What have I got myself into?

A bit sick here. It's been cold the last couple weeks, and I also work with kids, so it happens regularly. I shouldn't have gone in today, but a couple others called out and I had to make up for a program. That went alright despite forgetting my training on our new electronic gizmos so that I had to sing songs myself, and I shouldn't have been singing! So I'll stay home tomorrow. At least I have something to keep me busy:

Specifically, a Warlord Games mystery box.

I've been reading a LOT of pike-and-shot histories and rules lately. (Peter Young never wrote rules for the period, but his books are excellent.) I figured this could start a small collection, perhaps to play with The Pikemen's Lament.

But I forgot about...

... the Samurai period.

Also a sprue of Gallic warriors for Epic Hail Caesar.

This is a fairly hefty army set. With the additions to the army set - three boxed sets and a command pack - there are 24 mounted samurai, 60 foot samurai, 40 ashigaru with spears, and 40 ashigaru with missile weapons. Plus two mounted commanders and two foot officers (one metal, the others resin).

I know absolutely nothing about the Sengoku period (1470-1600). 

Suggestions for books gratefully accepted. My only exposure are a handful of Kurosawa classics and two comics - Lone Wolf and Cub and Usagi Yojimbo. Both of which are excellent, stone-cold classics - but both during the Tokugawa period. I've been meaning to read the Sano Ichiro murder mystery series, also set a century later.

That said, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse # 7) was the first thing I ever bought from a comic store, the same one I'd visited to hunt down historical gaming and discovered Games Workshop instead. A happy, if desultory, period of first exploration into the gaming hobby, during which I also got my brother into comics and gaming - and he's a heck of a better painter than me. If I can find appropriate transfers, I may use the Mifune or Geishu Clan for imagery, though there are not many color images of their uniforms or armour.

"Tidders" of the Carry on Chaps blog and Virtual Wargames Club also collects samurai, and I may have to pick his brain for painting tips and rules. When I was first getting into wargaming a ruleset based on Legend of the Five Rings, that seemed very Warhammerish, was popular but I believe is long dead. For full-fledged unit games Pike and Shotte itself shouldn't be a problem - but I am still tempted by skirmish.

Wish me luck!