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Boxer Rebellion

I was talking to someone recently who said that he wanted to game the Boxer Rebellion but that the Red Box figures "look awful". Well, for Boxers and the Chinese Imperial Army I suggested Orion Boxer Rebellion figures. Great looking but there are figures I think could have been added -but unless Strelets come up with a Boxer set this is all we have in plastic.

For the Eight Nations things are not that bad. I think some of the Red Box sailor sets to go with this Rebellion are not too bad. BUT you can certainly use Hat WW 1 Russians and Strelets Brits for The Boer War will also do. For the Germans you can certainly use Strelets WW 1 German cavalry, Airfix or Hat WW 1 German infantry and, if you can get them, Hat early WW 1 French. Americans...Airfix WW 1 Americans...I can't think of any better set.

There is a well illustrated article on the Rebellion showing the allies and pickelhaubed Germans (WARNING: some very grim photos)here:

http://mannaismayaadventure.com/2011/06/15/boxer-rebellion-in-china/

If anyone can suggest other figures suitable for Allies such as Japanese and Americans please do!
Terry

Re: Boxer Rebellion

BUM has some Japanese troops that might be appropriate for the Boxer
Rebellion. They are resin rather than plastic and are pretty expensive, but
they are marked as being 1890 - 1930, so they are from the right period.

Re: Boxer Rebellion

Hi.
Yes, I've seen those. I do know people have used the Airfix WW 1 British infantry set for Japanese and they looked effective. I've not found anyone selling the B.U.M. figures, though.

Re: Boxer Rebellion

I've been looking at some of the old Boxer Rebellion photos and you could use the Airfix/Hat WW 1 Americans for the campaign. I think, though, based on my attempts to glue together the cycles for the Hat WW 1 Jaeger on bicycles and their arms -come on -arms to glue onto 1 inch figures!!!- and the amount of super glue on my fingers....I'll wait and pray a manufacturer makes a couple sets of Boxers!!

Re: Boxer Rebellion

For the Allies, I'd like to add HäT's Colonial and WW1 Indian infantry sets.

Could Zulu War / Sudan 1898 British infantry provide a starting point for Japanese troops? They wear gainters and the ammo pouches are similar, but they are tall and a headswap is needed anyway.

I have seen many and bought some of the Red Box sets. I know they get a lot of bashing but some sets like the French sailors, the Gurkhas, the Russian infantry (no matter what PSR say) or the Italian Bersaglieri are good enough for me after cutting away the flash. Sadly the Sikh and Japanese are not among their best efforts.

The Orion boxer sets is marvellous IMHO. I could use more regular imperial infantry and Muslim Kansu Brave figures, though. For artillery, I am looking at Cossacks and maybe the Ottoman artillery Red Box are currently releasing.

Any further conversion ideas would be most welcome. Regards, Pa

Re: Boxer Rebellion

Yes, British -I've seen people paint up the Airfix WW 1 British as Japanese and it works -a helmeted British (colonial) as officers should work.

Of course I missed out the Hat Indian Cavalry and Infantry -both should be okay for this period.

PSR can be quite niggly on sets that look fine. Some of the Red Box -Civilian volunteers and the sailors as well as Gurkhas look fine.

The Red Box sets do sound good. I think, considering the Boxers used artillery, there is a lot of scope for companies to develop sets.

We can only live in hope!!
Cheers

Re: Boxer Rebellion

As I mentioned that the Boxers used cannon I did a quick image search and there are some good photos of Boxer cannon. They look quite Medieval or a little like the old Revell or Call To Arms English Civil War cannon. So giving the Boxers that extra punch on the gaming board is possible. And, no, that "Boxer" and "extra punch" were not intentional as a pun!

Re: Boxer Rebellion

Please find some creative conversions here:
http://www.fuhrmann-figuren.de/sammlervorstellung/umhey/boxer/boxer1.htm
http://www.fuhrmann-figuren.de/sammlervorstellung/umhey/boxer/boxer2.htm

Robin Hood's merry men as boxers!

The regular Chinese troops had some modern Krupp field guns, not sure the boxers were capable of using them. A Chinese speciality was the use of the Jingal muskets, a weapon that dwarfs the German WW1 AT rifle!
http://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/chinese-jingal-wall-gun/

Regards, Pa

Re: Boxer Rebellion

The Robin Hood conversions are neat. Sadly, my fingers and eyes are no longer conversion usable!! Love the way gamers manage to convert figures, though. I mean, seeing Robin Hood figures and thinking "Boxer Rebellion"! Great eye and great imagination.

Jingal muskets -man, they are HUGE!

Boxers were capable of using artillery -as the nation that gave us, in a round about way, gun powder and fireworks they (Chinese) had a long history of cannon using. The basic powder-shot cannot were quite basic -the Russians captured a few and even Americans. There are a few photos on line including at this site

http://concurringopinions.com/archives/2012/02/wrongful-auction-of-stolen-chinese-cannon.html

and here:

http://roadschoolingamerica.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/touring-west-point-orange-county.html

From what I can find out this was a common type of cannon and the Krupp was mainly Chinese Imperial Army.

I think it all goes to show that if you can convert figures -go for it! I wouldn't even attempt making a Jingal musket firing man!!

THANKS for the links.

Re: Boxer Rebellion

Thank you for the links.

Here is another Jingal photo - even allowing for the small average size of the Japanese man in 1900, the guns appear huge as you say:
http://ingunowners.com/forums/long-guns/313540-rev-war-shoulder-fired-light-cannon.html

Not so sure about the Boxers using any type of cannon. You are right in saying firearms were invented in China but the boxers were mainly peasants with no military experience.

I mean I for one could not fire a black power muzzle loader! At least not safely. Regards, Pa

Re: Boxer Rebellion

I once saw a Jingal replica and the man who made it was around 5ft 7ins tall. It was....1979 (!!) and I thought it was a joke at first. "They couldn't fire them standing or kneeling without support" he told us "They are called 'wall guns' because they were rested on walls" The gun would have been around the 7ft length mark. Compared to the Japanse and average height of time then, yes, those jingals must be 7 feet at least.

Incredible the powder weapons they came up with. Some are mentioned on this Wiki entry. Lots of scope for gamers!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_China_before_1911

Cheers
Terry