The Wan-King Rebellion begins

Its all kicking off in the province of Wan King.  The Imperial governor, Hoo Flung Dung, is supporting a groundswell movement named the Righteous Brothers of Ass Kicking, a Boxer/martial arts sect.  The British Envoy, Sir Sidney James, has called for reinforcements and fortified the Legation in the capital Aah Chou...

I've always been interested in Colonials as a wargames period, so much so that I have a large collection of "up the Nile British" and Dervish for the Sudan campaigns.  Looking to expand this recently I invested in a box of Orion 1/72 plastic Boxer Rebellion Chinese to revisit my Men Who Would Be Kings experience.  

The Boxers come with a half dozen Imperial troops in the box (where else really) and enough figures to make two groups of 16 fanatics, plus some spares to scratch build some Jingal crews, Tigermen or boxer shooters.  Only around half of what I need but it's a start.

Some Men Who Would be Kings Army lists:

Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 3 pts.
Boxer shooters: Irregular Infantry, Poor Shots @ 3 pts.
Tigermen: Tribal Infantry, Fierce and Elite @ 6 pts. or Fierce and Veteran @ 5 pts.
Imperial Regulars: Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts.
Jingal Teams: Poor Crewed Weapon (ranged as Machinegun, but only 2 dice/crewman) @ 4 pts.

A sample 24-point Field Force: 
1 x Tigermen: Tribal Infantry, Fierce and Veteran @ 5 pts.
4 x Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 12 pts.
1 x Boxer shooters: Irregular Infantry, Poor Shots @ 3 pts.
1 x Jingal Team: Poor Crewed Weapon @ 4 pts. 

(Around 50 figures)
Or
4 x Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 12 pts.
1 x Imperial Regulars: Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts.
1 x Imperial Cavalry: Irregular Cavalry @ 3 pts
1 x Imperial Artillery: Poor Crewed Weapon @ 4 pts.

For the Legation and Western forces, field troops would obviously be regulars, but the ad hoc units defending the LegationLegation,  such as the Carving Knife Brigade would be Irregular Infantry, Veteran and Well-Armed @ 6 pts. or just Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts. 

Some Games Ideas.
A race for the honour of being the relieving force for the Legation. (Historically the Russians didn't cooperate well and attempted to get to Peking first... with both the Americans and the Japanese reacting in competition)
Russian and German troops were prone to massacres and war crimes. 
The US had two regiments of black cavalrymen in this war.
The British suffered from rivalry between the Army, Navy and Indian army forces.

Scenario Games
Seymour's Urgent Column. 

Winston Ray, and the Armoured Train
The Multi-national race to Tai Ni Poo

55 days with Charlton Heston

The Market of Wai Yu Mun Ching
The handy relief of the Legation
The Taku Forts, again.

Gunboat on the Yanksee
Ducking out of Peking.
The last train to Yangtsun 
The climactic thrusts in Tientsin

Terrain

A village, city walls, paddy fields, woods, hills.

Multi player 
3 Imperial players alternating with/as
3 Babbaged up Natives.
One Multi player gets the Imperial Army
Two Boxers, the Tigerman, and the Jingal boys.
Imperials can use former British Sudan forces as foreigners, or keep them British.
I can field the Rajputs, the paddle seamer, armoured train and the Queens Own Minifigs.

Notes
The Emperor Qin Chii
The Boxers themselves were a coalition of other martial arts groups such as the Plum Flower Boxers (Meihuaquan), the Red Boxers (Hongquan), the Spirit Boxers (Shenquan)

Some Quick Skirmish rules
2 phases
Move d10
Shoot point blank 3" short 10" long up to 24" not Pistols 
D6 action check 1 run 6 attack

Basing

I'm using a 4/3/2/1 system with the 16 figure Tribal Infantry having a 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1 configuration.

My 20mm figures are a mixture of old Airix, newer Orion and some recycled Newline Dervish.

The First Game, Sir Seymour's Urgent Column

The Queens' Own Minifigs under Colonel Sir Seymour Butts, have advanced along the rail line from the port at Shangking towards the Capital Ah-Choo.  The Governor has however ordered General Kao Chi to intercept the enemy battalion with his own regular forces, and a levy of "Boxers."

My game started with the Queens' Own deploying a company into skirmish order and advancing as a screen.  They soon ran into a bit of bother.

Ambushers from the Imperial Army, lurking in the Woods, kill two of my Skirmishers.

The battalion forms into a firing line.  Sir Seymour's horse is clearly feeling the strain.

The Imperial Army, lead by an Officer who specialises in the art of mime.

A Boxer uses interpretive dance to tell Sir Seymour to go home!

The Queens Own are thrashed in hand to hand.  Captain Inbred Fitch Forstesque falls to the enemy.

Colonel Butts orders the withdrawal.  The Queens Own  extricate themselves and March back to the port.  

A second attempt to penetrate through to the Legation will be made tomorrow, by Major Winston Ray and his Armoured Train.

The Station at No Pah King, with a barricade across the tracks.  Local Boxer leader Chin Tu Fat has laid his ambush well.