Samurai

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

I want to build some samurai armies in 15mm; any suggestion on the manufactures and on which miniatures are better?

Dr. Arrigo Velicogna

[ July 18, 2003, 11:23: Message edited by: Arrigo Velicogna ]

[David Kuijt]

The new Essex Samurai range are very nice.

[RonG]

Two Dragoons are very detailed and all are to scale. Very nice when painted as well! :D

[imported_Boone]

Essex Samurai are very nice and have a good range of figures. Should have some pics at our site below in a few days if you would like to take a look.

[grizzbass]

under the resource/eye/candy/armies page here I have my new essex army photoed. Although I'm still learning about photography I think you can get an idea of the quality of the essex figures. I like two dragons well enough but think the essex are a world beter. While there were some really nice things about two dragons there were some aspects that also bothered me as a painter. Lanchashire also use to have some nice figures but they've been redone and I haven't seen them since then.

[grizzbass]

since it doesn't say grizzbass in the section you beter look under John Hansen if you're interested in seeing them.

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

Mr Hansen your army was very inspiring; also I have confronted it with the two dragons figures from another painter in the eye candy gallery and I think that the essex ones are much better. Seems that I have found my figures... smile.gif

Dr. Arrigo Velicogna

[grizzbass]

I'm pretty sure you'll be pleased with them. There are a couple of two dragon figures I really liked but there are many more I didn't like particularly as a painter. On the essex site there are photos of the unpainted samurai and they really are as increduably detailed as the photos show. I already had a samurai army of two dragons but sold them to get a essex.

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

Last request...

About Teppo Ashigaru? Seems that Essex doesn't have teppo, and I will like to morph the army in a very alter period one.

Arrigo

[ July 21, 2003, 06:52: Message edited by: Arrigo Velicogna ]

[grizzbass]

which army list do you want to morph it into. IV or II. I hate to show ignorance (you think I'd get use to it) but I'm not familiar with the teppo term. There is a company, I believe it is Falcon or chariot but will have to look it up which make some excellant IV samurai ashigura. I also liked these beter than the two dragon. It sounds like I like everyone beter than two dragons and maybe it's true. They make some nice figures but for detail Essex can't be beat and I think these ashigura are beter for the later period.

[imported_Toft]

The Teppo is to my knowledge the early matshlock musket used by footsoldiers in the samurai armies. Ashigaru were equipped with them to shoot volleys and samurai often used them in "sniping roles". Hope it helped... smile.gif

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

Teppo Ashigaru where the arquebus (and later musket) armed foot soldier. I Want to cover the entire sengoku jidai period until Shekigahara (thus I will morph the army outside the normal DBA) and I need these! :D

Arrigo

[Wanax]

Originally posted by Xanthippus:
Two Dragoons are very detailed and all are to scale. Very nice when painted as well! :D I have 2Dragons. The main problem I have with these figs is that they have extremely unbasable poses. For example, yari armed samurai I can only get 3 to a base, so I ended up basing them as Bd(f). the archers are nice, but some of the monks are inaccurately portrayed with visible body armor. Also all the horses are basically standing. Biggest problem is much much much flash.
Wanax

[grizzbass]

That what I thought you meant but wasn't sure. Although I haven't seen them in years Feudal (in the bazaar section)did make some figures that fit nicely. Lanchashire also made ones that would work but I do know that the line totally redesigned a couple of years ago so can't say what they look like now. I don't buy figures I haven't seen so also can't recommend them. Several of the two dragon ashigaru were nice enough but I believe they are all ten packs. unless your willing to have a bunch left over or one poise for all the bases that is their weakness.

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

Last request before staring the lead collecting...

Essex figures have sashimonos?

And the same is true for Perry minitures 28mm samurai (theu sell tall sashimonos alone, but in all pics the peoples have sashimono attached)?

Arrigo

[derek]

Hullo
Two Dragons also sells smaller Mix Packs which consist of 20 figures (each one different) in most of their ranges.
Kind Regards
Derek

[George Gouveia]

Arrigio,

Big problem--- It seems to be that you are interested in Later Samurai with Teppo. The Essex figures while good are clearly Early Samurai and are only useful for the periods 900-1300 due to the earlier boxlike armour. Therefor they do not Sashimono as Sashimono were not used on the battlefield until Sengoku- the period of war, considered to start around the time of the Onin Wars in 1470's. It seems to me you are looking for post 1540 period with the advent of the Teppo.

IMHO the best to cover Sengoko is Feudal but they have a limited range. Two Dragons can cover Sengoku but warning you need to pay for packs of Sashimono which I spent lots on personally. Lancashire cover the later peiod and have the Sashimono included on them, they are Ok but not great figures. Two Dragons line are good but are small and dwarflike in appearance IMHO, I liek them but they have some drawbacks.

For Sengoku go for Two Dragons but you will need to shell out for Banners.

Essex Samurai are only for the early period from 900-1300 or so.

[imported_S.Kirby]

I got the Early Samurai DBA army pack from Essex. Very pleased with the figs. Have purchased some Two Drags to morph into Late Samurai. Not so impressed with Two Drags figs (although my gaming partner prefers them). The poses cause some problems when moving into base contact, and some of the figs look like aliens!! :eek:

[imported_Arrigo Velicogna]

After due consideration I will go with two projects:

1) Early Samurai with Essex Figures

2) Later ones in 2Xmm with Perry miniatures.

from what I have seen in essex website(inclusion of ashigarus and sashimonos) I have always tought that they where made also for later periods.
Not bad at all, I will not infirnge my gold law on duplication of armies... :D

Arrigo

[George Gouveia]

Arrigo, I have not seen the Essex list for awhile obviously. It appears they have added Ashigaru with Helmets and backbanners. However they do not have Mounted Samurai with Yari which is the long spear lance that the samurai adopted for mounted warfare which replaced the bow. The yari did not appear to be used for mounted warfare much before the mid 16th century anyways.

The also do not seem to have many dismounted samurai with katana or naginata, the samurai fought mainly on foot in the later period.

[rudynelson]

My Samurai army DBM is Two Dragon, Lancastshire has Samurai with the back banner attached. The small pack ensure that they are not broke. The bulk pack will have broken back banners in it. I ordered some sample packs for my store from Wargames USA who sent me some of the Essex and they will mix well with Two Dragon. i am not sure if the navwar 15mm Samurai are still available. Viking Forge in Va has a limited range of Samurai (originally Asgard, I think).GFI in Colorado is now producing the Minifig Samurai which are the 2nd edition castings but with the new lead mix. Old Glory 15mm plans to release Samurai 15mm in the Spring of 2004. They were delayed while the sculptor re-sculpted the 15mm World War Two infantry. He has completed that assignment and is back to work on Ancients.

[Rankbajin]

My DBM army is primarily Two Dragons. I love the figures, but my more recent dealings with the company haven't been so good (waited months for some magnetic base).
I used the Lancashire games figures for the majority of my Ikko Ikki/Town Militia hordes :D
They look weedy and pathetic by comparison which is kind of appropriate I think.
The Two Dragons figures paint up very nicely tho.

[ September 27, 2003, 07:21: Message edited by: Rankbajin ]

[RonG]

Just my 2 pennies, but the 2dragons figs are very nice, but the bald headed monks firing bows do look alien . However , they all paint nicely . Hopefully Chris will post my army on the eye candy page soon. :D

[Chris Brantley]

Originally posted by Xanthippus:
Hopefully Chris will post my army on the eye candy page soon. :D Coming up...not this update but the next. I've got your Med. Scandinavians set for this coming update. Then will do you Samurai, and the others.

[RonG]

Thanks Chris, I know how backlogged you are. :eek: ;)

[rudynelson]

Old Glory 15mm (USA) has a range due out in the Spring or no later than Historicon of 2004. Most of my DBM army is Two Dragon. But I have done DBA armies in Lancashire (careful with the backbanners as they are cast on the men) and Minifig for a monk army. I have seen the Essex castings. All seem good enough to use based on their avalability to gamers in Italy.