Takeda versus Hojo

The lack of updates on my blog for the last few weeks doesn’t mean there has been no painting action. As you can see from the photos, my 28mm Kingsford Miniatures samurai of the Takeda clan now have an enemy to fight – the Hojo clan.

The Hojos’ triple triangle emblems on their yellow back banners (‘sashimono’) are drawn with a drafting pen. Their large standard portrays the so-called ‘five lucky colours’.  The foot soldiers’ armour is mainly black, with light blue lacing and clothing.  Their samurai leaders are clothed in different colours according to taste.  

The white diamond shapes on the blue sashimono of the Takeda are done with commercial decals – apart from the large standard which was painted by hand. The soldiers’ armour is mainly rust-coloured, and their clothing various shades of beige or sand.  Again, their samurai leaders are more variegated.

To give the sheen of laquer to the armour and weapons, yet avoid the garish appearance of gloss varnish, I over-painted the laquered areas with a wash of PVA glue and water.  This gave a nice eggshell effect to those parts of the figures, but leaving the remainder of their clothing completely matt.

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of my paint-jobs or their flags. I’ve found it very difficult to research samurai armies. Whilst there are lots of books and websites around, it is such a complex subject. But these models suit my purposes, even if they aren’t absolutely historical. They’re just for gaming, after all!