Armies of the Hitokiri war

''Note: This page contains images that is not owned by the author of Sagara. Three of the images shown in this page belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki.''

Hitokiri wars era warfare
During the era of the Hitokiri wars, from the 47th year of first Tao era to the 21st year of Shourisha, many new styles of fighting was developed. Armored steamboat battleships, aircraft, motorized vehicles, and homing missiles were just some of the many modern armament developed by the factions of the war. Shourigakure adopted Western strategies and equipment for a modern army. Kunihae kept their outdated weapons and fighting honor during the entire war. Taogakure and Hitogumi could combine modern armament with their beliefs of honor from battle. And Kaon Sabaku fusioned army size and mobility. The core of all armies during this time was infantry, as human population is extremely large in the Sagara trilogy compared to the real world. Cavalry may be primitive, but can prove to dominate an infantry battlefield (although Shourigakure had at this moment replaced the horses with motorized vehicles). Artillery was always important in any situation - sieges, field battles, support fire, defense etc. Below there will be detailed explanations on the many strategies used during the Hitokiri wars by the five major factions and some minor.

Kaon Sabaku warfare
The armies of Kaon Sabaku were specializing in an effective combination of numbers and mobility. Light infantry supported by light cavalry was the most used force in the country. In the deserts and mountains that fills Kaon Sabaku's lands, their army was extremely sucessful. However, on the open fields of Kunihae, they proved less effective. Kaon Sabaku's main defensive army was a basically disorganized guerrilla force that specialized in ambushes, not open field battles. But when the alliance of Taogakure, Hitogumi, Kunihae, and Kaon Sabaku fought together against Shourigakure, the Kaon Sabaku troops proved as effective as any other faction's army. A basic soldier of Kaon Sabaku is armed with a saber, two long knives, a bow or musket, and in some cases a battle axe or spear. A basic Kaon Sabaku soldier don't have any official uniform, but are dressed as regular citizens.The most common clothing is a long robe and a headgear that protects against the sun - and hides the soldier's identity. The colors of the soldier clothings are various. Kaon Sabaku cavalry was rarely horses; the majority of Kaon Sabaku cavalry regiments were soldiers mounted on camels. This camel cavalry proved much more effective than any horse cavalry when it came to desert fighting, but horses are preferred in desert climate. Kaon Sabaku artillery were similar to the type used by Kunihae - a ballista launching spears containing Kayaku - a type of gunpowder. A short moment after the spear had landed, the Kayaku attached to it would cause a devastating explosion, killing any enemy soldiers close to the projectile.

Policies of the Kaon Sabaku military changed after Prince Taiyou's military reformation and provided a more disciplined and less barbaric army.

Organization of Kaon Sabaku regiments:
 * A basic infantry regiment contains 120 archers, 60 spearmen, and 40 musketeers (totally 240 men per regiment).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 10 chariots, 20 lancers, and 30 mounted swordsmen (totally 50 men per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 16 ballistas and 4 catapults (totally 20 artillery pieces per regiment).

A basic Kaon Sabaku soldier is armed with:
 * A saber, wielded on the back.
 * Two knives, one on each side of the belt.
 * A bow and arrows, wielded on the back (can be replaced with a musket).


 * A musket, wielded on the back (can be replaced with a bow and arrows).


 * A spear, battle axe, or halberd (optional).

A higher ranked Kaon Sabaku soldier or officer is armed with:
 * A saber, wielded on the back.
 * Two long knives, one on each side of the belt.
 * An accurate rifle, held in the hands.
 * Four Fragmention hand grenades, wielded on the chest.

Policies and laws of war for Kaon Sabaku soldiers (before Prince Taiyou's military reformation):
 * Looting, raping, and killing prisoners is allowed unless the commanding officer's orders are different.
 * An individual soldier may keep whatever personal possessions he can take from defeated enemies.
 * Desertion is punished by death.
 * A soldier may not surrender himself to the enemy if he is protecting his king, prince, or a high-ranked general.

Policies and laws of war for Kaon Sabaku soldiers (after Prince Taiyou's military reformation):
 * Looting and raping is not allowed. Prisoners may be executed on the commanding officer's orders.
 * Personal possessions may not be taken from defeated enemies, only their weapons or uniforms.
 * Desertion is punished by 10 years in prison.
 * A soldier may surrender himself to the enemy if injured.

Kunihae warfare
The armies of Kunihae were using outdated equipment but fought with great motivation and without any fear. Light and heavy infantry covering up each other's weaknesses were the favored strategy of Kunihae. Since wild horses was few to tame in the country, cavalry never was any greater power in Kunihae military. In the open fields of Kunihae, massive infantry charges are effective for attack, but infantry in large numbers are left unprotected. Kunihae favors defense, but proved that they could be a devastating attack force during the third battle of Taogakure. Any soldier of Kunihae is armed with a musket, a katana, and in some cases hand grenades. The musket is a short-caliber version which is light, but very inaccurate at long distances. Unlike most other musket types, the Kunihae muskets are rarely or never equipped with bayonets - instead the soldiers will put the firearm aside and use their swords in close combat. A basic Kunihae soldier is dressed in a long, green kimono with a light armor protecting his chest and stomach, a light helmet, and boots specially made for wet terrain. There are also another type of Kunihae soldiers, dressed in a grey uniform and no armor, but the same helmet. These soldiers were considered as elite commandos, although all Kunihae soldiers were basically poorly trained. The Kunihae cavalry forces was, as earlier mentioned, few. But the Kunihae cavalry that were used were far more effective than the infantry. The cavalrymen of Kunihae were extremely well-trained compared to other Kunihae soldiers, and equal to the Hitogumi cavalry. Kunihae artillery were similar to the type used by Kaon Sabaku - a ballista launching spears containing Kayaku - a type of gunpowder. A short moment after the spear had landed, the Kayaku attached to it would cause a devastating explosion, killing any enemy soldiers close to the projectile.

Organization of Kunihae regiments:
 * Kunihae_musketeer_line.jpg basic infantry regiment contains 100 musketeers and 50 swordsmen (totally 150 men per regiment).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 24 dragoons (totally 24 men per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 14 ballistas and 6 cannons (totally 20 artillery pieces per regiment).

A basic Kunihae soldier is armed with:
 * A musket, held in the hands.
 * A katana at the left side of the belt.
 * A hand grenade at the right side of the belt.

A Kunihae elite soldier is armed with:
 * A repeating rifle, held in the hands.
 * A katana at the left side of the belt.
 * A hand grenade at the right side of the belt.

Policies and laws of war for Kunihae soldiers:
 * Raping is not allowed. Looting and execution of prisoners may be performed on the commanding officer's orders.
 * Personal possessions may be taken from defeated enemies.
 * Desertion is punished by death.
 * A soldier may never retreat or surrender, everyone must fight to the death.

Shourigakure warfare
The armies of Shourigakure were using the most modern available weapons and strategies and were greatly influenced by the Western world. Light infantry supported by light cavalry and light artillery were a common strategy in Shourigakure warfare. The Imperial army of Shourigakure proved extremely effective in any situation, thanks to excellent training and equipment. Shourigakure favors attack, but they had great defensive ability when attacked during the third battle of Taogakure. A basic Shourigakure Imperial soldier is armed with a modern, repeating, bayonet-equipped rifle, and a Western sword known as rapier. An Imperialist's clothing is a black uniform, a black cap with a white cross on it, white gloves, and heavy field boots. The Shourigakure cavalry were completely disbanded around the middle of the war and replaced with armed and heavily armored motorized vehicles known as "tanks". Shourigakure artillery is a Western light field artillery launching explosive projectiles over far distances.



Organization of Shourigakure regiments (before Emperor Shourisha II's military reformation):
 * A basic infantry regiment contains 38 riflemen and 12 swordsmen (totally 50 men per regiment).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 62 dragoons and 18 lancers (totally 80 men per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 12 field guns and 4 heavy artillery guns (totally 16 artillery pieces per regiment).

Organization of Shourigakure regiments (after Emperor Shourisha II's military reformation):
 * A basic infantry regiment contains 42 riflemen and 8 grenadiers (totally 50 men per regiment).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 6 T-1 tanks and 2 T-2 tanks (totally 8 vehicles per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 14 field guns and 2 heavy artillery guns (totally 16 artillery pieces per regiment).

A basic Shourigakure soldier is armed with:
 * An accurate, repeating, bayonet-equipped rifle, held in the hands.
 * A Western rapier sword at the left side of the belt.

A higher ranked Shourigakure soldier or officer is armed with:
 * An accurate, repeating, bayonet-equipped rifle, held in the hands.
 * A Western rapier sword at the left side of the belt.
 * A pistol at the right side of the belt.

Policies and laws of war for Shourigakure soldiers (before Shourisha II's military reformation):
 * Looting, raping, and killing prisoners is allowed unless the commanding officer's orders are different.
 * An individual soldier may take whatever personal possessions he can from defeated enemies, except for objects necessary for the commanders.
 * Desertion is punished by 30 years in prison.
 * A soldier may never retreat or surrender, everyone must fight to the death.

Policies and laws of war for Shourigakure soldiers (after Shourisha II's military reformation):
 * Raping is not allowed. Looting or execution of prisoners can be performed at the commanding officer's orders.
 * An individual soldier may take whatever personal possessions he can from defeated enemies, except for objects necessary for the commanders.
 * Desertion is punished by death.
 * A soldier may never retreat or surrender if he is protecting his emperor or a high-ranked general. A soldier may also never retreat or surrender if any high-ranked enemy leader is present.



Taogakure and Hitogumi warfare
The armies of Taogakure and Hitogumi were combining modern weapons with their beliefs in honor from battle coming from Bushido, the samurai code. A mobile yet heavily armed infantry, supported by light cavalry and sometimes light artillery were the base of Hitogumi warfare, developed by Captain Sagara Sozo. The united army of Taogakure and Hitogumi have proved to be effective in any situation - from an underground rebellion force to an open grand army. A basic Hitogumi soldier during the era of the three leaders were armed with a modern, repeating, bayonet-equipped rifle, a katana, and a wakizashi. A basic Hitogumi soldier after Captain Sozo's death is armed with the same rifle and katana, but is also equipped with two pistols and two hand grenades. The famous uniform of the Hitogumi squad one have always remained the same: A black uniform covered with a red coat, white gloves, a red headband, and boots effective for fighting in wet terrain. The Hitogumi cavalry were not a very used force, but they were very effective against Shourigakure infantry. Hitogumi artillery is also not a very often used weapon, it consisted mostly of medium-sized cannons with great firepower and accuracy.

Organization of Hitogumi regiments (before General Guntai's military reformation):
 * A basic infantry regiment contains 72 musketeers, 24 snipers, and 48 samurai (completely 144 men per regiment).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 46 dragoons, 22 lancers, and 12 mounted samurai (completely 80 men per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 12 field artilleries and 8 heavy artillery cannons (completely 20 artillery pieces per regiment).

Organization of Hitogumi regiments (after General Guntai's military reformation):
 * A basic infantry regiment contains 80 musketeers, 40 snipers, and 20 samurai (totally 140 men).
 * A basic cavalry regiment contains 60 dragoons and 30 lancers (completely 80 men per regiment).
 * A basic artillery regiment contains 10 field artilleries and 10 heavy artillery cannons (completely 20 artillery pieces per regiment).

A basic Hitogumi soldier during the era of the three leaders is armed with:
 * An accurate, bayonet-equipped rifle, held in the hands.
 * A katana at the left side of the belt.
 * A wakizashi at the right side of the belt.

A basic Hitogumi soldier after General Guntai's military reformation is armed with:
 * An accurate, repeating, bayonet-equipped rifle.
 * A katana at the left side of the belt.
 * Two pistols, one at the right side of the belt and the other in a pocket on the coat.
 * Two hand grenades, both in the same pocket on the coat.

Policies and laws of war for Hitogumi and Taogakure soldiers:
 * Looting, raping, and killing prisoners is forbidden at all times.
 * A soldier may not take any personal possessions from defeated enemies, other than objects ordered to take by his commanding officer.
 * Desertion is punished by 1 year in prison.
 * A soldier may never retreat or surrender, everyone must fight to the death.