10mm Samurai Ashigaru w/ Yari

          I got 6 blisters of Ashigaru (spearmen) 30 each. Little to no mold lines. They do come with more flash than you would normally see. Almost like the mold was wearing out. You have to inspect each helmet, flag, sword. Each dude gets his stand sanded. It takes about 20 minutes to clean up 30.

From my initial order

          Warmaster GW dudes normally come in strips and those dudes are tightly packed together. This must be due to the original 6 armies being shield wall-ish in design. 

          With Samurai Warfare; they would be too close together. The terrain and fighting style is more double wide opened rank. The Yari was more of a move and swing, not stand and stab spear. Any available land in Japan was used as rice paddies. Any open area would be rough ground. The romantic lines of European Infantry on an open field never existed for the Samurai.

Shirakawa. Famous ancient Japanese village.

         Here 10 Ashigaru sit on a Shogun magnetic base. (standard warmaster 40 x 20mm) The base is full. No more will fit shoulder to shoulder. 

                                     

Rank distance is too tight for a spear that long. Warmaster stands are double based as standard. So no choice.

         The Samurai did not use shields. The upper arm guards acted as a semi-shield? (I can't find the reference) They fought in open order. The weapon system determines fighting style.
         I will place 6 to 7 not 10 per base, and they will not be shoulder to shoulder. Nor in a tight well dressed line. More warband looking.

          By using 7 per base, I will save 1 stand plus a dude per unit. Out of the 180 Ashigaru w/ Yari that came, I can get 8 units instead of 6.

        21ish individual dudes in open order won't allow for the GW 2d warmaster paint job. Speed painting and planning is critical or the project will never finish.
        I have white glued them to paint stirring stick, 1/2 a stack for easy traveling, all facing the same way, well spaced with the second row offset. This helps in painting the same item all at once and being able to get in-between dudes to reach the backside.

Game ON!  All primed with DIY white cheap primer.