Sudanese Infantry?

[Plynkes]

Does anybody other than Old Glory make late 19th/early 20th Century Sudanese (i.e. Egyptian Army) Infantry? I bought some of the Old Glory ones years ago and immediately dismissed them as useless upon their arrival. Got them out of their holding cell today to see if I might have mellowed towards them any.

I haven't.

They are fucking horrible. Badly sculpted, leaning forward in a way that suggests they are walking into a force 9 gale, waving their rifles around like idiots, and about half of them inordinately preoccupied with something happening just behind their left shoulder. Ugh.

We're talking Omdurman campaign and beyond here (jersey, puttees, ankle boots, covered fez), so the Perry ones, nice as they are, won't really cut it. Martinis would do, I'd really like them with Lee Enfields, but I don't suppose I can afford to be fussy about what rifles they're carrying (I actually want them for the Great War era). I'll convert if I have to, but I'd rather not. Surely somebody makes an Omdurman range that sucketh not. Please tell me they do.


Ta. 



Oh, and another thing. Just why in the hell should a Google images search using the terms "28mm Sudanese Infantry" end up producing a bunch of pictures of Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Vanessa Hudgens? Does it just return anything it likes after the first ten pages or so, because it figures nobody will bother looking that far in? Grrr...  

[traveller]

Redoubt?

[Gluteus Maximus]

Bicorne Miniatures have two suitable figures:

BIC-C041      Sudanese Infantry standing at the ready 1898      £1.15
BIC-C172      Sudanese infantry marching 1898      £1.15

Couldn't find any pics, but here's one of their Italians:



hopefully that will give you an idea, but sadly i've never seen the Sudanese themselves, so can't comment

Here's the URL, just in case they fmight be of interest:

http://www.bicorne.net/catalog/index.php/cPath/292_1_27_28/sort/2a/page/1

I don't know which is worse -  a dearth of good Sudanese figures, or pics of Justin Fucking Bieber 

[answer_is_42]

They are fucking horrible.

Really? I bought some of their 1882 Egyptians a month or so ago and, whilst basic, I thought them very usable. But, I suppose that’s OG for you... 

Essex appear to, although I've no idea what they will be like. I've some of their Ansar, and, well, they're alrightish:
http://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/frames25col.html

On the subject of Bicorne. Well. Their Italians look nice, don't they? Here's a picture of one of their Sudanese figures:

I would advise against them...

[James Morris]

Castaway Arts make a couple of models named as Sudanese, don't know if they will fit the bill for you.  I have a load of their 1890s Italians and Ethiopians and found them nice, cleanly cast and finely detailed models, if not quite up to the standard of Paul Hicks.

Link here:
http://www.castawayarts.com.au/catalog/catalog_main.php?cmd=groupload&group=10

[carlos marighela]

I think you are out of luck Dylan. The Castaway versions are circa 1882 and as the picture viividly portrays, the Bicorne ones also fall into the 'fucking horrible' category. Actually the only decent Bicorne minis I've seen are the ECW ones but they are by a different sculptor.

The only Omdurman period Sudanese I can think of, off hand, are both 25mm. Essex, which weren't bad and Minifigs, which were, well Minifigs.

Oh hang on if you can live with 30mm, then I think that Stadden or Tradition or one of that particular miliewu may have made some. Not sure what they would mix with in your collection.

[Plynkes]

I forgot about Redoubt. They look pretty nice, but unfortunately I have some of the Redoubt range and they're a bit bloomin' massive. I need figs that won't look stupidly big next to some Perry minis I'm going to convert.  Dammit, they would've been fine. Cock!

Answer is, what the Hell is that... that thing?


Edit: Thanks, Carlos. I think I'm going to have to go the more expensive and pain-in-the-arsey conversion route. But never mind, eh? I have something in mind that will do the trick without too much fuss, just a bit of headswapping and a bit of Greenstuff here and there. Already done something very similar as a test, but was hoping I wouldn't have to do a shedload.

[Plynkes]

Already done something very similar as a test, but was hoping I wouldn't have to do a shedload.

This is the fellow in question...



2 (Nyasaland) KAR in Somaliland in 1903. But paint his fez khaki instead of black and Bob's your uncle: One Sudanese fella. Near enough.

So at least I have something to fall back on. 

[carlos marighela]

That's pretty bloody impressive. Still I can understand your desire not to have to replicate it on a large scale. I'm of the 'if it involves more than a headswap or a few lead foil straps, then bugger it' school of thought.

[6milPhil]

Oh, and another thing. Just why in the hell should a Google images search using the terms "28mm Sudanese Infantry" end up producing a bunch of pictures of Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Vanessa Hudgens? Does it just return anything it likes after the first ten pages or so, because it figures nobody will bother looking that far in? Grrr...  

I've noticed this, there was a time when an image search was just a deepening pit of goodies, but now - like you say- it becomes the picture desk of a sleb mag.

[answer_is_42]

Answer is, what the Hell is that... that thing?

Arab/Ansar Artilleryman standing with bucket, according to the Bicorne site. I paid £1.15 for him and a couple of his friends, which I'm rather bitter about. Well and truly the worst figures I have ever seen for sale. What is perhaps more shocking is that there is an entire range of them!

Those conversions of yours, on the other hand, are rather superb and inspired.
How many Sudanese chaps do you need? I can imagine that converting a unit of 20 or so could be a real bugger.

(and at what point do we get to see some photos of these in a game?!)

[Remington]

Nice miniature and very nice PJ. Where is the head from? I like the face.

Google is never wrong! Surely you knew that Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Vanessa Hudgens all have actually served in the Sudanese army at some point or other. I read that in a historical publication. Heat Magazine or something or other.

[Ignatieff]

[quote author=Remington link=topic=28501.msg344072#msg344072 date=

Google is never wrong! Surely you knew that Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Vanessa Hudgens all have actually served in the Sudanese army at some point or other. I read that in a historical publication. Heat Magazine or something or other.
[/quote]

There speaks a true scholar!   Plynkes, where's your fine fella from?

[Ignatieff]

On the subject of Bicorne. Well. Their Italians look nice, don't they? Here's a picture of one of their Sudanese figures:

I would advise against them...

What the F.... Is that??? It's like a 1970's monster from Doctor Who (the days before the
BBC had mountains of mullah!). I migh add it to my zombie 'interest' pile.  Truely the work of a drunk with a blindfold on (and before you ask, no I couldn't do better...)

[Plynkes]

How many Sudanese chaps do you need? I can imagine that converting a unit of 20 or so could be a real bugger.

As a devout skirmish gamer, twenty would be plenty (they will have an HMG, some Camel Corps and an aeroplane for company). But knowing me I'll get bored and stop before I reach ten.


Just want enough to do a 1916 version of Björn's "Find the Waterhole" Sudan skirmish scenario that he ran at Tactica, as it fits the setting perfectly (skirmishes between fanatical Jibbah-clad Fur warriors and Sudanese scouts looking for vital water supplies for the column were the typical encounter of the campaign I have in mind). Darfur has to be one of the most inhospitable places a British force has ever tried to penetrate. Getting to Khartoum was a doddle by comparison. There just is no bloody water source in the western part other than rain. And it never rains. 


I hear it remains a cheerful, friendly place to this day.


Remington, it's from a Woodbine Designs Senegalese head sprue. Unfortunately these heads are a little less than ideal, as the French Zouave-type Fez is distinctively wide and floppy, and doesn't really look like a rigid Egyptian one. However, this one head in the set has a fez that does just about match. Either I remodel the fezzes of the others with putty, just use all of that one head type for my boys (resulting in something of a Star Wars Clone Army), or I look elsewhere for fezzed heads. Another headache if I go down this avenue, but only a little one.


Ignatieff, the head as described above, the body is Perry Camel Corps, with the tunic remodelled into a jumper. Pretty simple job.