Happy New Year! All the best for 2025.
I just managed to complete these guys, part of a BnB purchase at the Recon show, before the New Year.
Three tribesmen in horned masks and four sword and musket armed figures suitable as pirates or slavers. These are only part of a much bigger purchase, so more to come in the New Year.
Thanks for looking.
These are Tiger Miniatures US sailors from their Sandpebbles range - based on the 1966 film starring Steve McQueen. These are from the command and armed sailors packs and painted up nicely. I would have preferred the dark blue rig, but bit the bullet and opted for the white tropical rig. The only thing I need to complete are the sleeve rank and officer shoulder insignia.
I must now look out for some suitable RN figures for the era, or possibly slightly earlier Late Victorian. Tiger Miniatures do some nice cold weather troops for Allied intervention in Russia, British infantry in Pashtuns for cold weather high altitude adventures, and German colonial troops (Schutzstruppen), all of which are tempting.
Thanks for looking.
More Foundry figures.
Stout hearted Brits. A pair of army types suitable for infantry officers or officer types taking a bit of leave to explore.
These too were a lot of fun to paint, so expect more to come. Thanks for looking.
I've been making some progress on a long dormant 28mm project for the colonial era in Africa. Figures are all Wargames Foundry, most purchased in their Christmas sale.
First up Pygmy archers, to make the Europeans think twice before venturing into the woods.
Not much posted recently as I've had to have a bowel resection after a nasty blockage. Very painful and a long convalescence. Feeling better now, but not over it yet.
We managed to play a Zulu War game today with the British pushing a column deep into Zululand. 6 supply wagons drawn by oxen were escorted by 8 British infantry companies, a unit of Natal Native Contingent, together with units of Frontier Light Horse, Natal Natives and Natal Police, all on horseback. Si G drew the left flank with three units of infantry, a Gardiner gun and the mounted police. I drew the right flank with three infantry units, an artillery piece and the mounted Natal Natives. Mark was overall commander with two infantry and an NNC unit, plus a unit of Frontier Light Horse.
We got off to a quiet start making good progress. On the approach to a drift, a small unit of Zulu warriors and rifles appeared on the left flank. Si dealt with them, but two units of infantry were charged by Zulus with some loss of personnel.
The wagons took an age to cross the drift, but did so safely and the British were within sight of their goal at the far end of the table when Zulus appeared to their front left. Over the next handful of turns, Zulu warriors appeared to the British front, then right flank and finally at the rear of the right flank. My infantry and artillery formed a rough line while Mark's leading units and Si's left flank wheeled around the wagons to face the oncoming Zulus. It was clear we had encountered an impi with the right horn to our front and the head and loin piling into our right and rear.
Good British shooting and artillery fire dwindled the Zulu numbers, bit not before the Zulus managed to charge home against Mark's infantry and then against mine. Bayonets, with some guts behind them, pushed the charging Zulus back, but not before one of my infantry companies was very badly mauled.
Eventually, all the carts exited the board and the British forces formed a line which gradually fell back towards the target table edge. Despite significant losses, British pluck had won through!
Thanks for looking.
It was Will McNally's turn to organize the Lance and Longbow Society participation game at Vapnartak 2024. As usual for Will, he opted for 20mm/1/72nd scale plastic figures. With the smaller scale, the table could accommodate more troops, which helped give the table an "epic" appearance.
Will had chosen Montgisard 1177 as his battle, one I'd heard little about before, but turns out to have been a major Crusader victory, thwarting Saladin's plans for the next decade. A small Crusader force managed to surprise the Muslim army, with the result that they had to stream out of camp without the usual preparation of donning armor and forming up in the usual way.
Rules used were Lion Rampant, with some adjustments usual for the L&L participation game, with the main difference being that Crusader spearmen could opt to kneel, allowing the crossbowmen behind to fire over their heads - very nasty.
