Why I’m Obsessed with Ninjas and Nippon in Warhammer

 

As I blogged about here I've been working on my Warband of Nippon in an on again, off again fashion. Currently it is in the on mode, huzzah.

I have just completed a few far eastern/Nippon/samurai type major purchases and will be rounding out two units with enough minis to have a sizeable force to play with. I have currently been tracking all activity on this particular army over at Dogs of War Online. As you can see I have made substantial progress with the ninja. For those inclined here is a picture from the blog featuring my first unit rounding into form.

I have been having a lot of fun scouring eBay for these guys and I am nearing the end of my quest to have one of each of the ninjas from back in the 1980s (there were 48 in all).

But only recently I stepped back and wondered just why? Why the interest in ninjas? No it was not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles either (I missed that by a few years). The roots of my being smack dab in the middle of the 80s Ninja Craze was this awesome great/bad movie, American Ninja!

I mean c'mon what 12 year old in 1985 DIDN'T want to be a ninja????

Of course, after watching it on HBO I wanted to be a ninja so of course I then proceeded to make some ninjatō, painted them silver and proceeded to whack the crap out of my friends with them. I also had some ninja stars to fling around too with my main target being the garage drywall. Of one thing I know for sure, I also dressed up as a ninja for Halloween one year too, probably seventh grade. My mom has a picture of it, but I am not letting that out to become the next internet meme.

So there you go. 80s Ninja Craze, 3rd Edition Warhammer a few short years later with some vestigial traces (and the let down of no Nippon army from GW) and then going full bore later in my life. I guess what was once old is now new again?

As a final thought one does have to deal with a Inverse ninja law.

NOTE: Games Workshop teased at Nippon on page 194 of the 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay book: "For the moment we shall pass over these lands, leaving their exploration to others. A complete guide to the lands of Nippon is already under development." Looks like that became never with the move to 4th Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle and then Herohammer.