Some years ago I started a Colonial wargames project that was inspired by Eric Knowles's 'Madasahatta' campaign. Back in the early 1980s I had taken part in a year-long series of land and naval battles set on the imaginary island of Madasahatta during the Great War. The whole thing was organised by Eric and the battles were fought in the basement of his shop, 'New Model Army' in Manor Park.
Back in the early 2000s I decided to set up my own imaginary African countries (some colonies, some still independent), and hence were born Dammallia, Mankanika, and Marzibar. These countries needed armies, and these were supplied by Essex Miniatures.
I based my armies, organised them so that they could be easily and quickly moved from storage to tabletop ... and then life intervened, the project became moribund, and the armies have been sat in their storage boxes pretty well unused ever since.
But not now!
Here they are, in all their glory, waiting to be used.
The Army of British Dammallia
The Army of German Mankanika
The Army of the Sultanate of Marzibar
The Arab Army
Note: The Arab Army will align with anyone it thinks will be of assistance to it and fight anyone that tries to stop them indulging in their 'legitimate' business ... the slave trade!
It strikes me that I could easily use these figures as they are for my portable wargame; all it would mean is that Units would be made up of groups of individual figures rather than a single Unit base.
This is going to give me something to think about over the next few days.
Back in the early 2000s I decided to set up my own imaginary African countries (some colonies, some still independent), and hence were born Dammallia, Mankanika, and Marzibar. These countries needed armies, and these were supplied by Essex Miniatures.
I based my armies, organised them so that they could be easily and quickly moved from storage to tabletop ... and then life intervened, the project became moribund, and the armies have been sat in their storage boxes pretty well unused ever since.
But not now!
Here they are, in all their glory, waiting to be used.
The Army of British Dammallia
The Army of German Mankanika
The Army of the Sultanate of Marzibar
The Arab Army
Note: The Arab Army will align with anyone it thinks will be of assistance to it and fight anyone that tries to stop them indulging in their 'legitimate' business ... the slave trade!
It strikes me that I could easily use these figures as they are for my portable wargame; all it would mean is that Units would be made up of groups of individual figures rather than a single Unit base.
This is going to give me something to think about over the next few days.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThey look very nice indeed and I love the paint jobs. Did they ever see any action? It just goes to show what a little imagination and a clever paint job can produce! For the portable wargame could you use movement trays of some kind?
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteI had them painted for my by Essex Miniatures, who did a very good job and did not charge too high a price to do it.
I have pushed them around on the tabletop a couple of times, but they have yet to feature in an actual wargame.
Movement trays are a possibility that I am considering, although moving individual figures would not be too much of a problem either.
All the best,
Bob
Why not revive your whole Colonial project, Bob?
ReplyDeleteIt seems a shame to let it lie fallow after you put so much developmental work into it . . . . Besides, it was your Colonial writings that helped to get me into playing that period.
-- Jeff
Bluebear Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI certainly intend to do something with these figures, and not to leave them languishing in their storage boxes.
It might not happen tomorrow ... but something will happen soon!
All the best,
Bob
You do have a set of rules that will make use of them now, it would be a shame to let them go back into storage.
ReplyDeleteRemember, a painted wargame figure is for life, not just for Christmas
ReplyDeleteConrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteThey are certainly going to be used ... and very soon if it is possible to arrange!
All the best,
Bob
Kingsleypark,
ReplyDeleteVery true. I still have figures somewhere in my collection that have been around for 30+ years ... and that still get used every so often.
All the best,
Bob
I was (and still am) suggesting that you resurrect your fictitious Colonial campaign . . . not to just use the figures (although that is fine by itself); but to revive Dammallia, Mankanika and Marzibar.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
Bluebear Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is something that need to be revived, and when time permits, it will be!
All the best,
Bob
There is a certain joy to re-finding "lost" armies or at least past ones.
ReplyDeleteI can vouch that the grid makes it easy to use a group of individually based figures as a "unit".
-Ross
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteI looked at the storage boxes they were in every time I went into my wargames room ... but just never got around to opening them to use what was inside!
I am giving serious consideration to using groups of figures rather than multi-figure bases for the next play-test of my portable wargame rules.
As you say, using a grid helps to keep Units together.
All the best,
Bob