Editing Kensei/Rules And Tactics/1e (section)

===Basic Units===
* '''Yari Ashigaru'''
Your basic Infantry model, Heinin with Light Armor and a Yari which grants +3 Initiative and a bonus of -1 Attack for the first turn against a Charged Unit. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
! Honor
! Initiative
! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 7 || 3 || 1 || 3 || 3 || 2 || 14 || 5-20
|}
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With their horrible attacking power and morale they won't be able to do jack shit and are also going to need a Character to maintain order in their ranks. 

At only 14 Koku each model and with a minimum Unit size of 5 they can make effective screens for your troops. Their weak durability makes them ineffective as a long-term [[Tarpit]], but they function well in groups of 5 or 10 as Redirectors (small Units of models that sit on the flanks of large Units to protect them). 
For a Tarpit you'll probably want Heishi unless the other player is aggressive enough that you need the Charge buff. 

* '''Heishi'''
Heinin with Light Armor and an Onagamaki, which causes a -1 Armor debuff to whatever they hit. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
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! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
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! Initiative
! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 7 || 3 || 1 || 3 || 3 || 2 || 16 || 5-20
|}
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Their weapon makes them better at the Anvil role, although as Redirectors you will want the Yari Ashigaru instead for the Attack buff when Charged. 
The job of Heishi is to soften up something you want to wipe out with something else. 
When fighting them, avoid sending in your more elite models which need their Armor to survive long enough to justify their point cost. 

* '''Yumi Ashigaru'''
Your basic ranged models. Heinin with the Projectiles Trait. Equipped with Light Armor, a Bow, and a Wakizashi which grants them -1 Attack inside a Building.

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
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! Initiative
! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 7 || 3 || 1 || 3 || 3 || 2 || 15 || 5-20
|}
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The Bow debuff makes any Unit you can pelt with enough arrows is in for a rough night when they make contact with your melee models. When in doubt, when without enough Koku to take your caste's better ranged option, [[Fail|Bow it up]]. 

* '''Katana Samurai'''
Samurai with Medium Armor, equipped with Katana. 

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! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
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! Initiative
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! Unit Size
|-
| 6 || 4 || 1 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 23 || 5-20
|}
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Samurai Trait will make them stand up straight and man up when a model with Commandment is nearby, and the Katana reduces their Attack by 1 as well as negates all other bonuses or penalties to their Attack. 
Your cheap basic Samurai models and basis of comparison. 
They're a cheap killy option, but they don't have the numbers of Yari or the debuff potential of Heishi. They'll last longer and stick in the fight even beyond that so if you have Morale issues they'll be your preferred option, but otherwise you're going to need to balance them with your other expensive killers. 

* '''Yumi Samurai'''
Samurai with the Projectiles Trait, equipped with Medium Armor, a Bow, and a Katana. 

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! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
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! Unit Size
|-
| 6 || 4 || 1 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 28 || 5-20
|}
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At almost twice the cost of their Ashigaru equivalent, they're situational on value. They carry the Katana as well, meaning you're paying five points to have Katana Samurai who fulfills the role of Yumi Ashigaru when not in melee. If you play very aggressively and need adaptability or prefer a "Come At Me Bro" playstyle where you want to plant yourself somewhere and wait for the enemy to come to you, Yumi Samurai are very worthwhile. But if you favor a cautious approach where you have plenty of support and don't expect your Yumi to get into melee, they're far too overcosted.
Yumi Samurai do have a neat advantage over their Bowless kin where if they cause an enemy Unit to Run Away they can make Chase like normal, then the next turn can just fire into the fleeing enemy. 

* '''Kiba Musha'''
Cavalry Samurai with Medium Armor and a Katana. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
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! Attack
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! Wounds
! Ki
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! Unit Size
|-
| 6 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 33 || 3-10
|}
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Your basic Cavalry. Their low Koku cost allows you to get a simple 100 point Cavalry Unit onto the field (the extra point being the Hata-Jirushi). 

* '''Yari Kiba Musha'''
Cavalry Harasser Samurai equipped with Light Armor and a Yari, which causes -1 to the Armor of any Infantry in Combat with you and -1 to the Armor of any model type, plus a +1 Initiative when you Charge. Cannot take Hata-Jirushi. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
! Honor
! Initiative
! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 6 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 34 || 3-10
|}
</center>

The addition of a Yari for a single point is a fairly worthwhile expenditure compared to ordinary Kiba Musha, and more importantly they are Harassers meaning you have MUCH more liberal rules in regards to formation and movement. That being said, if you actually plan on engaging enemies head-on with your Cavalry the worse Armor of the Yari Kiba Musha makes them still your second choice for the general Anvil role. 

If you plan on seriously out-maneuvering your opponent and getting flank Charges constantly, take Yari Kiba Musha. If you think your Cavalry may have to be jousting with other Cavalry or if you need something with more staying power, take ordinary Kiba Musha.
If you want to go full Cavalry, take both.  

* '''Ishitsubute Ashigaru'''
Harasser Heinin with Light Armor and a Sling which causes -1 Initiative to Infantry it hits for a single turn, and causes a Ki test against Cavalry it hits to reduce their movement by half for a turn. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
! Ki
! Honor
! Initiative
! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 7 || 3 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 2 || 16 || 5-15
|}
</center>

Compared to Yumi Ashigaru, look to the weapon difference. The Bow of Yumi deals the same damage but gives a -1 Defense debuff that lasts all game. The Sling of the Ishitsubute causes temporary debuffs. The Medium range of the Sling is five points shorter, the long range ten points longer. 

Chances are you want to hit the Infantry at shorter range, when your models will be engaging them. Cavalry will be best to aim for at long range when reducing their speed will hurt them the most. 
The anti-Cavalry role is where the Ishitsubute shine. Crippling their movement not only gives you more time to get into position, but can put you in the position to Charge them with your own to have the advantage. 

Still, for one point more you're losing out on an extremely useful effect since the Ishitsubute debuffs are less useful as the game goes on. 
If you plan to take them, just take groups of 5. Taking more gives you a better chance to hit something and cause the debuff, but you should probably just take another Unit for a second target or more Yumi instead. 

* '''No Bushi'''
Harasser Projectile Samurai equipped with Light Armor, a Bow, and a Katana. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
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! Attack
! Defense
! Wounds
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! Koku Cost
! Unit Size
|-
| 6 || 4 || 1 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 29 || 5-10
|}
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Having Harasser is great, and has no drawbacks. Compared to Yumi Samurai, you're paying an extra point for Harasser which will pay off if you need to traverse difficult terrain quickly and have easier movement. Not necessary, but not a bad thing to have. 

* '''Kuro'''
Heinin equipped with Tillage and nothing else. 

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! Attack
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| 8 || 2 || 1 || 3 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 5-20
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These SUCK. So why take them? Only 5 Koku each!
If you can keep them from running (taking a Hata-Jirushi (unless playing a points game) and putting some kind of Character in is mandatory) then you have a fantastic Tarpit!
Not to mention you can swarm foes in small Units, automatically destroying enemies that should tear through them like tissue paper. 

* '''Onna Komasu'''
Samurai with Light Armor, equipped with a Bo. 

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{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! Attack
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|-
| 6 || 4 || 1 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 19 || 5-20
|}
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That +3 Initiative the Bo gives them makes them among the fastest non-Character models in melee possible to field. 
They have the same basic stats as Katana Samurai, although the downside is the lower Armor and inability to take a Hata-Jirushi. That being said, they only cost 19 Koku putting them just slightly above the Ashigaru range for something that's got a better statline, making Kensei [[Sisters of Battle|one of the few games to reward you for playing Nuns]].