Welcome to the latest in our series of articles about Bushido Risen Sun. We’ve been lucky enough to get a preview of the rules and minis for a new faction – the Awoken, due to be released by GCT Studios at Gen Con.
To get a sense of what these models are about and how they play, I’ve teamed up with Grand Master, playtester and tournament organiser Craig, who has kindly offered to give his expert point of view on the new faction. We at Goonhammer would also like to thank GCT Studios and Game designer Jason Enos for the preview.
Before you read on, a health / nsfw warning. These models and concept art images contain some nudity, as well as a lot of spiders.
What’s in the Box?
Joyless Smiles and Dark Eyes is a Themed Warband Box. It contains a complete 100 Rice Warband with some options including new Special Cards and a Theme Card. Excitingly, The Awoken are an all new Faction for Bushido – and right now this box is all of them! On release, Errata will allow the Kappa and Tenbatsu to be included as Ronin models. This is a full new Faction so if this follows the usual pattern, we can expect more releases after this one in future waves – (typically every quarter or so). In fact, GCT are committing to releasing a new Awoken model every wave, aiming to bring the faction up to full strength fast.
Inside the box you get seven miniatures, all 3D printed resin, seven Profile Cards and twelve Special cards (Including the new Theme).
Most of the Special Cards have a design on the back allowing them to be placed as terrain on the Battlefield, as this faction will generate a lot of it over the course of the game (more on that later). There is also a card for a new Special Defence, which matches the design and will integrate with the existing Special Attacks and Defences deck. One final card has the new “Kumo” trait printed on it, since this is not in the current Bushido Risen Sun Rulebook.
The box follows in the tradition of recent “Themed Warband” boxes for the Jung Pirates, the Silvermoon Trade syndicate and Long Shadow ninjas, representing a full warband of 100 rice, retailing at circa $80 or local equivalent. These boxes have typically been higher skill level entry points into the game than the Starter sets. From what we’ve seen, the Awoken continue this trend, offering an entirely new way to play the game.
The Minis
Tom (Scir_Waeter) : Arachnophobes look away now. Bushido Risen Sun continues its exploration of Japanese mythology and themes with a faction that takes heavy inspiration from the myths about Jorugumo – half human, half spider Yokai and shapeshifters who among other charming attributes deceive, trap and eventually eat their hapless prey. More modern writers have really gone to town with this particular nightmare fuel niche, and GCT have taken it to another level.
Even if you’re a fan of spiders (like me) these models and their profile art are gloriously horrible, looking like they will rival the Cult of Yurei as disturbing painting projects. I can’t wait to see the nightmarish takes on Awoken themed boards and terrain that will emerge as well.
Over to Craig now for his take on how they play.
Craig: Visually the faction looks amazing, if very unsettling. The Kumo are human-spider hybrids in various states of transformation from humans into monstrous spiders. For some, there is very little left of who they once were.
Faction Introduction
The Awoken faction’s Theme Box, Joyless Smiles and Dark Eyes, is that rare jewel – an entirely new faction. The ‘Kumo’ represent a super creepy spider faction for players to delve into.
To go along with these highly impressive models, there are some fiendishly interesting new rules for players to explore. This faction plays like no other in the game!
Being an Alpha tester for Bushido, I’ve been lucky enough to have played this box before the big reveal. So if you are wondering how they work then read on…
Playstyle
It’s fair to say that Jason, lead games designer for GCT Studios and rules writer for Bushido, has done it again with a brand new and unique faction in a box.
Players will see that the Awoken thematically capture how spiders hunt their prey. Kumo (spider-human hybrids) are designed to put out Webbed Ground or ‘Webs’ (a new terrain type) during the game that slows down and eventually exhausts their prey.
On top of the Webs, the Kumo make use of Auras that often interact with Poison Markers to further weaken and debuff their enemy. Thankfully, most models in the faction have poisoned attacks to get the Auras really working and for dealing additional damage.
In Bushido Ki is like mana or energy – it fuels ‘Ki Feats’ which are powerful effects models have access to if they have the resources to pay for them.
What makes the Kumo feel very different to all other Bushido models (Kinshi temple excluded) is that they don’t generate Ki themselves, not in the usual way at least.
Rather than generating Ki each turn, Kumo models start the game with some Ki, and can gain more Ki from enemy models starting a turn in their Webs and after causing damage in Melee – like a spider liquefying and sucking the vitals from its prey. (they can also heal themselves at the same time!). Ki resource management is very important for the warband, opening up powerful synergies when correctly utilised, and introduces a challenging new skill for existing and new players to grapple with.
The Warband favours a core of Kumo with some Jaakuna Cultists (unfortunate human thralls) in support. I’m really looking forward to players working out the various combinations within this box; are we going to see players lean into the support models more or favour the melee fighters? How will players optimise Webs and the other warband terrain they have access to? Will players favour Poison and Aura synergies or other Ki Feat based combos? Time will tell…
Kumo In-Game
What makes a Kumo model stand out? There are many benefits being a Kumo in terms of in-game abilities. Here’s the run down:
Kumo are Aware, benefiting from numerous eyes. This means they are very difficult to surprise and can see in all directions for Targeting. This also extends their Zone of Control area, which helps with board control.
Kumo are almost impossible to outnumber in melee; enemy models will almost never benefit from a melee assist, with Indomitable (8) being common across medium and large based Kumo; appropriate given all those spider legs!
Kumo have the Strong trait. This makes damage rolls in melee more reliable and also helps with size challenge tests. It can also apply to their ranged attacks making these even more effective.
Spiders are scary! Kumo bring Fear based on the number of friendly Kumo in play, and have access to Terror and Dread, traits that make their Fear trait stronger. This is a powerful mix and really leans into their play style. It’s a defensive layer and an active debuff in one.
Kumo are spindly spiders, they are not bulky despite their base size. To reflect this, they are not as easy to hit at range as other models on similar-sized bases. This is part of the Kumo rule, which effectively means size modifiers are not factored into ranged attacks. This offers them a little more protection than would first be expected, but you should still look for cover when playing into models with ranged weapons.
Being a medium or large model does often come with the benefit of extra wounds. Combined with the Kumo trait to heal damage, the Kumo have fair resilience. However, lacking Armour and Tough or other such traits means you’ll need to be careful still; don’t over-expose them as they can be killed off faster than you may think compared to other bigger based models in the game.
Kumo have access to the Poison trait. While in faction theme they also slow down the effects of Poison. While this may seem unwanted at first, the ability to interact with Auras through Poison markers, and to apply Ki Block markers makes this a highly valuable theme benefit.
Ki Feats are a big part of Bushido, and Kumo bring some extremely powerful ones. While active Ki feats for Kumo are uncommon, strong Simple Action and Aura-based Ki feats are common. These tend to be more powerful effects, however, and setup in terms of key resources, timing and sometimes other requirements such as the target being Poisoned are essential in order to get the full effect.
Webs are a core part of how the faction plays, and of which you can have up to five in play at any one time. Webs can be deployed by taking often ‘free’ wait actions (which helps with activation advantage). In some cases, unique benefits can be had for Kumo staying within their Webs. Expect most warbands to utilise Webs for generating Ki and board control, as enemy models are also slowed down by the Webs. As mentioned, most of the Special Cards in the box have a web design on the back. This allows you to use any of the cards you are not recruiting into your Warband as terrain, slowly filling the Battlefield with webbing or laying a thick carpet of web overlapping in one area.
Webs also make your opponent’s Ki feats more difficult, increasing Ki cost by one, while giving your warband even more Ki for Kumo models each time the enemy uses Ki in Webs. What’s more, friendly models are difficult to pin down in Webs, gaining sidestep special abilities.
Webs are even more effective when played into Camouflage and Cloudwalk models as Webs can counter these traits.
Opponents will have to think carefully before coming into contact with Webs and will be keen to utilise any anti-terrain effects, such as any effects that destroy terrain that they may have access to. They won’t hold up against a charging buffalo or a giant Oni swinging a Tori arch!
Any Downsides?
Apart from their unusual Ki mechanics they have very average stats for Bushido. Most models have a melee Statistic of 3 and a movement statistic of 4. This alone is unimpressive, though considering all the benefits of being a Kumo described above combined with a strong list of debuff effects on offer, it’s clear why they don’t also have samurai level stats.
Very few Kumo have melee traits beyond Indomitable (with some notable exceptions) and Strong. While these rare traits are very powerful, more common abilities that allow rerolls in melee or other helpful effects are clearly lacking for the Kumo. They need to set up those debuffs before committing to melee if they want to ensure significant damage.
Kumo have few terrain navigating abilities. This, combined with large bases, can mean a clever opponent can block paths making scenario scoring more difficult and generally upsetting battle plans. Webs can help counter this of course by making your opponent have their own problems to deal with.
Kumo need more setup for accessing their Ki feats. This requires a little more foresight and Ki management than is often the case for some factions in Bushido. However, effective use of Ki unlocks some powerful effects. Note that while at first glance it may look like they have a Ki stat of zero, in effect the Spirit trait means they have the equivalent of a Ki statistic and simply do not generate Ki like most other models in the game.
Kumo have limited special attacks and defences, and so don’t generally have access to Powerful Attack, Combo Attack, Throws and Slams. While they have good special abilities for positioning, players may miss the abilities listed for generating further damage or for board control. To make up for this, they have Web Defence, which is entirely new to Bushido and allows Kumo to pin enemy models in place!
Kumo models are not cheap in terms of rice cost. That means you have to be careful selecting your profiles and special cards to unlock their potential. While Jaaskuna cultists are expendable, the loss of a Kumo will be keenly felt.
There is a smaller model range compared to established factions. This is probably obvious given they have just been released as a single box. However, compared to established factions, there are just fewer models to choose from. While the box has many options, including strong special cards, it’s not at the same level as other established factions.
Model Profiles
Banri and Hidemi; Jaakuna Cultists are cheap and expendable thralls for the Kumo; they’re more than capable of holding their own in melee, doing damage at range, or performing scenario tasks. They are covered in small spiders, which are not good for their health. In game terms, this means they slowly suffer from Poison. While they can resist the damage effects through their Ki feat it’s likely they will be weakened during the game. While that’s a negative effect, do not worry. They are cheap and bring a respectable melee statistic or ranged statistic of 3 where it counts, plus decent traits including Fearless and Aware, for a bargain 8 rice! They also have the Cultist trait, which gives them some interesting Ki management options during the game.
Tashi, the Eightfold Blessing is a human-sized Kumo offering powerful Ki feats. The epic ‘Unreasonable Eight Foot Stride’ Ki feat allows her to to be picked up and placed within a Web, once per game, anywhere on the table. This is very powerful for scoring objectives or attacking unsuspecting enemy models! She can also turn off enemy special abilities using her infinite range Simple Aura! What’s more she can gain Dread and Terror to ensure her Fear takes effect.
Kiyo, Who Sees Behind has similar stats to Tashi but brings very different Ki feats and effects to the table. Firstly, she can put Webs out through wait actions which can be ‘free’ actions. She has a well-rounded range of special abilities benefiting from two melee weapons: her Mandibles which poison, or a Tachi which helps punch into enemy armour. She excels at activation pressure; through another infinite range Simple Aura she can ensure Poisoned models cannot gain additional activations during a turn. That’s massive into warbands built around gaining activations. Also, she can put out mass Immobilised markers which can waste enemy model’s activations.
Aiumi, with No Compassion is a medium-sized Kumo who excels at ranged attacks. These are to be feared, hitting hard and leaving a Fire marker. Remember Strong applies to both melee and ranged attacks here! What’s more, she can put out Poison through an active Ki feat. I found that essential for Aura setups, or just a little extra damage! Aiumi can also create an Aura which prevents healing and makes enemy models Weak (making their Attacks softer and those size tests harder) if they are Poisoned.
Eimi, of the Mind’s World, the second medium model, is a great support/debuff piece. Being able to reliably use Psychic Drain to gain Ki and then share that with her fellow Kumo to fuel their Ki feats is incredibly powerful! She can also create a Disturbed Flow Aura, putting further Ki pressure on Poisoned enemy models especially if they are within Webs.
Chinatsu, the Cold Anger is a large Kumo who brings a powerful Poison ranged attack which can help deal damage and set up those Auras the Kumo are so fond of. She also debuffs through her own Simple Infinite Aura so that Poisoned enemy models cannot use Lightfooted or Cloudwalk. Her signature Ki feat means once per game, all enemy models in Webs, which she can put out, cannot perform scenario actions. That’s game changing if played at the right time.
Example List
This list provides plenty of models to get a good feel for the various profiles. The Cultists provide reasonable line troops, while Eimi offers excellent support. Chinatsu and Aiumi are the damage dealers. Tashi and Kiyo are flex pieces.
The list can easily get all five Webs out turn 1, but try and hold back a little to see where the game goes. It also starts with decent fear values, but keep a track on this during the game as it can change.
Ki management and keeping track of various interactions is essential for the warbands’ performance.
The special cards offer some additional utility, but can be traded out with others to suit taste. I find it difficult to leave Advance Webbing at home.
Theme – ‘Joyless Smiles and Dark Eyes’
Kiyo – 13
Tashi – 14
Aiumi – 15
Eimi – 15
Chinatsu – 19
Hidemi – 8
Banri – 8
Advance Webbing – 1
Clinging Web Strands – 2
Arachnophobia – 5
Total; 100 Rice
Tenbatsu is a great addition for more traditional melee power, though has few synergies with the main warband builds.
Scir_Waeter’s Hot Take: To catch a spider….
Quite apart from getting a whole new shiny faction to look at, the release of the Awoken has a lot of implications for how we play our existing factions, and how we think about the game. Unlike Craig, I’ve not yet playtested them. This is a hot take on how they may influence the game for other factions, and some counters that may emerge – speculating off the cards, profiles, and Craig’s analysis.
The terrain game – already critical – just became even more so. Webbed ground is going to be a serious problem for some factions, (particularly those that rely on cloudwalk, like Descension, or camouflage, like Ninjas), so defending your path to scenarios and ensuring the Awoken can’t get a web down somewhere critical is going to be a key consideration. Difficult terrain may even become your friend VS the sticky alternative. Webs increasing Ki costs by 1 and funneling Ki to Kumo models will be hideous for some more Ki dependent factions.
From the profiles and cards, it feels like the Awoken will have a ‘Come at me, bro’ playstyle, forcing opponents to engage on negative terms. That said, these profiles are not Samurai level strong in melee (despite Strong). Catching one of the spiders outside their web without access to special defences, or while exhausted is likely to see them dying very fast.
The Flank trait is always good for mind games, and may force the Awoken to put webs down where they really don’t want to. I can already see high mobility brawlers like Hiroto and Eldest Brother wreaking total havoc in the Awoken’s webby back line.
I don’t expect the Awoken will ever using many Ronin as a faction unless a card arrives to grant the Kumo keyword or some other immunity to the webs. It’s very clear that webs are central to the faction identity and critical to make the Kumo perform. Tenbatsu and Kappa are lovely, but they’ll get tangled up too.
As Craig says, big, strong models with the ability to destroy terrain pieces on contact and handle tricky move and size challenge tests also went up in value. As a Minimoto player, I can see Yuyokuma coming out to play more often if the meta starts to get covered in cobwebs. In addition, Tough will also really help manage the slow drip of poison, since the Awoken faction theme restricts the numbers of poison markers that can be resolved each turn.
Models with immune poison will also be even more valuable, particularly given the fact that poison now comes with Ki block for Enemy models.
I’m looking forward to playing with and against this faction – they look like they will bring a lot to the game, and not just because the models look lovely. I do expect them to have some hard counters – and to be very tricky for some factions to handle. As a sometime Ninja player, I can already anticipate the frustration I’ll feel facing a faction who have access to so much Aware and ways of negating camouflage, for example!
Final Takeaways
Craig: It’s clear that this faction has been given real focus and special attention from the developers to create profiles for models that will feel very different to anything currently in Bushido. While that means there’s a certain level of complexity over other faction starter sets, a themed box is still a great way for experienced and dauntless newer Bushido players to pick up the latest faction.
Players should expect it to take a few games to get the hang of all of their rules and interactions. Using their unusual traits, Ki feats, theme benefits and terrain will be key to success or failure. As always, opponents will also be developing counter tactics, I could see it taking a little time for all players to get well acquainted with the playstyle.
Tom (Scir_Waeter): Craig is one of the most capable players of Bushido out there (and has the GM title to prove it), so when he says ‘there is a certain level of complexity’ about this faction – take heed! Experienced players and lovers of interesting painting and terrain projects should lap this faction up. I need to get these models on the table, but for now, the GH advice is similar to the Kinshi temple as a faction – if you love the models like we do, go wild. However this might not be the best pick for a new player wanting to learn how ‘most’ Bushido plays.
Closing Remarks
After the retail release of the box (typically a couple of months after preview at Gencon) GCT plans to release a new model for this Faction every wave. This means the Awoken will quickly gain more options similar to the more established factions.
We’re delighted to reveal a preview of the concept art for a mini arriving in a future wave, and a little bit about them…
This is concept art for Hana, The Grace in Murder. If you want to guess her role, the clue’s in the name. She’s apparently going to bring the melee capability that’s so far a little lacking in the faction. Craig knows all about her, but he’s not allowed to tell me or you, so I’m going to indulge in a little speculation with the hints I’ve been given.
She has some interesting sounding Ki feats. The first one “Starless Midnight Chitin” sounds vaguely romantic, but certainly won’t be. I’m guessing, but it probably means she’ll get camouflage or create a bubble of darkness…or perhaps some sort of armour effect. She has another one called “Coldblooded Predator’s detachment”. Perhaps it will give her some sort of immunity to states, tireless, or the ability to get more activations to back up that promise of melee heft? All will be revealed in time…
We hope this article helps players looking at the box get a feel for playstyle and what the Awoken are about. Thanks again to GCT and Jason for giving us a sneak preview, and Craig for sharing his expertise!
For more Bushido content, check out our other articles.
*Price subject to change. GCT currently intends the MSRP of the box to be the same as the other Themed 100 Rice Warband boxes.
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