African Knights

[Thew2]

Hi folks. I've not posted anything on the colonial board yet, but as the Copplestone African ranges are my absolute favourites, I thought it was about time I started a thread!

When Foundry published Conrad Cairns book on the eastern Savannah Kingdoms was published I knew I wanted to start converting and painting figures for these colourful and varied armies. I'm very slow at completing things, but have finished three Kanembu spearmen for starters, with another eight nearing completion. I also have some Munga bowmen which will hopefully be completed in the near(ish) future.

I love the Musgum architecture, and have sculpted and painted a test piece for what will be a small village.

Finally I've also converted some Musgum horsemen, primarily using Foundry Numidians with head swaps. They're based on the sketch in the Cairns book, by Heinrich Barth, plus some brilliant more recent sketches by Christan Seignobos (if you haven't seen these I thoroughly recommend googling them). I'm looking forward to getting some paint on them!

[AKULA]

A great start, will be following your thread with interest...it’s good to see something different than the stereotypical force that gets fielded in colonial games

 

[Atheling]

Nice to see, I look forward to seeing how this progresses, Conrad is a member of out club

[Plynkes]

Real bad luck for all three of those guys to get toothache at the same time! 


Just kidding. Looking really great. Will be interested to see the horsemen finished.

[Diablo Jon]

Ok now we are talking. I have the same book and spent many years wondering what conversions you would need  to do to create this sort of army. Thinking about it was as far as I ever got though so I will follow your project with interest. The Kanembu look great.

[sultanbev]

I have a 28mm plastic 19th Century Ethiopian army, and they used some armoured cavalry in the padded armour as used in the Bornu-Kanem army.

I've made some 28mm Beni Amir/Ethiopian knights in plastic using the Gripping Beast Goth armoured cavalry on barded horses with different heads, although most aren't painted yet.
if I knew how to do photos I'd put one up.
See if this works:

[sultanbev]

ooh, that worked!
Here is another picture of my Ethiopian CinC with bodyguard:

[Thew2]

Nice work! Are the different headdresses and helmets conversions? They certainly look convincing.

It's nice to hear that Conrad is a member of your local club, Atheling. It's a great book and is certainly the inspiration for this tread.

Thanks for the comments. There's a Foundry pack (DA077) with headdresses rather like the Barth Musgum chief, and I think the upper half of the Numidian tunics look pretty convincing as a hide cuirasses. The other style of Musgum cap, the plaited grass type, was relatively straightforward to sculpt directly onto a bare head. I'll do my best to colour them in ASAP.

[sultanbev]

Aye, the helmets are conversions, I think I cut off the top of the Goth heavy cavalry helm and inserted a disc, then stuck the cut-off part back on. The CinC has a complete Zulu head with feathers.

[marco55]

I too am interested in the area and period. Wargames Illustrated # 404 has an article on Samori Toure and his forces.Castaway Arts has a small range of Western Sudan figures. https://www.castawayarts.com.au/index.php?cmd=store .
Mark

[marco55]

Hi folks. I've not posted anything on the colonial board yet, but as the Copplestone African ranges are my absolute favourites, I thought it was about time I started a thread!

When Foundry published Conrad Cairns book on the eastern Savannah Kingdoms was published I knew I wanted to start converting and painting figures for these colourful and varied armies. I'm very slow at completing things, but have finished three Kanembu spearmen for starters, with another eight nearing completion. I also have some Munga bowmen which will hopefully be completed in the near(ish) future.

I love the Musgum architecture, and have sculpted and painted a test piece for what will be a small village.

Finally I've also converted some Musgum horsemen, primarily using Foundry Numidians with head swaps. They're based on the sketch in the Cairns book, by Heinrich Barth, plus some brilliant more recent sketches by Christan Seignobos (if you haven't seen these I thoroughly recommend googling them). I'm looking forward to getting some paint on them!

Did those mounted figures come from Tradition of London?
Mark

[Engel]

Ohh interesting.

[Dr Mathias]

Looks like your off to a good start!

I've neglected my Darkest Africa project for too long... this is making me want to look to see what I still have left!

[Helen]

Lovely conversion work.

[Thew2]

Rather later than planned, but I have finally painted up the Musgum horsemen from last year. I'll need to get a few more converted to complete the unit, but they are a bit fiddly to build...

There are more Kanembu spearmen almost completed, and after that I'll probably move on to some archers, as they are a pretty important component.