Well, I’ve almost finished the first few units of my HOTT Samurai army – 4 units of Ashigaru (2 Spears, 2 Shooters)
However, I must admit to having mixed feelings about these models.
It’s not the models per se, but rather the scale. It seems to me that painting 15mm has all the drawbacks of painting 28mm figures (it takes a long time to paint individual figures – especially with the small detail) but with none of the benefits of the larger figures (an nice, inpressive figure when you’ve finished) or none of the benefits of the smaller scale (nice overall effect) either.
In short, I’m really not convinced that 15mm figures give the same return for the time spent on them that 28mm figures do.
OK, I’m a slow painter, but the 4 units above have taken me several hours to (almost) complete – and I still have to base them! If I was painting a 6mm army, I’d have a couple of entire units painted by now, and they would look more impressive on the batlefield.
This HOTT army could very well be my first – and last – in 15mm.
October 1, 2008 at 6:01 pm |
Neil
Pete Berry tells me you are working up a set of 6mm samurai rules for Polemos. I’d be very interested in getting involved in any play testing, comments etc as I approached Pete with the same idea about 2 weeks after you…..
October 2, 2008 at 12:18 am |
Roger, that is true.
I’m working on the rules with Dave Luff – still very conceptual at the moment, but I will definately keep you in mind when we get a bit farther on.
Neil.
January 8, 2009 at 11:16 pm |
I would love to know how your mechanisms for 6mm Samurai wargame rules work out. I am at the half-way stage in a similar effort. Having gathered information like a loony for about a year, I aim to produce a fun set of rules (accurate to period but not bogged down in detail or mechanism fatigue) allowing a solo game or a multi-player game across the 1000-year evolution of Japanese martial history from 600 to 1600AD. I hope it will allow various levels: from skirmish to pitched battles. I know: I must be crazy. I’m fascinated by it all. I would also like to get Rapier Miniatures to make some Nippon figures…filling in the gaps of Peter’s Baccus and those of Irregular. I’m very happy to see Mr Luff’s name. You’re fortunate to have a compadre. It’s quite a mission.
January 9, 2009 at 11:42 am |
Evan, I seriously don’t envy you. Trying to cope with the evolution of Samurai warfare in a single set of rules is a major headache – which is where we are at the moment. I’ll certainly keep you in the loop.
January 13, 2009 at 7:20 am |
Much appreciated, Earthquake. Yes, it is a lot to work with, but there’s so much excellent historical material and so many interesting people along the way, that it just keeps drawing me back. I keep a notebook handy because good ideas for game mechanisms strke at the dangdest times. That’s really the hardest part – making a game that is exciting to play. The periods of time are just legwork – getting the best idea of how various arms went into combat, and how they had to change to meet emerging challenges. We are all of us lucky to have manufacturers turning out such good miniatures. Power to you!