Themes
Black Sails – The best starting spot for people getting into Jung, Black Sails is vvery forgiving. An extra activation and ki on every successful Sidestep Defense helps get the most out of your kaizoku. It also lets you run Samemiman and Kanimiman in theme so the cool looking models that caught your eye can hit the table.
Docks of Ryu – For those who want more power. The most restrictive of the themes, it wants numbers on it’s side. Tireless is a great asset to the beaters of the list, while the kaizoku overwhelm to get Powerful Attack(1) off from Minato. Extra ki when down in the game will help you get back in it.
Queen of the Waves – Another list that wants numbers, Mari’s command will help dictate play on your terms. Great at staying out of long engagements and flank giving you a boost late game will keep your opponent on their toes.
Landing Party – My least used theme, it helps with the resiliency of Kaizoku, but limits their boosts by not allowing Kancho. The lists designed for this will often work with one of the other themes, which allows for more options. On my list of puzzles to solve.
Conclave of Captains – My current project with Jung is getting a solid Conclave list. I started with the extreme and have been rolling it back. All 3 kancho and Ashinaga Tenaga doesn’t leave enough room for the list to breathe. 2 Kancho, Ashinaga and the harpoon brothers (Jori and Yori) has had more promise. Jori loves Believer and they can run more independent than Kohanin and Korusea. Dedicating 40 rice to get Co-ordinated attack is still a large amount, but using it as the perk and not the focus helps make things run smoother.
Sample Lists
Black Sails on the Horizon – Hibiki (Hand Cannon), Tora, Duri (Silver Bullets), Asami, Jori, Temo. Bounty, Blow the Man Down, Black Sails Theme
My go-to ranged list, this doesn’t get too bogged down with reload. Duri gets the extra activation each turn to keep up with mobility and reload once in position. Asami hangs out with Duri, so he can trigger Blow the Man Down if some tries to enter BTB with her while she knocks models prone for her teammates to pepper with shots.
Hibiki is the main scenario runner/assassin to go after big threats as he’s slippery enough to avoid unwanted combat. The Hand Cannon was originally included as more flavor, but it’s gotten its points back every game. With Cloudwalk and Agile, he can get into the back of the board easily, either setting up for surprised ranged attacks or getting the surprise himself.
Sidestep defense on all the kaizoku keeps them from getting locked up, but in short-range for the counter-attack shot. Jori and Temo are the early turn activators, controlling the tempo of the turn. Using lightweight, they are constantly shifting position, drawing your enemies to where you want them to be.
Tora sneaks around and catches distracted opponents. She can play recklessly because if she gets killed the extra death sentence marker on all models brings everyone up to 4 dice ranged attacks that at short range will consistently be hitting 4+ success level. The fear of not wanting to kill her will let her get the set up she needs for lethal ranged daggers. Targeting the bounty model with her lets you essentially Combo for free.
This list is great for Objective and VIM scenarios but struggles to hold Zones as it wants to keep moving. With its options for manipulating board position, keeping your opponent out of zones until you can drop in at the end of a turn is the best way to score points.
Queen of the Sharks – Mari(Silver Bullets), Ran(Triangle Knife), Ryota, Arata, Kohanin x2, Sho, Kami of Morning Dew. Taunt, Kamikaze(1), Kamikaze(2)
Putting Arata into a late-game flank, and Ryota into an early game flank, the goal is to put as many bleed tokens on the board as possible. Stacking them so they last multiple turns is key.
The Kami should head towards the edge that Ryota will flank in from, to get the hold in case you can’t get the bleed on in time.
Mari and Ran are your bait, drawing attention to the center of the board. Play defensive, as they just need to survive for ow. If you can get tokens out with them, great, but leave that to the Kohanin tag team early game. Mari can command the Kohnanin to shield them from counterattacks before they can get the melee assist. Taunt and Provoke should be used to dictate your opponent’s turn as much as possible.
The Queen of the Waves Theme and Kamikaze will help free up the sharks if the initial charge doesn’t kill their target. They hate prolonged engagements.
Great on Objectives, Zone control is difficult as the list plays more aggressively which means you’re going to lose the Kohanin and Sho before the end of the game and the sharks are too mobile to hold zones well. VIM scenarios force you to play a bit more defensively but Ran or Mari can both be kept alive with the right rolls.
Exercises
The following lists are more exercises in Jung’s capabilities than competitive. They are great for learning the faction’s strengths and weaknesses as they isolate aspects of the faction.
Yuji’s Swarm – Yuji(Eye Patch), Kohanin(2), Korusea (2), Sho, Taru, Crabs of the Eastern Sea, Water Kami (2). Bounty. Docks of Ryu theme.
The numbers game: 12 models on the table are terrifying for your opponent. You can get practically 2 models for every one against most lists. The sheer number of activations is enough to give you an edge and helps negate their pass tokens to an extent as if they use them too early, you’ll exhaust their models quickly.
There are no real tactics to this list, as you try to overwhelm the enemy as frequently as possible. It’s easy to get to objectives and Swarm Zones. VIM(Hidden) scenarios are fun because there are so many options for your VIM to be, it’s easy to play some shell games.
Not the strongest list, but a fun one to break out every once and a while. A good learning tool for how to get the most out of combat with the “weak” models in Jung.
Minato’s Mercy – Minato(Kintoki’s Salt), Tetsuso (Vial of Rajin’s Breath), Lua(Arashi’s Fan), Hideaki, Hibiki(Hotai’s Coin). Rice Ball Barricades, No Theme.
If you want to frustrate your enemies, this is the list to do it. Great Zone control as these are models that just won’t die. They’ll wear down your opponent while taking advantage of exhausted models.
This list won’t have a lot of damage output until late game, as it lacks the tricks Jung uses to boosts their dice pools, but whittling away while rolling defensively will let them outnumber their opponents by turn 5-6.
This list is a good way to learn about the “heavy hitters” in Jung and seeing how to keep them alive.
Command and Conquer – Mari(Eye Patch), Yuji, Kohanin(2), Sho, Korusea(2), Temo, Kami of the Morning Dew. Kamikaze(1) x2 No Theme.
A Variant on Yuji’s Swarm, this one is an exercise in Command. Under the right circumstances, you can exhaust your opponent’s models with minimum options on their actions.
In a perfect world: This is possible to pull off against lists of 6 or less models. End the turn with Temo putting an impetuous parker on exhausted Model A, and get the Kami to immobilize and/or grapple model A.
Win the tactical test at the start of the next turn. Mari commands 2 Kohanin and Sho into combat with models B, C and D. Using Provoke, put a second Impetuous marker on Model A.
Model A activates, stuck to the kami, reapply grapple if needed.
Command with Mari again, exhausting models B, C, and D. Model A activates to remove second impetuous marker, exhausted.
Yuji Commands the 2 Korusea into models E and F. Model E activates, staring in engagement, likely exhausts Korusea A. Korusea B activates and exhausts Model F.
This still likes Yuji with 1 activation and Temo with 2.
There are a dozen things that need to go right for this to work, and a million ways for it to go wrong, but it’s a fun exercise in the overwhelming power of Jung.
The 9 Worlds Gaming 