Diablo Jon does Darkest Africa - now with my first Swahili buildings

[Malamute]

Lovely work on the wildlife so far. The Way you have done the Hippos is especially good.

[Diablo Jon]

More scenery for my Africa project this time some trees for grassland areas. I’ve already built some jungle, of course, but looking at images of African landscapes it became clear I need some trees and scrub for more open grass areas. Unlike the jungle scenery where I used a lot of plastic plants and trees this time I built the trees from scratch.

I started with some cuttings from a dead box plant and hot glue gunned them onto a base board



2) I applied PVA and sand to the base boards and painted them



3) I glued coco fibre (sold as a hanging basket liner product) to the using a tacky glue to the box twigs. I then coated the coco in PVA and covered it in flock. when it was dry I gave it a spray of a PVA and water mix to fix the flock



4) I glued small box twigs on to the base board



5) I covered the twigs with more coco fibre then I followed up with more PVA glue and various model railway flock, course and fine turf and sealed it with more watered down PVA.



The final results can be seen below I think they work quite well as patches of scrub perfect for hiding a hungry predator …

[Smokeyrone]

great results with thecoco fiber!  Im doin it

[Atheling]

Brilliant result! 

[gamer Mac]

Very nice

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. You never really know if your hobby endeavours are hitting the right spot so its always nice if other people, in the hobby, think you did a decent job on a project.

Right back to painting more soldiers for my African Lakes Company force in central Africa.

[Smokeyrone]

yep, your coco fiber trick works great!  (I used free range fiber, as its all over the ground here in Florida).

It looks same as my flock over poly fiber, only cheaper. 

[Diablo Jon]

yep, your coco fiber trick works great!  (I used free range fiber, as its all over the ground here in Florida).

It looks same as my flock over poly fiber, only cheaper. 

Free is the best price smokey I got mine for nowt from work 

[MaleGriffin]

I'm a bit late to the party, but your work is exceptional!!!!

Thanks for sharing!

[Smokeyrone]

best grass table I ever saw

[Chairface]

I'm absolutely loving this thread. Thanks!

[Diablo Jon]

I'm a bit late to the party, but your work is exceptional!!!!

Thanks for sharing!

best grass table I ever saw

I'm absolutely loving this thread. Thanks!

Thanks guys appreciate it.

This project has been going a while and I now have a decent amount of scenery and one army painted so it’s time to get another army started. The next army I wanted to do was the ad-hoc forces of The African Lakes Company specifically those that fought in the Karonga War  against the Arab slavers under Mlozi.

The “Army” of this trading company seems to have been made up of a number of white men of different backgrounds company employees, South African mercenaries and local settlers and hunters who acted as officers. The most Famous of these was Captain Lugard who went on to have a career carving up bits of Africa for the British Empire. The bulk of the army where native soldiers mostly local Lake Tonga who where formed into five companies apparently armed with one third Snider breech loading rifles, one third muzzle loaded rifles and one third unarmed (which Chris Peers reckons meant they where armed with traditional weapons like spears). A company of Yao tribesmen with muskets from the shire river area. A company of Mambwe warriors from the Lake Tanganyika region who fought in their native style. Large numbers of Nkonde tribal allies fighting with spears where also a present at times.

For the bulk of the native Tonga soldiers and white men I’ve used Foundry Darkest Africa range.  Some of the other native units I’m needing to be a little more creative on. For now though I’ve painted up some of the command elements for the army.



This miniature represents Captain Lugard on sick leave from the Indian army







Next up my take on Frederick Moir African lakes company general manager







A selection of Tonga auxillaries















A scout for use in the Heart of Africa rules. I like to think of him as Djenzi a leader among the Tonga that Lugard describes as a “gigantic savage” and “among the bravest natives I ever met”

[mortimer]

Marvelous!!!!! Love the paint face work

[Metternich]

This is a wonderful project.  Among the best African projects I have ever seen. 

[Diablo Jon]

Marvelous!!!!! Love the paint face work

This is a wonderful project.  Among the best African projects I have ever seen. 

thanks guys 

Here is another group of miniatures for my African Lakes Company “army”. Whilst the majority of the soldiers where natives there was a number of Europeans involved in the fighting. when Captain Lugard took over command he had 17 white men at his disposal . Some where company employees, others settlers or local missionaries and a seven where mercenaries from south Africa. One Alfred Sharpe was a big game hunter and later become vice consul of the British protectorate. Generally these white men acted as officers for the native auxiliaries despite many of them seemingly having little or no military experience.

They where well equipped with modern military and hunting rifles. Alfred Shape even provided some large calibre elephant rifles. One of these managed to take out six slavers with a single explosive round, during the first attack on Karonga, after it hit the door of the storage hut they where hiding in, filling in the interior of the shed with wooden splinters. As a side note Captain Lugard banned the use of explosive rounds when he took command on humanitarian grounds (though latter he was happy to employ maxim guns in Uganda).

This little group counts as a white man unit with two gunbearers under “In The Heart of Africa” rules. I’m also considering trying out “The Men Who Would be Kings” rules in which case these guys will act as unit leaders.