MA: Jomon: The Courts of the Ryu - Looking for insight

[legowarrior]

I'm considering making a mod for Dominions 3 to create a Jomon nation set in MA. It would be based around the Heian Era of Japan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_period

The reason I want to make a mod is the because of the crazy spells the Jomon get, from the 5 signs to Kami they can summon. Oh and the Ryujin are cool.
With all these cool things, it always seemed like a waste that the Jomon would be in the last era, where magic is the weakest. Here you have a great combination of magic, but few ways of getting it. I decided that a Middle Era for Jomon would be appropriate. Something Balanced with present day CBM 1.92.
In many ways, I wanted to conserve many of the elements of the Jomon, with out being boring or redundant.
No, what I am looking for is a nation that shares something in common with the Shinoyama, but was different, like Lanka and Kailasa, or Helheim and Vanheim.
My plan would be that both Shinoyama would have common summons (Tengu, Tigers, Nushi and Kitsune) but Shinoyama would get Oni, the Jomon of the middle age would be unable to summon Oni and get Jigami, Mori-no-Kami, Uljigami, Kaijin, Tatsu, Kenzoku, Gozu Mezu, and Yama-no-kami, and the 5 signs.

With the Ryujin, I wanted it to be a nation of water and a little astral, air and earth.

I'm thinking that their starting magic would be 2 Water, 1 Astral, 1 Air, and 1 Earth.


This means a centralized empire, with the Samurai just starting to rise up to social heights, but mixed in would be a greater use of the Ryujin. There are no Daimyos yet, and the Samurai are few and consider elite. Some of the inspiration does come from Rise of the Samurai.

The emphasis will be more on Long Bows then Jomon of the Future. This is because during the Heian Period, The Bow and the Spear were king, while the sword was for a secondary weapon. Horses are also rarer, and Heavy Samurai Armor is not present. Overall the army should be less resource intense, but also weaker.

Story:
Fleeing the Yomi, many peasants from refuge by the shore, where the Ryujin held sway. In exchange for fealty, the Ryujin would help protect the Jomon from the Yomi, and later the Bakemono. With the rise of a new God, the Jomon, with their allies, set out to conquer those that originally enslaved them and create a new empire.

Non Magical Leaders
Gokenin - Longbow, Katana, Samurai Armor, Kabuto
Not much different from the the original, except for the addition of the Long Bow. No Mounted version, since Horse are rare.

Jito - Wakizashi, Ashigaru Armor, Jingasa, Patrol: 10.
Stewards of the land, these guys know the area. Weaker then the Gokenin, they are good on Patrol.

Kokushi - Lance, Katana, Samurai, Kabuto, Mounted
Your high end leaders. Basically, like the Daimyo but with less armor.

Ninja - Ninjato, Shuriken, Chain Mail Cuirass, Assassin:1 Stealth: 30.
Exactly the same is the later era Ninja.

Basic Troops -
Bottom tier (better than milita) - Ashigaru come in two types in this era, Short bow and Yari. The yari version is identical to that of the later era. Both are weak chaff units, peasants with some training. Better then Milita, but worse then trained warriors.
Ashigaru (Short Bow) - Short Bow, Wakizashi, Ashigaru Armor, Jingasa.

Ashigaru (Yari) - Yari, Ashigaru Armor, Jingasa
Same as above.

Middle tier (cost 10 gold a piece) - The attendents are a train soldier. The samurai of this era was a rare position and so the Attendants came as an inbetween station. Later the Attendants would become part of the samurai class, but during this era they're were trained warriors not considered samurai. Lacking the Kabuto, and using weaker weapons, they would be no match for later day samurai in protection or defense, but they will be easier to mass.
Attendant (No-Dachi) - No-Dachi, Samurai Armor, Jingasa

Attendant (Naginata) - Naginat, Samurai Armor, Jingasa

Top Tier - Samurai - During the Ryu era, the Samurai were fewer and the term was reserved only for the most elite units. Equall in skill to Oban of the Daimyo era, they excelled at the Bow and spear more than anything.

Samurai (Longbow) - Longbow, Katana, Samurai Armor, Kabuto

Samurai (Mounted) - Lance, Katana, Samurai Armor, Kabuto

Temple Units

Monk of the five fold