No corner left uncut - Boxer Rebellion Buildings

Sometimes I have some stupid ideas. As I mentioned a little while ago our club (Hartlepool Wargames Society) is looking for a social game - something a bit Beer & Pretzels that a lot of us can get around a table and enjoy. We were looking at Boxer Rebellion using "The Men Who Would Be Kings" (TMWWBK) from Osprey.

Last night we gave them a trial run, just using some odds and sods of terrain we have lying around. If we do decide to commit we will have a couple of building sessions - probably resulting in a "my Legation is bigger than Yours" contest :-)  At the moment however we have an embarrassing lack of suitably Oriental buildings - so much so that I borrowed a few from the nice and friendly proprietor of Asgard Wargames in Middlesbrough (Ste didn't need them as he will be shut today and I will return them tomorrow). Even then it became obvious that we will need more, but as we were just messing about on a scratch table we dug out some old mdf buildings that were lying around. These had been rushed off some time ago for a Bolt Action tournament ran by one of our members. Frankly they are as rough as a badgers arse, and painted primer grey, but beggars can't be choosers and we have dozens of the things unloved and unused.

The game went well as a first test, and we are going again tonight with up-scaled forces and more players, but as I was packing up last night I found myself staring at our unloved Bolt Action buildings - could they be converted to use for China in 1900?

The reason I thought it may be possible was the windows - which were more grill like than usual. The roofs are a bit too high and regular but that's a bridge that can be crossed later.

I was lucky enough in my first years at secondary school (back in the 1970s) to be taught woodwork by a Gent called Lawrence Marshall, who coincidentally happened to be my uncle - well sort of anyway, it was complicated. Mr Marshall, as all the 12 year old boys called him, was a man with a terrifying reputation but who turned out to be a superb teacher who taught us how to use our tools with care and attention, take our time,  measure twice, cut once. Sadly this was going to be the exact opposite as I only had a couple of hours between work tasks. At lunch time I grabbed a building I had brought home on the off chance, a pot of PVA, some coffee stirrers and a pair of side clippers and decided to have a go - the aim being to convert one before this evening's rerun. No frills, no measuring, working as fast as I could with minimum tools or prep and just a Mk 1 eyeball and TLAR (That Looks About Right). Mr Marshall would not approve.

An hour later and I was looking for some roofing material - and discovered some corrugated card in the loft. In a total frenzy and a short time later not one, but two buildings were "done".

Inspired or possessed I grabbed a couple of cans of spray and "went for it". Primer white walls, Army painter Fur roof, some really crap US imported suede to base (that stuff is awful).

4:30 and the US spray is still wet, but bugger it I am committed so some very quick drybrushing and detailing.

5.00pm done

And incidentally I also did some more "normal" work AND made a rather fine Toad in the Hole for our tea (Dinner if you are Southern), watched "Pointless" on BBC 1 and was out the door at 6:00pm to taxi my ageing mother to her devotions at the local Bingo before heading down to the club for the game.

Here are the two finished buildings with some Legation defenders

Then at 7pm our game began. Sadly due to my misreading of the rules it ended very badly for the Legation troops who were trying to silence a Boxer battery - they got cut off and cut up amid the ruins of buildings burned in the earlier riots - here is the high water mark as Austro-Hungarian and Italian sailors vie for the glory of reaching the guns first. All the figures are from the Boxer Rebellion range available from Andy C at Old Glory.

I'm rather pleased with the buildings. I still think the pitch of the roof is wrong, but they now look slightly more Oriental, and with a little more care I think they will do just fine - now all I need is the Tartar City Wall and a couple of Legations building and..............

and Stop Press! As I was spreading PVA and cutting coffee stirrers I talked on Skype to the multi talented Dave Gray about the possibility of doing a laser cut roof to convert out BA buildings, and quick as a flash he came up with this - it is a new roof and detailing set. Rather nice I think - Well Done  Dave!