The Book of Ashigaru Yari - Page 5

Su_Nan · #49 April 5th, 2008, 01:38 PM

It seems that you guys aren't getting the argument right. What I am saying is that people take one look at the ashigaru yari see that they have 1 defense and then say, "These guys are weak. I'm not buying them."

Now, nobody is looking at the attack, specials, life, movement whatever before making a bogus judgment based on a defense number. That is why I say with that same assessment the venoc vipers are even more weak/worthless. Not because they have frenzy or hight movement, but simply because they have less defense (0) than the ashigaru.

Tai-Pan · #50 June 20th, 2008, 04:07 PM

Does anybody have any stories of these guys do something worthwhile? Every time I play them, they die too quickly to do anything. Granted, I was only able to grab one squad of them (it was on vacation and the Target only had one case of Wave 7), but I've never had as much trouble getting a unit to work as I've had with these guys. I don't think I've ever logged a single kill with them!

Something to think about: It's harder to stomp a spider than it is to kill an Ashigaru.

Aldin · #51 June 20th, 2008, 06:37 PM

Tai-Pan, just last night I saw them frustrate the Elves and demolish the Vikings with the aid of Kato Katsuro. I've also used them successfully as fodder - units that I wanted my opponent to target so he would ignore other figs I held more dear.

~Aldin, who notes the SA of 6 can be really nifty

SpartanNinja · #52 June 20th, 2008, 07:11 PM

I had 2x of these guys and -- without assistance from any other unit -- they successfully took down a tarn viking, a minion of utgar, two deathstalkers, and damaged Krug.

King of the Marro · #53 July 24th, 2008, 09:03 PM

I used
1x...Kato-200
1x...Kozuke-300
2x...Yari-380
2x...Harqs-500

Using Kato I was able to successfully kill Q9 and some spiders. Q9 had been distracted be Harqs. who had inflicted 1 hit. They encircled him and took him out in one go. They lost 3 guys because of one turn but that was all.

Confred · #54 June 19th, 2012, 02:08 AM

Special Power text for ease of reference:
---
ENCIRCLE SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1. Attack 6.
If 3 Ashigaru Yari you control are adjacent to the same enemy figure, they may roll their attack dice as one combined attack. The defending figure compares height to the lowest Ashigaru Yari to determine any height advantage. If Encircle Special Attack is used, the 4th figure that moved this turn cannot attack.
--
Custom Tech Talk: I have wanted to use the word "Enemy" to describe figures, as a nice mirror to "Friendly", but myself and others avoided this language due to erroneously thinking it was incorrect. The Yari are assurance that it is.

Serenity · #55 April 6th, 2015, 05:51 PM

Ashigaru Yari
C3V and SoV Custom Synergies

Spoiler Alert!

DoomCarrot · #56 December 21st, 2019, 04:51 PM

Do people play these guys that often? I have a few squads of both types of ashigaru, but no kozuke, tagawa, or kato. I would be tempted to find kato somewhere just to make them playable, but they really seem like fodder to me, even with their swarm ability. Besides, you are spending essentially hundreds of points for their semi-decent swarm ability if you draft kato, which at that price just seems like a waste.

They sell for so much on ATH (especially the yari) that I'm tempted to just fence them off. Do you guys think that they are really worth holding onto? And why are they so ridiculously expensive? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone really playing them competitively before.

Arrow Grut · #57 December 21st, 2019, 05:41 PM

In less than A- power level, I think 2x Yari/Raelin is usable. Raelin is a pretty good patch to the relevant weakness these guys have, and 160-points for Bacon and 8x of a 4-man squad is pretty good price-point. That's almost as cheap as 2x Dwarves

Lord Pyre · #58 December 21st, 2019, 05:48 PM

They're super fun with Kato. I wouldn't pay crazy prices for them anymore though. I don't think it's a terribly competitive army, but it's fun.

DoomCarrot · #59 December 21st, 2019, 06:12 PM

I feel like practically anything can be amazing with raelin though lol

I dunno, I just see these guys being held up too easily. Gorillinators are mobile enough to stay away from the 6-attack special, and their tough ability makes them basically invincible to an infinite number of standard ashigaru attacks.

Romans/Greeks are barely more expensive, and can roll over a yari horde with ease. DW8k and the Majors can kill entire squads of them in a single turn. Marrden hounds, explosive attacks, and mimring's line of fire are just the fine china to eat ashigaru on. I honestly just can't imagine many armies that they could even theoretically win against.

Vipers are cheap, easy kills, and have a similar swarming ability, BUT what makes them good is their 3 attack--they can actually do damage. I just don't see attacks of 2 doing anything really, no matter how many times you get to roll for it in a single turn.

Arrow Grut · #60 December 21st, 2019, 07:33 PM

It's true, Raelin does make everything better. However, unlike the dwarf, Roman, or Heavy Grut example, Yari go from insta-kills to having usuable defense. Additionally, they are the cheap option; they will get run over, but they are often 1/5 or less of your of your army; killing a Heavy for every two lost Yari leaves you ahead.

They are weak, but they are cheap.

Harqs are kinda alright tho. Budget 4th with bacon lol