Maori Wars- which one to game?...figures to use for both?

[Happy Wanderer]

Gents,

I'm interested in opinions on which of the New Zealand Maori Wars offers the best gaming potential and which figures are usable for them?

Obviously the Empress NZ Wars range is great as are the new Eureka Maoris. Are the Colonial forces of the 1840s usable in the 1860s?....and the Maori for that matter? What changed if anything?

Whilst the idea of trenches and Pa attacks sounds good I suspect these offer the least interesting games.

Any info on the best gaming potential and figures to use would be appreciated.

Cheers

Happy W

[Arthur]

If you want to be historically accurate about it, the British figures would have to be different for both wars as uniforms had changed fairly radically in twenty years. The Flagstaff War of 1845/46 was mostly fought in the red undress shell jacket that had become standard campaign wear for the British army in most colonial theaters of operations. By the 1860's, British infantrymen in New Zealand were issued with dark blue serge frocks instead - the correct figures for the later period can be found in the Perry BIF range.

The Maori are more flexible and the same figures can be used for for both wars to a large extent, though European costume was becoming increasingly popular by the mid 1860's.

In terms of gaming potential, you don't have to be storming Pa's 24 hours a day : attacks on isolated settlements while a relief column is on the way or ambushes in dense terrain can be just as fun.

He hasn't updated it in a good while but Roly Herman's Flasgtaff Adventures blog is a good source of inspiration for the 1840's :

http://flagstaffadventures.wordpress.com/ 

[Arteis]

The 'Flagstaff Adventures' blog isn't mine.  

My blog is 'Dressing The Lines'.  Here's a link to it, with the category 'Colonial NZ Wars' pre-selected, so you can scroll back through a truckload of my postings about this period: https://arteis.wordpress.com/category/periods/colonial-new-zealand-wars/

I concur with Arthur's comments above about the difference between the 1840s and the 1860s wars.

For the British/colonial sides, you will need to select either:

• 1840s - Empress; or some figures from Perry's new Cape Wars range
• 1860s - Perry's British Intervention Force range.

For Māori:

• 1840s - Empress.
• 1860s - Empress (however, neither Empress nor Perry makes Māori with western styles of dress that they often wore by the 60s, eg waistcoats).

Cheers

[Arteis]

1840s British in NZ (Empress):


1860s British in NZ (Perry's BIF range):

[Happy Wanderer]

Arthur, Arteis,

Thank you very much for your input (lovely pics Arteis). I have looked a good deal at the your blog Roly and it is a source of inspiration for sure.

I'm still mulling over a few things and gathering thoughts on this topic.

My instinct is that the 1st Maori War might be the most portable i.e. the British Army and Naval detachment forces fit in with those of the Cape Wars (South Africa) which is also a source of interest...so a bit of double duty which is always a bonus. This buys in nicely to the new Perry range and perhaps the civilian units they do for the Cape Wars range may work for NZ militia or local forces as well...I'm not sure.

In so far as the 1st Maori War goes, in your opinion(s), which of the two wars offer the most interesting military confrontations? - I've read a bit about the the two wars but as you have clearly been much further down this path than I I'm interested in your learned opinion on which war offers the most gaming potential that you have explored.

Any advice in this regard would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Happy W

[Lowtardog]

I you should be pretty much be able to game both the flagsttaff war and Hutt valley campaign with the same figures, the only variation being the regiments that took part to a greater or lesser extent.

For me it is or rather has similar style warfare as the french indian wars, aside from pitch attackes on maori pas, scenarios of attacks on sttlers, convoys and attacks against maori war parties are all good fodder, you can also if it takes your fancy game tribe against tribe and carry that back to the earlier musket wars.

Dont forget the Eureka pre contact maori range which although all hand weapons mix in really well with Empress. And if you fancy a bit of internal skirmishing the new tibal rules are cracking

[Arthur]

The 'Flagstaff Adventures' blog isn't mine.

Oops, sorry about that Roly : for some reason, I remembered the Flagstaff blog as yours.

[Lowtardog]

Oops, sorry about that Roly : for some reason, I remembered the Flagstaff blog as yours.

I think that belongs to the chap who commissioned the original range

[Keith]

I think that belongs to the chap who commissioned the original range

Yep

[Happy Wanderer]

@Arteis

Could you email me please (using LAF) as I have question related (but not the same as this topic) and I can't find any other way to contact.

Kind regards

Happy W

[Arteis]

Your message replied to, Happy Wanderer.

[Atheling]

1860s British in NZ (Perry's BIF range):

Durham Light Infantry? (Only regiment I can think of off the top of my  head who fought in NZ in the 1860's!   )

Talking of which, the City council are closing the local Durham Light Infantry museum this year..... SAD!

• 1860s - Empress (however, neither Empress nor Perry makes Māori with western styles of dress that they often wore by the 60s, eg waistcoats).

That might very well change with the introduction of the Victorian Small Wars ranges from the Twins..... who knows..... probably more Afghans first (I hope!)

Darrell.[/list]

[Atheling]

Edited and added to above post

D

[Arteis]

@Atheling: Quite a few british regiments served in NZ during the 1860s:
• 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot ('The Old Dozen') - 1st Battalion served 1860 - 1866
• 14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot ('The Old and Bold') - 2nd Battalion served 1860 – 1867
• 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot ('Paddy's Blackguards') - 2nd Battalion served 1863 - 1870
• 40th (Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot ('The Excellers') - Served 1860 - 1866
• 43rd (Monmouthshire) Light Infantry ('Wolfe's Own') - Served 1863 - 1866
• 50th (Queens Own) Regiment of Foot ('Dirty Half-Hundred') - Served 1863 - 1866)
• 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot ('The Die Hards') - Served 1860 - 1866
• 65th (2nd Yorkshire North Riding) Regiment of Foot ('Royal Tigers') - Served 1846 - 1865
• 68th (Durham) Light Infantry ('The Faithful Durhams') - Served 1864 - 1866
• 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot ('The Glasgow Greys') - Served 1863 - 1866
• Royal Artillery - Various detachments served 1845 - 1870 (from 1861, mainly 4th Brigade - C and I Batteries). Also
served as cavalry in Taranaki and the Waikato.
• Royal Engineers - mainly 6th Company. Served until 1870, although most left in 1866.
• Army Medical Department - Served 1860 - 1866
• Army Hospital Corps - Served 1861 - 1870
• Commissariat Staff Corps - Served 1861 - 1870
• Puveyor's Department
• Chaplain's Department
• Military Train and Horse Transport Corps - 4th Battalion. Served 1861 - 1866. Served as cavalry, most notably
Nukumaru, as well as transport and supply.
• Royal Marines and Royal Marine Artillery - Serving on various Royal Navy ships. Served 1769, 1845 - 46, 1860,
1863 - 64
• Naval Brigade - Men from various Royal Navy and E.I.C. ships - Served 1845 - 1846, 1860 - 1864

[Happy Wanderer]

Gents,

Speaking of the 1860s uniform...using Arteis' picture as a clear example


We know that NZ uniforms of the 1860s period look like the Perry figures above…though all may not necessarily look like this?




So what else can these blue coat troops be used for in the NZ wars...are the militia dressed this way?

What about further afield...Australian constabulary in the 1860s-70s…aka constabulary vs the Kelly Gang? Crimea?



…is this blue uniform so unique that it wasn’t used any where else with this look?


One potential ‘upside’ to painting figures like this is fundamentally it is an entire single colour with belting, rifle and flesh the only parts needing accurate brush work….so they’d be relatively easy to do….


Thoughts on the utility on the 1860s Perry’s would be useful…they do have exact look IMHO…blanket rolls, etc.

https://www.perry-miniatures.com/index.php?cPath=23_81







These Canadian Vol Cav look usable possibly?…