Song Chinese vs Zombies - An Infamy Infamy Encounter

Inspiration for a game can come from a number of areas.... but this one is rather odd, back in lockdown one I went through a spate of watching East Asian drama's on Netflix - a real cracker was the Korean Zombie series - Kingdom. How pleased to see that a further installment had landed in the last few weeks with Ashin of the North.

Next thing you know we are throwing down some terrain to crash together the Water Margin and Elizabethan projects to pit the Song Chinese against waves of undead.... This post is definitely not for the purist in the blogosphere.

The Prefect had orders to escort the Imperial Princess across the table, he had heard rumors amongst the peasantry of  disappearances and brutal killings. He selected the size of his escort in the full knowledge that his opponent will matching him point for point.

A mixed force of bannermen, local militia, Palace Guard and a could of minor heroes for good measure.

A slow start the accompanying Oxen and Grain supplied wandered up the road only to be confronted by a mass of undead.

Steak was on the menu the wagon was unable to turn around and the dead clawed at the Ox flesh, the distraction allowed the escort party to swing right.

Heading east to skirt the village the bannermen deployed in front of the paddy fields as some the dead started to shamble towards them. The dead reached the spearmen and bow men but were quickly dispatched, the living quick to kill anyone of there brethren that had been infected.

More and more of the risen were summoned by the evil wizards blocking the escort parties path.

The Palace Guard ploughed into the decaying mass, they lost several of their number but fought on.

On the right flank the the evil wizards called forward their temple guard who were peppered with missile fire as then entered the open ground.

Black Bull saw his moment and rushed forwards striking down the warlock.

With blood lust he swung his mighty club carving a path through the deceased who were summoned by one of the remaining priests in revenge for their recent loss.

The dead were running out of bodies and the path to the bridge was open.

A really fun encounter and great to get some of the toys on the table, having the undead largely controlled by reaction tests makes it easy to play as a semi-coop type game with everyone on the same side, in groups of 5 they are easily dispatched but like many a good movie plot don't get caught by hundreds or you will be swamped.

This has the makings of a really fun club night game.

Water Margin - Temple Guard

After last weeks basing efforts back to 28mm and a bunch of Temple Guards from Scotia Grendel and their Tales of the Dragon Kings range. Lovely castings to paint up.

I already had their packs of the Chaos Queens Guard but these Chinese Zombies painted up with a similar paint job would compliment the Chaos unit and bolster the government forces.

Armed with glaives, large clubs and huge swords plenty to give the heroes of Laing Shan Po something to worry about. 

Tai-Tsung & Li-Kwei take on the oppressors of the people.

Well that's the last of the metal for the Water Margin.... Back to Egypt as the Pony Wars prep continues.

Water Margin - Last of the bare metal

January's television task complete... The entire box set. One every evening unsurprisingly no one else was keen to to watch it. Terrible by modern standards but it has a certain quality to it and it did give me a nudge to finally finish the last of the 1st Corp Chinese.

These odds and ends have been hanging around in the spares draw for a number of years, with a couple of Water Margin 'Zoom' campaigns coming up, a good day on the brushes turning these from undercoat to table and just enough to create another warband.

Meanwhile I finished the last of the old glory casualties, which have also been languishing in the same draw, these shock markers will be useful for Infamy or Sharp Practice. 

Another bare metal project complete... 

Well maybe..... Let's see what the postie brings in the days ahead.....

The Rescue of Lu Whey - A Dragon Rampant Scenario - Part 2

Sunday night saw the first outing for Dragon Rampant - Chinese Style and what a game.....

Very 6.00pm BBC 2 if you are a child of the 70's...

 

Shih Chin's wife has been held hostage by the evil Kao Chau in an effort to keep him from joining the rebels at Liang Shan Po. Our heroes have received news that Lu whey is being held in a house several miles from the capital but she is soon to be escorted under military escort to the Capital.

 

 

Wasting no time at all Kao sets off down the road, he had chosen his forces well, a whole bunch of regular army, Temple Guards and even a pair of enchanted Foo Dogs.  Lu Whey was held in the war wagon. It was only a short distance and he felt confident he would whisk his prize away...

 

Meanwhile the men of Liang Shan Po split there forces looking to sandwich the column between two forces, Shin Chin had recruited Lu Ta and Sung Chaing to his cause together with a couple of detachments of cavalry.

 

 

Seeing the Water Margin Rebels to his left and right, Kao dispatched a unit of Infantry to stall the rebel advance. They pour out of the village only to be confronted by two heroes and the palace guard. They did not stand and were soon swept from the field.

 

 

Battle is joined at the head of the column, the Imperial militia are no match for the light cavalry of Liang Shan Po and they to are broken and flee the table, not the best start - Just because you where a uniform it does not make you soldier.

 

 

Kao Chau calls forwards his temple guard to force the road open. But the Cavalry fight on and force them back.

 

 

The Foo Dogs with their wild charge engage the cavalry and finally force them from the field but they had delayed the column long enough for the Heroes to catch the slow moving column.

 

Sung Chaing - The Good Judge catches up with the War Wagon and with his mighty Iron clubs  smashes through the wooden defences forcing the defenders to flee, he grabs Lu Whey and heads back towards her waiting husband.

 

 

Kao Chau who to be fair was really not having a good night rallied the wagon escort only to be set upon by Lu Ta  who had struggled to get into the fight thus far. A vision in Orange he chases the escort party from the table.

 

 

The Temple Guards who had been by far his best element were engaged by their arch enemy the Palace guard and are pushed back.

 

The Palace Guard fresh from their victory over the Temple Guard charge into Kao Chau and force him to flee. It really had not been his night.

The Good Judge escorts Lu Whey back to her Husband.....

Roll the Credits.....

A really fun game to run, the Heroes were valiant and the villains numerous but ineffective. The outcome could have been written for television, a shame the flame throwers did not make an appearance but. I am sure Kao Chau will have a cunning plan to seek his revenge.

The Rescue of Lu Whey - A Dragon Rampant Scenario - Part 1

The setting for tonights - Dragon Rampant outing using the Heroes of Liang Shan Po.

Shih Chin's wife has been held hostage by the evil Kao Chau in an effort to keep him from joining the rebels at Liang Shan Po. Our heroes have received news that Lu whey is being held hostage in a house several miles from the capital but she is soon to be escorted under military escort to the Capital.

If our heroes are to free her it must be now...

 

Can they rescue Lu Whey?

Will Kao Chau whisk her away to the capital.

Will the newly painted flame throwers make it to the table?

Stay tuned Water Margin Fans...

Scenario Notes.

Kao Chau and his prisoner escort start in the North East corner of the table they must cross the table and exit Lu Whey off the South West corner of the table. Our heroes can deploy in the South East or North West corners or both. They must free Lu Whey by beating her escort unit in combat and return to the home of Shih Chin.

 

Chinese Militia - The Water Margin

More Chinese Militia for the Water Margin participation game at Hammerhead. Nothing like a hard deadline to drive the brushes. 

These rebel infantry will aid the 108 heroes fighting a cruel and corrupt government.

Meanwhile I figured it would be useful for each faction to have a suitable bannerman to match to the revenue markers, so the following characters give me several options and add to that Water Margin feel from the 1970's TV series.

 

Less than a week to go.... still plenty more to do.

Oriental Jump off and Shock Markers....

Another good day on the brushes.

I finished the prep on the Plasti Craft Games - Kensei rural elements and Japanese Grave Set yesterday and allowed them to dry over night.

The plan is use these as victory markers in the forthcoming Water Margin game, but they will also double up for jump off points for the RJW project or Dragon Rampant casualty markers so plenty of uses.

The dice frames are from Minbits, with 8 coloured dice in their 7mm range - if gives me plenty of scope for factions within the Water Margin game.

A link on the Perry's website provides for some fantastic oriential flags for their Korean Range these will come in handy for the various factions married to the various dice colours...

Steady progress with more Infantry waiting in the wings....

Ancient Chinese - Song Peasant Militia

A change of pace and scale from the recent spate of 15mm mini's and time to return to the Song Dynasty/Water Margin Projects.

Having painted several of the 12 Dozen Heroes they really needed to be backed by locals rallying to the cause, these are from Curtney's Miniatures they are some what bulkier in sculpt than others on the market but have a hugh range to pick from.

 

 

The source material of period would suggest most troops wore their own clothing so these will double as local militia or rebels depending on the scenario.

Wargaming the Water Margin - The Nine Dozen Heroes.

The latest Chinese Village project led me to think of an alternative use for the RJW village.   

Being a child of the 70's their was only one thing on telly worth watching on BBC2 - The Water Margin..... 

For those too young to remember, this is a TV adaptation (set in China, made in Japan, dubbed into English) of a famous Chinese folk legend, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.  -- a kind of 'Robin Hood in China' -- hero-outlaws fight a corrupt government "in a world very different from our own", their were a minor fantasy elements.... but nothing to fantastical.

Gradually, over the 26 episodes, wicked Kao Chui the local government official forces each of the 'nine dozen heroes', into outlawry joining the rebel band living in the water margins of Liang Shan Po, forming a steadily growing force of opposition to Kao. 

Having painted up some of Black Hat miniatures range of Fantasy Chinese figures a few months back having played a number of Songs of Blades and Heroes games recently, I figured they were perfect for recreating the nine dozen heroes.

Lovely looking castings and they will certainly add some colour to future oriental outings. Six of the Nine Dozen Heroes, I shall add more as I need a break from other projects.

Lin Chung -- Panther Head

Lu Ta -- The Flower Priest

 Sung Chiang -- The Good Judge

Shih Chin -- Tattooed Dragon 

Chao Gai -- Pagoda-Shifting Heavenly King

Zhang San -- Street Crossing Rat

And remember.

^{"The ancient sages said, "do not despise the snake for having no horns, for who is to say it will not become a dragon?". So may one just man become an army. Nearly a thousand years ago in ancient China, at the time of the Sung dynasty, there was a cruel and corrupt government. These men riding are outlaws - heroes - who have been driven to live in the Water Margins of Liang Shan Po, far to the south of the capital city. Each fights tyranny with a price on his head, in a world very different from our own. The story starts in legend even then - for our heroes, it was said, were perhaps the souls reborn of other, earlier knights..."}

Dux Britanniarum in Ancient China

After the planning and the roll out of OML3 I seem to have hit a bit of low, plenty of projects on the go but none that really give me that spark to to crack on with the painting at the pace that I have been acheiving in recent months.

I am hoping that this weekends Songs of Blades and Heroes outing will give me the nudge I need.

To be honest I am somewhat of an impasse on the Ancient Chinese front, torn between a pure historical project based on the Song military fending off the Mongol hordes, a more fantasy driven project involing Watchful Studios forthcoming kickstarter releases and somewhere between to two based on the Water Margin novel and TV series.

What they all have in common is the need for some regular foot, whilst the source material of period would suggest most troops wore their own clothing I wanted to go for a more uniform feel for some of the troops - Step forward Curtney's Miniatures. 

Command Stands and Hero Stands.

 

The armour is of a uniform colour with trousers varied to give a sense of militia about them, I have perhaps over done the numbers for Songs of Blades and Heroes so a conversion to Dux Britanniarum looks on the cards, the mix of smallish units and heroes seems to give me what I am looking for.

6 Figure Bill Units.

4 Figure Archer Units.

The initial Song faction

 

Next up some militia types in mixed armour and more colourful clothing to give me some opponents for the government forces.