Zulu War Meerkat

I saw this in a local garden centre last weekend and should have bought it; although he is carrying what looks like a Lee-Enfield rather than a Martini Henry.  The black facings come from the film Zulu, I think, where the recent digital remastering has turned what was a very dark green into black on the otherwise stunning looking blu ray.

First unmarried Zulu regiment completed: the umCijo

The black shielded umCijo (the sharp pointed) regiment (also known as the oKhandempemvu) formed part of the central "chest" at Isandlwana. There were 2,500 of them at the battle and their unmarried regiment was made up of 28 year olds who were heavily involved in the central attack. Indeed, they were so keen they actually false started the attack and had to be brought back. The induna of the umCijo was Mkhosana kaMvundlana who was instrumental in getting the Zulu centre moving again after their initial attack was stalled by the volleys of the British, although he was killed in the resultant charge as the Zulus poured out of the dongas where they had been sheltering. Nevertheless, it was this action that drove the British line back to the camp.

They also formed the left horn at Khambula and formed part of the 12,000 warriors under Chief Somopho at Gingindlovu.

The Sword and the Flame units are twenty figures but the umCijo made up over 10% of the Zulu army at Isandlwana so I will probably paint another twenty figures to join them.  I also need a figure to represent the inspirational Mkhosana.

Most of these figures are Empress miniatures but there are a few of the new Foundry figures in there too.  The younger warriors tended to have the smaller shields so I have given them the smaller Zulu shields that Empress helpfully sell seperately.

Next I will paint a brown shield regiment but am not sure which one yet.  I have two more units of twenty based and ready for undercoating.  As with my Sudan force I am probably aiming at an army of around three hundred all together, which at the current rate will take about fifteen years!  The problem is that Zulus just aren't quick to paint!

Warlord/Empress Zulu War plastic Zulus

I wasn't impressed by the recent greens of the forthcoming Warlord/Empress Zulu War plastic British.  I think Paul Hicks' sculpts for the metal Empress British are the best 28mm Colonial figures out there (and I include the Perries Sudan range in that).  The Empress metal Zulus are horrible, however, with chunky, wierdly proportioned anatomy which makes them look more like pygmies than Zulus. These new plastic Zulus look tremendous, however, and look like they will become the standard for Zulus in this scale.  Can't wait to see them!

My isijula Zulu throwing spear, showing the binding joining the tang of the blade to the haft

One thing that plastics can do better than metals is good weapons and these are the first accurate representations of Zulu spears I have seen in this scale.  I own a Zulu Wars period assegai (throwing spear) myself and they appear to have modelled the plaited cane binding really well.

Zulu War - Military Dioramas blog

I had a comment on my previous post by a chap called Steve Collins who has just started a blog about his fabulous diorama of Isandlwana in 28mm (I must say that when I first looked at it I thought it was 54mm). 

I too was a great diorama builder many years ago; both using Airfix 20mm plastics and Tamiya 1/35th for World War 2.  Like many people, following an article in Military Modelling, I built a diorama using their Hanomag and Panzer Grenadiers.  Oddly, these days I don't take advantage of the diorama opportunities of my wargames figures simply because I don't use element basing so don't have a large enough canvas.

I'm looking forward to learning more about his techniques and seeing some more photos of this amazing work.

Warlord/Empress Zulu War plastic British

I've just come across these pictures of Warlord Games planned plastic Zulu War British which they are launching with Empress miniatures.  Apparently, these were on display at Salute but I never saw them.  I am not convinced I saw the whole of the Warlord stand.  It just seems to have been a few packs on a wall and a table, which was empty.  I was rather disappointed by it as I was looking for the new Hail, Caesar rules but never saw them.  Maybe I missed a bit.  Not sure.

Anyway, I am not overwhelmed by these figues as they have the usual awkward looking arms of many plastics.  Empress's metal figures are so superb, and you are never going to need that many British, that I don't see the point, really.  They still look like four panel helmets, though.  On the metal figures I have to file them all down and paint on the panel lines in the correct places.

More interesting will be the look of the plastic Zulus.  I haven't been too happy with the Empress Zulus but maybe the plastics will be better.  Due out in the Autumn, it seems.

Some more British

I've managed to finish another half dozen British this month so I am progressing, albeit slowly and I have lost my fear of these figures.  Sometimes, when figures are very complex or detailed (as is the case, often, with Perry figures) I actually put off painting them.  Despite having finished a few of these I was starting to think about these like that.  The real issue is often between painting the initial "test" figure, on which I usually lavish a lot more time, and the rank and file.  However, in this case I am pretty happy with them and I think they look OK.  My main worry has been how to do the stained helmets but I have dealt with these by actually painting them white and...well...staining them, with a Citadel wash, Gryphonne sepia. 

I have another half dozen or so started now so will try to move these along a bit.  I have also now started the necessary Zulus to finish my second unit and will do those in tandem with the Darkest Africa askari, as they share a lot of colours.

I'm going to have to start thinking about how to organise the British and what units they will represent.

First Unit Completed

iNdlondlo

It's a rather rare event for me to complete a unit of anything but here is my first unit of Zulus, for the 20 man The Sword and the Flame units. They are the iNdlondlo (the "adult crested mamba"), a married regiment made up of men in their mid to late thirties and originally formed in 1853. They were part of the amabandla emhlope "the white assembly" of married senior regiments who carried the white shield and formed part of the uThulwana (Cetshwayo's own regiment and, essentially, his guard unit). They were present at Isandlwana and also at Rorke's Drift, Ulundi and Khambula where they formed part of the chest of the army.

A few years before the Zulu War, in 1875, Cetshwayo gave the iNdlondlo permission to marry from the girls of the iNgcugce guild (Zulu girls were enrolled in their own amabutho from which permitted regiments could choose brides on the king's instruction). In this case, however, the girls didn't like the look of the iNdlondlo men and many ran off with their boyfriends from other regiments. Cetshawayo sent warriors to pursue the runaways and all those who were caught were killed. Estimates of the number killed run between a few dozen and hundreds. European reaction hardened against Cetshwayo as a result and as some had fled towards the Boer lands he became much tougher in his dealing with the Boers and more rigorous about enforcing his borders. All of which would contribute to the tensions in late 1878 and early 1879. Issues over women relating to these incidents also caused fighting between some regiments shortly before the war.

Zulu women cause fights

The figures are a mixture of Empress, Foundry and one Wargames Factory plastic. Despite slightly different sizes, grouped in a unit they all look fine, however. Usually when people paint white shields they give them black "stitching". Its not stitching at all of course but just the face of the shield cut to hold the pole (more on shields another time). I have seen some examples where these bits were scraped back to the skin giving a pale beige look (such as the re-creation in the National Army Museum) so for no other reason than variety I have painted the shields like this for this ibutho.