When I think of medieval samurai warfare, the first image that comes to mind is not, that of clashing swords or charging horses or even the distinctive kabuto-style helmet. Instead, I think of flags. Yes, flags.

Specifically, I think of the little "sashimono" banners that every soldier in a sengoku-era army had to wear strapped to their back. Stiffened at the top by a small bamboo crossbar, the sashimono made a fight between samurai armies look almost like a pageant or festival. Except with a lot of killing. Sashimono have also been used as a great tool for drama in period films and imagery, like Akira Kurosawa's Ran or Kagemusha. Broken flags floating in reddened water, banners stuck haphazardly into the ground at strange angles, all evoke the image of Japanese warfare more than any col sword or grand helmet crest to me.

Thus, color me overjoyed when I saw the latest screenshots and video from Shogun 2: Total War. As ever, developer Creative Assembly really seems to get it when it comes to visualizing a battle scene. As you'll see in the trailer embedded below (all captured using the in-game engine), the game is overflowing with hot sashimono-on-sashimono action, with the flags of the Chosokabe and Takeda armies fluttering in battle. An especially nice touch during the night battle is the appearance of soldiers who hold little lanterns during the charge. Very dramatic.

Check the gallery below for more screenshots, as well as some concept art for Date Masamune, Oda Nobunaga, and Takeda Shingen. A far cry from their Sengoku Basara incarnations, indeed.