• Units

Tosa Line Infantry

Red Bear Infantry

Armed and equipped in the latest foreign style, but wearing a form of traditional red-haired “wig”, these men are staunch sons of Tosa. They fight as line infantry, delivering disciplined volleys of rifle fire into the enemy. They carry foreign-made rifles that are accurate, powerful and quick to reload. Despite being motivated and having good morale, the Red Bears are not particularly well trained in close combat. They are also vulnerable to cavalry attacks if they are left in exposed, unsupported positions.

The red bear wigs, or shaguma (meaning “red bear”), worn by these Tosa infantrymen, were a peculiar affectation of Imperial troops during the Boshin War. While amazing and intimidating helmets were common currency for samurai warriors in earlier periods, there doesn’t seem to be a ready explanation for why an otherwise modern force would adopt such hats, except for the fact that they look wild and scary. The red colour used by Tosa troops is alleged to echo the red hair Dutch traders who were confined to Nagasaki during the Shogunate, but this explanation does not really explain very much or seem all that rational. Dutchmen, like most mainland Europeans, are not especially likely to be red-haired. The wigs, then, seem to have been a nod to traditional warrior attire, and just plain intimidating to enemies!

Unit Name Red Bear Infantry

Unit Key Boshin_Inf_Line_Red_Bear_Infantry

Soldiers 200

Category Ranged Infantry

Class Line Infantry

Multiplayer Cost 800

└ Multiplayer Limit 0

Recruitment Cost 990

├ Recruitment Turns 1

└ Unit Limit 0

Upkeep Cost 130

Melee Attack 6

└ Melee Weapon sabre

Charge Bonus 15

Bonus vs Cavalry 5

Range 125

├ Missile Weapon rifle

└ Projectile boshin_rifle

Accuracy 40

Reloading Skill 35

Ammunition 10

Melee Defence 4

Armour 2

Morale 8

Abilities

• Kneel Fire
  The first rank of this unit will kneel to allow the first two ranks to fire simultaneously.
• Suppression Fire
  This ability increases reload rate but lowers accuracy. Enemy units hit by suppression fire are slowed and suffer a morale penalty.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Good accuracy and reload rate.
• Average in melee.
• Weak against cavalry.
• Good morale.