Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: marco55 on July 31, 2020, 03:23:42 PM

Title: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on July 31, 2020, 03:23:42 PM
Askari Miniatures as just released a couple packs of FFL in Armee Coloniale uniforms suitable for the 1890's- early 1900's.I got them and they are nice figures.They are definitely not compatible with Gringo 40's or Artisan Designs,maybe Dixon sizewise.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: juergen c. olk on July 31, 2020, 10:40:11 PM
Yes you are rght.I wish there was a standardization . Nice figures.too bad I have enough of the Dixon.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: Diablo Jon on August 01, 2020, 07:29:40 AM
I've been eyeing up the Dixon range for a while. I think they look nice but the range seems a bit limited especially the Dahomey. I did buy some of their porters for my other Darkest Africa project nice miniatures but really tiny even my Foundry miniatures looked like giants next to them.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on August 01, 2020, 11:15:02 AM
The Askari Minis may fit with them as they are small.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: italwars on August 10, 2020, 12:37:09 AM
also those Légionaires are very interesting...in general Askari Miniatures offer very useful , well compatible and well designed subjects for us Colonial gamers..the owner, probably also the designer , is a Colonial wargamer fan and a very good researcher of the period..is customer care is top notch..i like above all the priority given to out of the beaten path subjects..that's to say not Imperial Britain but Germans, Hereros, French , Central Asians..

the only real great problem is that they do not have a UK/EU distributor and, above all, they charge an unbelievable sum of money even for a small parcel to be sent across the Atlantic..i do not say that they speculate earning money from postal charge, far from that, but they choosed a very quick, reliable and luxury but costly way to send parcels...time ago i got a small parcel from them in less time that  if i had  ordered it from Milan.. it was sent after  less than one hour that i placed my order...but there is no way to change that sort of unwanted  "fringe benefit" which is, in my eyes, totally useless when aimed to the  European market..
.the result is that they probably loose quite a few potential buyers...as concern me i'm quite sad and envious of wargamers from US and i cannot afford, under such conditions, to build a Russian , a French Colonial or a Turkomen army out of their beautiful products...
did any anybody have any constructive thought/suggestions on that matter?
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: juergen c. olk on August 10, 2020, 02:19:33 AM
Here in the states ,we have the same problem buying from Europe,especially England..the postage is a killer.You just have to make the order big enough to make it worth while,.I go in with a couple of friends..I love the Askari figures..good to paint.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on November 28, 2020, 06:29:35 PM
Some new figures from Askari Miniatures for Madagascar and Dahomey.  http://theminiaturespage.com/news/?id=1463623702
Mark

Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: juergen c. olk on November 29, 2020, 12:59:38 AM
They look great.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: JollyBob on December 02, 2020, 09:30:24 PM
I have the Dixon Dahomey figures and they are sculpted by Mike at  Artisan in his usual style. As such I don't think these will fit with them as well as you might think.

These do look nice, though.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on December 02, 2020, 09:55:45 PM
I have them both and they fit together pretty well IMO and I have the first sets that came out a couple of months ago.I'll try to take some this weekend and post them.Even within the Dixon figures there are some minor differences in them.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: NickNascati on December 05, 2020, 02:29:03 PM
Ages ago, one of my first Wargame collections was Indochina with the 25mm Scruby French.  They were as I recall, nice little figures.  These from Askari really tempt me, but what figures are out there to use as Anamese and Black a flag rebels?
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on December 05, 2020, 02:55:35 PM
I think Askari will probably do Hovas and Dahomeyans first. Gringo 40's has a Indochinese range but they are much larger than Askari.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on December 06, 2020, 06:44:39 AM
I'm not great on taking pics but here are some.Askari are on the left and Divon on the right.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: JBaumal on December 07, 2020, 01:40:20 AM
Marco55, thank you for taking the size comparison pictures. It looks to me like the Askari will match up with Dixon well. I hope that Al at Askari makes the Vietnamese and Black Flag forces as well!
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on December 07, 2020, 02:16:42 AM
Email him. He's pretty open to suggestions. I have some of the new ones on sale on TMP.I don't keep duplicates.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: ecwcaptain on December 07, 2020, 01:15:21 PM
I concur. Best to always email the companies, as they usually will follow with figures for both sides (usually). That said, for Black Flag figures, I suggest picking through what is available from the Old Glory Boxer 28mm range, as you will find some easily work, and the price is right.

Tonkin is one of my must-do theaters for French Colonial, and too often overlooked. IMHO, due to no real research in English (it's probably out there in French, but...). But first, I'm concentrating on French West Africa against Samori Ture, with regard to scenarios. Then maybe Tonkin down the road.
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: marco55 on December 07, 2020, 02:18:01 PM
Gringo 40's has been doing Tonkin and just showed Amazons for a Dahomey range and also wants to do Madagascar. Askari seems to be leaning towards Dahomey and Madagascar.My personal interest is Western Sudan and Samori and Rabih's empire in Chad.
Mark
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: italwars on December 08, 2020, 07:52:14 PM
Me too I’m very interested in Samory and Rabah fights vs the French..I’ve collected quite a few good sources for that period ..if you read French you can find everything you need in the web archives of Gallica...as concern most appropriate castings for that period , above all the enemies of the broadly employed Spahis and Tirailleurs Sénégalais , the most complete range of Samory and Rabah sub Saharian warriors is the one offered by Castaway Arts ..unfortunately in Australia ..even if the owner always do is best to find best postal fee..I also filled the ranks with some 30mm Willie minis sold by Tradition ..they have two beautiful mounted Tchadian warriors (Rabah) plus a Nigerian Palace Guard and a Kanembu warrior perfect for that period ...not to forget the less know range by Irregular with armoured and light Savanah cavalry and foot warriors
Title: Re: FFL in Tonkin/Dahomey
Post by: Patrice on December 08, 2020, 09:22:42 PM
Some years ago I was interested for a "Western Sudan" (today Mali and surrounding countries) projetc, I bought a few miniatures (Castaway arts, Askari, Dixon...) and I planned to build a "tata" fortress... but it did not progress.

On Gallica (French National Library online) website there are fascinating books written by officers who were there in the 1880-90s; including one by a Navy officer who built a boat at Bamako to explore the river Niger.

(http://knd1081.phpnet.org/piblo/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Mage.jpg)