This lovely book arrived yesterday. I saw it mentioned on Mark Copplestones instagram and couldn't resist. It's best described as a very chunky Osprey with lots and lots of period illustrations backed up by very nice modern artists impressions and photographs of locations, buildings and original items of equipment and reproductions.
The period in question, from the 1860's to the 1870's, was one of massive change in Japan. Tradition, Culture and everyday life were being met by Western ideas and goods. For the Samurai it was to be their final and fatal flourish where traditionalists with armour and sword faced down modern rifles and artillery.
Or at least that's the simple summary - there's a lot more to it than that.
Coupled with the Last Samurai Rebellion Supplement for The Men Who Would be Kings and perhaps Ronin there is a wealth of gaming to be explored.
Figures are available from Bac Ninh miniatures specifically for the period for and by converting Warlords plastic samurai or not if your taste is more traditional. Likewise Perry miniatures have plenty figures useable and some of the Steel Fist Samurai commanders would be particularly good for leaders.
This ticks both my 19thC and samurai boxes and also dovetails nicely with my interest in Japan at the start of the 20th century and the Russo-Japanese war, when Japan completed its transition from introverted isolationist state to regional and belligerent power.
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