Pike & Shotte: Ashigaru Missile Troops

The biggest change in the Sengoku period (14671603) would affect the role of missile troops in battle. At the start of the period, these were all armed with the yumi (bow) and fought in coordinated units to pepper the enemy with their arrows. This bow, like the equivalent English Longbow, took many years training to perfect but was deadly when used correctly. Due to the training needed there were never as many yumi armed troops as a daimyo may have wanted!