First Ronin game

Today I played my first three games of Ronin with Tim.  It was an enjoyable introduction, with the attack/defence counter pool mechanic adding nice granularity to melee, but still being fast to play.  Here is a quick report on our first game - a little 50pts Skirmish scenario between the Black Hand Yakuza (me), & the plucky villagers of Sangawe (Tim).

My Yakuza mob consisted of four Thugs (basic-level) with katana, plus a Ruffian (low-level) with araebō (club).  One of the Thugs acted as the Leader.  They were opposed by five Peasants (low-level), four with improvised weapons, & one with a bamboo yari (spear). The Peasant mob was led by a Warrior Monk (mid-level) armed with a bō (quarterstaff).

The starting zones were random, & resulted in our mobs beginning on opposite table edges.  We both formed tight groups, & advanced at pace along the track towards the central choke-point between the stable & house.

Two of Tim's Peasants (one with spear) broke-off & headed round the back of the stable, so I split-off a pair of Thugs to confront them.  Meanwhile, my Ruffian with club foolhardily charged into the Warrior Monk, with the remaining two Thugs at his heels.  Two Peasants with adze & mallet piled-in (unnecessarily) to aid the Monk, quickly felling the Ruffian with a barrage of blows. Ouch!

Simultaneous with this, Tim's two Peasants at the rear of the barn pulled-back, drawing one Thug after them, while the other U-turned to support the rest of his mob against the Warrior Monk.  Unfortunately I discovered that the choke-point between the buildings prevented the Thugs behind the Ruffian from getting into the combat.  Once the Ruffian was despatched, two of the Thugs launched themselves into the fray, with one fighting a pair of Peasants, & the other facing the Monk & his twirling bō.

Meanwhile the remaining Peasants blocked the way of the other Thug at the rear of the barn, with the spear inflicting a nasty Grievous Wound on him.  The Monk then dealt a Grievous Wound to the leading Thug (probably breaking an arm), but he managed to leap back from combat, ordering another Thug to take his place.  That Thug quickly died from a quarterstaff blow to the head, while the Thug next to him was Grievously Wounded by the Peasants with threshing stick & adze.

The Thug behind the barn was impaled by the spear-wielding Peasant as my Leader turned tail & fled down the track, back to the gang's hideout! We realised later that in his Grievous Wounded state, the Leader's movement should have been halved, so the Peasants could have caught him.

Alone, Wounded, & surrounded, the last Thug still fighting the Peasants sensibly dropped his katana & surrendered!

The final Victory Point score was 5 - 0 to Tim, with my Yakuza only inflicting a couple of Stunned results on the Peasants, & being thoroughly thrashed (& looted!) in return. Boss Matsuda will be most displeased when he hears his men have been bested by mere peasants...