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Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: traveller on March 03, 2013, 02:48:46 PM

Title: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: traveller on March 03, 2013, 02:48:46 PM: Watching "Seediq Bale - Warriors of the Rainbow" inspired me to start building up forces for the Japanese invasion 1895. These attempts on the fierce Seediq Bale are mostly Foundry, and a few Dixon, conversions, together with a few shots from the movie:

(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/IMG_1470_zps040389f2.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/IMG_1475_zpscddd4816.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/IMG_1477_zpsc0997fe2.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/IMG_1486_zpscb1af038.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/IMG_1495_zpsd7cfbe3b.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/853f45af-32d5-4fee-927c-8acb7c4208cb_zpsf92697a2.jpg)

(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/Seediq5.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/Seediq10.jpg)
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww323/Travellera/Seediq%20Bale/Seediq1.jpg)
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: marianas_gamer on March 03, 2013, 07:27:37 PM: Thumbs up! Can't wait for an AAR.
LB
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: former user on March 03, 2013, 07:38:26 PM: can't say anything about the movie (where did You get it btw? looks interesting)

but You got the appearance spot on
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: Svennn on March 03, 2013, 07:48:38 PM: Kudos, I love to see esoteric conflicts realised with passion like this.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: traveller on March 03, 2013, 08:27:09 PM: I actually watched the full movie on youtube but it is available in DVD with english subs for example at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/279-7355496-6688518?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=warriors+of+the+rainbow

The movie starts with the 1895 campaign but the main part of this 2,5 hour long movie depicts the "Wushe Incident" in 1930-1932 where the mountain tribes waged guerilla warfare against the Japanese. Think a mix of bolt action rifles, machines guns, artillery, bow and arrow, spears and air raids together with....head-hunting :o
I was quite touched by the move but to find suitable miniatures is hard so I had to convert. Japanese troops are easier to find from Old Glory, Redoubt, Tsuba and Oshiro.

Hopefully the interest for this "obscure" conflict will grow with time. I am sure anyone who watch the movie will get interested.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: former user on March 03, 2013, 08:50:11 PM: the other wiki says the big version is 4,5 hours in two parts
and there were some controversies, but this is to be expected with political issues

I'd love to see that movie
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: DoctorPete on March 03, 2013, 10:35:32 PM: Very nicely done conversions! This is an interesting subject for gaming. :)
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: Mason on March 03, 2013, 10:52:05 PM: This is great!

Quote from: Svennn on March 03, 2013, 07:48:38 PM
Kudos, I love to see esoteric conflicts realised with passion like this.

^^^
Sums it up perfectly.

Watching this space with interest.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: OSHIROmodels on March 04, 2013, 07:23:10 PM: Interesting subject 8)

cheers

James
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: Stavros on March 04, 2013, 09:10:54 PM: I agree, very interesting subject and great conversions. Would some of the Old Glory Moro tribesmen be suitable, been looking to use those minis for 'different' tribesmen closer to mainland China.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: HerbyF on March 04, 2013, 09:23:38 PM: Some East Indians or Dyak figures would mix in well too. Maybe a few Wako pirates or medieval Koreans would be easy convertions.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: traveller on March 07, 2013, 08:33:38 AM: Thanks for your comments!

Its a bit of a challenge to find suitable miniatures for conversion so I am grateful for any help and suggestions. The Foundry book by Ian Heath on China provide detailed information on the dress of the different aboriginal hill tribes of Taiwan. I like though the "Movie version" of the Seediq people which maybe generalise the dress a bit. So the wanted apperance is:
-barefoot
-cleanshaven
-bareheaded or with a headcloth/scarf/bandana (no turban)
-loincloth ( no trousers)
-knee-long coat/jacket with long sleeves (it seems only the Seediq who had this, most used sleeveless coats so I have decided to use that as well)
-cloak/blanket
-muskets or captured Japanese bolt action rifles
-bow
-long knife without a handleguard
-medium long spears

I have a new batch of Foundry baluchis and somalis that I am working on. I have run out of the "headcloth-heads" I got from slaughtered Foundry Chinese so I guess the rest will be bareheaded...
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895
Post by: traveller on March 07, 2013, 08:43:01 AM: Continuing my quest to find suitable figures for the Seediq tribesmen I found these:

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26_78&products_id=252

They look almost perfect if I could just carve out the existing weapons and replace them with muskets/rifles. Does anyone have experience of doing such a conversion? I am afraid it might be difficult?
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: efredbar on June 20, 2013, 05:10:28 AM: How's the quest coming along?

I've just watched this yesterday (netflix)...excellent movie.

I've been converting some Scruby dervish into generic Han (boxers, pirates, etc) and I thought I might recruit them for Han holdouts during the initial Japanese occupation. Jacklex makes Japanese for the Russo-Japanese War that look perfect for the task.

I did wonder about the Japanese soldiers that were in red britches. Is that correct....what were they...regular infantry?

Hope the project is still coming along. I like the conversions.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: traveller on June 20, 2013, 06:37:16 AM: Efredbar,

Thanks for your post. I am happy to hear that others also have found this exotic conflict interesting. I have lined up some more conversions made from Foundry Baluchis and I am waiting for the West Wind Vietnam Montagnards to arrive from the UK. The project is though a bit on the shelf for the moment. I am going to Malta in a few weeks and I am totally sold on the Great siege of 1565. Hard to keep focus you know ;)

Regarding uniforms I think the movie depicts mostly police units hence the red breeches. I have though decided to use the Guard uniform since they spearheaded the invasion. Send me a PM if you want some uniform plates. It would be interesting to see some of your work on the dervish conversions.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: efredbar on June 21, 2013, 02:15:10 PM: I might do some up as police...they were pretty sharp lookin'. Of course I'd have to think long and hard on how to convert the Seediq. Your's look great but, I'm messing around with these old school figures...trying to produce little toy soldiers along the lines of William Hocker and Beau Gueste...Britains.

I'll post some of my conversions this weekend...along with some of the French I'll be pitting against them.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: juergen c. olk on July 05, 2013, 03:25:57 AM: Great job on conversions,it is a great movie..maybe you could convert some moari figures for the headhunters.
Title: Re: Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1895 - advice on conversions needed!
Post by: airbornegrove26 on July 05, 2013, 04:09:56 AM: That is a nice start to your project. I really like the paint schemes, well done.