Alone, a single log cannot block even the lightest shower. It cannot hold the bitter winds of winter at bay. It can halt no intruders. Alone, the log can be felled by a single man with a sharpened axe.

A lone stone upon the ground blocks no arrows, it halts no horses, it gives no shelter. The rock upon the road can be pushed aside with little effort, kicked by a passerby or shifted by the wheel of a passing cart.

Together, though, if shaped and placed into the right configuration, those rocks and logs form the tallest walls and mightiest castles. What are the walls and moats of Osaka Castle but the will of countless stones and pieces of lumber, shaped and guided by skilled hands to serve a singular, unified purpose?

The mightiest samurai, fighting alone, could not breach these stones. The sharpest arrow, aimed true, could not topple these walls.

As the logs and stones come together to form the strongest castles, so too are the Ashigaru Yari. A single spearman does not win a battle, cannot conquer a nation. It is in their unity that the true strength of the Yari lies. When a regiment of Ashigaru is trained and practiced to act as one, their true potential is realized.

The Ashigaru Yari are available in the Ashigaru Yari Remastered army expansion. Pre-order now for a May 2027 release!