The Matchlock Gun is a Defensive Weapon
—Advantageous for the defense, disadvantageous for the offense
The matchlock gun was introduced to Japan during the Sengoku period and completely transformed the landscape of the battlefield. In dramas and movies, scenes are sometimes depicted where brave gun squads advance while mowing down the enemy. However, is that image not an unconscious projection of a modern assault rifle sensibility?
Let's start with the conclusion. The matchlock gun was a "defensive weapon" that was overwhelmingly advantageous for the side on the defensive. It was almost entirely unsuited for offensive mobile warfare, and its true value was realized only in situations protected by solid positions or castle walls.
Chapter 1: Assault Rifles and Matchlock Guns
First, I would like to consider offensive tactics using modern assault rifles.
Arrive at a defensive position
Fire a volley at the enemy
Secure the area around the position
Move to the next defensive position
Arrive at a new defensive position
This is based on the fundamental principle of modern infantry tactics known as "fire and movement," which involves approaching enemy lines while moving in short bursts. Suppressing the enemy's counterattack with suppressive fire while advancing—this "shooting while moving" is what brings victory to the offensive side.
So, can the same be done with a matchlock gun?
To put it simply, it is impossible. The reason is obvious.
The extreme slowness of reloading: The sustained rate of fire for a matchlock gun in the Sengoku period was realistically 1 to 2 rounds per minute for an average soldier, and even for an expert, around 3 rounds per minute was the limit. This is incomparable to modern assault rifles that can fire hundreds of rounds per minute. Once you fire a shot, there is a gap of several tens of seconds before you can fire the next one. During that time, the enemy will close in and swing their swords.
Complex loading process and posture issues: The matchlock gun was a muzzle-loader, and loading required a series of actions: holding the barrel vertically, pouring in gunpowder and the bullet, and tamping it down with a ramrod (the name given to the rod used for loading). It is virtually impossible to perform this task while moving. Even when firing, you must firmly secure the gun and stabilize your posture to hit the target. Walking, let alone running, while shooting is out of the question.
The greatest enemy, the weather: Matchlock guns were extremely vulnerable to rain. If the match cord got wet, it would not ignite, and even if you protected the match cord, the same would happen if water entered the flash pan. If a strong wind blew, the bullet would be blown off course, and accuracy would drop significantly. A weapon that is at the mercy of the weather even when standing still could not possibly function properly in mobile warfare.
There is only one conclusion to be drawn from these constraints—the matchlock gun was a weapon that could not be operated without a stable "base".
Chapter 2: Characteristics of the Matchlock Gun Seen Through Comparison with the "Bow"
To deepen this discussion, let's compare it with the "bow," which was the conventional primary projectile weapon.
Bows could be fired from horseback, and mounted archery techniques such as Yabusame have been respected since ancient times as a signature skill of the samurai. Certainly, bows remained effective for base defense as well. Shooting from castle walls is one of the traditional methods of using a bow.
However, bows possessed a 'mobility' that matchlock guns lacked.
It was possible to fire to some extent even while riding a horse. While there is room for debate as to whether Yabusame was used exactly as is in actual combat, it is significant that at least the tradition of mounted archery existed and that shooting from horseback was not technically impossible.
In contrast, there existed a short-barreled type of matchlock for cavalry called a 'bajutsu' (horseback gun). However, although this improved handling on horseback through weight reduction and a shorter barrel, it was fundamentally a gun operated with both hands, forcing the shooter to fire while letting go of the reins. While Date Masamune's cavalry matchlock corps are well-known, this was a special operation involving carrying multiple guns to perform volley fire, and it was not a general cavalry tactic.
Where matchlock guns were overwhelmingly at a disadvantage compared to bows was in the point of 'whether one can continuously project firepower while moving.' With a bow, rapid fire is possible, and shooting from horseback can be done to some extent. However, with a matchlock, once you fire a shot, a 'vulnerable gap' of several dozen seconds is created. How to fill this gap was the greatest challenge of matchlock tactics.
Chapter 3: Structural Advantages of the Defensive Side in Sengoku Siege Warfare
3-1. Evolution of Castle Architecture: Spatial Design Centered on Matchlock Guns
Castle architecture from the mid-Sengoku period onwards evolved into a platform for drawing out 100% of the performance of matchlock guns as 'base weapons.' For the defensive side, matchlock guns became the 'ultimate defensive weapon' for the following reasons.
Fixed Distance: The defensive side has pre-measured the width of moats and the distance to stone walls, and knows exactly where the enemy will be when they enter the effective range of the matchlock guns.
Stable Logistics: Large quantities of gunpowder, bullets, spare barrels, and charcoal for ignition are stockpiled within the base. Even heavy 'large-caliber guns' can be easily fired from fixed loopholes (sama).
Minimization of Exposure: 'Loopholes' allow the shooter to fire while almost completely disappearing from the enemy's field of vision. This functions as a physical buffer to safely secure the vulnerable loading time.
The defensive side hardly needs to move. Rather, remaining at specific firing points is the key to maximizing the density of the line of fire (number of bullets per unit area). Because there is little travel distance, shooters can suppress fatigue and focus on loading and firing as a mechanical, repetitive task while maintaining mental stability.
3-2. Visibility and Difficulty of Deployment for the Attacking Side in the Initial Stage
On the other hand, for the attacking side, the initial stage of battle is like walking in the dark. It is extremely difficult to determine where and how much firepower is deployed in the castle, or which routes have been set as 'kill zones'.
When the attacking side attempts to operate matchlock guns, the first thing they face is the 'absence of firing bases.' If they aim a matchlock gun on flat ground without cover, they will be sniped from the castle's loopholes. This is because the moment they stop to prepare for firing is the time closest to death. The attacking side must build their 'own base' from scratch to concentrate firepower while eliminating enemy interference. This competition between the 'speed of base construction' and the 'accuracy of defensive interference' was the essence of siege warfare in the Sengoku period.
Looking at actual siege warfare in the Sengoku period, it took a long time for the attacking side to use matchlock guns effectively. For example, in Oda Nobunaga's siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, they spent enormous effort preparing the environment, such as building forts on the opposite shore, constructing embankments, and raising watchtowers. In other words, in order for the attacking side to use matchlock guns, they first had to build their own 'base'.
Chapter 4: A Matchlock Corps without a 'Base' is a Castle in the Air
Since matchlock guns were not suitable for mobile warfare, the tactics adopted by the Sengoku daimyo inevitably became 'building a base and operating from there'.
A typical example of this is the tactics of the Oda-Tokugawa allied forces at the Battle of Nagashino. They built horse-defense fences and placed matchlock troops behind them. Recent research suggests that the Battle of Nagashino began with a matchlock battle and then transitioned to other military branches. Furthermore, the location where the allied forces took their position was a muddy field that reached up to the waist—they chose terrain that physically hindered the approach of the enemy cavalry.
In other words, the matchlock troops at Nagashino did not 'shoot while moving,' but rather 'intercepted the incoming enemy with matchlocks fixed in their positions.' This difference is significant.
Chapter 5: Battle is a living thing—unexpected battlefields and the plight of the matchlock gun
However, battles do not always go according to plan. In 'encounter battles' where friends and foes meet unexpectedly, there is no time to build a base in advance. In such situations, the matchlock gun carries a fatal handicap.
In field battles, bows can start firing immediately. Spears and swords even more so. However, matchlock guns take time to manage the match cord, load, and take a firing stance. If an enemy appeared suddenly, there was always a danger of being routed without firing a single shot.
Nevertheless, Sengoku daimyo did not ignore this problem entirely. They devised 'ways to use matchlocks even in field battles.' A prime example is the Shimazu clan's 'Tsurino-buse' (lure and ambush) tactic.
Chapter 6: Is 'Tsurino-buse' an attack?
The Shimazu clan's Tsurino-buse functions as follows.
First, ambush troops (matchlock units) are placed on the left and right. A decoy unit in the center lures the enemy and leads them to the position of the ambush troops. The moment the enemy enters the line of fire, the ambush troops fire a volley, and the decoy unit and cavalry pincer the confused enemy.
What I want to focus on here is that in this tactic, the matchlock troops do not move until the end. They are fixed at pre-set positions—in other words, 'temporary bases'—and simply wait for the enemy to jump into them. Tsurino-buse may look as if the Shimazu army is actively attacking the enemy, but its essence is based on the defensive idea of 'luring the enemy to a matchlock firing base.'
This is not an attack, but nothing other than 'base defense' in a broad sense.
Even the Shimazu clan, touted as the strongest in the Sengoku period, did not operate matchlocks mobilely, but achieved victory by firing from fixed bases, which were ambush positions. This fact eloquently tells us that the matchlock gun was essentially a 'weapon that shoots without moving.'
Chapter 7: Examples of offensive use other than 'Tsurino-buse'—but with conditions
7-1. The Saika Ikki were masters of using matchlocks in guerrilla warfare
Indeed, the Saika Ikki used matchlocks to torment Oda Nobunaga. However, their tactics centered on defensive battles holed up in forts and surprise attacks from ambushes. They utilized their knowledge of the terrain to repeat concealment and movement, but that was merely a pattern of 'moving from base to base,' and not 'advancing while firing' like an assault rifle.
7-2. The attacking side built artificial hills to use matchlocks in siege warfare
This point is well-taken. There are indeed cases where the attacking side built artificial hills (man-made earthworks) in siege warfare and fired matchlocks from there. However, this is nothing more than proof that even the attacking side needed a 'base' to use matchlocks.
In other words, even for the attacking side, they could not use matchlock guns unless they constructed their own 'firing base.' This was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous condition compared to the defending side, which could use existing castles as bases.
What all these cases have in common is that even when the attacking side utilized matchlock guns, they required some form of 'base' or 'pre-set line of fire.' Moreover, these were all 'high-difficulty' operations that required advanced tactical thinking and skilled soldiers, and were not something anyone could easily execute.
Chapter 8: What the Matchlock Gun Changed—Armor and Castles
The characteristic of matchlock guns being 'advantageous for defense' was directly linked to innovations in castle architecture.
Traditional armor could defend against swords, spears, and bows, but it could not stop bullets. In response, armor gradually became standardized into 'tosei-gusoku' (modern armor), which was easy to mass-produce, simple, and lightweight. The structure of castles also changed in a similar way.
Firing holes called 'sama' were installed in castle walls for shooting matchlock guns, and the castle itself came to be designed as a 'giant base for matchlock guns.' Castles evolved so that the matchlock guns of the defending side could be used more safely and effectively, while the structure became such that attackers were exposed to higher danger the closer they approached the castle walls.
Conclusion—The matchlock gun was a game changer, but not an all-purpose weapon
In the Sengoku period, the appearance of the matchlock gun was undoubtedly a game changer that completely transformed the nature of warfare. Surpassing the bow in accuracy and range, and possessing the destructive power to penetrate armor, it shifted combat from being centered on individual skill to an era of collective firepower.
However, it was not an all-purpose weapon.
Matchlock guns had fatal weaknesses in mobile warfare. Slow reloading, vulnerability to weather, and difficulty in operating while moving—these constraints made the matchlock gun a 'weapon that only functions when there is a base.'
The defending side could utilize existing bases such as castles or encampments. The attacking side, even when using matchlock guns, had to build their own mounds or forts to create a 'base.'
Even in the Shimazu clan's 'tsuri-nobuse' (lure and ambush) tactic, the matchlock squads did not move from their fixed ambush positions. They actively lured the enemy, but the shooting itself was defensive from a base.
In conclusion, the matchlock gun was not an 'offensive weapon that enables mobile combat,' but an 'area weapon operated defensively, centered on a base.' From this perspective, much of the matchlock tactics of the Sengoku period can be understood with surprising consistency.
The strongest weapon of the Sengoku period, however, did not move. That 'immobility' was the essence of the matchlock gun and the challenge that Sengoku daimyo struggled with the most—and how they solved that challenge determined victory or defeat.
Matchlock guns require a base. What do you think about the perspective that it is a weapon advantageous to the defense, and that if the attacking side also uses it, they need a base, and constructing a base requires significant effort? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
This content was created based on Gemini and DeepSeek, through repeated dialogue with the poster.
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