Dark Hammer - Undead Samurai

Undead Samurai
Company: Dark Hammer Miniatures
Part #:
Sculptor: Johney
Released: 2013

OK.  Dark Hammer is a brand new company, which again, seems to be more of a boutique outfit than a company making whole lines of miniatures to fill out your armies. This piece, which comes in both 28mm and 54mm scales, is a limited run.  Supposedly, only 100 will be made.  That's a bit of a bummer and I hope that we will see more cast, and more undead designs from Dark Hammer in general.  So why did I immediately buy this piece when I saw it up on Tabletop Gaming News (other than the fact that at a 100 piece limit I thought it wise not to tarry)?

1. It's flippin' epic!  It's just a great sculpt that captures the weary despair of eternal undeath.  See how the samurai sags in the saddle?  The bowed head.  The weary pointing arm. The nagita hanging limply in the other hand. The armor is intricately and beautifully sculpted. The mount a perfect mixture bone and rotting flesh.  The tattered banner attached to the crooked back. Just a winning piece all around.
2. I'm in the middle of putting together an undead medieval samurai force (brigade, but may be able to expand into an army depending on how much Wyrd and Zenit eventually put out). So this piece was a natural fit. The thing I need most is undead samurai cavalry. I have several of the Clan Wars Lost Moto, but not yet enough for a unit. I might be able to fit this guy into that unit but it would be a stretch. They just look too different design wise. But he'd make a good hero, or even a brigade leader. His weary pointing stance pressing on his skeletal compatriots onward toward their objective.

Dark Hammer has some concept art up of a skeletal Egyptian chariot on its web page so hopefully we'll see that soon.

Of course, skeletal Egyptians are as common as dirt.  I myself have an entire army of nothing but skeletal Egyptians.  So, I'd much rather see their talents applied to making more undead samurai.  It seems to be a growing niche.