Characters and Monks for Ronin

It has been a while since I posted, and the big Ronin game never happened.  A sad, but not unexpected family loss took precedence last week.  This never has been a blog where I discuss personal matters, but insofar as it relates to the hobby - any hobby - recreation and creativity are great ways to work through sadness and loss.  However, family and responsibilities always come first.  Now, some minis...

Hopefully I can run this game in the future, but here is a look at some of the characters and terrain I had planned for that game. Most of my figures are from the early Samurai period (11-13th century). This era also saw the rise of militant Buddhist monks, in which rival temples fought over relics, property and imperial favor.  In this four person scenario, a sacred scroll currently possessed by one temple of monks has been awarded to another - but the owner's won't give it up peacefully.  The owners of the scroll, along with nearby villagers who have a vested interest, are fighting to keep the scroll and the pilgrimage income it generates nearby.  Two players would then control the monks and villagers respectively.  On the attack are the monks seeking the scroll, along with a small group of warriors who wish to see the imperial orders carried out.  Each set of allies has to work cooperatively to win, but victory points are awarded based on number of enemy killed and who has possession of the scroll at the end of 7 turns.

These two characters are from West Wind and would have been the leaders of the peasant faction.

Added to my previous sets of monks, was this unit of Sohei in red, to match their temple. 

Here is the temple that housed the sacred scroll.  It is from lasercut MDF by Renaissance Miniatures. It was from their second Kickstarter and it assembled very quickly.  

The roof is removable, but a bit fussy to snap in place. It is in three sections, which is better than a single section, but it can be difficult to get all three to snap into place.  With any MDF kit, the larger the pieces or span of assembly, the more likely that small gaps will develop that can prevent an exact fit. The gaps can be from using too little glue and not clamping it long enough so that the parts drift as they dry, or alternatively using too much glue, which spreads into spaces meant to be left open.  

The interior is large enough for a combat scenario, or to add some small furnishings. 

A statue of a Buddha from a home store ($3 on markdown) makes an appropriately sized massive idol. The small building is also from Renaissance Miniatures.  

If you are into pirates or Old West, Renaissance Miniatures has a few days left on their third Kickstarter. I am still undecided about it - pirates are an era I have considered but I am not sure if its the right time to add more projects - but the company is very good at customer response, updating and delivering in a reasonable time.  Check it out if you are interested.