Sengoku Jidai Armour Types

Note: with a few changes, this is largely the work of David Kuijit)

In the 16th century Japanese body armour made a gradual transition, starting from kozane (many small scales laced tightly together), evolving to larger plates still laced together (lamellar armour), and finally to few large plates riveted together, or even solid breastplates.

Cheaper armours of tatami or kikko design continued in use throughout this period, sometimes even for high nobles. Mail was in common use as a component of other armour (armpit protection, for example), but not for body armour or full suits.

Throughout this period shino (splint) armour was the most common protection for vambraces and greaves. Cheap shino gave minimal protection. Regular shino filled the spaces between splints with mail. In extreme cases the splints might overlap, giving excellent protection equivalent to plate armour.

Lamellar armour was in common use even after plate breastplates came into favour in the later 16th century. Sode (pauldrons) and Kasazuri (tassets) were almost invariably of lamellar construction.

Armour Name	Type	DEF	Cost
Shino (cheap)	splint (1)	3	very cheap
Tatami	`folding'	4	cheap
Kikko	brigandine	4	cheap
Mail	chainmail	5	moderate
Kozane	scale	5	expensive
Shino (normal)	splint (2)	5	cheap
Mogami	lamellar	6	expensive
Kiritsuke Kozane	mock scale	7	less expensive
Okegawa	riveted plate	7	cheap
Shot-proof Plate	solid plate	8	moderate

Notes: 1: Cheap shino (splint) armour is a few metal splints attached to a fabric base, spaced out.

2: Good shino (splint) armour is closely spaced, sometimes overlapping, or else reinforced with mail between the splints.

 

ARMOUR EQUIPMENT LIST

BODY ARMOUR: DO (Cuirass) and KUSAZURI (Tassets)

Body armour almost invariably included hanging tassets to protect the hips and vitals. The body armour gradually shifted towards larger and larger plates, eventually riveted together rather than laced, and finally into rigid plate.

• Tatami do: (folding armour) Torso armour of tatami, small plates connected with mail. Common armour for ashigaru, although sometimes used as light armour by even wealthy lords. DEF 4, locations 10-13.
• Kikko do: (brigandine) This type of light armour was quite rarely used for protection of the torso, but it did exist and full suits were constructed of kikko in the Edo period (c.1600 and later). DEF 4, locations 10-13.
• Kozane do: (scale armour) By the middle 16th century this armour, of small scales laced together, was a little out-of-date and very expensive because of the enormous work required in the lacing. It would have been used only by high nobles. DEF 5, locations 10-1
• Mogami do: (lamellar) This armour gained in popularity through the 16th century until it was replaced by the okegawa do and its relatives as the standard body armour after c.1560. DEF 6, locations 10-13.
• Kiritsuke kozane: (mock scale armour) This armour was made of plates riveted together, but cut and decorated to look like scale armour. DEF 7, locations 10-13.
• Okegawa do: (tub-sided armour) Riveted plate cuirass and tassets. Very popular and relatively inexpensive. Appears c.1550, becomes the most popular do after c.1560. DEF 7, locations 10-13.
• Hara-ate: Half-armour for the torso. Breastplate and front tassets (locations 10-13, front only). This could be made of lamellar (DEF 6) or lighter armour, but later was plate (DEF 7).

The okegawa do and plate hara-ate could be made proof against shot (DEF 8).

ARM ARMOUR: KOTE (Sleeves) and SODE (Pauldrons)

• Cheap kote: Fabric sleeves protected by simple splints sewn to the outer part of the arm. This is common cheap armour for ashigaru, not fancy or very protective. Locations 6-9, all with activation roll 11-. DEF 3. Not worn with sode.
• Full Kote: Full sleeves of tatami armour, or less commonly of kikko (brigandine). Mostly made for ashigaru, although sometimes worn as light armour by high nobles. Protects locations Locations 6-9. Location 6 has activation roll 11-. DEF 4. The inner arm was often unarmoured, giving activation roll 14- for locations 7-9. Not worn with sode (pauldrons).
• Oda-gote: Sleeves of mail with attached tiny plates. Could be full sleeves as described here or worn with sode (pauldrons) as described below. Protects location 6 on 11-; locations 7-9 without activation roll. DEF 5.
• Sode and Kote: Pauldrons and vambraces. The vast majority of sode were of lamellar construction; similarly, most kote were splints connected by mail or overlapping (DEF 5). Sode protect location 8 (upper arm) and 9 (shoulder); kote worn with sode protect location 6 (on 11-) and 7 (lower arm). Some samurai wore a manjuwa; an additional protective garment which covered the armpit with mail. Without a manjuwa, sode should be given an activation roll of 14- on locations 8-9. Similarly, many kote were unarmoured on the inner arm, so should be given an activation roll of 14- on hits to location 7. Shino (splint) kote that enclosed the forearm in a full protective tube were called tsutsu-gote, and have no activation roll on hit location 7.
• Sode (lamellar) and manjuwa DEF 6, locations 8-9 Sode without manjuwa DEF 6, locations 8-9 (on 14-)

Shino Kote	DEF 5, locations 6 (11-) and 7 (14-)
Tsutsu-gote	DEF 5, locations 6 (11-) and 7
Oda-gote	DEF 5, locations 6 (11-) and 7
Lamellar Kote	DEF 6, locations 6 (11-) and 7
Plate kote	DEF 7, locations 6 (11-) and 7

LEG ARMOUR: HAIDATE (Thigh-armour) and SUNEATE (Greaves)

• Haidate: Haidate (thigh-plates) was additional thigh protection for foot combat. It was not always worn; many samurai preferred to keep greater mobility. Haidate give no protection against attacks from behind. They might be strapped to the leg or left flapping loose, in which case they might not protect against all attacks from the front either. Haidate were usually made of multiple small plates laced together, although tatami, kikko, mail and decorated mail versions were also constructed. Tatami or kikko haidate DEF 4, locations 14-15 (front only)
• Mail or Oda-haidate DEF 5, locations 14-15 (front only)
• Lamellar haidate (most common) DEF 6, locations 14-15 (front only)
• Sumeate: Suneate (greaves) were usually made to match the kote (vambrace). The vast majority of suneate were of shino (splint) construction. Cheap greaves gave no protection to the back of the leg; even fancier greaves still left much of the back of the leg unprotected. Armour marked `front only' will give no protection to attacks from behind. The foot (location 18) was invariably unprotected.

Cheap shino (splint) suneate	DEF 3, locations 17-16 (front only)
Tatami or kekko suneate	DEF 4, locations 17 (front only) and 16
Oda-gote suneate	DEF 5, locations 17 (front only) and 16
Shino suneate (most common)	DEF 5, locations 17 (front only) and 16
Lamellar suneate	DEF 6, locations 17 (front only) and 16
Plate suneate	DEF 7, locations 17 (front only) and 16

HELMETS

• Jingasa: `Coolie-hat' shaped iron helmet. The typical helmet of the Ashigaru.
• Hachimaki: This was a headband, augmented with a rectangle of chainmail or a rounded iron band right in the center. Although it gave only limited protection, it was comfortable and commonly used in situations where the Kabuto would have been uncomfortable. It protects only location 5, only from attacks from the front 180 degrees, and only on an 11- roll.
• Kabuto: Full helmet, almost always including shikoro (a lamellar skirt protecting the nape of the neck). Often worn with a nodowa (gorget) protecting the front of the neck. Mempo (face masks protecting the lower half of the face) were often worn, but full face armour (somen) was very uncomfortable and rarely worn. Although the somen was a single shaped metal plate, no padding was worn beneath it, so it gives much less protection than it would otherwise do.
• Kabuto could be very fancy, with up to 120 plates. Simple kabuto were unfashionable because of their simplicity, even though they were much better armour and could be made shot-proof. Some helmets and shikoro were made of tatami armour as well, although these would only have been issued to ashigaru and low-ranking samurai.

Jingasa	DEF 6, location 5
Hachimaki	DEF 3, location 5, on 11-
Simple kabuto (shot-proof)	DEF 8, locations 4-5
Simple kabuto (normal)	DEF 7, locations 4-5
Fancy kabuto	DEF 6, locations 4-5
Very fancy kabuto	DEF 5, locations 4-5
Tatami kabuto	DEF 4, locations 4-5
Somen	DEF 4, location 3

FULL ARMOUR

Most samurai would wear a kabuto, do and kusazari, sode and kote, plus suneate. Haidate might be worn or not. Kote and suneate were usually of similar construction, most commonly shino (splint). Full kote (rather than sode and kote) was less common. Cheaper armour for ashigaru could be a kabuto or coolie hat (or tatami kabuto with tatami armour), do and kusazari (both possibly of tatami construction), full kote, and suneate.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

• Tatami: folding armour. Common for lowest-born warriors, but sometimes used even by high nobles. Small metal plates connected by mail, usually over a lightly quilted lining. DEF 4. Even helmets could be made this way.
• Kikko: hexagonal brigandine. Perhaps the most common type of non-solid armour. DEF 4.
• Mail: Japanese mail was more loosely woven than European, and often incorporated intricate patterns. DEF 5.
• Kozane: scale armour. DEF 5.
• Lamellar: Most common armour for the Japanese warrior. The vast majority of Kusazuri (tassets) and Sode (shoulder protection) were of multiple lames laced together. Many Do (breastplates) were also constructed this way. DEF 6.
• Shino: Splint armour. Commonest form of armour for the Kote (sleeves) and Suneate (greaves). DEF 5.
• Suneate: greaves. Protection for the lower leg (locations 16-17). Usually of splint. Give reduced protection from behind (either no armour, or in some cases location 16 but not 17, only when struck from behind).
• Haidate: thigh-shields. Protect location 14-15. Used for foot combat; many samurai didn't wear them, preferring to keep greater mobility. They do not protect against attacks from behind.
• Shikoro: Lamellar neck-guard, depending from the helmet. Protects location 4.
• Kote: armoured sleeves. Most commonly splints. Protect location 6-7. Location 6 is only protected on an 11-. With many kote the inner arm is not armoured, giving location 7 a 14- activation roll.
• Kiritsuke Kozane: mock scale armour. Plate armour riveted together, but carefully cut to look like scale armour. DEF 7.
• Do: Cuirass; body armour. Protects locations 10-12.
• Kusazuri: Tassets. Protect locations 13-14.
• Sode: similar to Kusazuri, but they protect locations 8-9. The inner arm and armpit are not armoured; this can be reflected by giving the armour an activation of 14- for Samurai who do not wear an additional protection for those areas (such armour existed, but was not commonly worn)
• Okegawa do: plate cuirass. Used for the cuirass (locations 10-12), sometimes also with tassets (locations 13-14). DEF 8. Very popular and relatively inexpensive.
• Hara-ate: plate half-armour. Breastplate and front tassets (locations 10-14, front only). DEF 8.

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