Copplestone Ngoni Female Archers WIP

One of my long-term projects is painting some forces for Congo, and to that end I purchased some mixed Copplestone Africans quite a while ago.

As I also want to play some Paleo Diet in Africa, I thought I would add some archers to the spear-armed Zulus I painted back in 2016 (time flies!); I have four Zulu riflemen almost ready for primer, but I do not wish to use firearms in Paleo Diet.

It also struck me that I can work on an African warband for SAGA Age of Magic, and thus keep myself motivated for getting some minis painted from time to time.

This batch I intend to use for small breaks from Rohirrim, whenever I need some change, but I hope to get the eight Royal Guards painted fairly soon, as I need them to have a 'pure' six-points Rohan warband (and Age of Magic seems to use larger warbands than 'historical' SAGA does, so I shall see myself adding some riders to the mix this summer, too).

USUTHU! - Unmarried Zulu Riflemen, Bases and Powder Horns, WIP

I only added some filler to the bases, and glued another Powder Horn in place. IN this photo, you can see the WIP crossbelt that I am still leaving to harden, before I start modifying it.

USUTHU! - Unmarried Zulu Riflemen WIP

My Zulu project has been dormant for quite a while, but as part of Operation Cleansweep, I am now finally getting these finished.

I added the powder horn to the front left one, statred sculpting a 'crossbelt' on the front right one (for adding a powder horn), and put some filler on all the bases.

I shall have to let the greenstuff harden for a couple of days, before I continue work on the crossbelt; in the meantime I shall see if I can find some sprues and add powder horns to the other two Zulus, and finish work on the bases, so they will all be ready for primer when I have finished sculpting, and then added a powder horn hanging from the crossbelt.

More African Critters

As with many others shown over the last couple of month, I have had these chimps for ages.

They were based on too large washers, so I chopped them off, and put them on 20mm ones instead.

I have another seven of them, enough for a family to hunt, I think, and very soon I shall get them onto the prepping station, but I have some plastic Hobbits, and Perry Miniatures French HYW spearmen to get moved along, first (the goal is to steadily reduce the amount of miniatures sitting on the workspace).

African Wildlife to be Painted!

I had an old Chaos Black primer working overtime this early afternoon - first the Minas Tirith archers, then these critters, soon to be found in a great many settings and games (they might even appear in games of Sellswords and Spellslingers as random encounters or complications).

I shall paint one when I have finished the first member of Lea's SS&SS warband - I would like to try out Paleo Diet in an African setting ASAP, and I think three ostriches and three baboons is just about enough for 3-4 Zulu warriors to hunt, for starters.

When the critters are all done, I shall probably start working on some giraffes or cape buffalos I already have in my possession, and I would also like to expand my collection of ostriches, as I have an idea for some special rules regarding the 'hiding' ones...

Baboon Family to Go

The baboon family is now also ready for primer, and I expect to get it sprayed alongside the Minas Tirith archers and the ostriches. I may paint the prey animals in between the characters for Lea's SS&SS party, as the Hasslefree fantasy mini is dragging on, and I need some variation (and to get something finished a bit faster).

Basing the Baboon

As promised yesterday, here is an update on the basing experiment.

The male Baboon has been glued to the double-base, and some filler has been applied.

Tomorrow, I shall file away the excess filler, and apply some more where needed, and we shall have a final result of the experiment - which already looks promising!

Monkey Business

And I mean it!

As part of my preparations for Paleo Diet in Africa, I have been busy prepping the baboon family.

This included sawing off half of the integral bases. to avoid the finished minis to sit on slotta-base like plinths.

The base of the male baboon is so oblongish that it would take a far too large single washer to fit, so I have started an experiment gluing 15mm washers in pairs to cereal packet cardboard; I then intend to cut around them to create a pill shaped base.

I should have the result of the experiment tomorrow.

The baboons should do sterling service as random encounters in all kinds of Colonial and Pulp games, so they will make a welcome addition to my collection!

Paleo Diet - Rounding Up the Prey

As mentioned, I am going to play some Paleo Diet as soon as I have enough painted animals to hunt, so I have been digging out  some of the wildlife I have amassed over the years (and making sure to find some of the African animals, as I am going to use some Zulus as hunters for a start).

I painted this ostrich from HLBSC (now North Star) some time ago for a Painting Club at the LAF, and I have another couple of those big birds form the same set ready for paint, so I should start on those as soon as I get Lea's SS&SS party finished.

From the same company came the baboon family, and they will be the next animals painted. When they are done, I should have enough for a first game, so I can focus on getting some jungle terrain done (I have loads of plastic palm trees and aquarium plants, so I shall not have to purchase anything to get stuck in).

This bear is from an old blister with a Wood Elf Beastmaster, and the collar/torque is really making it look too domesticated, but I shall probably use it, anyway, at a later point, when I get some proper cavemen painted.

The second bear is from the long OOB MEGA Miniatures of Johnny Lauck, and much more fitting for a wild beast.

Both bears are going to get new bases, I think - I have just ordered some thin greyboard 25mm x 50mm pill shaped bases from Sarissa Precision to place on top of two 25mm washers for mounting cavalry and the likes, and the first bear might fit on one of those, while the second one can probably use a single 30mm or 35mm washer.

Lastly, for now, I have two crocodiles - I think they can make hunting along rivers or in swamps a tad more interesting, and predators should always be part of the conditions to be faced by primitive tribes trying to carve out a place in an unforgiving environment.

Ostrich Basing WIP

Been trying to bring the bird up to speed with all the other WIP basing projects, and I am almost there.

This concludes the progress shown for today, as the rest of my work was mostly just dull filling of washer holes on the bases I already put some filler on yesterday (no reason to show pics of lying minis with filler sticking out of the underside of their bases, methinks).

I expect to clear about 20 models from the prepping station this weekend, and then work should continue on some of my current painting projects (I really need to get one of those riflemen done for the Big Battalions Painting Club at the LAF done).

Birdy, Birdy, Nam, Nam!

This Honoured Lead Boiler Suit Company mini has been lying around on my prepping station ever since I painted another ostrich from the same pack for a painting club at the LAF.

As part of my plan to get some stuff cleared from the prepping station, I cleaned it up and glued it to a washer.

I intend to get Ganesha Games' Paleo Diet game, and a flock of ostriches would be a viable game objective for a group of Paleolithic hunters.

HLBSC has stopped trading in 28mm minis, but most of their ranges were picked up by Nick Eyre at North Star Military Figures, and it should be possible to get another couple of packs (and some antelopes, or other game).

Africa: Something to Raid

The last set from my recently arrived Caliver order was three North Star African Cattle (AA20). They are of course destined to be objectives to be stolen/defended, or just to provide some nice atmosphere.

Tomorrow I am going to begin work on my two planned God of Battles Skeleton Horde units, and I expect that project to take up at least half of January. After finishing those, I expect to resume work on my In Her Majesty's Name Zulu Impi. Plenty of work to do for now, before I go back to the Dark Ages (although I expect to do some work with Anna on the longhouse in between).

Africa: A Couple of Cheetahs

I actually may have this set already - I have to go check the box in which I store past HLBSC animal purchases (these are former products of said company, if my memory serves me right).

Nice, slender cats, need some cleaning up, but will look great on the table, I think.

All in all, with the wildlife I have in store, the somewhat recent purchase of a big Zulu War job lot, and the November orders from North Star and Caliver Books, I now have quite a collection for games set in the Dark Continent - I just have to get more of it painted up!

With my New Year's vow to reduce my hobby budget substantially for at least the first half of 2017, it should be doable, but I do have other projects to tend to, too...

Congo: Copplestone Ngoni Chiefs/Wichdoctors

Another pack from my November order with Caliver.

Because, you can always use some characters.

As that particular order is also the last minis I am going to purchase for a while, there actually is a chance that some of them will get painted within an overseeable future - which is always nice to know 😉

Congo: Copplestone Female Ngoni Archers

in the second half of November I put in an order with Caliver Books for some minis I wanted for my Africa/Congo collection, as I could get them with a discount, and with free shipping on orders of £20+.

I had all but given up on the stuff, as I enquired about it shortly before Christmas and was ensured that the package had gone out on November 20th.

I was not able to get through to the mail over the holidays, and then suddenly the package showed up in the mail this morning, 40 days after dispatch...

Well, here is one of the blisters from my order: I had the pleasure of playing with a nicely painted set of these in the Congo game I participated in at Horisont VIII, and I really want those models as part of my Africa games!

USUTHU! - The Mandatory Group Shot

Lots of down-time today, as I actually have not felt all that well (my mood is low, and it influences my level of energy, and my interaction with my family).

I have started re-basing a couple of minis which I expect to be able to show one of the next days, and I am collecting ideas, digging out minis, and finding sources for additional minis for a new long-term project - but more about that in a later post!

I hope to finish painting my Copplestone Santa tomorrow or Tuesday, and I shall continue re-basing models for a fresh look along the way, too.

USUTHU! - Bhekizizwe Joins the Ranks!

As promised yesterday, another married Zulu Veteran can now be shown in all its painted glory 😆

The frontal view is a bit blurred - my camera must have focused on the shield or the iklwa.

I had almost decided to disregard the Foundry Dusky Flesh palette for painting sub-saharan indigenous people, but as I already had given this one a base coat of Citadel Scorched Brown, and a second layer of Foundry Dusky Flesh Shade, I thought I should give it a go.

I mixed some Dusky Flesh Shade with equal parts Dusky Flesh - and struck gold!

Rarely have I expected less, and gotten more! The resulting mix makes the transision between the two paints almost seamless, and I could paint on the third layer with the new mix, and finish of with final hightlights of Dusky Flesh.

I think Bhekizizwe here maybe is the one with the skin colour closest to the one seen on many of the photos of Zulus I have been able to find on the web. That being said, I have seen quite a few different shades of skin (and lots of it), when googling for reference material, so I am under no circumstances going to settle for just one palette when painting future Zulus, and my experiments with Dusky Flesh will not end here, either! I have already planned to mix Coat d'Arms Negro with Dusky Flesh to be able to use Negro as the base colour and skip the slightly reddish Dusky Flesh Shade and obtain a more 'milk chocolate' like effect, and I shall probably also try another go at using Dusky Flesh Shade as base coat, this time with the new mix as second layer.

All these experiments with dark African flesh tones will aso come in handy when I return to painting Uruk-Hai, somewhen, as I want an Isengard God of Battles army based on the Orc Warlords list.

USUTHU! - An Impi is Slowly Growing

I only almost have one more to show, so instead of a newly painted mini, you will have to settle for a line-up of previously finished Zulus. All members of the uThulwana Imbutho, they all sport a white shield. When I add more Veterans to the Impi, I shall use some of the other recorded variants, but for now, I go for uniform white.

Today's experiment with the Foundry Dusky Flesh palette was very successful, and I look forward to show the fourth of my married warriors (I just glued sand to his base earlier today, and expect to finish the base before noon tomorrow).

USUTHU! Anele is Finished - Sort of...

By far not my best work ever, but I rushed to get him done, as he had been sitting half-painted on my cork-holder for several months, because of me getting first my God of Battles Skeleton Warrior unit ready for the table, then painting Dark Ages civilians like a madman for a while.

The colours used for his skin are

1. F Dusky Flesh Shade
2. F Dusky Flesh
3. F Dusky Flesh + F Dusky Flesh Light

I think I may need to mix Dusky Flesh Shade and Dusky Flesh to get a smoother transition, as I am not happy with the harsh contrast between the darkest and the mid layers.

I also consider dropping Dusky Flesh Shade as part of this colour series, and instead use a dark 'chocolate' colour like C Scorched Brown or Coat d'Arms Negro as base colour, and mix an intermediate shade of that and Dusky Flesh.

I may do both - I am experimenting a bit on the last of the initial four married Zulu warriors, and the result I get from this is likely to have a lot of influence on my final decision on this.

The rest of the colours are pretty much the same as the other two Zulus I painted.

Fine Young Cannibals!

The next part of the North Star order I received yesterday is primarily destined to become part of my slowly evolving Congo project, but will also see action as part of, for instance, Pulp Alley Cannibal leagues to make life miserable for leagues of intrepid explorers.

I went for the 'Extreme Cannibals', as they are very cliché and fitting for use in Pulp games, too (and will probably be very fun to paint).

I do not know if they are Mark Copplestone sculpts, the North Star site has no sculptor info I was able to find (so if anyone out there knows, feel free to tell me), but I suspect they are not, as I think they lack the typical Copplestone features.

These Cannibals come without spears, so I ordered a pack of 50 mm wire spears, too, which sould last med a long time (I could have cut down some of the 100 mm wire spears I have, but I got lazy).

When you say 'Cannibals', you have to also mention the fat king/chief of the tribe, and as this pack comes with a crone witch/shaman (H. Rider Haggard reference? - I just learned that he was actually of Danish descent!?), I simply had to get it, too.

I shall probably not paint any of these until long after Christmas, as I have the seasonal minis and another bunch of Zulu warriors to keep me busy for now, but it is my intention to get them painted within an overseeable future. Of course, my Butterfly Syndrome may kick in and make me do something completely different...