Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Christian on September 06, 2012, 05:22:21 AM

Title: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Christian on September 06, 2012, 05:22:21 AM
Hi everyone,

After a few fits and starts, I'm finally taking the plunge into T&T with some Colonial action in Africa alongside fellow LAFfer Furt. Hopefully this thread will develop into a bit of a diary (which will certainly keep me motivated).

So, the unpainted force looks like this (with a few stragglers joining the ranks soon):
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg142/Intergalactic_photos/Workshop/Tribalwarband.jpg)

And this is what they will look like on paper:

1 x Witchdoctor (Hero)
10 x Headhunters (Trained) + Leader (spears/shields)
10 x Tribesmen (Raw) + Leader (spears/throwingspears/shields)
10 x Tribesmen (Raw) + Leader (spears/throwingspears/shields)
10 x Tribesmen (Raw) (muskets)
12 x Pygmies (Trained) (bows)
3 x Pygmies (Trained) Scouts (spears/blowpipes)

They will be portrayed as a fictional tribe borrowing mainly from the Wahehe in their style, but with a few masked eccentrics in the ranks and, of course, some Pygmies pressed into service. Geographically this series of games will be taking place across the Congo and Tanganyika against Germans, Arab Slave traders, and hopefully some other forces being introduced along the way. Hopefully this will be turning into a multiplayer event with some other friends, so we'll need enough troops to split amongst 5 players (phew!).

I was considering making the Headhunter unit Veteran... they're in the bottom right of the photo. They will be kitted differently to the rest, and all have the same hairstyle, as a way to show their higher status amongst the other tribesmen.

Any thoughts?
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Driscoles on September 06, 2012, 06:07:56 AM
Wow, this is good news. Enjoy the game. I already seen that you posted in the DA small units action thread. I think there can be found some useful things soon.
Curious to see how your project develops.
Cheers
Björn
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Furt on September 06, 2012, 09:04:45 AM
Christian - when will you learn to keep our hair brained schemes to yourself?!?!?  :o

You realise we will have to produce some evidence of painting now!! :-[

Jokes aside it is a great motivator to document your plans like this and you have made a great start anyway with the prepping.

I hope to provide 9 x German Marines + Leader x2 units and a German Hero; as well as a force of Ruga Ruga. But I'm going to have to be VERY focused to fulfill my end of the bargain.

We have enough decent terrain and buildings to achieve a good game I believe, with out jumping in to that pit at the moment, we just need to concentrate on painting.



Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Malamute on September 06, 2012, 09:47:28 AM
Excellent stuff, can't wait to see it come together. :)

 I recognise that cart as well ;) :D
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Christian on September 07, 2012, 04:11:23 AM
Bugger, people are watching now ;)

@Malamute: Yes! It's the lovely wagon from your shop :D I ended up attaching it to a couple of Foundry African cows... it will be getting a bit more attention soon!

I have found this rather useful map that, although dated 1937 (much later than our campaign), has still got some potential:

(http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/photolib/maps/Map%20of%20British%20East%20Africa%20(Railways,%20Towns%20and%20Products)%201937.jpg)

It shows the railways and produce of particular areas in East Africa, plenty of ideas there :)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Poiter50 on September 07, 2012, 04:21:36 AM
hey, great, that shows Mwanza where my son was building a gold mine a few years ago.  :)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Plynkes on September 07, 2012, 09:02:05 AM
It shows the railways and produce of particular areas in East Africa, plenty of ideas there :)

Bear in mind that while both the British and Germans began their railways in the 1890s, they didn't really get going until the 20th Century. The Uganda railway (famous for lion attacks bravely fought off by Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas; but also attacked by Masai and Nandi tribesmen during its construction) did not begin services until 1903, and at that time the German Usambara Railway only stretched about 40 miles inland (construction started in the early 1890s but the company building it went bust). It reached Kilimanjaro in about 1910-11, I think.


The Central Line (or Tanganjikabahn: the line that goes to Lake Tanganyika) was started in 1905 and reached the lake in 1914.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: DGrove on September 07, 2012, 03:55:07 PM
Looking forward to the progress on this.  I need to get back to painting my own Darkest Africa.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Christian on September 08, 2012, 08:04:53 AM
Point taken, Plynkes :) The establishment of stations, the clearing out of land for laying tracks, the surveying of the land will work as an objective for the Colonial powers.

Here is a picture of a painted tribesman I've done in the last couple of nights:
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg142/Intergalactic_photos/Workshop/Tribesman3.jpg)

A bit of a test-scheme. I'm not as careful a painter as I used to be :/ I even left a couple of mould lines (cleverly covered by his shield in this photo!). All my tribesmen are Foundry, with shields and spears supplied by Wargames Factory (from the Zulu sets).

I also did this to the photo on photobucket:
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg142/Intergalactic_photos/Workshop/Tribesman1.jpg)

Creepy!
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: OSHIROmodels on September 08, 2012, 08:23:44 AM
Promising looking project  8)

Using the map is a good idea, even if it is a bit later than you need.

cheers

James
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Furt on September 08, 2012, 09:47:54 AM
Nicely done mate - he looks very frightening indeed!!

Good start to the project.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Malamute on September 08, 2012, 03:35:35 PM
I like him, especially the make up, very fearsome :)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Furt on September 22, 2012, 07:34:53 AM
Here's a few German Marines, with sergeant and an envoy. Most weren't painted by myself, but I have re-based them and used Army Painter in an attempt to unify them with any I do in the future.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50YUg4RsMU0/UF1aClzX9CI/AAAAAAAAAzA/fg_ybnzAW9k/s1600/The+German+Marines.jpg)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: swordman on September 22, 2012, 09:44:31 AM
nice! which paint you used for the germans?
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Furt on September 23, 2012, 12:34:48 AM
On the ones that I did - the khaki is simply Army Painter Bonespray, touched up with GW Kommando Khaki and brushed with Army Painter Mid Shade.

VERY simple, but effective enough for me.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Christian on September 23, 2012, 02:02:04 AM
Good work! Looks like I'm going to have to pick up my game...  o_o
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: DFlynSqrl on September 23, 2012, 04:44:00 AM
Looking good so far.  This will be a fun one to watch develop.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Malamute on September 23, 2012, 07:33:26 AM
Looking very nice so far. :)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: The Breaker on January 26, 2013, 10:09:40 AM
I know that this seems like threadnomancy but I wanted to post a couple of pics, you see I've thrown my hat into the ring as well. I started a little bit after the other guys and my slow painting plus having a wife and three kids means that I am little bit behind in getting my forces painted. I will be leading a British force of commander, ten Highlanders, ten Naval Brigade and a Gatling Gun. I have to date finished the Highlanders although the last four need to be based and I am well on the way to finishing the first six Naval Brigade troopers. I have a couple of pic's, apologies in advance as they have been taken with an iphone. The troops are all Perry's but the commander is from Eureka. Firstly the commander Sir Hubert Black-Snobbington of Slough.

(http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/The-Toecutter/EngGent3.jpg)

(http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/The-Toecutter/EngGent2.jpg)
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: The Breaker on January 26, 2013, 10:11:05 AM
And a picture of one of my Highlanders:

(http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/The-Toecutter/Highlander1.jpg)

(http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/The-Toecutter/Highlander1-1.jpg)

(http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww232/The-Toecutter/Highlander2.jpg)

Sorry about the blurry pic.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: The Breaker on January 26, 2013, 11:25:30 PM
I have a question. I have a mounted figure, what size base should I put him on?
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Plynkes on January 27, 2013, 11:32:32 AM
I use one-and-a-half inch washers for figures on horseback. I find them a good size for 28mm individually-based cavalry, the horse bases usually fit pretty nicely. For camels I need to go up a size to two inch washers, as they generally won't fit on the smaller ones.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Driscoles on January 27, 2013, 12:12:19 PM
I use 4 cm bases. I think that is the usual GW size.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Furt on January 28, 2013, 12:05:17 AM
Looking good - love the sound of Sir Hubert Black-Snobbington of Slough!  :)

I use one-and-a-half inch washers for figures on horseback. I find them a good size for 28mm individually-based cavalry, the horse bases usually fit pretty nicely. For camels I need to go up a size to two inch washers, as they generally won't fit on the smaller ones.

I use these large washers for my cavalry too.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Conquistador on January 28, 2013, 01:23:01 AM
<snip>

Eureka do a nice range of pygmies in warmasks. <snip>

Too much time on the VSF forum - I read this as pygmies in gasmasks.

Gracias,

Glenn
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: The Breaker on January 28, 2013, 11:40:03 AM
I cut a two inch circle out of plasticard. I think that I'll put some rocks and things on the base to fill it up a bit. I finished six of the Naval Division today sans bases, I'll try to get some pictures up of them.
Title: Re: First footsteps, Darkness etc. etc.
Post by: Christian on January 28, 2013, 06:58:49 PM
Good work! If ever a thread needed resurrecting... I am still plodding along with my tribesmen, but after seeing this got them out again and did some work on the headhunters.