10mm "Samurai Ashigaru" and the Japanese horse.

All minis are from Castle Arts. They are closed. Pendraken has purchased the rights. The building will get done. They are hoping to redo their line of minis or give up and use the Castle Arts. Pendraken is planning to restart the line this year. Maybe?  One day?

        Mounted Samurai, yes of course. Samurai Cavalry???? No such thing. The horses were too small. Samurai were too heavy. They didn't fight in mass horse flesh charge.  The horse could not run,  it could bearly jog for short distances.

Traditional Japanese Horse

My head next to its head. I am bent over. At 5'10" the horse stood about Chest high. The horse's head is only twice as big as a human head.

        Yet I think I am stuck basing them out as Cavalry. Originally I was going to do them as mounted Infantry. A few horse dudes with retainers. But there is no way WM revolution community will swallow a non cavalry army. So I will do 2 (6 bases) units of Cavalry. Only two because Samurai armies had only about 5-8% Mounted Samurai in them. (10%-15% total Samurai throughout an army.) A 20 break army would give you 1 unit.

         You get enough for 3 stands. No leaders, no banners.

        This time through there was no flash. Very fine casting. The only item to trim is the support for the spear. The bottom of each was sanded flat with 400. I carry a piece in my travel kit on the bottom.
        You see the dog hangs out with me, in my painting room. That crap gets all over. I don't want him breathing it or licking it from his paws. So I do all my metal/resin sanding in the hotel room.

        Once flat they get stuck to sticks. With a flat bottom they stick well enough to travel. I will paint each sticks horse the same color. Then mix and match when basing.

Ashigaru

        I have been traveling with them for a while. Since before the Cold Wars and AdeptiCon. Never could get at finishing them. Of course as soon as I unpack them, I get the call to go again. I was only able to sticker the banners. 

        Regular old printer sticker paper, nothing special. The stickers are far easier than transfers. Every now and then you get a flier. One side won't stick. A little super glue and a toothpick gets it back down.

       Once home the last two stands were finished. Everyone got sealed and touched up. The broken spear tip glued back on and flocked.

        Man I am slow. These are units 3 and 4. I thought I had more done.

       I am using MIG "dry ground" as basing paste with brown ink mixed in for a proper color. Any flat land during the period would have been farm land. As wealth came from rice production, no Lord would miss out on a single Koku of rice. Rice is grown in water. So just about everyone would be in mud.