The Ronin

[Barbarian Nobility]

AFAIK the Ronin were Samurai whose Daimyo's had died or been killed with no heirs and thus had no-one to serve and no purpose, travelling the countryside looking for whatever work they could get. Historically, they were usually incorporated into the clan that had conquered their Daimyo and were mistreated, given the most degrading tasks by their new overlords, completely ignored for promotion, and generally treated as second class.

IMO it would be a cool feature if once you had killed a rival Daimyo either leaving no heirs, or all the heirs being dead, then you had to opportunity to incorporate any remnant samurai forces into your own army. In my mind it should be a double edged sword - It could potentially swell your forces allowing you to crush all the weaker Daimyo's in your immediate vicinity, but will also cause disloyalty and resentment amongst your original generals upset by the acceptance of your former enemies.

What do you think? Should you be able to incorporate the forces of your former enemies? Or should the Ronin just be left as Mercenaries or Armed mobs of bandits when your public order is low?

[Xerrop]

Would be a good idea

The first STW had something like that. But based on territories, not armies afaik: When an enemy faction gets destroyed some of his territories became rebell provinces. But others have joined the former allies.
Not exactly what you want cause the provinces joined not the attacking and winning faction, but better then nothing

[Prince of Darkness]

There should be somesort of mercenary building that you can construct and have different types of units availiable to you (e.g. Ronin/Warrior Monks/European Musketeers) in every province.
Or maybe a huge army is avaliable to your service if a clan is destroyed. but you have to go war with the clan that destroyed them if you accept the Ronins.

[KaRoU23]

AFAIK the Ronin were Samurai whose Daimyo's had died or been killed with no heirs and thus had no-one to serve and no purpose, travelling the countryside looking for whatever work they could get. Historically, they were usually incorporated into the clan that had conquered their Daimyo and were mistreated, given the most degrading tasks by their new overlords, completely ignored for promotion, and generally treated as second class.

IMO it would be a cool feature if once you had killed a rival Daimyo either leaving no heirs, or all the heirs being dead, then you had to opportunity to incorporate any remnant samurai forces into your own army. In my mind it should be a double edged sword - It could potentially swell your forces allowing you to crush all the weaker Daimyo's in your immediate vicinity, but will also cause disloyalty and resentment amongst your original generals upset by the acceptance of your former enemies.

What do you think? Should you be able to incorporate the forces of your former enemies? Or should the Ronin just be left as Mercenaries or Armed mobs of bandits when your public order is low?

If a Ronin joined another faction he would not be anymore Ronin, as he would have a master....He could be a rebel or even better, establish a new clan... However, if he joined a clan his commitment to the new master would be very loose....