Quarterstaff:  The quarterstaff is all right, I suppose, as a non-lethal weapon, but much like the Shaolin Monk's staff it's just a big heavy bludgeoning stick that won't really kill. The Yari is a spear, which can kill. Also, if the situation arose, I'm certain the Ashigaru could also bludgeon with the spear, so the Longbowman is just outclassed in mid range.

Edge: Ashigaru

 Long Range: Gun vs. Bow:  The Tanegashima is (contrary to what everyone's saying below me) accurate, reliable, and controllable on the battlefield. It's a snap matchlock, which means you have a trigger to pull (as opposed to having to wait a long time for the match to burn down), it's got front sights (revolutioinary for it's time) and can reload much, much more quickly than the gunpowder weapons the Longbowmen will be used to dealing with. Yeah, the longbow has a faster rate of fire and slightly longer range, but as soon as that distance is bridged the psychological effect of the musket coupled with the training the Ashigaru have received will more than make up for the Longbowmen's elite ranged abilities.

Edge: Ashigaru

WINNER: ASHIGARU

Historically, the English were defeated in the Hundred Years' War (a war in which they spammed Longbowmen) by the French with (not Joan of Arc) gunpowder weapons. The Tanegashima is far, far more advanced than any of the gunpowder weapons in the Hundred Years' War. Gun vs. bow aside, the Longbowmen are far too specialized with the bow to be of any use in a close-ranged fight, and once the fighting moves to mid and close range, the Ashigaru (who were literally regular Japanese infantry who fought with spear and sword as often as gun) will be able to overwhelm their underprepared foes with the tips of their blades. The Longbowmen are outclassed by a more modern and more versatile warrior.