my improved Ming soldiers

[cheng]

The Ming drove out the Mongols (Kublai & Genghis Khan's dynasty 1271-1368)
to set up China's most powerful and prosperous period (Ming dynasty 1368-1644)
but soon after the last Ming emperor hung himself, China fell to the Manchu (the last dynasty 1644 to 1912)

just sharing my latest improvement to my Ming soldiers, replacing their red arms with those having moulded shoulder armour (thanks Cowabounga )

[cowabounga]

Wow! Congrats!
These look awesome Cheng! You turned the torso from the Roman special front side back didn't you? That's why these fighters are always standing guard. They can't sit!!! 
The red arms fit really well. I'm glad they found their way from France to Malaysia.
About the helmets, you know it hurts me to see beautiful knights' helms without their visors...isn't there a more suitable helmet?
Best,
Arnaud

[cheng]

thanks and thanks again Arnaud!
yep...reversed torsos

.....it hurts me to see beautiful knights' helms without their visors...isn't there a more suitable helmet?

I dont think there's a more suitable PM helmet!
...no knight helmets were hurt in making these Ming helmets
(the visors are lovingly kept in my boxes for spares)
...I have been thinking of removing those pins for the visors, now youre making me think twice 

[playmogal]

Cheng,
These are fabulous looking warriors! Too bad they arrived too late to guard the Terra Cotta tombs in Xi'an!
Do you know if anyone has done those tombs in PM? It would be difficult because the number of figures is staggering, and each one is supposed to be different. We saw the excavated tombs a year ago and learned that they have no idea how many warriors are still buried in surrounding mounds/hills which you can see from the airplane before landing.
We have done some Asian scenes, and it seems difficult to find enough stock heads to do the job properly. Besides the Asian family, which sets are your favorite source of Asian heads?
Cheers, Pgal

[Wolf Knight]

Another excellent series of customs from the master!!! 

[gaspodfreud]

i really like theses customs but the helmet look strange for me too .

[bonniebeth]

They look really good, cheng! I love the idea of turning the torsos around.

[cheng]

thanks and hello playmogal! ..surprised seeing you here

lucky you! I dont recall seeing anyone showing his/her PM terracotta soldiers
...but I did do a little, and making my 3rd (the ones in yellow) archer except that I cant make them kneel ...no legs bending for me!

I havent bought any of the new skateboarder...its wasteful buying entire klickies when I cant sell the rest of their body so I have been making do with adding Asian eyebrows or moustage like a couple you see here waiting and hoping for PM to launch an Asian theme

Do you know if anyone has done those tombs in PM? It would be difficult because the number of figures is staggering...
Besides the Asian family, which sets are your favorite source of Asian heads?

[cheng]

thanks wolf knight and gaspodfreud!

[bonniebeth link=topic=8405.msg153029#msg153029 date=1309820913]
...I love the idea of turning the torsos around.
[/quote]
I'm sure I'm not the first to have done so...anyone seen any customs with a back-to-front torso? 

anyone with suggestions/alternatives (I have tried the PM bronze knight helmets)
to make better asian helmets? (now and then I'm still thinking of removing those pins for the visors)

[playmogal]

thanks and hello playmogal! ..surprised seeing you here

lucky you! I dont recall seeing anyone showing his/her PM terracotta soldiers
...but I did do a little, and making my 3rd (the ones in yellow) archer except that I cant make them kneel ...no legs bending for me!

I havent bought any of the new skateboarder...its wasteful buying entire klickies when I cant sell the rest of their body so I have been making do with adding Asian eyebrows or moustage like a couple you see here waiting and hoping for PM to launch an Asian theme

We, too, hope to see more Asian Clickies and sets soon. Maybe PM will introduce a terra cotta warrior set. They badly need knees that bend because my folks keep sliding out of their chairs and off the sofas to the floor. And so many archers pose with bent knee before shooting.

Exactly where do you live in Asia? My son went to NUS in Singapore for a semester and also spent three summers in China and India. He traveled to a different country most weekends he was in Singapore and saw some wonderful places.

We spent 6 weeks in China and two weeks in Korea and Japan the year before last and learned so much. Especially loved the gardens, museums and temples. Suzhou was our favorite town. There are so many cool sets PM could make with Asian themes. Let's hope that they wake up soon. Below is one of the Chinese diaramas (complete with real beetles from our backyard) hubby built along with his moving Chinese dragon kite display.

Sorry you have to paint faces on your warriors...they are pretty cool! With a new daughter in law from China, we definitely will buy any Asian PM they offer.

Cheers, Pgal