Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!

Image

A beautiful battle report from painting magician and maestro Alex Rosini who painted both of the sets used below.

Scenario: The Idols

In a nutshell, the Shiho's mobility and a couple of successful combo attacks at the beginning of the game allowed the Eagle clan to win at Turn 4 with 2VP. The Yuta’s mistake was probably trying to wreak havoc at all cost with the four sisters of dark magic rather than playing the scenario. (And their thrall’s lousy luck in melee did not help either).

Shiho Forces: The models below with Guerilla warfare theme + Hidden entrance tunnel + Tengu feather charm on Maki (giving Ranged Defence (1) + Michiharus jitte + Shiho Koryu on Keita (granting Eagle’s flight defence(1))

Image

Yuta: models below with We three meet again theme + Spirit Drain + Feed on fear + Nightmare unleashed + Spirit defence ritual on Shojo.

Image


Deployment

Only 3 Shiho (Takuya, Maki and a Yarimen) will be on the table on Turn 1. The others will use Flank. The grid on the left is the “Hidden tunnel entrance” for the Shiho.

Image


Turn 1

The Yuta come in BtB with both idols on the sides, and Shiho, outnumbered for the moment, take only care of the central one. There is nothing noticeable on Turn 1, except the vicious Mo Ises casting “Heed my word” on Maki to bring her in range of Hikari’s Chaos Bolt. Shiho leader – Takuya – decided to take a position in the middle of the table. He will undoubtedly be exposed to Yuta spells but will also be able to threaten both burakumins close to him quickly.

Image


Turn 2

The Eagle clan wins the tactical test.

The 4 Shiho samurai who were Elsewhere enter on Turn 2. Yusuke, Keita and Sayaka are deployed on the Yutas’ right side to challenge the idols and take care of the opponent weakest flank:

Image

While Wimpie entered the table at the bottom left corner:

Image

Maki suffered damage loss from Hikari’s Chaos Bolt.

Image

Then, quite a lot of action happened during this turn:

The Yuta play their Nightmare Unleashed card. Each samurai bravely succeed in their Fear test, but both ashigarus got scared.

Sayaka honoured her leader Takuya with Keiro, engaging Mo Ises with +1 to his Melee Pool. Takuya indeed was not fooled by the Burakumin’s disguise and moved to BtB, spending 3 Ki tokens to perform a Combo Attack with four melee dice killing Mo-Ises in one strike (success level 4, 2 damage rolls, six damage)! Takuya selected +1 to his Melee pool with the Michiharus jitte card.

Image

As direct payback, Josei cast Seed of Destruction on Takuya (well, at this point, we realised Josei and Akuba models were inverted on the table, so we switched their location):

Image

Enraged but still under the influence of Sayaka’s Keiro and boosted by the jitte, Takuya reactivates and engages Risu. Second combo attack, second Burakumin killed!

Image

The summoned Gashadokuro engaged and hit Maki without inflicting any damage.

Image

Yusuke, freshly deployed near Josei, missed the witch miserably with his Dai Kyu. After Yusuke’s arrow, Josei felt the blow of Sayaka’s naginata near her head but suffered no damage.

Image

After having activated an idol, Eiko comes to assist their fellow Gashadokuro and engage Maki. The scared ashigaru could not resist any longer.

Image

The Yarimen activated the main idol for Shiho. Now free, the Gashadokuro guard ran to challenge the Yariman in BtB with the central idol for Turn 3. Shiho Wimpie, boosted with 3 Ki tokens, killed Akuba with a successful attack.

Image

Wimpie got sanctioned directly after by Hikari’s Chaos Bolt!

Image

As Sayaka was unsuccessful against Josei with her previous combat, she decides to Sidestep-Attack to avoid getting blocked against the witch for turn 3.

Witchcraft has a cost; the Yuta run out of Ki again. Shojo keeps focusing and plays her shaminsen.

Like Sayaka, Yusuke decides not to spend more time on that side of the board hunting Josei and goes in BtB with the Shiho’s hidden entrance to go Elsewhere at the end of the phase.

Keita activates his idol and will stay in BtB for the moment.

At the end of turn 2, the eagle clan scores 1 VP (2 idols against 1).


Turn 3

Thanks to its Tactician, the Shiho clan wins the tactical test again. Wimpie takes damage because of the chaos bolt. Idols reset.

Beginning of turn 3, Yusuke has deployed on the other side of the table thanks to its clan hidden tunnel.

Image

The loyal Yarimen activate the idol and is engaged by the Gashadokuro. Unfortunately, the phantom - in full attack mode - is not in a good mood today and misses again!

Image

During this turn, Yusuke reloads and shoots a very accurate arrow at Hikari’s head. Ironically standing on a grave, the witch passes her Rise test and comes back to life again.

After having shared its seed of destruction damage with the honourable Keita, Takuya comes back in the middle of the battlefield.

Image

Both Shiho then decided to kill Shojo while Hikari is prone:

Image

Hikari rises then casts Chaos Bolt at Sayaka with her second activation.

Sayaka engages Hikari and Sidestep Attacks to gain some terrain.

Image

Image


Turn 4

Shiho wins the tactical test again.

To sum up this turn: Keita activates the idol he is on BtB with at present.

Eiko tries to kill a Samurai, and Yusuke uses his Ki feat to escape the melee.

Image

Image

The loyal yarimen kept fighting the Gashadokuro around the main idol.

Takuya died because of Hikari’s chaos bolt but had time to reach the idol on the right and activate it.

Sayaka met Eiko’s weapon face to face.

The Eagle clan scored the second VP thanks to Keita’s redeployment and Takuya’s resilience.


Conclusion

The Eagle clan bring a new style of gameplay to Bushido. Their samurai may not be the strongest fighters on the Jwar Isles. Still, the clan as a whole has an amazing ability to move over and around the battleground (flank, booted, sidestep attacks, Wimpie’s ability to be placed 1’ away, Yusuke’s ability to escape melee, hidden tunnel, etc.). The Shiho’s aggressive strategy against the Yuta during the game also made them forget about the objectives and focus on defending themselves. But who knows what could have happened if the Gashadokuros were a bit luckier!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yenohoney