Yamato Fortress: DBA Army Camp

Here it is with the two remaining Khurasan figures that were ordered for the Pre-Samurai (Yamato) DBA army. The white primered "wood" took a wash/stain of Vallejo inks very well; not requiring any further painting.

The shields are from the range by Khurasan and very nicely detailed.

The rear of the piece with what are stand-ins for psiloi. Yes, they have body armor and carry shields, but think of them as elite light infantry.

The sides of the battlement are filled earthenwork.

The completed army with mandatory army camp. Not bad considering they have a total footprint of a cigar box.

How to Build a Yamato (Pre-Samurai) Fortress Gate

Used some left over plasticard to construct the "mandatory" camp for my Pre-Samurai DBA army. It is based upon a reconstruction of the Western Gate of Ki Castle.

Here is what the reconstructed fortress looks like. Note the distinctive Yamato style shields lining the upper portion of the gate house. I'm leaving off the roof so an element base can occupy the top platform.

Here are the main components for the fortress. The plasticard was scored with an engraving pen to simulate the wood grain as well as the separate planking. I placed measurements on the base prior to construction - thinking I'd use them. As it turned out the construction was on the fly and mostly eye-balled.

The structure with the upper platform off. It fits onto an 100mm X 60mm bases - which conforms to the 2.2 version of rules that camps must be sized to "fit into a rectangle the length plus width of which totals no more than 4 element base widths."

Yamato (Pre-Samurai) DBA Army

Well here is the army arrayed - less an element stand of Psiloi. They're on a nice display board my buddy Pat L. (Socal Warhammer) gave me a few weeks ago.

Still need to attach an appropriate flag to the standard bearer.

The bases were cut from some plasticard stands that I already had - they have magnetic sheet bottoms.

These were the first 15mm figures I've ever painted; and I found them not at all displeasing to paint up.

Yamato (Pre-Samurai) DBA Army - WIP +3

The Army General and Standard Bearer are done. Both are in lamellar armor and wearing the later style helmet which resembled a baseball cap. The General's armor has been gilded, as well as his war fan.

An appropriate banner needs to be found and added to the Standard Bearer.

The only figures needed to complete this army are two Psiloi.

Once they're all based, I'll take an Army group photo.

Yamato (Pre-Samurai) DBA Army - WIP +2

Here are the cavalry - which will be based 2X3Cv. The horses are every bit as nice as anything in 28mm IMO. Four of the six riders have separate upper torso and lower halves.

All of the riders are in keiko lamellar armor; unlike the foot figures which are all in tanko plate cuirass. Four of the riders have the later style bowl helmet, which evolved into what later samurai would wear.

I opted to dry-brush the lacing on the keiko armor - unlike the impressive way Steve Dean painted his on the Khurusan website. It looks like he individually picked out the lacing - something I can't fathom doing.

These take care of the main troops for the army - just the General and his entourage and two psiloi need to be completed. I don't have the psiloi figures yet, as Khurusan's aren't available yet. I'll peruse the figures at the local store to see if they have something appropriate.

Yamato (Pre-Samurai) DBA Army - WIP

This is my very first 15mm project - a DBA army no less. Several weeks ago while stopping in at my local gaming store, The Game Matrix, the owner and  proprietor, Chris Ewick, talked me into my first ever DBA game. Chris is a great guy all around as well an accomplished painter and gamer. So, fueled by this experience, I turned to a range that has intrigued me since their release several years ago. The only thing that held me back was the scale/size - 15mm. I've concentrated on 28mm figures with only a brief and limited period painting 1/72nd plastics, so never thought I'd ever do anything in 15mm. Well, these Khurasan Pre-Samurai look so cool on the websites I've viewed I figured I'd give them a try with DBA. They arrived yesterday and I was overwhelmed - first by their beauty and then by their diminutive size. I did a quick internet search of painting 15mm figures, and took the sound advice of "don't try to paint them like 28mm." I ended up using washes and dry brushing and feel they look good enough for gaming. Here are the bowmen which will be based 3 per on 6 bases - I guess in DBA speak that would be 6X3Bw. The general, cavalry and auxilia will be next.

Although the Khurasan site shows some of them wonderfully painted by Steve Dean in keiko, or lamellar laced armor, I found them all to be wearing tanko, or solid cuirass armor. This eased the painted as the dry brushing brought out the details. I don't really know how Steve Dean painted the lacing on his - that must've been incredibly time consuming, but it is very impressive.

Here's an angle showing the very nicely sculpted helmets. They are of the Shokukufu, or battering ram, type. Some have the more pronounced beak appearance.

DBA calls the Yamato period Pre-Samurai and breaks them into two separate lists - the early one for the period 500-644AD and the later one 645-900AD. The break is based on the political change in 645AD called the Taika, or Great Change, Reform. Military, there probably was a more gradual change until the next period, the Heian - which is when the Minamoto and Taira rose to prominence.

Just for a size comparison - here is a 28mm T.A.G. Heian Samurai next to them.