Japanese invasion of Taiwan - Warriors of the Rainbow (Seediq Bale)

[traveller]

Picking up this old project as I can’t get this movie off my mind. Just watched it on blu-ray for 4 hours. Its so awesome 

Going to make this scene on the tabletop:

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alternative link:


First batch of tribesmen:

[traveller]

Second batch:

[traveller]

Third batch:

[marianas_gamer]

Looking good! I think that this would be a great mini campaign. Intrigued to see how your Japanese deal with fighting jungle insurgents.

[traveller]

Thanks Marianas,

In the real campaign of 1930s, 300 warriors took on thousands of Japanese Army and Police forces. I plan to use TMWWBK rules, I hope they will do the Seediq Bale justice!

Some inspiration from this great movie:

[juergen c. olk]

Thoseare perfect ,your right ,Great Movie.

[traveller]

Thoseare perfect ,your right ,Great Movie.

The long 4+ hour version is great. Its really an unbelievable story, 300 headhunters armed with swords, spears, bolt action rifles and machine guns fighting thousands of Japanese police, army, artillery and aircraft. What more to ask for as a wargamer? 

[MaleGriffin]

WOW!!!!! Well, I'm inspired to look into this film and the figures! Thanks for introduction, I'd never heard of this invasion.

[traveller]

WOW!!!!! Well, I'm inspired to look into this film and the figures! Thanks for introduction, I'd never heard of this invasion.

I was also unaware of this piece of history until I saw the movie the first time some 10 years ago. There were many uprisings against the Japanese: a summary here:

https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Taiwan/sub5_1a/entry-3796.html

I will focus on the Wushe incident uprising in the end of 1930 which provide an amazing scope as described earlier. if you are looking for the DVD or Blu-ray, make sure you get the international 4 hour version. I picked up the movie with English subs from a Danish online retailer:

https://www.laserdisken.dk/html/visvare.dna?vare=98952114241480177

[CPT Shanks]

Awesome action for gaming. Those look fantastic. You really captured the look. What miniatures are they?

[traveller]

Awesome action for gaming. Those look fantastic. You really captured the look. What miniatures are they?

Thanks for your comments! They are all conversions from Foundry Colonials and ancient ranges, West Wind Vietnam natives, Old Glory Seminoles. For the Japanese I will use Oshiro and Tsuba for police troops and Brigade and Warlord for the army.
You must see the movie, its the most inspiring warmovie I have seen 

[CPT Shanks]

Thanks. Your conversion work is spot on.

[traveller]

Oh, forgot that I also used some Copplestone Somalis, Dixon Samurai and TAG Azteks 

It is worth to note that it seems like the tribesmen who sided with the Japanese seems to be more uniformly dressed:

[WuZhuiQiu]

Great stuff! Seediq Bale is one of my favourite films, too, and I have acquired some Westwind Montagnards for a similar purpose. Re. the Japanese-aligned warriors, would the white turbans and dark leg wraps be part of a sort of uniform or a more durable equivalent to a field sign?

You must already know, but, in case you didn't, their sword scabbards were half wooden (on the inner side), with metal (formerly organic?) retention strips on the open outer side. Replicas are said to be available from a smith in a Taiwanese village.

How are you going to model their "trophies"...?

[traveller]

I have a few of the WW Montagnards among my Seediq Bale, they fit the bill quite nicely. Hard to tell if the Japanese militia were that uniform in reality but the photo above suggests so and it would make sense for the Japanese to distinguish them from the Seediq Bale. Not sure I will be able to go into detail on the scabbards. Look forward to see your though once you get going. I plan to make a small village with some women and children as well. The women had such cool tatoos and the watchtowers of their villages are hilarious  . A small scull rack is given in any village