New Basic league: Students of niten'ichi (WIP)

[Irishrover13]

Students of niten'ichi

Based on the North star’s wonderful Koryu Buntai as I bought it for playing Ronin and I figured that since the figures are so nice I had to make a group for IHMN. I took my inspiration for my league from one of my favorite tactical books “Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musahi who is my factions leader. I am working a bit of fiction to go with this but I just wanted peoples thoughts.
I see this league as fast and scary in close combat but since it has no range weapons and lacks the heavy armor of other leagues. I need to test it but I am hoping this is not overwhelming. I am also wondering if I should bulk up the list  with some different units such as peasants archers, sixgun samurais, wandering practitioners of Onmyōdō (sorcery) or something else?  

Miyamoto Musashi 82 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 2+ FV: +5 SV: +0  Speed: +2
Skills:  Duelist (sword), Martial Artist, Leadership 3, Immortal, Inspirational.
Gear: Lined Coat, Two Swords

Sempai  40 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 3+ FV: +4 SV: +0  Speed: +2
Skills:  Duelist (sword), Martial Artist, Leadership 1,
Gear: Lined Coat, Great Sword

Kohai 25 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 4+ FV: +3 SV: +0  Speed: +2
Skills:  Duelist (sword), Martial Artist.,
Gear: Lined Coat, Sword

Initiate 19 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 5+ FV: +2 SV: +0  Speed: +2
Skills:  Duelist (sword), Martial Artist.,
Gear: Lined Coat, Sword

Wandering Monk 19 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 5+ FV: +2 SV: +0  Speed: +2
Skills:  medic, Martial Artist.,
Gear: Lined Coat, Staff

Zen Archer 24 Pts
Stats
Pluck: 5+ FV: +1 SV: +3 Speed: +2
Skills: Marksmen, Marshal Artist
Gear: Lined Coat, Bow

Ao Kuang's Son 56pst
Stats
Pluck: 3+ FV: +3 SV: +3 Speed: +2
Skills: Breath of Fire, Tough, Berserker, Martial Artist.
Gear: Lined Coat,  Tetsubo (Great Axe).

Breath of Fire is currently costed at 16 points.
Breath of fire allows Ao Kuang's Son to breath out fire like a flame thrower every second turn.

Options:
Any Kohai or Initiate can take a pistol for +3 points.
Any member of the group may upgrade brigandine for +1 point
Any Kohai or Initiate can upgrade their sword to a Great sword for +2 points

[Craig]

Are you going to use these in a Mythic Japan milieu or a VSF?

[lou passejaire]

no japanese longbow ?

[mau arras]

On first reading, I would IHMN.
Great idea to get the miniatures of Ronin for IHMN but they are playable?

[Conquistador]

On first reading, I would IHMN.
Great idea to get the miniatures of Ronin for IHMN but they are playable?

Anyone have experience with HTH (Hand To Hand) style teams?  Wasn't there a report on how devastating the Yeti was in combat in a few games?  I assume the opponents found a successful counter eventually.

Lots of terrain would be necessary for this style of games in many historical rules so you can close to HTH.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Craig]

Sleeping Dragon Rising Sun is close to completion. In this there is a Japanese traditionalist samurai company called the 1001 Ronin, as well as Ninja and Yakuza (amongst others).

I think that the excellent Northstar Ronin figures may well come in handy 

[Irishrover13]

Are you going to use these in a Mythic Japan milieu or a VSF?

This is based on the sword school that existed in 1895 in Japan so it is for VSF.

no japanese longbow ?

Niten'ichi which roughly translates as "the school of the strategy of two heavens as one" is a sword school that takes it tenets from "The Book of the Five Rings" and this school still exists today. They train only in single sword, two sword , staff and Jitte to jutsu. They do not use range weapons as such I am not including any in this list for the students but I am considering creating a six gun Samurais, rifle ronins or Zen Archer Buddhist monks to act as some sort of shadowy allies that provide ranged support. The first two would be uniques but the last one might be a SV +2 FV +1 archer.

Anyone have experience with HTH (Hand To Hand) style teams?  Wasn't there a report on how devastating the Yeti was in combat in a few games?  I assume the opponents found a successful counter eventually.

Lots of terrain would be necessary for this style of games in many historical rules so you can close to HTH.

Gracias,

Glenn

What I am hoping Glen is that the extra speed and the inspirational leader will keep enough of the swordsmen and women standing that they can overwhelm the enemy. We will see how this group does against the Russians and then I will tweak it from there.

Sleeping Dragon Rising Sun is close to completion. In this there is a Japanese traditionalist samurai company called the 1001 Ronin, as well as Ninja and Yakuza (amongst others).

I think that the excellent Northstar Ronin figures may well come in handy 

My only thoughts with this list is to offer a non-samurai company but also one that is not staunchly traditionalist. Miyamoto Musashi taught that people need to adjust with the times but hold things importent to them close and was anti-establishment andanti-expansionist for much of his life.  This group would make a great rebel or discontents similar to the bricklane anarchist or mexican rebels.

[Irishrover13]

After some basic testing I am going to include some sort of range option likely Zen Archers and because I found a great reaper figure I am going to make a character Drunken Monk with mystic powers and giant Tetsubo.

[Irishrover13]

Bump.

Added a couple more monks in an attempt to balance out list with some range and heavy weapon support. Zen Archer, and a named Monk called Ao Kuang's Son. Hopefully these will balance out the list, and make it more playable. Sorry it took so long to get out this update, my wife had a nasty accident over the holidays and I had little time to do much well caring for her.

Zen Archer 24 Pts

Pluck 5+ FV: +1 SV: +3 Speed: +2

Skills:
Marksmen, Marshal Artist

Gear:
Lined Coat, Bow

Ao Kuang's Son 56pst

I have a back story for this Yamabushi, but I will wait to see what people think of him before I type it out.

Pluck: 3+ FV: +3 SV: +3 Speed: +2

Skills
Breath of Fire, Tough, Berserker, Martial Artist.

Gear
Lined Coat,  Tetsubo (Great Axe).

Breath of Fire is currently costed at 16 points.
Breath of fire allows Ao Kuang's Son to breath out fire like a flame thrower every second turn.