• Units

Otomo Missile Cavalry

Donderbuss Cavalry

The donderbuss actually makes them an effective counter to many other cavalry at close range and, as might be expected, their firepower against other units is formidable. Like mounted gunners, donderbuss cavalry can move quickly across the battlefield and use skirmish tactics to stay out of trouble. Being samurai, they can defend themselves in close combat, but should not be sent into melee without good reason. Like many horsemen, they are vulnerable to fire from massed infantry archers.

Historically, the term “donderbuss” was an early term used to describe what is now generally called a “blunderbuss.” Literally meaning “thunder pipe”, the name exactly describes the incredibly loud noise when it was fired. A forerunner of the shotgun, the donderbuss was intended to fire lead or brass balls or, when these ran out bits of metal, nails, stones or even coins. The bell-like muzzle was flared in order to increase the spread of shot, and also to make it easier to pour gunpowder down the barrel when on horseback or riding on a cart. The donderbuss barrel was much shorter than other weapons of the time to make it handier and easier to load. Eventually, in the West it was replaced in mounted use by the “dragon”; in Europe these were used by “dragoons”, a military term still in use today.

Unit Name Donderbuss Cavalry

Unit Key Cav_Missile_Donderbuss_Cavalry

Soldiers 80

Category Cavalry

Class Missile Cavalry

Multiplayer Cost 800

└ Multiplayer Limit 0

Recruitment Cost 800

├ Recruitment Turns 2

└ Unit Limit 0

Upkeep Cost 200

Melee Attack 12

└ Melee Weapon sabre

Charge Bonus 15

Bonus vs Cavalry 0

Range 50

├ Missile Weapon musket

└ Projectile shogun_donderbuss

Accuracy 45

Reloading Skill 25

Ammunition 10

Melee Defence 2

Armour 6

Horse Mode shogun_horse_samurai

└ Mount Armour 3

Morale 12

Abilities

No Ability

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Very high missile damage.
• Good accuracy but slow reload rate.
• Average in melee.
• Vulnerable to massed foot missile units.