PROLOGUE:

Takeda Masashige was buoyed by his recent success in securing his cousin Sanada Kichinosuke as an ally. The two had spent three days plotting and revelling before Kichinosuke had departed in order to further their cause with the incumbent infant-Daimyo’s rivals in the neighbouring clans.

With Kichinosuke away, Masashige’s thoughts returned to his old mentor, Yasawa Gou. The scar that ran diagonally across his chest began to burn again.

Masashige still could not bring himself to believe the old man was an enemy and that reason could not sway him to support Masashige’s claim, even though the two had fought. He had to hear it from his mentor’s lips, he had to speak to him face-to-face, not in the heat of battle but in a quiet and calm environment. They must parley…

PARLEY (a custom mission for Test of Honour)

The mission rules: Set up the board with a single building on it anywhere on the board and whatever non-building terrain you want The leader of each Warband is then set up in the building Use two adjacent board edges furthest from the building for deployment. No models may be set up in the 12” square where they overlap. Each player selects up to 5 points that can be deployed, everyone else comes on as reinforcements by passing a test of wits from their deployment zone. No model can be set up so it is within 12” of the building nor within 12” of an enemy model. No models may shoot, charge or move within 12” of the building until a single unit fails a test of honour. The three action counters for each samurai are not put into the counter cup until a single unit fails a test of honour. The two leaders can not perform any actions until one of them too fail a test of honour which represents the failure of the parley. The game lasts 5 turns. If no commoner units on either side fail a test of honour during first 2 turns the game then future tests are with one less dice. If neither samurai fails a test of honour for five turns the side whose retainers did not fail the test first test of honour achieves a victory. If either samurai fail their test of honour the parley has failed they both may act normally. The samurai that fails their test of honour gets a dishonour card. Victory can then be achieved by either felling the opposing samurai or being the first to get off the table.

This was a 15 Point game

DEPLOYMENT:

The old hut where the parley between Yasawa and Masashige lay next to a small river.

Masashige’s sergeant at arms and a trio of ashigaru were set up on the far bank near a thin bridge.

Yasawa’s men consisted of a musket man and a trio of spearmen located near a shallow ford on the same bank as the house.

THE BATTLE:

Masashige’s men soon found themselves reinforced by three bowmen and a sergeant of archery.

Yasawa’s men were a little slower in coming but by turn two they were joined by a second musket man, a trio of ashigaru and their sergeant.

No one failed their tests of honour for the first turn so there was no fighting but everyone manoeuvred so as to maximise their position should the truce fail and hostilities break out. It was Masashige’s sergeant who could no longer restrain himself, tossed honour to the wind and screamed “KILL THEM!” at the top of his lungs. He then raced to the high ground and ordered the nearby ashigaru to attack their opposite number.

There was a flurry of slashing and blocking but no blood was drawn.

Now, hostilities really began. Both Teppo wielding musket men let loose with their shots at the archers but failed to wound their opponents, one did wound himself though.

Yawasa’s ashigaru waded across the river and dragged themselves up onto the other side only to be hit by arrow fire from the sergeant of archery. Fortunately this only caused a light wound.

Back in the hut Masashige and Yawasa continued to talk without drawing blades and oblivious to the brawling outside.

However, as Yasawa’s reluctance to listen and join Masashige became more and more apparent, the young man’s anger flared. (Failing a test of honour) Masashige drew his blade and launched himself at his old mentor. The stroke took the old man by surprise and he was unable to avoid the blow, it cut him through his armour piercing his torso and sent blood spurting from the wound. However it was not fatal.

Back outside Yawasa’s ashigaru marched on the archers swatting arrows away but couldn’t get close enough to charge.

Back on the other side of the river the Teppo were being reloaded. Again the two units of ashigaru fought, thrusting, stabbing and parrying but it ended in a stalemate.

In the hut it was Yasawa’s turn to battle through Masashige’s defences and land a blow with his nodachi, but it did no more than draw blood. Yasawa attacked again, emboldened, and this time, brought his weapon down on his former student’s leg, dealing him a bloody injury.

The fight between the ashigaru intensified with Masashige’s men finally drawing blood but causing no fatalities. The bedraggled ashigaru were also pinned in place by arrow fire.

As a result of this seeming stalemate both opposing sergeants moved to try and break the deadlock. Yasawa’s man raced to the top of the hill so as to be able to inspire the ashigaru nearest the archers and Masashige’s man crossed to river to threaten the musket men whilst still being close enough to holler orders at his men. Yasawa’s ashigaru did indeed charge the bowmen but failed to wound any of them. Masashige’s ashigaru in turn had the wit to listen to their sergeant’s commands and turned their attention from the nearer ashigaru and charged the enemy sergeant, whom they neatly impaled and cut down.

Enraged by the loss of their leader the nearby ashigaru charged their counterparts and killed one of them. Further arrows felled another of the wet ashigaru on the other side of the hill and Masashige’s sergeant easily swatted away the melee attacks from one of the musket men taking a light wound for his troubles.

At this point both forces wearily decided the quit the field. The two samurai staggered out the hut, too weak, wounded and slippery with blood to be able to do anything to the other.

The parley has been an utter failure and if anything the mutual animosity between the two samurai has blossomed into a vengeful grudge…