OGAM Japanese

OGAM hits the spot because it gets you where you grew up.  We all have cultural myths and legends and all wargamers became interested it history at some point.  For me it was being read the Greek myths at primary school and reading the Norse sagas (via Tarzan and Jules Verne) as I hit my teens.
Daleks were primary school, the first programme to open my eyes to future possibilities outside of my poor working class near-Victorian rustic environment.

The first stirring of Japanese was when I bought a hand beaten dish featuring an Oni converted to Buddhism at a church jumblesale for 6d.  My mother claimed it was proof of witchcraft in the area.
Seven Samurai next, who remembers Minifigs first Samurai range?

OGAM Japanese

Here's our first 900 points attempt:
Amaterasu* @ 212

Legends (max 1/3 = 300)
Mounted Hero, Good Shot, Legendary shooter 136
2 Heroes @ 80 160
Sub total 296

Mortals
Samurai Shooter (long) 8 @ 29 = 232
Followers (warriors) Bow medium. Armoured 4 @ 25 = 100
Followers Armoured 4 @ 20 = 80
Sub total 332

Total 920

Raijin** @ 368

Legends (again, 300)
2 Tengu @ 80 = 160
Dai Tengu 106

Sub total 266

Mortals

Goblin bandits (cheating here, don't tell Andrea!) 16 @ 15 = 240
Bandit archers 2 @ 20 = 40

Sub total 280

Total 914

* Eurika's Lady
** Eurika's Shugenja

First game.

Lesson 1, the first unit placed on the board will be in the wrong place, so choose a fast moving or less important unit.

Lesson 2, use Legends to whittle mortals down, reduce unit to below invocation limit.

Lesson 3, Gods love the big battalions, don't pick the most posy unit, go for numbers. Choose an 8 unit to place last, protect it, cherish it and get those dice to your God.

Lesson 4, Gods kill Legends, Legends kill mortals, mortals can swamp Legends.


I was Amaterasu and the attacker.

I started by attacking a unit of 8 goblins with 4 followers and a hero. We'd all got into contact but no combat. On the other flank my mounted hero went for Raijin but a Tengu used a reaction to get in the way, shot at but no hit.

Changeover, Raijin gets a couple of dice from the other large goblin unit. First he lightnings my in-contact hero in the back then drops down on my mounted hero and flattens him. First Tengu goes for my other hero and flattens him, gets pushed back by small archer unit on a reaction.

 

 

 

 

I'd used reaction to move Amaterasu closer to the goblin unit, 'er and the followers grind them down and push them off the board. Meanwhile I got the large unit in place hoping to kill some Tengu by massed archery. That didn't work.

My hero before getting zapped in the back

Number one Tengu grinds follower archers down, then moves onto the large unit repeating the performance. When the archers are down to 1, the Tengu's pushed back. Go figure.

One Tengu did all the work, one threatened flanks and the Dai Tengu never moved.

Now the scene was set for the inevitable clash of the gods. No real contest here, pumped up by his tame goblins and able to do a long move Raijin delivers a +2 strong strike and game over.

 

 

For our second game we wanted to do the Temple Under Siege scenario from the rules.

The attacking side gets an extra 20% (180) to play with, but the other limitations in place.

Amaterasu  (This is what I'd pre-planned.)

Armed peasants are cheap, so lets have the max 8 @ 10 = 80

2 more armoured followers makes up the 40. Or swap all non bow followers as Monks @ 19 for a saving of 6.

Amaterasu @ 212

Legends (max 1/3 = 300)

3 Heroes @ 80 = 240

Sub total 300

Mortals

Samurai Shooter (long) 8 @ 29 = 232

Followers (warriors) Bow medium. Armoured 6 @ 25 = 150

Followers Armoured 6 @ 20 = 120

Armed peasants 8 @ 10 = 80 

Sub total 582

Or naginata armed Followers swapped for Monks, 6@ 19 = 144

Sub total 576

Total 1,032 or 1026

Version 2, revision after game 1, still to make 1,034 this is the one used.

(900 basic, 20%= 120 and the 14 overs from above):

Amaterasu, plus combat upgrade @ 300

Legends (max 1/3 = 360)
4 Heroes as per list @ 80 = 320

Mortals (414 left)

Samurai 8 (not archers) @ 22 = 176 (this is my come & get it unit)
Followers (warriors) Armoured 8 @ 20 = 160
Armed peasants 8 @ 10 = 80 
(this is my to-be-protected unit, not bringing it on denies the god dice, bringing it on requires redundancy to protect it)

Sub total 416

Total 1,036

Raijin

Legends still have 34 left, plus the 1/3 60 = 94.

An Oni at 84 fits the bill.

Bandit archers 2 @ 20 = 40

Raijin @ 368

Legends
2 Tengu @ 80 = 160
Dai Tengu 106
Oni @84
Sub total 350

Mortals

Goblin bandits 16 @ 15 = 240
Bandit archers 4 @ 20 = 80

Sub total 320

Total 1,038

I was defending with Amaterasu, unit of Samurai holding the Temple and a Hero as mobile defence.


Tony started with a U formation and started with repeated swooping attacks by his flying units.

A quick turnover and I was able to start bringing on my remaining heroes, one tasked with guarding the peasants and the other two an outer defence of the temple.

This Samurai took on a goblin unit until releaved by the Followers unit.  He managed to reduce them then take out the Dai Tengu.

He later died by lightning strike.

 

 The Goddess finally on, swoops in and gets her revenge!

 

 Then she tries her luck with a Tengu, but up pops the god again and she's dead!

My morale suffered more than his, mostly because I had units closer to the table edge.

But without a unit able to call the Goddess back, I lost.

 

 If Tony had failed to get the god back, I'd got my lot praying which would have been the end of the Tengu.  Who knows.

Go on, your turn, have fun!

 







Goblins at pray, the D10 is an aide memoir  My hero takes on the Tengu sheltering in the rough ground

How can they lose?

Poker chips make ideal flying markers

Hai Greenbaku-san!  My new basing method shows up well here.  I use a base layer of no more nails to give texture then add a (dried, used, good quality) tea leaf and flock mix.  The PVA makes the flock go "down" leaving the tea "up" or proud if you prefer.  Warbases penny bases, I rather like them plain.