My new project (actually old project coming back)

[Arrigo]

Ok I am again at my china fixation... I have watched again the Sand Pebbles some weeks ago and decided that this will be one of the three 2007-8 projects (the othera being beersheba, and boxer rebellion so I will be able to recicle something). At the moment I am away from the painting room (some hundreds kilmeters away... I would add  :cry: ) so it's time to work carefully at the planning side of the thing and engage you to help me and to keep me on track so to not sway myself from the true purpose.  

Now let me to explain my secret project to you...

we are in china atr the eight of the warlord period... foreing devils are everywhere along ther mayor rivers and inside the mayor cities... their missionaries are alienating the traditional gods... communists agitators call for open revolt, pover hungry warlrod are battling themselves to gain supremacy, peasants are looking desperate... but things are changing... maybe... some warlords have decided to defy the foreiongers to attract more peasants' support and in the meantime increasing their chests with ransoms and their armories with captured weapons. The feared Wo Kil Yu is ammassing a well equipped army courting both soviets, white exiles and western mercenaries...

back in shanghai, center of the the western encroachment in china... the international sewttlement is full of worries, banditry and warlords aggressions have stepped up. The consuls have telegraphed asking for reinforcements... the first troops form their homeland are arriving to reinforce china, but they still seem too few and often under confusing orders. Still some big ships in the harbor are quieting the rumors af a quick warlord assault on the settlment, at least for the moment...

We slowly move along the river... a paddle steamer is moving from shangai to a remote outpost of western civilization... aboard it there is a young USMC 2nd LT with a small detachment. They have landed from the Arizona, hastly disptached from San Diego, grouped in a provisional marine battalion   and then sent to reinforce the outlying coaling stations of the patrol... the briefing of the captain has been: "We expected trouble upriver. Take your men and reach Chieng Lu and report to the USN LT Cmdr in charge. Reinforcement will follow when general Butler lands. Dismissed."
The Up-River joruney as been uneventful... yet the moving upriver had been an harrowing experience seeing burned missions and trading posts... and suspiciously looking chinese army units pointing their field guns toward the river...

Move again... to chieng lu this time... the small outpost is busy; a small force of various nationalities has gathered there, the USS Cristobal is anchored on the river and some riverboats have gathered there waiting for some decisionto be taken... the officers presents are holding a meeting aboard the Cristobal, situation has deteriorateed and actins have to be taken quickly... before the arrival of reinforcements...

Ok this is the fluff... I have in mind a scenario with an asian temple (thinking of the one produced by papermodel.at that is both cheap and nice (and can be used with my samurais) sitting ina strategic posizion along the river. The tempe is currrently used as regrouping point for some missionaries and other foreingers that the allied player has to rescue. The temple will give a nice asian feeling ot the table  a column of warlord troops is closing fast.  The allied forces will come in two waves... a first one with the american gunboat will try to land and establish a perimeter, the second one will be the land relief column...

now some doubts... gunboat... where I can find a reasonably priced 28mm gun boat...

miniatures... better to have a late 20' lools using pulp or an earlier look with brigade? (both from AEF and banana wars range) or mix the two? Chinese troops... better pulp or copplestone or both? I can in clude russians (and if so soviet or white) in the warlord army?

What rule to use?

Any other suggestion? Need a big discussion for this project... :mrgreen:

[fastolfrus]

For the boat, the cheapest option is probably homemade.
There was a tramp steamer contest a few weeks ago - look at that thread for inspiration.

[Westfalia Chris]

Sounds great!

For inspiration, if I may be so bold, have a look at the marvellous Sand Pebbles game put on by Driscoles and Grimm at this years "Tactica" convention in Hamburg:

http://hamburger-tactica.hq-cooperation.de/pages/fotos2007.html

*shameless advertising plug*

For rules, Driscoles and yours truly will publish a squad skirmish game, scheduled for release at Crisis in Antwerp. Driscoles used an early version of the rules for the game and they worked swell, so I can only figure how good the finished, polished and streamlined rules will work...

*/shameless advertising plug* ::

For figures, I´d just say take those that look best to you. I really, really like the Copplestone ones, but the US Sailors by Pulp Figures are quite easily among the very best character (or caricature) figures I´ve ever seen.

[Arrigo]

Awesome scenario... I can't wait to see your rules (read the thread here...) Someone will carry it to to warfare? (Can't move do Crisis... even if I am closer tha usual...)

Btw how Copplestone chinese compare in size to the rest of the line and to other manufacturers?

[fastolfrus]

Why not go to Derby this weekend and look at the figures on offer there ?

[dodge]

Having been on the Pulp Figures site it seems that the Copplestione figures and the pulp figures are of a similar size.

Bob Murch actually states taht his figures fit in nicely with Mark Copplestone's range.

I really like Mark Copplestones figures they're great

[Arrigo]

derby seems a bit too far from london... I am instead hoping to go to reading next month...

[warrenpeace]

now some doubts... gunboat... where I can find a reasonably priced 28mm gun boat...

miniatures... better to have a late 20' lools using pulp or an earlier look with brigade? (both from AEF and banana wars range) or mix the two? Chinese troops... better pulp or copplestone or both? I can in clude russians (and if so soviet or white) in the warlord army?

What rule to use?

 :roll: You won't find a reasonably priced gunboat for 28mm.  You should build your own, as has already been suggested.  But you should look very carefully at all the pictures you can find of Richard Houston's China gunboats.  There are usually some pictures posted at The Virtual Armchair General website as these gunboats come up for sale.  One of my friends bought one of those when the price was reduced.  It's very nice, but he could have built it himself.  Also, check out the Richard Houston junks. You can get armament for gunboats at Reviresco.  You can find pictures of China gunboats in Conways or Jane's publications.

Don't just mix Pulp Figures and Copplestone and Brigade Games! Also mix in some Cannon Fodder Miniatures, the "Yangpat" sailors and US Marines and Chinese:

http://canfodmins.com/catalog.htm

These may seem a bit crude, but I think the poses are active and some of the figures have interesting character.  There's a lot you could do with paint.

While you are there, check out the free download rules "Yanks up the Yangtze" that is in the "Yangpat" section of Cannon Fodder's catalog.  Since they are only 13 pages long and are FREE, why not give them a try? :mrgreen:

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Awesome scenario...

check that out, too. Our game on the same table with T&T rules, was great fun

http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=889