Portuguese allies in east africa

[summsi]

Hi,

I need some african/swahili allies for the Portuguese in east africa (1700´s).
For spearmen and archers I will use Darkest africa figures from Foundry.
I also want some musketmen, that don´t look too "wild", but I am not sure if I could use the musket armed Askaris from Foundry (Box DA12/4, DA2/4 and DA2/5).
Will they fit?

Mark

[Poiter50]

IMHO they would be a bit late as arquebus(i) would still be in use rather than muskets. Perhaps some individual arquebus placed in the hands of some of the Afro/Caribbean renegades from Foundry's Pirate/Swashbuckler range? You wouldn't have any firing figures but you would have the correct weapons. IIRC GW have individual weapons - I just bought a pack from Hoards and Bits (thru Ebay and they are in the USA with reasonable postage) in order to get the GW WH monkey that is in one of the packs.

[Captain Blood]

Possibly some of the Maroons packs from Foundry's cutthroat range?

[summsi]

Poiter50, do you really think muskets are too early for 18th century? I think they got their firearms from the portuguese which had muskets at that time.

I will use some of the maroons, too. But I want to have some firing poses and the maroons are more carribean style.

[Poiter50]

I think there might be some but given that in later years the "natives" were only sold/given "trade" firearms of a lesser quality, I think that the arquebus would have been the predominant firearm for locals if we are talking around 1700. In the English Civil War which was mid 1600s, the arquebus was the main firearm initially and it would have taken time for the muskets to filter down to non white troops. I don't mean to sound racist but there was a pecking order for arming soldiery of differing nationalities.

Poiter50, do you really think muskets are too early for 18th century? I think they got their firearms from the portuguese which had muskets at that time.

I will use some of the maroons, too. But I want to have some firing poses and the maroons are more carribean style.