One nineteenth of the way there!...

Hi all

Quick post this time - and apologies for the poor quality of the pictures! The next two figures for my Sudan project have rolled off the production line - more Bija tribe warriors. This time there's a fellow with spear and throwing stick, then he's followed by a more well-to-do chap in a triangle pattern hemmed jibbeh.

As usual (so far for this project!), they are Perry plastics, completed yesterday and today. Next time, I'll have a more detailed post about my force compositions for my two 'Field Forces' for TMWWBK, and the next figures for the project. Hopefully the pics will be better as well!

The warrior with the throwing stick was the first one done...

...followed by the chap with the rather dashing jibbeh!

As for the title of the post - well, with these first four done, then that's 1/19th of the way to getting my Mahdist army done!

Just keep painting, just keep painting....

'Til next time!

Andy

All of a Sudan...'the sun's gorn to 'is 'ead!'

Sooooo...... it's been a while! But with the nights drawing in, and more painting time, comes a whiff of a new project. My ECW Donnybrook project has come to a natural break (although I'll post more about it over the coming months), and thoughts turn to (wargaming) pastures new.

Over the last month, I've meandered around with a few ideas and rules sets clunking about in the old grey matter - anything from Dark Ages and Dux Bellorum, to AWI using the new Sharp Practice rules, to a Crecy-era game using Lion Rampant. However, the release of Dan Mersey's The Men who would be Kings (TMWWBK) has proved to be the catalyst I needed, and I'm heading off to sunnier climes and The Sudan!

 

So to start off with, a little light reading - a copy of TMWWBK picked up from the Derby World Wargames show at the start of the month - a bargain from Wargames Foundry at £9! Then a copy of Go Strong into the Desert by Lt. Col. Mike Snook - well worth a read! Finally (for now), Blood on the Nile, the Warlord Games Black Powder supplement for the Mahdist Wars in the Sudan.

In terms of figures, then the Perry Miniatures range for the period 1881-1885 seems to be the best one around at the moment, and will have everything I'll require. A few months ago, I picked up a box of their plastic Mahdist infantry, more out of curiosity than need, and painted a test figure up. Anyway, now that I plan to build up two 'field forces' for TMWWBK, then these will do very nicely. TMWWBK allows figures to be based up in small groups or individually, but I quite like the look of the single figure bases I created for my ECW Donnybrook project, so that's going to be the way forward. The release of the Perry Plastic British infantry for this period will also help out.

The first chap I painted is on the right...

 

...with the second chap in his plainly decorated jibbeh on the left.

So, what's the plan? Well, two forces worth 24 points for TMWWBK - one Mahdist and one British. Along with this, I'll be making some new terrain - I don't have any desert-like terrain boards at all, so I'll be starting from scratch with these, and getting hold of some Middle Eastern real estate (ie. buildings!) No doubt I'll throw in some other bits and bobs, like civilians, and 'fluff' (market stalls, trees and vegetation, vignettes, and so forth), and do a whole load of play testing. I want to try and get this all done by the start of the spring, so I've a proper job on. However, I do like a challenge! Oh, yes, and try and blog about it as well....... now that will  be something to marvel at!

See you soon, as I 'go strong into the desert'!