After becoming Shadow Crows, no worms have dared attack either of the twins to gain their advancement. The two brothers have become increasingly independent, and while they have never outright disobeyed a senior in the Shadow Wind clan, their behaviour comes close to insubordination.

Only Ghost can force them to submit when they need to improve their behaviour. While they have no souls to feel Fear, Ghost’s effect on them assures loyalty to the shadows.

Many of the Silvermoon Shatei are little more than street thugs but do not doubt the usefulness of these scum to the Silvermoon as fighters. Akuto learned to fight on the streets and the prisons around the worst places in the Jwar Isles. His devastating and ruthless style has left many enemies crippled and ruined.

While he dominates those who cannot defend themselves, Akuto often needs help against trained fighters, as his lack of formal training shows through.

While Akuba has been perfecting her art and making more powerful Gasadokuro, such as Hatchi, she has also learned to make simpler skeletal servants. Akuba can create many of these, and she delights in imbuing the animating spirit with a duty to protect her coven.

Unknown to Akuba, however, the poor quality of the remains and the intractability of the kami have left these creations with a fatal flaw, one that means any lucky blow may sever the connection between the animating force and the remains, destroying the physical presence and banishing the dark animus.

Were Ito Takuya unfortunate enough to lose his heir, Ito Itsunagi, Ito Sadako might be worthy enough to take his place. Not as driven or arrogant as Itsunagi, she is exceptionally cunning and devious, even for a member of the Ito. She has seen firsthand the powerplay that pushes the leaders of the Ito clan against one another. Sadako believes that when the dust settles, she could claim the mantle of daimyo and that if she can’t, she is well-schooled enough in the art of deception to announce a successor on her terms.

However, Sadako’s weakness lies in battle rather than in court. She feels an irresistible urge to be in the thick of the action, where life and death balance on the thinnest of edges. Gone are her calm and calculating schemes, replaced by the urge for all to see her emerge victorious atop the corpses of her enemies.

“Father, you say we are the Bear clan, but what is The Bear?” asked a young Minimoto girl while she and her father ate supper. 

Outside, barreling past the house, an unstoppable barrage of metal and flesh crashed into a yet unseen attacker. Akasuki rained blow after blow down on the interloper, allowing it no defence and no chance of survival. Throughout this bloody combat, Akasuki bellowed and snarled like a mother bear defending her cubs, with that terrifying sound dropping to a low growl once she eliminated the threat standing over its mangled body.  The father looked up from his soup and pointed toward the victorious samurai.

“There. That is The Bear.”

Takashi Akio, Kumiko's father and sensei at the Takashi Koryu, shapes the next generation of Dragon samurai with his techniques and style. Despite excelling in swordplay, his daughter Kumiko decided to walk another path upon reaching age. Initially furious, he thought she was trying to disgrace him. The Takashi samurai asked Takashi Hagane to challenge Kumiko, ending a perceived waste of Kumiko’s talent. However, Hagane refused to test the girl's mettle, saying, “She has nothing left to learn; she is already among the greatest duelists of her generation.” Hagane’s words returned to the headstrong Kumiko, who has since opted for the sword over the brush. 

During a discussion, players asked for more female samurai and cheaper to make thematic lists, such as seven samurai and an all-warrior woman Blood of the Dragon list, so with a low Rice cost for a four-dice samurai and the necessary Critical Attack (1), she will most definitely be found on the list!

Tengu society is floundering since their King, Sojobo, descended from high with his followers to participate in the world below their icy peaks. With an empty throne at the heart of their lands, sedition and rebellion smoulders. She plays a mysterious role in these matters which is unclear yet, perhaps it has something to do with long-lost prophecies revealed once more.

From the depths of the ocean, never before seen by man, giant crustaceans have been thrown ashore by Ryujin’s summoning. They are used to picking food from the bottom of the ocean, often scavenging from other predators' leftovers. They do the same on land, but instead of fish guts, fins or flukes, it's monks, samurai or unlucky ashigaru. This model can become the Kani-chan or Kani-kun variant, each with its own benefits for players. Kani-chan offers a great new way to help your sharks charge bleeding models, and Kani-kun offers ranged protection and access to a new Ronin kami model.

Why not build both and see what your opponent can do against a double dose of two-tonne Malacostraca? With 10 Wounds and Armour (3), they aren’t easy to deal with, and with the standard Crab Special Abilities of Sidestep and Critical, they are excellent in Melee.

Blister contains one miniature, 60mm base and full colour profile card.

Zama is from a tribe living on the great plains north of the mainland. Once at war with the empire, her people now pay tribute to Emperor Song and hire themselves as mercenaries. Zama and her tribe had contact with Shiho Hiroto when he was travelling abroad, and in a story for another time, they became bound to him with ties of blood and honour. She and a handful of her ilk are now in Jwar, ready to repay that debt. Having power and understanding over her fearsome eagles, she is an ally to the Tengu, who she reveres and knows from her past. Zama is a peerless falconer; she directs her birds while she remains safe. When faced with larger prey, eagles attack the eyes, offering advantages for other assailants to finish them off. As a hunter, she also uses traps and snares. Zama can run them down if she snares an opponent with a barbed line.

In the game, Zama uses ranged attacks which do not need LoS. Using the Eye Peck Ki Feat can inflict the Blind State, an effective way to combat many enemy models. Her Barb Ki Feat is an excellent control element that can manipulate the battle by correctly controlling enemy movement. Zama is a Ronin model available to Shiho and Descension warbands.

Blister contains one miniature, 30mm base and full colour profile card.

Even amongst the secretive Shadow Clans - those who operate in the darkness performing deeds that would stain the souls of lesser men - The House of the Long Shadow are an enigma, specialising in subterfuge and clandestine operations. Before any battle, The Long Shadow will have studied the terrain, enemy tactics, and the target's fighting techniques and swordsmanship.

While all Ninjas can perform feats beyond the abilities of most mortals, The Long Shadow has been rumoured to use teleportation, invisibility, and even the shadows themselves from which to attack and harass foes.

Box contains seven 32mm scale fine detail resin miniatures, bases and eighteen full colour cards.

Previously the Shadow Crows have only had to suffer the Soulless as those who failed to become leaders among the clan. These two brothers, however, changed that attitude as they are both soulless, either by nature or nurture. No one wanted them, so no one bothered looking for them upon their disappearance. Not even their parents went looking for them. Falling in with the Shadow Wind clan, they endured a brutal training regime designed to test their mettle and discover what drives them. As part of their final test, they wanted to eliminate an adept but needed a third to join them. However, after much discussion, they decided against it, killing the third and the adept for good measure. This bloodthirsty act earned them the right to fulfil missions impossible to complete, but these two have proven their worth, no matter how disturbed their leaders are by their capabilities.

Blister contains one miniature, 30mm base and full colour profile card.

Zandaka is a schemer. While everything is going to plan, he is unstoppable. Brought in to deal with the most formidable opposition to the Silvermoon's business opportunities, Brother Zandaka is always calm. Usually, he resolves issues by simply explaining the situation to those creating problems, and when violence does occur, enemies often assume the threat comes from Lama’a, his ubiquitous buto companion. However, Brother Zandaka is far more dangerous than Lamaa and, indeed, is considered one of the deadliest Shatei in the Syndicate.

Blister contains one miniature, 30mm base and full colour profile card.

It is common for young nezumi to spy on various clans and organisations, learning what secrets they can because whoever notices a sewer rat watching them? Kozo learned from the Shadow Wind Clan, scrutinising them until she mastered their silent ways, becoming a prized assassin for her fellow nezumi.

While the low rice cost of this model means it is a good melee model, its Ki Feats allow some unusual plays to surprise your opponents. Endless Gnawing will enable you to repeatedly attack an enemy model without giving an opponent a chance to respond; combined with a toolbox of Traits and Unique Effects, this is an excellent profile for any budding Rat generals.

Blister contains one miniature, 30mm base and full colour profile card.

Sakaguchi’s relationship with her nest of snakes is different to the rest of the clan. The snakes are ammunition, projectiles to be expended and forgotten. Most die after being released from her serpentine bow. This callous act doesn’t seem to diminish their affection for Sakaguchi. But are they real snakes? Or some manifestation of Orochi’s wicked power? Only Sakaguchi has the answers to this.The Ophidian Arrow Ki Feat gives an incredible array of options. As well as providing a superb archer, the ability to add more models to your warband for no Rice Cost and send them hurling across the battlefield is invaluable.

The Hoshi family, while so entwined with the Minimoto as to be near indistinguishable, maintain their own Ashigaru and those living higher up the Iron Mountains are close to the Kami and Spirits of the mountains. The Hoshi have access to Minimoto blacksmiths and all the benefits this bestows upon their weapons and armour. The Ashigaru’s connection to the spiritual and the cold of the peaks can cause their enemies to freeze and slow while they wield their Yari to trip opponents before finishing them off.

It is the aspiration of all the Hoshi’s Ashigaru to walk the mountain peaks unhampered. When they can do this and not be killed by the freezing temperatures, bears or Kami, the Ashigaru ascend to the extremes to guard the Hoshi Family, rarely descending again.

Like most Miniomoto Ashigaru, these new troops from the Hoshi family offer good Armour, Defence from opposed Ki and extra benefits for holding a point alone, including Aware to prevent any surprises.

Many oni thirst for the favour of a kijo, and Tsuta knows how to drive her brethren to seek more extraordinary acts of violence and glory. As they throw themselves into battle, even if they fall, the oni grow stronger. Each battle awakens memories that have been dormant for an age, the spirits of oni who have gone before. Tsuta bears proof of the cunning of her past lives, wielding weapons that showed their worth generations ago. She throws heavy balls covered in strong spikes, lodging them in her foe’s armour and weighing them down long enough for her kin to close the distance and kill them. These weapons come from when the onis’ opponents -or they- wore armour. But no matter their heritage, they work well in Jwar against samurai and their armoured retinues.

If your warband doesn’t need these powerful ranged attacks combined with robust control when used on the right target, Tsuta’s Idolise Ki Feat is still a good enough reason to take her to war!

Community and protection are values held dear by the villagers of Jwar, as they are stronger together rather than apart. Kaiyō & Mangetsu represent these stalwart beliefs and the concepts of life, death, salvation or endless torment. They appear as rippling reflections in bodies of water such as ponds, pools, wells and the like. They are a duality spirit, two halves of a whole existing in harmony, just like the temples and the villages of Ro-Kan exist together — a perfect symbol of their reliance on each other.

Bastions of the Mountain players will eagerly add these kami to their warbands. This duo offer unmatched Ki generation and manipulation in a Villager list at the cost of their fragility. In addition, Virtue and Healing are a crucial part of Villager Warbands.