Daimyo of the South

hi all

This coming Saturday Damon "Rulez" Carlton and myself will once again be representing the Nerd Herd in a Bushido tournament - the Daimyo of the South. Hosted by a brand new Bushido retainer and all round good egg Ben Calvert-Lee and located at the Royal British Legion Portsmouth South club this 42 rice (point) tournament promises to be a day of competition played in the most relaxed of atmospheres, for me Bushidoists play very zen indeed!

Rulez will be taking his Savage Wave, a faction of snarling and brutal Oni (demons) and mischievous Bakemono (gremlin type creatures). Last time he did very well with his ninjas, running away with first place, so he's hoping to retain his Gold coin status this time around.

Me, I'll be taking my Silvermoon Trade Syndicate rather than my beloved Temple of Ro-Kan. The gangsters that make up the Syndicate operate in an entirely different way to the beneficent monks of the Temple so we'll see how I get on.

As to the rest of the competitors we are facing 3x Ito Clan (snake samurai), 1x KKZ (ninjas), 3x Tengu Decension (bird men), 1x Cult of Yurei (undead), 1x Prefecture of Ryu (human samurai), 2x other STS and another Wave. Sadly no Temple, if I had known that I would have taken them and sadly no Jung Pirates which surprises me as they are the latest releases.... 

I'll publish the list I took following the event so as to give no succour to my enemies, but it will come with the reasons I took them and of course an account on how we got on!

Cheers

dGG

the Administrator

Hi all

Another purchase for my emerging Silvermoon Trade Syndicate.  May I present Zo, a Saiko-Komon (senior advisor) and a welcome addition to the support section of my faction which currently is a little light in favour of the heavy hitters.  As I've stated before Bushido is all about scenario and sometimes disrupting your opponent's plans are just as important as swatting him with a giant Buto!! Anyway here's his blurb from GCT....

Exactly how Old Zo is remains unknown as it seems he has been in service to the Gumis of the Silvermoon for decades. If the years have taken their toll on his body they have certainly not affected his cunning mind and his famed intellect. Nothing gets past the owl like eyes surveying every situation from behind his rimmed glasses, weighing up the myriad options available.

Looking at his card, Zo is weak in melee, has no ranged attack and offers very little to the combat swirling around him  but what he does do is subtle and far more important.  At the beginning of the turn he puts up his "Tax" aura and all of sudden its harder for the other faction to pull off life saving Ki boosts or game changing Ki Feats, all the time swelling the Ki available to Zo and with his "Trade" feat he can then channel that to his fellow STS gang members allowing them to use the Ki - useful? Hell yeah!

Paint wise, he was a lovely one piece miniature, which I'm very grateful for.  Sticking to the rich reds and purples of my faction colours.  One day I'll get the perfect lighting for my iPad and take some decent pictures, but each of his kimono sections has a different floral pattern  which is fairly decent.

I have a tournament in a couple of weeks and I'll be taking the Silvermoon Trade Syndicate, maybe Zo will make an appearance, although at this stage he's untested so it will be a gamble, but gambling is what these guys do best......

hope you enjoy

dGG

Street Urchins

Hi all

 More recruits to swell the ranks of the Silvermoon Trade Syndicate....

The oyabun of the Silvermoon do not consider age a restriction to the entrance to their service. Many fill their numbers with youngsters eager to establish themselves within the Shatei ranks and prove themselves worthy of their oyabun’s favour. All within the Silvermoon play to their own strengths, and in doing so strengthen their gumi. Sukoshi Kani and Nomi are no different in this respect. Sukoshi, armed with her bag of makibishi, ready to scatter them wide at a moment’s notice to cover a retreat or block a path.

Out of the two Sukoshi Kani is imo the most useful, the ability to camouflage and then lay the spikey trap, means she'll be able to slow enemies down and waste activations, Nomi's ability to detect isn't bad but is very specific to finding sneaky factions like KKZ (ninjas).  Both kids can play scenarios either as a VIM or influencing idols etc and with their ability to scout and flank as well as being elusive (ignores zones of control), both offer tactical advantages.

With the addition of the kids, I have come to the end of the models that I have for the STS until Salute, when once again I'm going to descend on the GCT stand and grab some bargains.  So it just remains to show the whole faction as it stands in a final group shot!

hope you enjoy

dGG

Man down, bring in the animals!

Hi all

I certainly suffer for my hobby at times! While attempting a rather ambitious piece of terrain, which I'm still hoping to achieve at some point, I managed to cause a rather deep tissue wound to my hand! I really shouldn't be allowed to use power tools it's quite a simple equation really....

THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS THIS

So that's me with a 1 1/2" incised wound down to the adipose tissues of the metacarpal/trapezium of the thumb.... oops.

Anyhoo, back to the models

More reinforcements for my new STS faction for Bushido.  I love animals in my factions particularly the gorilla for my beloved Temple of Ro-Kan, so its fantastic that I've managed to recruit two animal trainers to my cause.

Sukuratchi, a grizzled and season veteran of Jima’s famed fighting pits, an accolade that many in his trade cannot claim. His years training and taming animals means that Sukuratchi has a vast knowledge of skills and techniques that enable him to bring even the most fearsome of wild animals under his command or push a broken animal to amazing lengths of stamina. Always accompanied by Akuma or “Devil”, the animals named so for their constant snapping and pestering after food.

Sukuratchi is able to "command" 3 animals at  once so will be able to encourage his 'pets' to attack a model at once, sapping activations and spinning them around.  His "Spur on" Ki feat can mean that even animals that have been 'killed' can fight on.

apologies for the poor lighting

The second trainer is the one I'm more likely to use more often mostly because of her animal companion....

If Sukuratchi’s training is based on the lash, then Honoka’s is led by reward. This beautiful shatei would have been a Rose but for her love of animals. She is instantly able to form a bond with even the most wild and ferocious of beasts, turning them to her will. Her pack would lay down their lives in an instant for their pack leader, tearing to shreds any whom Honoka command. Her favourite is without question the silent stalker Hakashi, never far from her side but seldom seen, this majestic predator, a prime specimen of the Jwarian Leopard.   

again she has "command" 3 and so can command up to 3 animals to activate at once.  Her "Sic 'Em" Ki feat means that  multiple animals can attack an opponent and gain bonuses.  The leopard Hakushshi is a very powerful animal like my beloved Guardian and wonderfully the STS faction have access to a gorilla model, although not as powerful as the Temple version it is a bit cheaper and still a good fighter.  

photography in winter is so difficult

Both trainers can command the Wakusa Gorilla, pit dogs as well as their own  animals and provide me with some truly awesome looking minis to boot!

hope you enjoy

dGG

Silvermoon Trade Syndicate arrives in force

Hi all

I've been teasing you with some of Silvermoon Trade Syndicate (STS) miniatures that I've painted up recently. The following models all make up the STS starter set and form a core of characters that would enhance any warband, so I thought it was time to introduce you to the sinister Oyabun (Japanese translation - The Father) behind the emergence of the latest Bushido faction from da Grotto. Accompanied by his bodyguard, Oyabun Harukichi controls "The Golden Kami" a notorious gambling den in the heart of the pleasure district of the trading city of Jima. Here is the blurb from the GCT website...

A seasoned and cunning tactician in all affairs. His razor sharp mind and unflinching resolve make Harukichi an exceptional businessman and leader. Those in his gumi display an unshakable faith in his decisions and follow his orders without question or pause. Those who follow the Five Fortunes believe that you make your own luck and this is particularly true in Harukichi’s case. It appears to his enemies that should Harukichi will it his followers are able to achieve the most unlikely feats, whilst their own trip, stumble and flail wildly.

With his "Leadership" skill his minions can use his Ki value when making opposed Ki tests such as "Fear"- very useful.  Tactician will help me decide who goes first in each turn and allow me to control the game more easily.  His Ki feats "Cheat Fate" and "Fortune's Favour" reflect his worship of the Five Fortunes and the Luck Kamis (more of which later in the post) and will allow me to reroll dice or even substitute results with predetermined ones!

Harukichi and his bodyguard  Manu and lucky Kami

Also in the photo is Harukichi's bodyguard, the giant Buto - Manu...

This giant Buto is the personal bodyguard of Harukichi and was selected for obvious reasons. His prowess in the Jumo arenas quickly attracted attention, it was clear to most he was destined for a top position within the Syndicate, and he has not disappointed.

Butos are a race of giant humans native to the island of Wakasu, which also is home to the city of Jima.  A warrior race, the Butos are masters of Jumo - the martial art developed specifically for the size and strength of these gargantuan men.  Renowned for their excessive eating and drinking binges accompanied by bouts of Jumo, these giant warriors were perfect for the Oyabun's of the STS to recruit to form the core of a private army.

Obviously my tattoos for Manu aren't as bright as the official version, i'm still trying to get to grip with the whole tattooing thing with miniatures, none the less I'm pleased with the way he has come out.

Manu is an excellent bodyguard, relected by his special trait that can allow me to switch places with Harukichi if he gets into an unwanted melee.  He also has "awareness" and "sixth sense" which means he cannot be surprised by lurking ninjas or other nasties.  With "toughness", "Umbrella Block" and a large wound track he should last a good while in melee and although he only has "Fear (3)" it should mean that every now and again he should cause an attacker to lose a dice in combat.

Next up are Wasapu and Senpu.

Wasapu: It is unclear exactly where the Silvermoon source their knowledge of new technologies. Whether through a shrewd business deal or more nefarious means the Syndicate acquired the intricate, rapid, reloading mechanism showcased in their repeater crossbows. Wasapu wields this fearsome weapon with great skill and accuracy. Using the finest Minimoto steel, his bolts find the weak points in even the finest armours. On top of this Wasapu can identify the weak points of even the toughest beast.

Wasapu is as described above, armed with a repeating crossbow he provides long range support for the faction.  Senpu, who doesn't get a mention in the blurb is a shatei - "Younger Brothers", a rank in the the Yakuzu hierarchy and one that has been bought into the Jwar universe.  A low level enforcer for the STS wielding two blades he can protect the interests of his Oyabun.

Wasapu will be used to snipe my opponents powerful characters to reduce wounds or, if he can, take out support troops in a single "Strafe".  Senpu will mainly be used to run interference or take/hold/interact with scenario objectives.

Wasapu

Senpu in the background

Wasapu, Tsubaki, Senpu

Tsubaki - one of the Roses of Jima, a secret organisation of women controlled by their own Oyabun the "Queen of Flowers".  Tsubaki has joined Harukichi on behalf of the Queen in the spirit of co-operation. 

 The only thing to match the beguiling beauty of the Roses of Silvermoon Syndicate is their athletic physique. Experts in the arts of manipulation and misdirection, they pass through their unsuspecting enemies waiting for the moment to strike. Once the veil of safety drops Tsubaki’s opponents have to contend with their foe dancing rhythmically in and out of combat, whilst they swing wildly at thin air. This is not Tsubaki’s only trick for she, like many Roses, carries an exotic mix of flower petals which, when blown into a victim’s eyes induce blindness.

Tsubaki will fulfill many roles for me, with her disguise effect she can waltz passed weaker minded enemies and complete scenario objectives.  She can also waste enemy activations by causing stupidity and with her blinding bomb. 

So that's the starter set for the STS faction. Not my best painting but good enough to take on the road for tournaments.

Now I know he's not part of the starter set but you've seen him as part of one of the photos above and i think is an integral part of the STS ethos, so here is the Luck Kami - Rakki. 

Of the Five Fortunes the Rakki is the embodiment of Luck. They favour those that take fate into their own hands, gifting or cursing those as they see fit. The jolly laughing Rakki are unsurprisingly found in proximity to the luck houses of Jima, chuckling away as fortunes are won or lost on the roll of a dice. The Silvermoon can only benefit now that these unusual Kami have chosen to favour them with their talents.

Rakki as you can see will be able to influence/control dice rolls for my faction and will be quite useful.  He also has an alternative profile - Genzai, who allows rerolls so may be even more useful for the warband.

hope you enjoy

dGG