After the Samurai are the Myoji (wizards).  This model is a Ral Partha miniature orignally painted by Caleb Lyons as a character model for some Dungeons & Dragons adventure many years back.

These two come from the same collection as the model above.  I painted the model on the right (pre wash and dry brush peiod) while the one on the left was painted by Josh Lyons (also from several decades past).

The Ogre Mage is a Ral Partha model (I believe it was originally a Hill Giant in D&D days).  It was repainted, perhaps 10 years ago, to bring it up to date when it was also mounted on a larger base fitting an Ogre for Warhammer Fantasy.

Nippon Showcase - Core Units

The Samurai are at the center of any Nipponese army.  This models are an assortment by Legend of the Five Rings, Perry Miniatures and Wargames Foundry.  All of them were recently completed by Josh Lyons.

This close up of the above unit shows some of the detail work.  The model with the "floret helm" will probably become the unit champion once all of the Samurai have been completed.

These Ashigaru Archers are all Dixon models dating back to the early 1980's.  (Even then I knew I would one day want a Samurai army in my collection).  All of these were painted using the old Poly-S paint line, which was my first foray into bottled miniature paints from my original acrylic roots.

These handgunners are also Dixon miniatures from the same period, although a few were added more recently.  The undersized standard bearer is from the Ral Partha historical line.  Back Banners were added to these models at a later date (around the same time some of the others were completed to fill out the unit).

Nippon Showcase - Special Units

These mounted Samurai were purchased off EBay are are Perry Miniatures models.  At the time I was having difficulty finding cavalry models that weren't embarrassingly undersized in order to match-up against the over-sized cavalry of Warhammer Fantasy models.  These are still a bit undersized, but not to the extent that they don't appear to belong on the same battlefield.  It can be rationalized that horses in the East are leaner and not as bulky as their Western counterparts.

Close-up of a mounted Samurai.  Although I want most of my Samurai to sport unique livery (like the Bretonnians of the West), I was not compelled to repaint this entire unit.  Besides, I expect the mounted Samurai to play a lesser role in this infantry based army than the cavalry in other armies.  As you can see, the model is lean and not as bulky, but it is about the same height and length as a Warhammer "heroic scale" counterpart.

I differentiate the Ronin from the Samurai based on the amount of armor being worn (in particular, whether or not they have the Samurai shoulder pads).  Although I doubt I will have a need for so many, I intend on using them as Samurai Champions in Ashigaru units as well.  Many of these models are pre-slotta and post-slotta Games Workshop/Citadel miniatures from the mid-80's.

A close-up of the Ronin.  The model on the far left is In Rai Kempachi from early Citdael miniatures fame, as is the Champion in the middle/right with the hat.  He is Tomomaghi.  I believe the other models are from Wargames Foundry.  All of them were painted by Josh Lyons.

My Wakado Peasant collection is large because peasants played a role in multiple Warhammer Ancients armies of the East (The Samurai, Cathay and Mongol armies to be specific).  They are a Special Unit choice in Nippon as they represent untrained and malnourished peasants, slaves or captives that were forced into battle by their Samurai overlords.

Close-up of some of the peasant models.  I kept their paint schemes simple and kept a common theme of grey with some yellow or tan to keep them as diminutive as possible.  The models are actually Old Glory 25mm models, which are affordable, but undersized in the grand scheme of things.  At the time, Old Glory were the only figure company that produced peasant models for Eastern cultures.  For the sake of peasants, however, I decided that "undersized" wasn't a bad thing.

Although the Ninja are supposed to be stealthy warriors of shadow (and probably clad in black), the current models in my collection sport a little more color due to their origins as Monk characters in Dungeons & Dragons.  I don't know where these models came from (either Dixon or Old Glory).  The one in the middle is a more recent model completed by Josh Lyons while the other two were painted by me and my brother Jeremy some 20 years ago.

Nippon Showcase - Rare Units

Currently there are no Rare Units ready for Show.  However, this Showcase page will be periodically updated by new images as the units are completed.  (Look for notes posted on the front page the week an update is posted).