Sudan - The main protagonist.

With all my focus back on the Sudan I thought it was time for the main protagonist to make his appearance so here is the Mahdi himself.

Well I say "The" Mahdi... But this is the second figure for the collection. Well you always need competing Mahdis don't you? ...well you do in my mad world. I also want some table top options to confuse the Imperial player as well. Always nice to confuse the wargamers helicopter view with a bit of the "fog of war" - is that where the Mahdi really is? Which is the the true Mahdi? Mind it sounds like a good way to start a civil or religious war too.

Stirring up a storm with the Beja

 28mm Perry Miniature with two helpers.

Sudan - 10th Hussars

Here we have the arrival of the last major cavalry unit for the imperial forces - the 10th Hussars. These are my old favourite 28mm Connoisseur Miniatures on a mix of various manufactures horses. The 10th had more grey horses when first deployed so I have added in more than usual. They provide a nice contrast to the 19th as these have khaki tunic and blue pants with yellow belts. One figure had a spot of casting trouble with the right arm and I have remade that with the soldering iron  and added a pistol into his hand as if firing the starting pistol.

So that gives me the 9th Bengal Lancers,19th Hussars and 10th Hussars, so i thought you might like a group shop.

That leaves a small 12 figure unit of Egytian Lancers and a company of 6 figures of Mounted Infantry left to finish all the mounted elements.

I have also just topped-up the Mounted Mahdists lead pile as they head toward their final total of 100 camel...... now has anyone seen the Mahdi...

Sudan - Medics ,Signallers and Skimrmishers

The collection is well enough progressed that it needs time spending on items of table dressing , and also pieces that can be used to drive scenarios. Often I hear that the Sudan games will be very one sided with the imperial just blazing away until the Mahdists run away or are dead. Well if that happens to my mind it is down to poor scenario design. To even the playing field the Imperial players will a have range of things to think about from , time constraints, ammunition, water, casualties to get to safety, communications to set up or protect - protection of civilians , and medals and honours to be won (that will keep commanders from co-operating too much!) 

New additions to the field hospital - the tents (by Grand Manner) were kindly supplied by Millsy as part of winning side bet as part of last years paint challenge - all done now , cheers mate.

Stretcher bearers and medics by Perry. The doctor in blue is by Empress from the Zulu range

The two civilians -one in MCC Eggs and Bacon colours ready to defend himself with cricket bat against the Fuzzy Wuzzies are by Wargames Foundry

 

The whole field hospital is now complete

Next I have a couple of sections of signallers with Heliograph kits

These chaps with a  small protection unit , should provide a tempting target for the Mahdists and a challenge for the Imperials to protect....

 

I have also now moved onto to the new Brigade for the operation around Suakin. This saw the Guards Brigade enter the the campaign. So to start I have the skirmish elements on sabot bases. I am using these to give me some options as there can be a number of skirmish units in the game - so I can use 3 4 - 5 - 6 figures per base (and fill in with bush/rocks as needed) depending on the size of the overall game. I also think they have an appeal on the less regular shaped based.

 

12 Skirmishers for the Guards Brigade. (Perry Miniatures)

Plus a root in the lead pile recently revealed some classic "Old School" Connoisseur Naval Brigade. I intend my Naval Brigade units to be made up from a range of manufactures and dress - just to give some diverse interest. These appeal to the early  teen in me - which is when I first saw these in the flesh! 

I am occasionally working on a naval gun team, with the guys pulling the Gatling gun and limber - got a good bit of conversion work to do on it to get it how I want.

Plenty more Sudan stuff on the stocks as well at the moment

York - Vapnartak 2016

This weekend saw a foray on the short journey into York for a visit to the first major show of the season. I set out with a limited intention for "stash" ... but more of that later. The show seemed bustling to me with a good range of traders , and I bumped into a few old friends which was good.

It might just be me be i did not think there were as many good looking games - but there was one that really took my eye , Bukhara 1920, by the Kreigspielers, with lots of lovely models - and any game that has steam engines for pulling artillery gets a plus in my book.

Of course I had only intended limited purchasing targets...you know what happens you find all sorts of stuff... Almost all for the Sudan terrain works..so here it is..

 An "oasis" piece from "Last Valley"

A selection of various shaped hills from S&A Scenics, which I want to do a bit of dulling down to.

 

some "vac-form" hills with escarpments from Kallistra - they need work to finish - but are nicely different.

A top up of mounted mahdists camel and baggara cavalry from Dave Thomas

A limited edition "dog" and some goats from Jon at Ainsty

And finally couple of the things i went for! some paint , and bases from Warbases - of course yours truly forgot to order the sizes i want in advance and Martin did not have them - so they will arrive in the post. Plus an interesting clear acrylic  paint brush holder, because i like it!

All in all a very successful and enjoyable day out, topped off with stopping for Sunday lunch on the way home at a suitable hostelry. Last night Steve the gaming bud and I went through the collections (Old West, Gangster, Sudan and his Napoleonics) working out what needed doing to finish off bits. I think this was the first time he had seen all the Sudan stuff out together.

The Sudan collection - minus the Imperial Mounted which were still in the display cabinets! - game time coming up..

Cobblestone battle mat - By UrbanMatz

I want to move the gangster project along this year. I pretty much have all the figures I need - and i have an "MDF mountain shame" of period buildings that need to be constructed. I was looking for something for an overall base when I happened across UrbanMatz - a company based in the Czech Republic - and I liked what I saw and acquired one!

It comes in a range of sizes but I went for 6x4. It is made from a printed 2mm thick neoprene material - its basically an enormous mouse mat . I comes with its own carry/storage bag as well.

It has a range of pattern and features on it too so its not totally uniform. after it had been laid out a while it smoothed out nicely - and was very non slip.

 I looked at range of reference pictures and saw plenty of U.S city pictures with cobble effect - so I am more than happy to use it as a base - I will just need to get some more colour into the building that need to be constructed to break the grey up i think. .

Service was very good from UrbanMatz - ordered on a weekend, arrived the following Thursday well packaged ,with tracked delivery - and good communications from the Vendor - not sure overall on value compared to other manufactures - but it felt about right - and with a good Euro exchange rate I am happy.  I need to source an alternative wall back drop as well now. But Serenity City is back on the production line.

Curtgeld - "Indy"

So here is the Curtgeld for our very own Snowlord Curt, for this years paint challenge.

With this years theme being risk takers and gamblers I thought of something cinematic. One of my favourites is Indiana Jones. A figure for the big Snowball of Indy cracking the whip seemed to be just the thing. He may come in useful for controlling his "minions".

This figure is from the Copplestone Back of Beyond range - but i have "tweaked it".  As cast the right arm is more down its side with the whip cast from the hand to the ankle. I chopped away the whip and removed the arm completely. The arm was reshaped and soldered back into a higher position. The whip was remade from stranded copper wire twisted to a thinned point. It is then soldered along its length for strength, and soldered into the right hand. It was bent to shape give it some "life" . The left hand was then moved to have the gun pointing more forward than upwards.