More samurai

Perhaps a young samurai hero, lacking experience but full of passion and righteous ideals.

This bandit will give the gang plenty of reach.

Here are a couple more samurai. The samurai with the katana hasn't had much work done to him, just a new head from one of the ronin figures (SAM9a-b). The spear-wielder uses the body from SAM9 but uses a head from the new bandit figures (posted earlier this week.) The blue-gray and red palette for the yari ronin was decided on the fly, but it works for me; I like it a lot.

I have just two more samurai to paint. I have another yamabushi, who will be next. And finally, I have the boss for the new Edo street gang I've been putting together with this batch of figures.

I've also been reading up on the street gangs of Japan again; re-reading the PDF available from Wargames Illustrated, but I've also ordered a Stephen Turnbull book (Samurai Swordsman: Master of War) which devotes most of its pages to talking about samurai conflicts/fights/skirmishes that occur off the battlefield. The Quarrel in the Dry Riverbed of the Great Tonegawa, The Spray of Blood on Kojin Mountain, The Kameyama Vengeance: How could I NOT buy this book when these are the names of the battles and skirmishes? There's even a section on "Fighting Firemen." (I saw a Google preview of the book in case you're wondering how I know much of the content.)

The book also talks about the otokodate, city police, and other usual samurai offerings Turnbull has given us in many other titles. I look forward to reading it, and to getting some inspiration for setting up some actual skirmishes with all the new figures.