So, work has continued behind the scenes on the Test of Honour campaign framework and narrative.
Before I really get into it though I want to get at least 15 points for each warband ready and some terrain (as fighting over a blank table is boring).
Last night, as well as having a bag of bamboo turn up for scenery, I got to looking at my original Masked Men which I had built and took the clipper to them.
The Masked Men were the first box I ever bought for the game (my Mrs was buying the core box for my birthday that year) and I had started to just build them straight off the sprues without thinking ahead, after all this was a new game, I probably wouldn't play it that much right?
Considering the fact that it has now overtaken 40k for my main game, mainly because it is immensely solo-able and it scratches the Samurai itch, I think I'd better do the best job I can with this stuff.
The "Masked Men" are a warband led by Masahiro, a warrior monk who is enraged by the harsh treatment of common folk by the samurai ruling class.
These guys fight the corrupt samurai every chance they get and take the Menpo (face plates or masks) of defeated enemies and wear them as a taunt to other samurai. It never felt right that they would be wielding what are essentially pikes.
So out came the clippers and the bits box, and these guys were converted to wield Katanas'.
The middle guy is meant to be shouting (cupping his hand at his mouth like), I imagine they would make more use of intimidation and such through that (imagine the forest battle scenes in The Last Samurai with all the shouting before the Samurai appear which unnerves their enemies some).
I also made a normal spear armed Masked Man whom is kneeling, receiving a charge, And a badass Sergeant model, kind of a middle leader, for the warband (After Masahiro and the Samurai who has joined them). He is armed with both a Katana and Wakizashi (short sword) drawn and on guard, holding down a Sashimono (personal flag to identify Samurai) with his foot, kind of another insult/taunt to his Samurai opponents.
Speaking of the Samurai, this is the finished model of "He whom shall not be named", the killer of Takeda Naokos' husband, hunted and on the run from his clan, he has joined with Masahiro in an attempt to stop Daimyo Osagawa and his brutality.
He is made from a Bandit model armed with a Katana. I chopped the head from between the wide hat and the body and replaced it with a Masked Man head. I think he is going to be the only one of the warband with a full red mask, as it was his from before he became Ronin.
Well, that's it for now.
Until next time...
- Lewis.
