15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: Bushi No Yume Bakeneko raised Mu shin & Gashadokuru vs villagers

Beginning to explore the Japanese legends in skirmish games.

We like the idea of (more) normal people up against the extra-ordinary.

Two games- we're getting quicker with the rules.

Bakeneko's Tomozei

The abilities attributed to the Bakeneko are various, but include shapeshifting into human form, cursing humans, manipulating the dead and possessing people. One for later, lurking in mountains and using wolves to attack travelers.

Bakeneko Kyu2 Bu4 Total 17

Shuryou * (Leader) – has a Command Distance of a Long Length.

‘Group Order’ and enhance a character’s Kyu Grade (-1) if the character is activated within the Command Distance and Line of Sight of the Leader. Also effects Morale.

Oki – the character is very large. They receive an additional +1 in close combat against characters who are not themselves classed as ‘Oki’.

Any ranged attack on an Oki character receives a +1 to the Combat Total.

Hitabashiri – May make one Long Length movement action per activation.

Yadome-jutsu – trained in an okuden (oral transmission) to cut ranged weapons from the air.

If a ranged attack hits the character rolls 1d6. 5+ the missile has been cut from the air.

Yamabushi – the character does not suffer any terrain penalties for difficult ground.

Yuuki – the character is fearless, they are immune to the effects of gory deaths.

Test for morale at -1.

Mahoutsuka * – the character is a magic user.

Medium Length Illusion – the target and anyone within a medium of them sees an illusion which causes panic. They must make a morale check on 2d6 immediately.

Tenjiru/Saminjutsu Hypnotic attack, the target is fixed in place in place unless they roll 3 passes on a 3d6 Kyu Grade Test. It takes two actions to shake of the effects. Range – Short.

Gashadokuro are skeletal giants which wander around the countryside in the darkest hours of the night. Their teeth chatter and bones rattle with a “gachi gachi” sound, which is this yokai’s namesake. Created from soldiers and famine victims of who do not receive proper funerary rites.

Gashadokuro Kyu5 Bu5 Total 7

Oki – +1 in close combat against characters who are not themselves classed as ‘Oki’.

Any ranged attack on an Oki character receives a +1 to the Combat Total.

Yamabushi – does not suffer any terrain penalties for difficult ground.

Yuuki – Fearless, they are immune to the effects of gory deaths and test for morale at -1 to their Kyu Grade.

Love this figure! Biggest and (IMO) best Sengoku release yet. Nearly finished and in painting realised that I'd messed up the base. It was too narrow. I added a couple of Alternate Armies "dead" skeletons and another spearman in 2 halves. That spread the base and brought the centre of gravity down.

I had a fantastic Sunday, went to see The 3rd Man at our local arts centre then dash back to this. But- my hand was doing a claw impersonation so I didn't do the raw umber number on the base. Apologies, it's use it or lose it.

The Mu-shin, cross between a zombie and a ghost. Even if they do not get any actions when activated they may always move one medium. However, this has to be towards the nearest human form. (Forgot this bit!)

More Battle Valour. Need a second pack to weapon-up.

Have to say, Sengoku range makes the best undead.

Mu-shin Kyu 5+ Bu2 6x4=24 Koku

Yuuki – the character is fearless, they are immune to the effects of gory deaths and test for morale at -1 to their Kyu Grade.

Mu-shin Kyu 5+ Bu2 Sword, Partial armour 2x6=12 Koku

Yuuki – see above. (Sengoku)

The locals.

All this side are from Battle Valour.

The Yombimbo, this figure is based on a famous illustration and is reminiscent of the first-ever Dixon figure I bought all those years ago-.

Unarmoured priest and the Wife.

Village Headman Kyu3 Bu2. Tetsubo Total 7

Shuryou * (Leader) – has a Command Distance of a Long Length.

‘Group Order’ and enhance a character’s Kyu Grade (-1) if the character is activated within the Command Distance and Line of Sight of the Leader. Also effects Morale.

The Wife Kyu3 Bu2 Naginata Total 7

Hanchou * – the character is the Leaders ‘right hand man’ and has a Command Distance of a Short Length. Within this Command Distance a character will act as one better Kyu Grade during activation and Morale.

Wandering Yombimbo Kyu3 Bu3 Katana Partial armour Total 15

Gunshin * – the character is a Hero. They automatically pass one die roll on a 6 for activation, task and morale purposes. In addition to this they may cause a reroll of any one set of dice for their force or the opponents per game.

Iai jutsu – the character is skilled at drawing and cutting with their weapon while they are moving. The character can strike with their weapon at the end of a movement action. However, this attack is at -1 to the Combat Total.

Juukan – the character is adept at striking while moving past an opponent. They may strike at any point of their movement action. So long as the character does not lose the combat the character may continue moving.

Menkyo Kaidan * – the character has attained the highest ability in their particular ryuha (martial arts school). They may make more than one attack per activation, using an action to make each attack.

Locals Kyu5 Bu3 Tool doing impact or cutting. Total 6x3=18

May seem high, but if you use a tool day in- day out, you know how to use it. If they were picking up an unfamiliar weapon I'd give 'em 1.

Priest Kyu2 Bu2 Total 12

Amatsu Tatara Goshinjutsu * – the character has a knowledge of traditional medicine and can increase the likelihood of an injured character recovering when making their wound roll. If the character is next to the character who is making the wound roll the character will test against a 3. Neither character must be in combat or within a base width of an enemy character.

Mukon no Jutsu – the character is stealthy and is very skilled at using the environment to their advantage. As long as the character stays within a base width of concealing terrain they count as being ‘hidden’. Moving between objects and keeping the hidden status is possible. It is a normal Task Roll.

Muto-dori * – the character is skilled at unarmed defences against bladed weapons. The bladed weapon is not counted as a superior weapon. On a winning roll of a 5 or 6 the character has disarmed their opponent.

Mahoutsuka * – the character is a magic user.

Hi no Tama –a ball of fire erupts towards the target. Causes a B+3 hit on the target and any character within a base width of the target. Any character within a base width of the path of the fireball suffers a B+2 attack. Range – Long.

Tenjiru/Saminjutsu (G) – basically a hypnotic attack, the target is fixed in place in place unless they roll 3 passes on a 3d6 Kyu Grade Test. It takes two actions to shake of the effects. Range – Short.

Protection spell (G) - the target receives +2 on any losing combat roll for the players activation phase.

Healing spell (G) – the target recovers from being wounded to just being ‘prone’. The target must not be in combat at the time of healing. At any time if a magic user rolls a ‘1’ on the attack die the energy has been deflected back to them … they become ‘fazed’.

Spell Casting methodology. Rereading the rules, we were doing magic wrong.

It's not on the playsheet so I produced an extra page.

In short- the caster needs a set range of actions. Then has to successfully cast the spell - there can be blowbacks! Then results are calculated.

Caster 2x Bu +extra actions - range +D6

Target D6+2 add armour to total IF applicable.

The Game 1. Tony took the locals, setting them in place. The headman & 'er indoors are indoors the big house.

I numbered the sides then diced for entry.

I split my mu shin into 2 groups of 3 unarmoured & 1 armoured. Bakeneno got 3 activations so 1 group got close to the peasants and the other ambled down the road, heading for the gate.

Activation swap. The priest hypnotises the armed one allowing a peasant to run him through. Headman sends the peasants forward as group activation. The shock sends most of mine reeling back.

New red is dead marker. Blue and more markers to follow!

The priest is hiding there somewhere-.

The Yombimbo has a good scratch, a twitch, then steps into the road.

Up come the dead, one more gets redeaded.

The rest of the dead are sent to tackle the peasants whilst the "biggies" advance on the gate.

They get into contact, but as they do- initiative swap and the headman calls the villagers back. Now its the turn of the priest and the yombimbo, who had strategically withdrawn.

They are out of line-of-site, so individual movement. They get close to him, but not into contact. "braaaains!"

Narrow gap, pointy sticks. Time to ponder on how well the others are doing-.

The yombimbo tries a flashy move, but the end horror sends him back- 3 times. (If you attack and fail, you get pushed back) It's up to the priest who lets off a fireball (vegan diet-) One wounded, one dead, one pushed back into cover.

The construct reels back on morale. The wife bravely takes on the beast but is pushed back into the strong support of hubby.

That leaves me with 2 pushed back mu shin. The armoured one is badly wounded and can only move a slow.

The headman calls the villagers forward and takes on the Bakeneno.

Pushed back!

Armoured mu shin is hypnotised then killed. Teamwork.

That's it. I cannot win! Time to withdraw and find more corpses.

Game 2. Swapsies! Our first with these rules. Getting used to them plus a quick trouncing-. as before, I diced for location of locals (local locations) and Tony managed to get the worse entry side.