At the Dawn of the Empire, the spear was the most common melee weapon among the tribes who lived in what became Rokugan. The tribal warriors who followed Akodo and his chief lieutenant Matsu were particularly skilled in the ways of the spear, both as a hand-to-hand weapon and a short-range missile, and these spearmen formed the backbone of the Lion armies during the First War. In the era of peace that followed under Hantei Genji, the Lion as a whole shifted more toward the way of the sword, which all of Rokugan’s leading figures (including Akodo and Matsu themselves) considered to be the first and most honorable weapon of the samurai. However, within the ranks of the Matsu family there were many traditionalists who continued to uphold the spear-fighting traditions of their ancestors. Matsu Shujo, one of Lady Matsu’s grandsons, took it upon himself to organize their training and founded their first dojo, where he eventually developed their first Techniques.
In modern times, the Lion Clan’s spearman units are relatively few in number and are considered by the other Great Clans to be something of a holdover from a simpler era (as discussed in the L5R 4th Edition supplement The Book of Air, page 35). Nonetheless, they maintain their dojo and continue to serve as useful components in the overall structure of the Lion armies. Although the school is still customarily referred to as the Lion Elite Spearmen, it is maintained by the Matsu family and they form the bulk of its students.
Rank One: The Way of Magari-Yaritjutsu
The basic lesson of the Elite Spearman School is to rely on one’s spears for both offense and defense, eschewing heavy armor in favor of the more flexible options provided by a longer weapon. You gain a +1k0 bonus to Skill rolls with Spears and Polearms. When wielding a spear or polearm in the Center, Defense, or Full Defense stance, your skillful deflection of blows awards you Reduction equal to half of your Rank in the Skill.
Rank Two: Strike Like The Lion
The trained Elite Spearman infuses his honor and self discipline into every blow he delivers. When wielding a spear or polearm (in melee or with ranged attacks), you may ignore an amount of enemy Reduction equal to half of your current Honor Rank (rounded up).
Rank Three: Strike Through the Eagle
The Elite Spearmen are trained to advance on the foe while hurling barrages of nage-yari to disrupt their defenses and open holes in their lines. You may ready/draw a nageyari as a Free Action any number of times per Round, and your ranged (hand-hurled) attacks with nage-yari are considered Simple Actions.
Rank Four: Strike Like the Wind
At this rank, the Elite Spearman learns to attack faster than a snake’s flickering tongue. You may make melee attacks as a Simple Action when wielding a spear or a polearm.
Rank Five: Strike With the Soul
The final lesson of the Elite Spearman School is to fight in complete harmony with one’s spear, striking more swiftly than thought, bringing down the foe with a relentless barrage of attacks. When fighting in melee with a spear or polearm, you may perform the Extra Attack Maneuver for only three Raises. When hurling spears as missile weapons, you may make one attack as a Free Action.