Ashigaru Weapon Forms

[Mattstanley75]

From my minimal research, I know the standard weapon forms for the ashigaru were the spear, the bow and the arquebus. What other weapons would be appropriate for an ashigaru portrayal circa the mongol invasions of the 1200's? I know the arquebus would be right out, both for reasons of timeline and society rules, but would I be limited to the spear and the bow?

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

My 'off the cuff' reply would be that retainers in the thirteenth century would not usually have bows - those would be reserved for samurai. Retainers would probably have a mix of pole weapons with more naginata than spears. Really long spears and well-organized units of ashigaru don't come around until the sixteenth century.

The "order of battle" in the thirteenth century is very different than for the sixteenth. I don't think you have the seperation of units by weapon types in the earlier periods. Rather, samurai would have attendants/retainers with them to take care of the horse, keep the arrows coming, and 'beat off' other peasant troops.

[Takeda Sanjuichiro]

I agree with Otagiri-dono, bows were not realy an option for the non-samurai, and spears used by foot troops of the time tended to be naginata.

As far as ashigaru go, I do not think they existed at that time. (Not as we think of them) early on it seems this was the breakdown of a samurai's personal retenue.

1 Samurai:	Mounted, yumi and tachi
2-4 Soldiers:	Unmounted, naginata or other polearm, one might also transport his master's spear
1-2 Servants:	Unmounted, maybe a naginata, non-combat personnel.

I'm basing this off of the information provided in the tales of Minamoto Yoshitsune and Benkei; Samurai: an illustrated guide; by Mitso Kure, Steven Turnbull's works; accounts of the Mongol invasions from various sources; and illustrations from scrolls and screens (period in question)

-Takeda Sanjuichiro