In June 1575, Nobunaga built horse-defense palisades along the Rengo River at Shitaragahara and arrayed 3,000 arquebusiers in an innovative multi-rank formation. As Takeda cavalry charged repeatedly, the massed gunfire cut them down, killing legendary commanders Baba Nobuharu, Yamagata Masakage, and Naito Masatoyo. This battle proved Nobunaga's revolutionary firearms tactics to all of Japan.