OK gents,
Listen up!
We now have a legitimate opportunity. Eureka Miniatures has put forth a proposal for the figures that have been discussed in the previous LAF thread.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=91092.0These figures will include the Forest Rangers, with a Von Tempsky character figure and up to 12 King Movement Pakeha and Kupapa Maori. Also include will be up to 20 head variants which will enable conversions for any figures that are suitable for this period, or any mid Victorian (Crimean/Indian Mutiny) period outside of the proposed range, the Perry 1860 British Intervention Force range fork example. You could even use these head swaps for the ACW no problem.
When combined with the Eureka Miniatures range there really is the potential for a full spread of high-quality sculpts for the 1860s 2nd and 3rd Maori wars.
This is great news. However
it now requires your action to make it a reality.
All the people that have put up their hand for figures in the previous thread) now need to make actual contact with Eureka Miniatures so that they can get the prospective orders on the books and the sculpting of these figures can commence.
Importantly, the sculpting for these figures will commence in as little as 4 weeks so these figures could well be hitting the store in as little as two months or so. This is great news as we won't have to wait for any lead time on specific figure ranges that may or may not occur…you part pay for your figures and in a few months you'll have opened up the entire 1860s Wars in New Zealand ready to go…a most decidedly underdone period when it comes to colonial gaming.
The proposed figure range is as follows;
100MAU100 Forest Rangers Skirmishing with Terry carbines – (4 variants)
100MAU101 Forest Rangers in kilt with Terry carbines – (4 variants)
100MAU102 Forest Ranger Officer (1)
100MAU103 "Von Tempsky" personality (1)
100MAU104 Kupapa Maori skirmishing with firearms – (4 variants)
100MAU105 Pakeha Maori skirmishing with traditional weapons – (4 variants)
100MAU106 Pakeha Maori skirmishing with firearms – (4 variants)
100MAU107 Victorian bearded heads wearing flat cap with peak (5 variants)
100MAU108 Victorian bearded heads wearing flat cap with no peak (5 variants)
100MAU109 Victorian bearded heads wearing floppy hats (5 variants)
100MAU110 Maori heads (5 variants)
They would be sculpted again by Alan Marsh with references provided by Happy Wanderer (in consultation with period ‘experts’).
Please let me know how many of each code number you would be interested in purchasing.
This project is open until 31st July.
Eureka will keep a tally of all the responses and if the numbers offered will pay for the sculpting, the project will commence 1st August 2016. Delivery should take place in September 2016. All pre-orders of more than AUD$100.00 will be despatched post free (AUD$110.00 for Australian Residents).
We will ask for half your commitment money to be paid up-front, with the balance due when your order is ready for despatch. Thank you for your interest, please feel free to tell as many people as you can as this will increase the chances of the figures being manufactured.For those of you that may not have considered the New Zealand Wars as a possible theatre for colonial gaming the following links will prove useful in having a bit of a look around and seeing what the period has to offer. The period really is full of all sorts of different aspects that make it quite unique. The 2nd and 3rd Maori War in the 1860s is really where much of the main action took place…quite different from the relatively limited 1st Maori War. Very much a blend of the French and Indian War and American Plains Indian Wars all combined in one including raids, ambushes, convoys, Pa assaults, naval landing (both Maori and Pakeha), religious fanatics, and many other guerrilla war type scenarios along with set piece attacks and all that they entail.
The NUMBER ONE stop for all things NZ Wars is here - our own Arteis and his superb blog
https://arteis.wordpress.com/category/periods/colonial-new-zealand-wars/page/2/Steven’s Balagan is always useful as he breaks down various aspects of the period.
http://balagan.info/new-zealand-warsA nice read from Wargames Illustrated - this covers the 1st Maori War and early stages the 2nd Maori War.
http://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/all_images/WargamesIllustrated/ArticlePics/WI313/archive%20articles/New%20Zealand%20Maori%20Wars.pdfA bit of an historical overview starting at 1860…
http://newzealandwars.co.nz/land-wars-timeline/north-taranaki-1860/A nice quick discussion on Von Tempsky and the Rangers (the subject of these sculpts)
….and if you really have time, Professor Belich’s somewhat controversial, but still highly watchable, series on the NZ Wars.
I would encourage anyone who has any inkling to do dip into this period to seriously consider supporting this grassroots effort. These proposed figures are being largely driven but prospective buyer demand and principally by enthusiasts who simply want to see the figures get sculpted. There is no 'commissioned range'..it’s simply a fact that if we get enough orders then 'we the people' can make it happen.
When one considers the utility of the Perry BIF range (particularly with Eureka heads swaps) along with their ever-growing Cape Wars range, the current First Maori War Empress range and the recently released pre-contact Maori Eureka range, the only missing component is the 1860s 2nd and 3rd Maori Wars figure range.
These figures will largely fill that void unlocking the full potential of this fascinating period with a full selection of high-quality castings.
So let's make this happen guys, if we get as much interest now and strike while the iron is hot then there will be many new figures providing excellent gaming opportunities.
I fear this opportunity will not happen again. So even if you're only interested in 20 or 30 figures or even less then every single order accounts.
The good thing with this period is that you really don't need lots of figures to get into it. You can have a game with 20 figures or 200 the choice is yours.
Please contact Eureka Miniatures and have your say and get onboard…
For those on the other LAF thread that said they'd be up for 'x' numbers of figures , could you please register your specific 'order' with Eureka...thanks.
Kind regards
Happy Wanderer
Eureka Miniatures - email Nic.
nicr@eurekamin.com.au
Here are snaps showing Eureka Miniatures pre contact Maoris (the proposed sculptor for these figures), Empress Miniatures and some Perry Figures...they all blend rather well and are mixable.