Has anyone here done or planning to do Chinese Warlord Era armies using existing Pendraken figures?
Richard
I've considered it but got dragged off on a very British civil war tangent (as you do).
For early period (pre northern expedition), all the warlords appeared to be trying consciously to stick to republic or republic derived uniforms, (classic look of the peaked cap, putties almost to the knee and cloth bandoleer) then to be honest anything early 20th century in a peaked cap should do.
I found that the Russian Japanese war Russians have peak-less caps, I have no idea if the Japanese from that range have peaked caps, if yes, then suitable.
Otherwise WW1 British in caps, especially the dismounted cavalry (with bandoleers and putties or high-ish boots) would be about right. WW1 Russians in peaked caps might also do.
That is certainly what I have been looking at.
If you are looking at around or after the northern expedition then a greater variety of uniforms start to appear, both local adaptations, modernisations (like the tin hat brigade) and those German influenced uniforms like the divisions famous for their actions around Shanghai in 1937.
Thanks for the response, especially the tip about using British dismounted cavalry.
I'd particularly like to do a Fengtian/Manchurian army (with the tanks) and for these I was planning to use RCW Reds with the caps filed down a bit (to represent fur caps) and, if suitable, the RJW Japanese as I would expect them to have the more 'pork-pie' shaped peaked caps.
For the other army I am wondering whether to do Zhili/Beiyang or Kuomintang. In either case these would be mainly WW1 Russians and/or British.
I think the only troops which might be difficult are the Dare-to-die types. When I first saw the Copplestone figures I thought they were tending to fantasy, but now I've seen the Osprey books I realise they are for real. Perhaps the SCW - Guardia de Asalto would fit the bill.
I'm planning on doing this era as well as China in WWII using existing ranges. The following site give a nice idea of the range of uniforms used:
http://www.zweiterweltkrieg.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5219
http://www.hoplite.cn/Templates/hpjh0053.htm
http://gbxforums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=70538
I think you can use the following ranges: WWI British in caps, Germans in helmets, American doughboys, RCW, SCW, Russian WWII, American Marines, Desert British, Japanese and Indo-China range.
Viewing the Osprey books with their look inside ability gives you some nice images to help choose whether to go Kuomintang, Communist or anything else that takes your fancy.
Interesting one, I'll add it to the lists just in case.
japanese and russian are listed for the period in Russian-Japanese war range if its any help.