IAA EXPLORERS (Death in the Dark Continent)

[H.M.Stanley]

...and here are the Explorers to brave the Cannibals. I have all the figures; just to paint them now:

Elite Muzungo with Breach Loader
Untrained Soldiers with Breech Loaders [6 x bases]
Untrained Soldiers with Muskets [6 x bases]
Untrained Soldiers with Muskets [6 x bases]
Armed Porters: Untrained Skirmishers with Muskets [8 x bases*]
Armed Porters: Untrained Skirmishers with Muskets [8 x bases*]

Its perfect for what i want to do and is loosely based on Stanley's forays into the Congo after being duped by Good King Leopold.

It should be rubbish as an "army" but good fun [rubs hands!]

* 3 or 4 x Porters on 40x40mm being a single Base

[H.M.Stanley]

But i'll have to build up to that what with all the Porters so first i'll use our friend ...

Explorers: Charles Stokes Variant 1891 (with Germans in East Africa allies)

Muzungu with Breech Loader
[Uniformed] Askaris: Soldiers with Muskets (6 bases)
Armed Porters*: Untrained Skirmishers with Muskets (7 bases)
Allies
Wissmanntruppe Askaris: Soldiers with with Breech Loaders (4 bases)
Wissmanntruppe Askaris: Soldiers with with Breech Loaders (4 bases)

* 3 or 4 x Porters on 40x40mm stand being a single "Base"

[H.M.Stanley]

Note to self to get on with this ... 

[H.M.Stanley]

Hi, i'm torn as to how to paint the Wissmanntruppe Askaris.

One of the Wissmanntruppe are actually Shutzentruppe figures. They'll be in khaki so i'm not keen on doing a 2nd unit that way.

White shirts or blue [and just ignore the bibs on the latter?] although i'm not certain that my hands are steady enough to paint the Imperial stripes on the White shirts

I have a 3rd unit of more irregular looking Askari to break up the look.

Thanks

James

[Plynkes]

Some people find white a little problematic. It can be hard to get a nice finish. That could be a consideration when trying to decide on which colour to go for.

I'm going for all the uniform options with my Wissmanntruppe force. Swahili Askari in the old white DOAG uniforms, Sudanese in khaki, and two lots of "Zulus" (one in blue and one in khaki).

[H.M.Stanley]

Some people find white a little problematic. It can be hard to get a nice finish. That could be a consideration when trying to decide on which colour to go for.

I'm going for all the uniform options with my Wissmanntruppe force. Swahili Askari in the old white DOAG uniforms, Sudanese in khaki, and two lots of "Zulus" (one in blue and one in khaki).

Thanks for that. I'm more of a gamer than painter so white is an option still.

Would the Blue uniform pass as more generic Askari?

[Plynkes]

Hard to say. Lots of Askari wore white. Germans, Zanzibaris, Italians, etc. You could use Askari dressed in white to represent Sudanese Egyptian troops pushing south from the Sudan, too, or isolated remnants of garrisons cut off by the Mahdist revolt.

But some Imperial British East Africa Company Askaris dressed in blue with red fezzes to begin with (as did the Uganda Rifles and various British Central African police units), the KAR originally had blue jerseys, and Belgian and French Askaris wore blue, so there isn't all that much in it.

So both colours are pretty versatile if you want them use them as lots of different things (sorry, that's not helping you decide, is it? ).

[H.M.Stanley]

No it isn't  but the information is appreciated.

As i'm on a Stokes theme still, I'll do them either blue or khaki [yes i'm THAT fickle] especially as i've now decided to combine them with Slavers [read: my Pathans]

As you can tell, i'm a purist 

[Arthur]

I'm going for all the uniform options with my Wissmanntruppe force. Swahili Askari in the old white DOAG uniforms, Sudanese in khaki, and two lots of "Zulus" (one in blue and one in khaki).

Which figures are you using for the Zulu company, Dylan ?

[Plynkes]

Paint conversions of the Copplestone DOAG troops. The uniform isn't exactly right, but it is pretty close.

[H.M.Stanley]

White!! I'n definitely doing them in white 

Fez - black or red?

[Plynkes]

Red.

Correct for Wissmanntruppe, and much more common generally, making your models more versatile if you want to give them other roles later.

[H.M.Stanley]

Red.

Correct for Wissmanntruppe, and much more common generally, making your models more versatile if you want to give them other roles later.

Thanks chap - i was thinking more generally. Could you get away with not putting piping on the bibs or would it look odd do you think.

In our campaign, i've been nominated to run the Eurotrash Gold Expedition Party. Disreputable French/Belgium types with Cannibal allies.

For, erm, inspiration, i've been reading up on Capt.Voulet/Lt.Chanoine & Lt Mizon 

[Plynkes]

As you want to use them as generic askari, I wouldn't hesitate to ignore the piping. In fact, I'd grasp for any bloody excuse not to have to paint it. I had the devil of a time trying to get it to look neat on my DOAG troops. Took two goes at it before I was happy.

And then only 'mostly' happy.


Got it all to look forward to again with my Zulu Company. They are staring at me angrily from the painting bench, wanting to know why I haven't touched them. Sudanese first - no piping.

[H.M.Stanley]

The thing is ...

its going to bug me if i don't at least attempt one red stripe around the edge. I may try it with an artists pen