They're sort of like ashigaru - but not in the sense of the latter Sengoku period. More like a warband kind of group that closely followed their lord or samurai leader.
They have light armor and wield naginata. Supposedly they protected the higher ranking samurai on horseback - and also would try to take down enemy samurai with their naginata. The Heian period warfare translates well with "heroic" warfare rules.
The sculpting of the armor lends itself well to lightly painting the laces, and then following that up with a light wash of black ink. The ink wash settles into the recesses of the lacing to help the look.
Next up are the sohei monks with bows and naginata.
