SUWA, Nagano -- A team of "matchlock samurai" clad in full battle gear recently demonstrated ancient artillery at the Takashima Castle Festival in this central Japan city. Amid the sound of conch ...

The NGV has included Japanese samurai matchlock guns from its collection, as well as woodblock prints depicting their use by the samurai. The private samurai Baron Raimund von STILLFRIED.

Even their matchlocks look as much primordial as premodern. As for samurai armor, the way it’s at once padded and sculptural makes it appear as alien (and imposing) as a megalith.

A new exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum, “Dressed to Kill,” showcases objects from samurai culture.

The Japanese feudal system was built around samurai and daimyos, roughly similar to European knights and manor lords, who occupied a caste below the emperor and shogun.

Otomo Matchlock Samurai (Foot, Ranged, Melee) With their accurate volleys of rifle-fire, Otomo Matchlock Samurai are ideal at weakening enemy units before a charge.

The Otomo Matchlock Samurai combines fearsome swordsmanship with rifle-fire volleys range, because handing samurai another method of dealing swift death is both overkill and freaking awesome .