Allan Quatermain Zulu Trilogy

[Plynkes]

I'm currently painting up ... Xhosa 

1st Corps? What do you think of them? Been considering getting some.

[Malamute]

1st Corps Xhosa are good figures, but more like 25mm, so will not blend in so well with modern 28s if you are bothered by the whole scale issue.
The Brits from the range are also very nice figures. (sorry to butt in!)

[Plynkes]

Butt in whenever the fancy takes you, dear fellow!

I care less than most about size match-ups I think, but I do care a bit. Might just buy one or maybe two packs as a test. Thanks for the info.

[Mors]

Heres a quick comparison pic I have taken of some unfinished (and unstarted)miniatures. It show the Blazeaway Xhosa and First Corps next to old and 2 new Foundry Zulus as well as Empress and Rapier Zulus. Shorter and less bulk, however they would not be fielded in the same unit so its not a problem for me.



The Brits are indeed very nice but not got any yet.

I dont mind the butting in either 

Mors

[Mors]

Quote from: Mors on Today at 01:25:06 AM
I'm currently painting up ... Xhosa 

1st Corps? What do you think of them? Been considering getting some.
/quote]

Sorry I did not really answer your question, I am probably not the best person to ask because I have a pretty low threshold when it comes to figure quality , as I do about scale issues. IMHO these are quite nice miniatures, they are cast in that really hard white metal , not sure if that's good or bad , flash was minimal but the hands had to be drilled or filed  to receive the weapons , all bar one pose have cast on shields. The poses for the young warriors are mainly  advancing/charging with the exception of the kneeling figure, they have loin coverings not sure how accurate that is, they also have some very small knobs.*   The older warriors have a more varied selection of poses , they have what looks like a Zulu head ring on but that is not correct , I presume its meant to represent a bead ring as per the Osprey book.They are however  nekkid round the loins.

I can't quite make up my mind about the old Cannon Fodder Xhosa now sold by Blazeaway Miniatures , as indicated by Ian Knight in his recent article in WI they have a
 certain elegance , but seem semi flats when viewed head on . I did order there jungle warriors at the same time and they look fun, will use them to chase my Belgians around in the Congo.
I'm still reading up on this topic so even less expert than normal
South Africa is taking up my thoughts at the moment , I recently received North Stars Matabele range. These are very nice! Ian Knight on the Cape Wars yahoo group has also recommended their new wagon , though he indicates it's a bit on the large side scale wise.I also ordered the Trent Miniatures revolting slaves to use as Fingoes , could also
be useful in other parts of Africa for irregular forces , not sure if they will do for Ruga Ruga, although there firearms are dated back late 18th C I have read a lot about the multitude of old weapons in Africa at this time.

cheers Mors
 
*Sorry, that should read knobkerry 

[Plynkes]

Thanks, Mors. Is the 1st Corps figure the black-undercoated one on the right?

[Mors]

Poly
yes thats right 3rd one in , sorry didn't make it clear which was which!
I will put some better pics up when painted....

[Photographer]

Watch a tv series drama called Shaka Zulu on YouTube. It is very useful.

[Plynkes]

Already got the DVD set, mate. 

[Photographer]

Already got the DVD set, mate. 

I watched it in south Africa in the 80s. Absolutely brilliant. Very sadly the actor died about 5 years ago. He used to be a football player but turned to acting. He played Shaka on stage until it was televised.

[Shikari Sahib]

I monitored this thread because I'm interested in the adventure of A. Quatermain.
I have two books of Haggard about, but I found really difficult to read-understand, probably my bad English knowledgement ,
somebody knows which kind of slang it use ?

[Plynkes]

He does write with a slightly old-fashioned wordy style. There are lots of Afrikaans words thrown in to the South African stories, as well. He also has a habit of depicting the speech of  "civilised" black South Africans in a phonetic way to try and depict their thick accents. However when representing what he would call (pardon the racist term here) "Red Kaffirs" (that is to say "wild", tribal Africans) speaking in their own tongue, he usually has them talk in formal and flowery language, which in English makes them sound Medieval or even Shakespearean.

[Shikari Sahib]

He does write with a slightly old-fashioned wordy style. There are lots of Afrikaans words thrown in to the South African stories, as well. He also has a habit of depicting the speech of  "civilised" black South Africans in a phonetic way to try and depict their thick accents. However when representing what he would call (pardon the racist term here) "Red Kaffirs" (that is to say "wild", tribal Africans) speaking in their own tongue, he usually has them talk in formal and flowery language, which in English makes them sound Medieval or even Shakespearean.

thanks,
argh too difficult for me 
God bless writers like Winston Churchill for his simple language

[Christian]

John Buchan writes similarly in Greenmantle. You get the gist of it when you read on: sometimes the lingo is explained, but othertimes not. I can't wait to get stuck in to King Solomon's Mines. The movies with Richard Chamberlain were childhood favourites, although in hindsight probably not entirely accurate, eh?

A great thread Plynkes. Thanks!

[Shikari Sahib]

Anyway as movie ,personally, The version with Stewart Granger and Debora Kerr is surely better. It has the feeling of the old adventure movies.