Master Ekusa

Hi all

A couple of Bushido related items for today's post, I'll get to the part relating to the title later on but firstly...

For the first time in 25+ years of gaming I'm going to compete in an official tournament! Bushido has caught my imagination to such an extent that I want to be part of the wider playing community and to do this I thought I would enter into a competition.  Bearing in mind I'm a relative novice at the game, having played a handful of games this may seem a little bold but as I've said on numerous occasions I'm not at all worried about winning or losing but rather having fun and this seemed like a great way of playing lots of games and meeting like minded people.  

The comp is in November at War Boar Games, Bromley, so I've a few months to test out different Temple of Ro-Kan lists against my fellow Nerd Herder - Damon, who is also competing using minis from my Prefecture of Ryu faction. I don't expect to do that well as my list will be based on my love for fluff models (i.e ones that look great or has the best background as opposed to the most effective) but I hope to pick up hints and tips on the day from more experienced players. 

As I said earlier I will be taking my Temple of Ro-Kan faction of which I have quite a few options as I now have nearly two dozen minis boosted recently by the Temple starter set (ironically purchased lastly for this faction...) and so onto the second part of the post and the title of it - may I present Master Ekusa....

Master Ekusa is from the starter set and is a figure I've liked right from the beginning of this little Bushido obsession of mine but didn't have a place for him in my starting line up. So he has sat patiently (must be his zen training...) in the wings (the store...) until I finally cracked and had to have him and his fellows join me in da Grotto, I'll review the rest of the set as and when they're painted.

This model is absolutely gorgeous and so full of character it's ridiculous, it has a deceptive amount of detail in the sculpt due to the large amount of critters that adorn him like the oriental (and geriatric) Snow White.  I was very tempted to push a "Discworld" theme by including four elephants on the base somehow but couldn't quite work out how. Instead what I did was make a bamboo mat out of wooden cocktail sticks which i think worked really well.  Colour scheme wise, by now I have a theme of orange robes with red edges/sashes for masters, as Ekusa is the eldest he also needed a shawl so got a lovely yellow one unlike the white one on  the website (i can't paint white that well!).  I really enjoyed painting the tortoise - Kame Sam, as i got to use a yellow glaze, a technique i don't use a lot.

I don't normally do painting WIPs but this time I thought I would make an exception as I think the transformation is quite remarkable. You may also have noticed I have changed the LOS markers on the base, I quite like them in Orange which is my chosen Temple colour and my Prefecture will now have Blue.

base colours

with shading

final highlights and glazing

Master Ekusa is a fantastic support model, he is a virtual battery for "Ki" generation and is able to draw Ki from friendly models and deliver it to others within 12" meaning those who need it most to boost their stats or perform a Ki feat get what they need when they need it!  unlike Aiko he can defend himself and sit on objectives helping out those front-line fighters by channeling Ki to them.

hope you enjoy
dGG

114:69 (-45)

figs bought:painted (difference)