No info about quanity/quality of crossbow. Also allowing Japan to build crossbowmans is like allowing Cristians to build Mujahids... And gave myn slef a tought to forbid building a religious units in city whith more than just state religion.
Also check this :
http://www.answers.com/topic/japanese-era-name
Here u got every era last 4 years, are they eras ? Too short to call them that.
And not that crossbow in Ichi-no-Tani is mentioned only in wikipedia and sites that refers to wikipedia source (exact copy). So its like only source. Note that Minamoto force had 3000? and Teira clan had 5000? soldiers. Also spear, sword and bow was honorary weapon and according to Bushido they had to use them, leaving only mercenaries whith crossbow, or some Ronin. Next is not that crossbow, even if existed in japan it was very rare, hard to obtain, shameful to create, therefore must have been expansive leaving only rich a possability to afford. Dont think ronin had money to buy one. Some ninja could use them, but they relied more on stealth, infiltration, assassination rather than siege...
Now off to
@ WarKirby
1) Saying i was wrong is giving the time he said about making sword prestigeus. Late dark ages are 900-1000ad, and it was Ieyasu Tokugawa who made katana and wakizashi more prestigeaus than daikyu. Ieyasu lived in 1542-1616.
2) As for the line whith changing katana name. Note that katana was not the only sword used in combat. Wakizashi, katana, tanto, taisho, daito, no-dachi. All were used in heian. TR has katana ashigaru in ending of Jomon.
More :
The Japanese ashigaru (足軽
were conscripted foot-soldiers of medieval Japan. During the Muromachi period, ashigaru were employed by the shogun as his personal army.
Ashigaru (literally "light-foot", but the word most likely stems from "light armored")
At first the ashigaru were mercenaries or adventurers who were paid only in loot, but eventually some of them became part of local armies as retained warriors. Those who were given control of ashigaru were called ashigarugashira (足軽頭
, (literally "ashigaru head"), and were provided with an annual stipend of 200 to 500 koku.
So naming most of Japan units ashigaru is missing whith history right ?
And as for that quotes.. well im mostly using quick replys.
@ Spartan117
Well it better i say
. Not every army knew whom they shall face. Some times it was a suprice. Like for Incas, lets kill that Spanians, they got no weapons, only some sabres and metal spears (muskets whith bayonet). And than go OMFG they got boomsticks from hell !!!
I say that the less u "know" the game, the better it is