Difference between revisions of "Tetsu Bonsai"
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Tetsu Bonzai has its roots in the original group started by [[Jared]] (of Sakura Moon Empire), which was then known as Red Dawn. Originally, the home park was in Temple Terrace, at Lettuce Lake Park. The group then relocated to Al Lopez park, and finally settled into it's current home at Lowry Park under the name Sosei Bonzai, meaning "New Tree Branch". After a recruiting blitz centered around a local anime convention, the group's attendance skyrocketed to numbers as high as the sixties on occasion, with an average of around thirty regular players. The park gained a reputation as the crown jewel of the SMS, and retired from the shogunate with an undefeated record in clan warfare. The focus is on combat, and the fighting style is reminiscent of many real-world weapon styles. The park was host to the largest event in SMS history, a feast which was held in September of 2007 that had over 100 players from 5 clans in attendance. The park's fighters have traveled to Orlando on two separate occasions for raids, and has won both times. The pinnacle of the clan's fighting history came when 33 of their fighters defeated an army of 55 in the first raid on Orlando's Red Mangetsu, Azure Gengetsu, Jacksonville's Akaya Hayashi, and West Palm's Satsubatsu Gumi. In January of 2008, frustrations with the leadership of Sakura Moon reached a boiling point, and the park decided to leave the shogunate and petition Amtgard for status as a freehold. | Tetsu Bonzai has its roots in the original group started by [[Jared]] (of Sakura Moon Empire), which was then known as Red Dawn. Originally, the home park was in Temple Terrace, at Lettuce Lake Park. The group then relocated to Al Lopez park, and finally settled into it's current home at Lowry Park under the name Sosei Bonzai, meaning "New Tree Branch". After a recruiting blitz centered around a local anime convention, the group's attendance skyrocketed to numbers as high as the sixties on occasion, with an average of around thirty regular players. The park gained a reputation as the crown jewel of the SMS, and retired from the shogunate with an undefeated record in clan warfare. The focus is on combat, and the fighting style is reminiscent of many real-world weapon styles. The park was host to the largest event in SMS history, a feast which was held in September of 2007 that had over 100 players from 5 clans in attendance. The park's fighters have traveled to Orlando on two separate occasions for raids, and has won both times. The pinnacle of the clan's fighting history came when 33 of their fighters defeated an army of 55 in the first raid on Orlando's Red Mangetsu, Azure Gengetsu, Jacksonville's Akaya Hayashi, and West Palm's Satsubatsu Gumi. In January of 2008, frustrations with the leadership of Sakura Moon reached a boiling point, and the park decided to leave the shogunate and petition Amtgard for status as a freehold. | ||
| − | The park's current name, Tetsu Bonzai, means "Tree Branch of Iron", in reference to their "ironclad" fighting skills. | + | The park's current name, Tetsu Bonzai, means "Tree Branch of Iron", in reference to their "ironclad" fighting skills. The "incorrect" spelling of Bonsai is actually a play on words between the Japanese word for tree and the Japanese battle cry. |
Tetsu Bonzai is also home to two companies. The original, known as [[Itsukaten]], is composed mainly of the founding members of the original group at Al Lopez. The newest company, The Squirrel Squad, consists of younger, smaller fighters with one rather large barbarian as a notable exception! | Tetsu Bonzai is also home to two companies. The original, known as [[Itsukaten]], is composed mainly of the founding members of the original group at Al Lopez. The newest company, The Squirrel Squad, consists of younger, smaller fighters with one rather large barbarian as a notable exception! | ||
Revision as of 19:26, 5 July 2008
Heraldry
A chapter formerly associated with the Sakura Moon Empire. As of February 2008 granted Freehold Status.
History
Tetsu Bonzai has its roots in the original group started by Jared (of Sakura Moon Empire), which was then known as Red Dawn. Originally, the home park was in Temple Terrace, at Lettuce Lake Park. The group then relocated to Al Lopez park, and finally settled into it's current home at Lowry Park under the name Sosei Bonzai, meaning "New Tree Branch". After a recruiting blitz centered around a local anime convention, the group's attendance skyrocketed to numbers as high as the sixties on occasion, with an average of around thirty regular players. The park gained a reputation as the crown jewel of the SMS, and retired from the shogunate with an undefeated record in clan warfare. The focus is on combat, and the fighting style is reminiscent of many real-world weapon styles. The park was host to the largest event in SMS history, a feast which was held in September of 2007 that had over 100 players from 5 clans in attendance. The park's fighters have traveled to Orlando on two separate occasions for raids, and has won both times. The pinnacle of the clan's fighting history came when 33 of their fighters defeated an army of 55 in the first raid on Orlando's Red Mangetsu, Azure Gengetsu, Jacksonville's Akaya Hayashi, and West Palm's Satsubatsu Gumi. In January of 2008, frustrations with the leadership of Sakura Moon reached a boiling point, and the park decided to leave the shogunate and petition Amtgard for status as a freehold.
The park's current name, Tetsu Bonzai, means "Tree Branch of Iron", in reference to their "ironclad" fighting skills. The "incorrect" spelling of Bonsai is actually a play on words between the Japanese word for tree and the Japanese battle cry.
Tetsu Bonzai is also home to two companies. The original, known as Itsukaten, is composed mainly of the founding members of the original group at Al Lopez. The newest company, The Squirrel Squad, consists of younger, smaller fighters with one rather large barbarian as a notable exception!
People
- Monarch- Toshiro Mifune (Kyle Hankins)
- Prime Minister- Mifune Tamakins of the Azure Wind (Vaughn Wassmer)
- Champion- Zooma (Peter Marotta)
- Scribe- Emanon no Kalani (Sarah Nieto)
- Unofficial Guildmaster of Reeves- Kaitsu Hinosuki (Thomas Stone)
Master Classes
Upon research of alternate classes from expansions such as the Engoku expansion the group began to look for alt classes to add to the game. A few were selected from old rulebooks, most notably Bushi which has since been put on a hiatus status, and Ninja (A Monk and Assassin Mastery Level Class). In an attempt to play Ninja many people felt that it was an unfair class. So to Nerf the class a few members of the group went to work on it and bring it up to date with the current rulebook. The idea of master classes spread and the group spent a long time working on make one for each class, to be fair. Although even some of the original designers of the master classes believe that they may eventually be discarded. The group has several roadblocks placed to make it difficult to attain master status in any class. You must be a Lv. 6 + an additional 13 credits in a class to play it's master and you may only play it four times a month. Most master classes are "as per Lv. 6 (original class) at their first level, with additional abilities or lives listed afterward.
Current Master Classes for regular classes are Archer--Marksman with additional arrows like Poison arrow and a variant of "Powerful Blows" themed to archery.
Assassin--Shadow Soldier with mostly the regular Assassin moves but a few more times, and more simplified way of choosing them. Also, with a new move that is a variant of Bard's Mimic ability, that requires you to kill a member of the class you desire to mimic.
Barbarian--Elder Barbarian, effectively the same class except with one enchantment and immunity to Control magic outside of Berserk. Also, a limit of 1 per every ten regular Barbarians.
Monk--Prophet effectively the same class with the ability to heal others instead of just themselves, and the ability to after their final life reincarnate themselves as a non-magic standard fighting class for one life.
Scout--Ranger Modeled slightly after the 6.0 Bounty Hunter theme, they have moves like, "Blend" as per the monster ability, and "Thornwall"
Warrior--Legendary Warrior the same class except all moves like Improve Weapon and Improve Shield are more often per life or game than the standard warrior. And at Lv. 6 lives increases to 7.
Magic classes do not gain master classes, however if they reach Lv. 6 with the additional 13 days, they gain 5 magic points added anywhere on their spell list that they want.
Paladin and Anti-Paladin also do not have master classes. The group decided against them because nobody in their group can legally play either (or become a knight for that point) for several years.
Alt Classes
More than the master classes the group has been working, and continues to work, on Alt classes. Most notably, and to the group most proudly, with a revamped version of the old class Pirate. In Testu Bonzai to play any Alt class you must have attained 37 credits in standard Amtgard classes.(The number that would be a level three in a normal class, but they may be spread through any class chosen.) The group feels that the three currently "Accepted" alt classes are fair and balanced to the other standard classes but are willing to nerf or buff them so as to not take fun away from the game if you play a standard class. Currently (July 2, 2008) only three alt classes have been approved for regular gameplay. They are:
Onion Knight: Themed from the Final Fantasy Tactics class of the same name. Starting with three lives and with only dagger, short, long (No armor) they effectively gain the ability to use more weapon types and armor as the levels progress.
Alchemist: Themed from the Herbalist class.
Pirate: Originally the alt class pirate from the Nautical Nights expansion, the group felt that that class was not going to fit in with their style of fighting. So the skeleton of the class was kept but more moves were added in. The group as a whole seems to agree that it is the most balanced of the alt classes and as many people like pirates it is one of the more popular.
Contacts and Directions
Location:
Lowry Park 7530 North Blvd Tampa, FL 33604
Sunday from 2:00 P.M. til dark. Tuesday from 4:00 P.M. til dark.
