Perfect trees for New Zealand Wars

[Arteis]

One trouble with wargaming the 19th century New Zealand Wars is that the bush in New Zealand has so many different plants from those found in other countries. To add a real kiwi flavour to such games, you need to have at least a few tree-ferns and cabbage trees for your Maori and colonial troops to battle through.

Well, have I got the answer for you! Check my blog posting here for a terrific source for New Zealand trees:

http://arteis.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/excellent-range-of-new-zealand-trees/

Sample pic:

[FifteensAway]

Might I recommend you do a very small test before you overpaint these items, if they are similar to what I have for other than NZ plants, you might rue the day you did that?  But cool to know about.  Thanks.

[Arteis]

Interesting, Fifteens ... what went wrong with yours? 

I was thinking of painting only the larger fern-like trees.  The flax bushes and toitoi look perfectly good as is.  But the bigger fern leaves look like what they are - paper - so need painting to give them a bit more definition and shading. 

So I would be intrigued to learn what your experience was.

Cheers.

[carlos marighela]

Roly,

They might be a bit small but you may find these handy:

http://www.busch-model.com/katalog/e/artikel/1203-h0.htm

[Arteis]

Thanks for that, Carlos.  I've already used a similar product from Noch for the smaller ferns on my figure bases.  I thought it worked really well: 

http://arteis.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/empress-1840s-new-zealand-wars-maori-and-colonial-figures/

As seen here:


I love the other plant products that link you gave me to Busch shows - you could spend a fortune just in miniature flowers!

[Poiter50]

Roly, does the seller ship overseas and is there a link to sales? I have a friend who is doing a force of bro's using Empress and OG.

[FifteensAway]

Arteis,

I did not overpaint mine and would not really consider it because they look fine.  However, if I did not like the color I'd be reluctant to overpaint.  A thought that just occurred that I might be willing to try is using watercolor pencils - with a dulled tip.  I know that will be more labor intensive but I'm betting safer.  Painting the type of paper mine is made from would likely result in either ruined stuff or curled edges that would be hard to fix.  Perhaps what you have is sturdier.  I think mine are from either Noch or Preiser if I recall right.

[Arteis]

Details of how to buy these trees:

http://arteis.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/new-zealand-tree-kits-available/

[Poiter50]

Roly, thanks for that, I will talk to my friend who is painting 28s for Maori Wars.

Now, what about flag sources for that period?

Details of how to buy these trees:

http://arteis.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/new-zealand-tree-kits-available/

[Arteis]

A report on my first experiment with these tree kits:

http://arteis.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/pictures-of-a-new-zealand-wars-scene-with-my-plants/

[carlos marighela]

That's superb work Roly. The first pics looked a bit like cake decorations but set in place, they look really good. BTW those Maori are wonderful, beautiful brushwork. Nice job with the Perry farmhouse too.

[Arteis]

More info: http://arteis.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/toying-with-toi-tois/