When Stonewall first brought out their Chinese I thought “I have to get these!” even if it meant buying them sight unseen. Sadly the figures turned out to be quite horrible, with some looking like overfed hunchbacks armed with oversized chunks of wood. That they were done by a first-time sculptor speaks volumes about their quality.
The helmeted nco is actually a figure from Lancashire games.
The officer figure is wearing a kepi which, according to Jowett, was mainly seen worn by troops involved in the Jehol campaign of 1933. It appears to have been completely phased out by the mid-1930s.
For the uniforms I used the Foundry British Blue Grey triad, which turned out more blue than grey. Although the Chinese were notorious for their lack of quality control, and uniform colours varied immensely, I don’t think they came any where close to being this blue. So I guess I won’t be using this particular set of paints any time soon. Talk about sunk costs…
The figures are based on a plate from the groundbreaking Osprey Men-at-Arms title on Chinese Civil War armies, and I must admit that the sculptor’s attention to detail should be praised – even the spare shoes can be seen strapped to the riflemen’s backpacks.
I’ve always wanted to wargame the armour battle at the Kunlun Pass, as well as the Stalingrad-esque street fighting in places such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, and Taierchuang. But until a decent 20mm range comes along, it must sadly remain a dream.
for a few rounds more 
I’m taking my time going back through your posts (at the moment in no particular order)! Having bought and painted some of the Stonewall figures, I can relate to your comments here. Having said that, your painting has made them look really good! I’m sure I’ve read that the winter uniforms could be bluish, or at least fade that way – my first impression on seeing your figures was that they looked exactly as I would expect them to! Very nice indeed!