More of the Phoenix

I thought I’d actually try and finish a Hordes of the Things army for the Phoenix Clan. It’s kind of silly, really, as it would probably be the least useful army – the clan being pacifists and only resorting to armed conflict when all other channels have been exhausted. They’re also waaaaaaay up in the Northeast – far from the Shadowlands where the goblins dwell (Goblins being only other HOTT army I currently have that could be passed off as Rokuganese). I’m really only doing it because it’s so darn easy – half the army (in terms of army points) are three stands of shugenja – with two figures on each!! But that’s another reason why it’s not so useful; the triple wizard combo is a TOUGH army to play. It is very PIP intensive - if you can’t roll the PIPs you are doomed. I imagine it’s not one that many would be terribly interested in playing.

Originally I had thought I’d make an army that looked like this:

3x Magician (Shugenja)
2x Blade (Foot Samurai)
1x Rider (Mounted Samurai)
3x Shooters (Archers)

The make-up of the non-magician contingent was more or less decided upon because… well… it’s what I HAD… I have since aquired a few more packs of things I thought I might use for the Phoenix army, but I’m not quite sure what to classify them as. I have four of each of Earth Elementals, Avalanche Guard, and Void Guard.

The Earth Elementals just look like lightly armoured samurai. I was tempted to just base them individually and use them as such – better armed ashigaru or poor samurai… but now I’m thinking I may just paint them brownish and base them together and call them a stand of “Earth Elementals”. But what to classify them as? Blade….? That’s what they look like!

The Avalanche Guard and Void guard are a little tougher. I’m not really sure WHAT the avalanche guard are supposed to be. They’re sort of human looking… but are more or less unarmoured but their flesh looks really bumpy – perhaps it’s elemental armour? Two of the four are brandishing swords, another has one strapped to his back and the fourth, I’m not sure about (they’re still in the pack…). Blade again? If they’re just warriors magically protected by the earth kami I suppose that’s what they could be…?

The Void Guard are the hardest. They are ghostly forms carrying weapons and animatind a small amount of armour… BLADE AGAIN!? That seems silly – they should have SOME sort of different effect… Hordes…? (because they can’t really be killed and keep coming back…?)

I guess I should try and find out what they were supposed to do in the Clan War game…

Oh, I also got a pack of Isawa Inquisitors… I want to use at least one for skirmishing… maybe I could put the other three on a base… but what to call them…? Cleric? I’d have to drop one ofhte magicians, and if it was too close it could diminish the effect of my OWN magicians… and honestly cleric is a guess - I have no idea what the unit was actually used for…

Anyway, here’s a few things I’ve finished recently. The are all out of print Clan War figures from AEG

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Mounted Phoenix Samurai (Riders)


An archer… No, this isn’t for Hordes of the Things, I had based a few singly as I had way more than I could ever use in HOTT and I thought I’d paint one up in Phoenix colours to see what it looked like before painting up a whole bunch. Alternatively I do have Old Glory Ashigaru archers I could paint up for the Pheonix archers. Since everything else in the army will be clan war figures, I think I’ll stick with these as my Phoenix shooters.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Probably more Phoenix Shugenja…