Nippon
Elite melee infantry · T4 · a daimyo's household guard
Thunderblade Hatamoto
雷刃旗本
Elite samurai bearing odachi blessed by Raijin; coiled in violet lightning, a single stroke shears iron and splits armour.
Background
The Hatamoto are samurai among samurai: the household guard of a daimyo, holding their places by hereditary right, into whose ranks none may enter without worth proven in a hundred battles. The odachi they bear runs longer than the common katana and must be swung two-handed; it was forged as a heavy weapon to hew down horses and break armour in the front rank. One line of them bears the covenant of Raijin. It is told that in ancient days a Swordmaster climbed a thunder-wracked peak in search of enlightenment, set his own body against the thunder, and drew heaven's fire into his blade; from that night on, every blade in the hands of his heirs and disciples has carried the power to call the lightning. When the blade leaves its sheath, violet lightning runs along the spine of the steel; when the stroke falls, thunder bursts along the edge. This is no sorcerer's art, but a warrior's way: a body of flesh and blood that bears the thunder, and swordsmanship that rides its fury. The Hatamoto root their art in the sword alone; through years of harsh training, the force of a single stroke already outweighs several exchanges of the common samurai, and the power of Raijin does no more than set the final edge upon that perfected craft. Before two embattled hosts, all who see violet lightning breaking upon the line know that the Hatamoto have come.
Unit type
- Class
- Infantry · melee
- Equipment
- Two-handed odachi (magical, mostly armour-piercing)
- Armour and shield
- Plate, armour 100; no shield, but Deflect Shots gives 30% missile block
- Training
- Trained
Recruitment
- Recruited from
- Samurai Taisho's Manor (tier 2) / Hatamoto Guard (2) / Thunder-Drawing Peak (landmark); also bought with Renown through Tachibana Naotora on the Expedition Companions panel
- Unlocked by
- Building any of the above; the companion option unlocks, and gains capacity, as your Bond tier with her rises
- Recruitment time
- 2 turns
- Unit cap
- None from buildings; companion capacity grows with Bond tier
Stats
- Melee attack
- 50
- Magical attacks (enchanted blade)
- Melee defence
- 45
- Weapon strength (base / AP)
- 16／38
- Charge bonus
- 32
- Armour
- 100
- Plate
- Leadership
- 82
- Speed
- 31
- Health per model
- 125
- 10000 across 80 men
- Unit size
- 80
- Spell resistance
- 25%
Unit traits
Armoured
Armour 100 counts as heavy armour
Armour-Piercing
The odachi deals mostly armour-piercing damage (35)
Deflect Shots
30% missile block: they cut arrows from the air with the blade rather than a shield, so it works even with a two-handed odachi
Abilities
Unity of Blade and SelfThis mod
A samurai who has risen to become a hatamoto has already mastered swordsmanship to its very peak.
Always on above 25% health: melee attack +10, melee defence +10; lost once health drops below 25%
BushidoThis mod
A samurai who cannot protect those they are duty-bound to protect is no different from the dead, even if they cling to life.
Triggers at 50% health or below: base and armour-piercing weapon damage +15%, melee attack +10 and Unbreakable, for 25 seconds
Unit attributes
Causes FearVanilla
This unit frightens all enemy units, reducing their leadership when nearby. It is also immune to fear. Fear penalties do not stack.
Perfect VigourVanilla
Even when performing the most fatiguing actions, this unit never loses vigour.
Hide (forest)Vanilla
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
Immune to PsychologyVanilla
The unit is immune to psychological attacks (Fear & Terror).