Wargames Foundry

25mm Chinese Boxers

by Bob Beattie

Most gamers have a "wish list" of figures they would like. l also have a "do not wish list" of figures I hope do not get made. On top of my negative wish list is Chinese and in particular Boxer figures, especially not from Wargames Foundry, that company that creates little gaming gems, not just figures. Why am I hoping for no more such figures? I already have enough - over 700 Imperials and Boxers and 300 allies so I have been afraid the Foundry might do this period and I could not resist getting more...

Well, so much for the power of negative thinking. Number 40 of Wargames Ilustrated has a two page color spread of the new Wargames Foundry 25mm Chinese, 1839-1900. I got a copy of the mag from a friend just back from the UK on a Thursday; on Friday I called the company in England and placed an order for enough to make one TSATF unit, and received the goods a week later. By now they will be available from U.S. retailers.

What jewels they are! Beautiful castings in bright white metal with negligible flash; active poses and unique faces. There are 16 action figures, a two man Jingal set, and a wounded and dead figure (I cannot bring myself to buy such figures so I did not get these). These all are not just for the Boxer Episode, in fact none are advertised as just Boxers. Rather they are meant to cover the entire latter two-thirds of the Nineteenth Century including the Opium Wars (1839-42), the Taipang Rebellion (1851-62), the Anglo-French Invasion (1860) and the Boxer Episode (1900).

The series begins with an officer with sword, wearing a bowl hat and long robe. There are 5 Imperialist troops with round hat and jacket; 4 open handed (a separate trident or halberd is provided or you can add a firearm) and one firing. Two are cute Tigermen with sword who are wearing a tiger suit (could be used as "lost boys" in a Peter Pan vs. pirates game). These are not the Tigermen of 1900 but more mid-century. A cover of Savage and Soldier shows this figure along with other types of the Taiping Rebellion. The rest of the series consists of a gong player, infantry coolie hat-advancing, archer, repeating crossbowman, infantryman throwing grenade/stickbomb (who has rules for that?), two civilian/ bandit types with sword, and lastly a beautiful open-handed standing figure with no hat or shirt who could be a Boxer, bandit, or gunner or any of a number of things. The Jingal set has a firer with very long-barreled musket and a second figure to hold the barrel. All individual figures are $1.00 and the Jingal set is $2.50. The prices are from Pendragon and will probably go up if the pound/$ rate continues to climb. If you wanted an army of these, there is much opportunity for conversions among the various poses so you can obtain a very personalized group or just paint them as they come for what would be a very striking contingent for any wargamer's table.

There are no non-Chinese at this time. They suggest you use French and British from the extensive Crimean and Mutiny ranges for the earlier time and use their Boer War British for the Boxer Episode (I recommend the Franco- Prussian French sailors too).

By the way, when I made my order I was told that the next two ranges will be the "Great War" in 25mm and "Mexico". I forgot to ask what particular time frame but maybe it will be like the Chinese range and cover from the war with the US to the French invasion to the Revolution. Available from Wargames Foundry, 4a Parkyn Road, Daybrook, Arnold, Nottingham NG46BG UK, and Pendragon Miniatures, 1549 Marview Dr., Westlake, OH 44145.

Reviewing Stand

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