Sanada's Death Ride at Domyoji

Richard and I took to the field for a rematch of our earlier Battle Among the Tombs game (see Battle Among the Tombs).  While the battle remains the same as before, we swap sides with Richard commanding the Osaka Army and I taking the Tokugawa Army.  In that first contest, Richard came out the victor by defeating my Osaka Army in fine style.  Having given the battle and victory conditions some careful thought, Richard figured that the Osaka Army has a better chance at victory than seen in our first game.  Of course, Osaka Army would have a better chance in this game,  I commanded the Osaka Army in Game #1!

Battlefield deployments

Opening positions

As a reminder, the opening situation is as shown in the graphics above.

For today's battle, Richard has written a most comprehensive battle report from our second trial.  I encourage you to pop over to his blog and read the battle from his Tokugawa perspective (see Domyoji, Can Osaka Beat the Odds?).  Richard has rendered the battle report so completely, I really cannot add much to his battle account, but I will try!  If nothing else, use Richard's account for a full battle overview. Use my account to augment Richard's storytelling and to zoom in on specific actions.

Here we go!

Two armies, arrayed for battle.

Tokugawa Right Wing shifts to the left on the advance...

while the Tokugawa Center moves up.
The two armies face off.

In a flash, Sanada leads his Samurai cavalry through
the Osaka battle line and into the unsuspecting enemy!

Not expecting to be attacked so suddenly,
the Tokugawa Center buckles.
Teppo are destroyed and Ashigaru spear are driven back.
Sanada fails to pursue.

Tadamasa, the commanding Tokugawa general, spurs
 his Samurai cavalry forward to meet the enemy.
Crashing into the enemy cavalry, Tadamasa fails to dislodge them.
Tadamasa recoils!
Counterattacking, Sanada charges forward.
In a clash of arms, Sanada feels the fight slipping away.
Encouraging his Samurai to redouble their efforts, Sanada commits Seppuku.

Sanada's sacrifice is for naught or is it?
The Osaka Samurai horsemen are scattered to the wind.

While the charge fails, Sanada's Death Ride succeeds
in opening up the entire Tokugawa Center.
His sacrifice buys a lot of time for the Osaka Army. 

Tokugawa Center regroups and begins to advance.

Seeing the center falling back upon itself,
Tadamasa orders his Left forward.
Masamune, commander for the Tokugawa Left attacks!
His Ashigaru spearmen are repulsed with heavy casualties
as they crash into Kitigawa's Samurai.

Then, Masamune leads his Samurai cavalry into a charge.
Driving the enemy back, Masamune's Samurai will not pursue.

With his cavalry stalled, Masamune orders his Samurai foot forward.
This time, the attacks succeed.
The enemy is driven back in disorder.

Tokugawa Samurai press on!

Despite suffers heavy casualties, the Osaka Right holds!
Masamune's Samurai are repulsed!

Kitigawa wastes no time in counterattacking Masamune's Samurai.
Masamune's Samurai recoil!

Half of Masamune's Left is in flight
 in search of safety at the river.

With the Osaka Right stable and wanting to avenge Sanada's death,
the Osaka Center goes on to the offensive.
Ashigaru spear skirt Emperor Ojin's tomb
striking enemy Teppo in the plowed field.
Failing to get off a volley as the enemy closes,
the Teppo are destroyed without much effort.

To the left, a second body of Ashigaru plunges into the Tokugawa line.

Unsupported, Katsushige's Samurai are thrown into disorder
and head for the rear. 

A third Ashigaru spear, this time from Susukida's Left Sonae,
attacks into a disordered body of Teppo.
The enemy is cut down where they stand.

All is not going Osaka's way, though.
Tokugawa counter attacks!
First, the loss of the Teppo near Ojin's Tomb is avenged
by putting the enemy to flight...

but also by driving back the enemy in the center!

In pursuit, the Tokugawa are not so lucky.
Their attack is stopped cold by a resilient defense.

In a follow up attack, the stubborn enemy is destroyed.

On Osaka Right, Kitigawa keeps the enemy under pressure. 
First, Tokugawa Ashigaru spearmen are driven back...

with pursuit scattering enemy Teppo
as the spearmen flee back to the ford.

The Tokugawa spearmen cannot escape.
They are caught at the ford and butchered.

Both armies are becoming exhausted
as both teeter on the breaking point.
Susukida begins withdrawing units back
 toward the safety of Osaka Castle.

Tokugawa are not through yet!
Tadamasa attempts to catch the enemy
 before it can flee to Osaka Castle.

Tadamasa leads his cavalry into the enemy...
but is repulsed!

Seeing the failure, a body of Ashigaru are sent forward.
This time, the enemy is put to flight!

These last exertions brought both armies
dangerously close to the breaking point. 
One more loss from either side and an army would break.
Fortunately for the Osaka, two units managed
 to withdraw back into Osaka Castle.

With the bonus awarded for withdrawing Osaka units off table and back to Osaka Castle, the Army Breakpoint Clocks (ABC) stand at 3-6 in favor of the Osaka Army.  Seeing that only mopping up actions remain to accomplish, the Tokugawa Army sees no path to breaking the Osaka Army.  Tokugawa withdraw from battle.

Victory to the Osaka Army and Richard!  Having seen three previous Tokugawa victories, Richard wondered (in his battle report) whether the Osaka Army could beat the odds.  The answer to that question is a definite "Yes!"  Congratulations, Richard!  Well done!

The Butcher's Bill demonstrates just how hard this battle was contested.  The difference in this game rested upon the two units that Richrd managed to withdraw off table.  That was the deciding straw.  With a difference of three on the ABC, Richard is awarded a minor victory.  

Butcher's Bill

Wow!  That was a hard-fought contest.

Richard's opening gambit of giving Sanada a "Death Ride" tore apart the Tokugawa Center and set the timetable back at least two turns.  I was not expecting to see that level of aggression from Richard.  What a surprise!  A nasty surprise at that!

My Tokugawa Army was within reach of critically punishing the enemy more than once, but failed pursuits and unexpected repulses put me on the back foot every time.  Game duration about three hours.

Great game, Richard, and very well played! Thank you!

Clifford's Battle

Besides fighting and refighting the 1615 Battle of Dōmyōji and working on the rebasing of my 28mm WotR project throughout June and July, I managed to push out an additional contingent for the WotR project.

Mustering out today is Clifford's Battle consisting of the three battle lines, one line each of archers (20 figures), billmen (14 figures), and Men-at-arms (13 figures).  Yes, bases are still configured into BMUs of figures yielding similar weapons.  That is, archers in one BMU of two stands, billmen in one BMU of two stands, MAA in one BMU of two stands.  Figures are all Perry Miniatures plastics.

The rebasing project is nearing completion.  Only a couple of Battles left to convert.  Once finished, it may be time for a parade and an explanation of my rebasing madness.

In the category of something you don't see every day, I came upon this sight while out on the bike one morning.  Now, we like to complain about potholes in these parts, but this sight takes "pothole" to a new level.  As seen in the photo above, the inattentive driver drove his car around the "Road Closed" barricade and straight into a reconstruction trench!  That is about a two-foot drop from street level with two wheels in and two wheels out.  Ouch!  The driver had his trunk open and was quietly removing items from the trunk and placing them beside the car.  I was tempted to stay to watch the extraction but had to be on my way.  Be careful out there!     

What I Like About You!

Well, what we like about wargaming, that is.

In the Great Wargaming Survey, 2025 edition, one survey question asked respondents, “What do you like most about miniatures wargaming?” Responses were collected as unstructured text (up to about 2,100 characters per response and anything goes!) allowing participants to write without constraint to include all of the facets of wargaming that they like.  In total, there were 4,063 non-blank responses recorded.  I last looked at this question in GWS 2023.  I wonder if wargamers' "likes" have changed since then?

To parse and interpret this large body of text, machine learning techniques are introduced.  Specifically, a variety of cluster analysis techniques are applied to the survey data.  These statistical methods help uncover underlying data associations and reduce thousands of unique words (tokens) to a smaller dataset.  The aim of this data reduction step is to transform unstructured text into a manageable set of representative tokens while preserving essential meaning.

After routine preprocessing and tokenization, the dataset produced 2,719 unique terms with associated frequencies.  A further data step involved removing near-zero variance terms thereby reducing this set dramatically to just nineteen key word tokens.  These nineteen tokens are:

games, people, painting, miniatures, history, research, collect, model, terrain, table, fun, creative, army, build, aspect, good, time, hobby, like.

The last five tokens in the list of "aspect", "good", "time", "hobby", and "like" were excluded from analysis as either too general or redundant. 

With the dataset reduced from over 4,000 terms to fourteen, cluster analysis provides the next layer of insight.  The resulting dendrogram (see Figure 1) reveals a clear and intuitive structure that I break down layer by layer. 

Figure 1

The dendrogram organizes the “most liked” aspects of wargaming by how closely respondents associate the tokens.  Joining at a lower height in the dendrogram indicates a stronger relative relationship with higher splits indicating more separation.

At the highest level, "games" stands apart from all other terms, joining the rest of the terms only at a relatively large distance. This indicates that respondents view gaming as distinct reinforces the notion that gaming, itself, is the central facet of the hobby.  From the dendrogram (see Figure 2), "games" is not intertwined with the other activities. 

Figure 2

The next major split separates "people" from the remaining terms (see Figure 3). Together, this creates a clear hierarchy in a three-cluster solution of:

• Games (most distinct)
• People (second most distinct)
• Everything else (more tightly interrelated)

Results suggest that gaming and social interaction are the two most independently valued aspects of wargaming.

Figure 3

Below this top structure in the hierarchy, several distinct clusters emerge from the dendrogram analysis (see Figure 4).

Figure 4

"Painting" and "miniatures" form one tight pairing.  This closeness suggests a connection between painting and the objects being painted.  "Collect" and "research" also pair closely.  Their proximity suggests that painting and amassing armies of figures and learning about them seemingly go hand-in-hand.  "Table" and "terrain" form another very tight cluster representing the physical environment of play.  These pairings are intuitive and reinforce the notion that respondents think in terms of hobby activities rather than isolated concepts.

Slicing across the dendrogram at a practical level (around mid-height) yields four meaningful groupings (see Figure 5):

• Games (standalone)
• People (standalone)
• Painting/miniatures (craft-focused sub-cluster)
• All remaining hobby activities (a blended cluster of building, modeling, and researching)

Figure 5

Interestingly, "creative" sits between "history" and all of the craft elements in Cluster 4.  In this hierarchy, creativity acts as a bridge linking both building and interpreting history.

What can we infer from this analysis of survey respondents' likes about wargaming?

To begin, analysis supports the notion that gaming, social interaction, and painting emerge as primary drivers.  All other activities form a supporting ecosystem.  Analysis also suggests a structure to the wargaming hierarchy.  That is, wargaming should not be viewed as a single, unified, activity but as a combination of semi-independent domains.  If we return to the three-cluster solution, the clusters are:

• Gaming is central but conceptually separate.
• Social interaction is nearly as important and also distinct.
• Everything else forms an interconnected hobby engine of crafting, researching, and building.

The dendrogram shows that these are all part of the same hobby.  The distinction is that participants mentally separate playing and socializing from the preparatory and creative work.  Overall, results reinforce the idea that miniatures wargaming is a layered hobby with distinct, varied but interconnected facets of engagement.

For the cluster analysis, itself, these classifications demonstrate how a large and unstructured dataset can be reduced into a smaller number of meaningful dimensions without losing interpretive power.  Now, I mentioned that I examined this question in the 2023 survey.  Have "likes" changed in the two years having a different survey population and the ability to respond in unstructured text?

Figure 6 shows that hierarchy and association of the best aspects of wargaming have not changed all that much! 

Figure 6

The four-cluster solution in GWS 2023 mirrors that of the GWS 2025 four-cluster solution with the same clusters of,

• Games (standalone)
• People (standalone)
• Painting/miniatures (craft-focused sub-cluster)
• All remaining hobby activities (a blended cluster of building, modeling, and researching)

Remarkable.  The same question asked two years apart produces a very similar profile of wargamer favored aspects of the hobby even when survey respondents can enter anything they please.  Another tick alongside the scoring of the reliability of data.  Fascinating.

Dōmyōji: Tombs of Blood

As hinted at in the previous post, Monday saw the coming together of four of Postie's Rejects to take up the challenge of the 1615 Battle of Domyoji (or Battle Among the Tombs).  Since Richard commanded the Tokugawa in our first game (see Battle of the Tombs), he chose to command one of the Osaka Sonae.  Lee quickly joined him as an Osaka general.  Ray and Dan were left in command of the Tokugawa Army.

Initial army dispositions

With the army commanders set and the sides drawn up, let's step right into battle.  This time, we tell the battle in Haiku!

The battle begins with an archery duel near Emperor Ingyo's Tomb.  Neither body of archers was able to produce any noticeable effect on the enemy.  While the longbowmen were engaged in volleys, Katsushige leads his Tokugawa Sonae forward.  Katsushige and Susukida stare down one another as they prepare for the fight they know is coming over Emperor Ingyo's Tomb.

Archery duel near Emperor Ingyo's Tomb.

Katsushige advances toward Ingyo's Tomb.

Enemies brace for a fight over the tomb.

Susukida strikes first!  

Seeing that Katsushige's Teppo are unsupported on their left, Osaka Ashigaru spearmen are ordered to advance.  As the Ashigaru close, the Teppo attempt to get off a volley.  Their last-minute volley is ineffective in either stopping or even materially damaging the oncoming enemy.  The Teppo are driven back in the ensuing melee.

Ashigaru go in against Tokugawa Teppo. 

Then leading from the front of his Samurai foot, Susukida charges into Katsushige surrounded by his own body of Samurai foot.  The battle is fierce as warriors drop on both sides but neither willing to yield the bloody ground.  Fighting continues for what seems forever as warriors try to gain an upper hand.  When the tide of battle begins to turn against Susukida and his wavering Samurai, Susukida commits Seppuku in an effort to re-energize his bodyguard to avenge his heroic sacrifice.  Witnessing their brave commander fall, the Osaka Samurai redouble their efforts to throw the enemy back. With the loss of Susukida, the Samurai cannot sway the direction of the fight over Ingyo's Tomb.  It is they that are thrown back!  Susukida Samurai retire in disorder and severely weakened.  Katsushige and his warriors follow up in hot pursuit.  The Osaka Samurai are caught and dispatched with the Tokugawa giving no quarter.  Osaka Samurai lay scattered on the ground everywhere.     

Susukida charges in with his Samurai.

Fighting is brutal.
Susukida sacrifices himself in the fight.

Osaka Samurai yield the ground...

and are cut to pieces as they flee.

Watching as Katsushige chases the remnants of Susukida's Samurai from the field, Tadaaki (in the center) sends his Sonae of three Ashigaru spearmen forward.  While the first attack against the Osaka line is repulsed with heavy losses, the following attack with a body of fresh Ashigaru puts to flight the enemy before it can recover from its recent exertions in repelling the initial attack.  The third attack destroys the Osaka Center.  Even with support, Osaka Teppo are driven back in a series of fighting withdrawals.  Fighting through the woods, the enemy keeps pressing on.  Once pushed out of the covering woods, the Osaka Teppo and their supporting Ashigaru are cut down.  The survivors scatter.  Oh the humanity!  

Tadaaki charges in...

destroying two enemy units!

The situation is looking mighty grim for Sanada and his Osaka Army.  Having cut through both the Osaka Left and Center, only the Osaka Right is left to deal with.  Masamune wastes little time in pushing his Sonae forward.  Targeting Kitigawa's Teppo near Emperor Ojin's Tomb, first Tokugawa Teppo pour devastating fire into the enemy to soften the enemy.  With the enemy already wavering from volley fire, Masamune leads his Samurai horsemen in a charge.  Kitigawa's Teppo manage to retire from the initial contact put are pushed back in disorder.  In pursuit, Masamune cuts the poor Teppo down where they stand.  Few survive.    

Masamune tears into the enemy at Emperor Ojin's tomb.

With much of the Osaka Army either dead on the field or running away, this costly battle is over.

Congratulations to Ray and Dan for leading the Tokugawa Army to a resounding and astonishing victory.  Rarely have I seen such carnage on the tabletop delivered against one side only.  The Butcher's Bill tells the tale.  There is no doubt who the victor is on this day.  Battle was over in 90 minutes with only two turns played!

Butcher's Bill

Ray and Dan were both red hot with their dice throwing in the game with the photos below showing just some of what Lee and Richard faced.  Double 5's and single 6's are hits.  Lee and Richard, on the other hand, had difficulty scoring hits and even more difficulty passing Cohesion Checks.  Such is war.  

What a day and what a battle!

Thank you all for an enjoyable and fast game!  Maybe you fellas would like a rematch?

For Neil, I set the action into Haiku.

Morning mist lingers,

Arrows whisper over tombs,

Silent clash begins.

Katsushige closes,

Teppo volley cuts the air,

Ashigaru charge.

Susukida roars,

Samurai blades sing and clash,

Steel drinks deep of life.

Wounded pride burns bright,

Seppuku, a crimson vow,

Bodyguard fights on.

Yet the tide turns swift,

Osaka yield the sacred ground,

Scattered like autumn leaves.

Tadaaki presses,

Spearmen cleave the center line,

Woods echo with death.

Masamune thunders,

Horsemen storm Ojin's tomb,

Teppo fall like rain.

Two turns, graves run red,

Tokugawa banners rise,

Osaka dreams die.