Katana To Yari

Katana To Yari is Japanese for "Sword and Spear." This is a detailed game of tactical combat designed to be played with miniature figures on a hex grid. Figures represent a single warrior or horse, with each warrior being rated for six characteristics. Numerous weapons are described in the rules, including both melee and ranged weapons. Ranged combat covers firearms, archery, and makeshift missile weapons. Melee weapons have defined "combat engagement zones", a spread of hexes in which the weapon can be used against an opponent. The defensive value of a weapon is also rated base on the relative hex from which an opponent's attack originates. From the rulebook: "These rules, such as they are, are the results of around 20 years of messing around with 'samurai skirmishes' set in old Japan. The rules can be used either to play simple one-off games, or as the combat element of a role-playing game according to your taste." "In designing the game I was faced with the usual dilemma concerning personal combat rules reflecting the detail of using the colourful variety of exotic weapons to be found in Japan. Games which try to cater for a blow by blow resolution of combat are usually slow moving and unwieldy - and rarely, if ever, cope with group actions. For these rules I decided to concentrate instead on movement and positioning and reduce the clash of blades to a simple comparative die roll." "To do well in this game you need to ensure that you understand the strengths of your own weapon and the weaknesses of your enemy - proper positioning is vital, outnumbering essential. In an equal man-to-man fight the results are usually fairly unpredictable, and can swing suddenly and disastrously one way or another."