Test of Honour Unboxing (Ronin)

Ronin

Hey Game Fans, we’re back with an unboxing article on one of the expansion sets for Test of Honour.  We’re going to take a look at the sprues, the cards, and any other odds and ends that come in the box.  Now most of these expansion sets (aside from the Samurai Warband) have additional metal components (typically metal heads) and a metal hero character.  Let’s dig into the components and see what you can put together out of the box.

The Sprues

Now this particular box contains 1 copy of this sprue

Now with these sprues you can build 5 models of a specific type, with extra metal parts for adding additional details.  They can be armed and equipped with the following options, depending on how you want to put them together:

• Samurai Warrior with Katana
• Samurai Warrior with Naginata
• Samurai Warrior with Bow

The Metal Components

The metal components allow you to modify 5 models, which means that you might be able to use the spare components to convert other models in your group.  

In addition, you have the metal hero character, Tadashi the Dishonored.  This model will come as a single piece with a number of additional details.  Also included is a single black base (you will have to drill a hole in the base to attach the peg from the miniature to the base).  

The Cards

There are two primary types of cards that come in each of these expansions.  First, you’ll be getting recruitment cards to match the new units available in the box.  Each Recruitment card included will have a breakdown like the one we did for the Starter Set.  You can find our original article on the Recruitment cards for the starter set (and the Samurai Warband box) here.  The card breakdowns for the current set are listed below.

Recruitment Cards

Tadashi the Dishonored

Tadashi, the Dishonored is a 6 recruitment cost model.  Like most of the Samurai hero figures, Tadashi has 3 activations and 5s in Aim, Agility and Strength.  He has a 6 Wits and 4 Honor, which is a recurring theme in this particular box.  Most Recruitment cards trade -1 honor for +1 Wits.  Tadashi also begins the game with the Dirty Trick Skill card.

Ronin Thug (2)

The Ronin Thug is the basic model for this box.  At a Recruitment Cost of 1, he has a fairly typical ability line of 3 Aim, 3 Agility, 3 Strength and 1 Activation.  Like the other Ronin units, It has +1 Wits and -1 Honor (for a 4 Wits and 2 Honor).  This means the Ronin units are more likely to succeed at tasks like searching for objectives or being able to pick out specific units, but if they start to lose friendly units, they are more likely to break and run.  

Ronin Thug Group (4)

The Ronin Thug Group is a 2 recruitment cost multibase model.  They count as being armed with a katana (as printed on the card) and share the same abilities as the Ronin Thug.  They also have the Aim bonus if there are at least two models on the base, and a +1 Honor if all 3 are present.  This partially mitigates the Honor deficit that the Ronin Troops have, but still means they can break with bad dice rolls.  

Additional Cards

In addition, the box will come with 8 additional skill cards and 3 quest cards.  We will be listing those below and having a brief explanation of what the card does.  

Lightning Thrust

Once per turn, Enemies suffer a -1 die to avoid the Samurai’s melee attack (You must declare you are using this ability before making the Strike roll).

Poisoned Weapon

Once per battle, the first time the Samurai inflicts a light wound, the target suffers 1 extra blood drop.

Bribes

Put 3 spare tokens on this card.  When an enemy tests to keep their nerve, you may remove one token from this card to remove 1 die per token removed.  When there are no more tokens on this card, discard it

Dangerous Reputation

Commoners must pass a Test of Honour to charge this Samurai.  If they fail, they can choose another target or a different action.  

Dirty Trick

Once per battle, after the Samurai makes a successful Melee Strike roll, you may choose for your Samurai hero to gain a Dishnour card.  The target cannot avoid the attack.  

Slow Acting Poison

This card is not given to a Samurai.  Instead, shuffle this car into your opponent’s Fate Deck.  If he or she draws this card, his Samurai Hero takes 1 blood drop and then discards this card.  (Usable Once).

Scum

Once per battle, if you have at least three more Dishonour cards than your opponent, then one commoner within 12 inches can make a free action.

Hidden Attacker

Once Per Battle, one warrior waiting to enter as a reinforcement is immediately deployed touching a piece of terrain and more than 6 inches away from any enemies (Can not be used on Mounted Warriors).  

Explorer (Quest)

Your Samurai hero must successfully search 5 objectives

Wealthy (Quest)

Your Samurai hero must retain 3 Skills with the Coin Keyword.

Massacre (Quest)

Cut Down 3 enemy groups in a single battle.

Conclusions

I like the flavor of this boxed  set a lot.  The total point cost for the entire box is 16 points, but you are woefully understaffed.  It only makes 5 Samurai aside from Tadashi, so you’re likely running with a Ronin Thug Group and 2 individual Ronin Thugs without getting some extra models to reinforce the box.  The +1 Wits, -1 Honour combination the Ronin have is a neat way to provide flavour for it.  The Ronin are woefully lacking in a ranged troop, but you can fold in some Ashigaru archers or Musketmen, or borrow some Pauper soldiers to flesh out the ranks.  

These aren’t really front line troops, because if units die around them they are more likely to break than others.  Their advantage is actually in objective games where you have to make Tests of Wits to search out objectives and find hidden things.  In that usage, they are wonderful flanking troops and can be sent off while the rest of your group does the fighting.  I wish this box had included an extra Sprue of Samurai to get closer to filling out the Recruitment cards.  

Now you can find the Ronin Boxed set at the Warlord Games Webstore here.  They retail for $20, at your friendly local game store.  Game on, Game Fans.