Command Base: 19th Century

Showing posts with label 19th Century. Show all posts

Sunday, 10 November 2024

Empire of the Dead

Couldn't resist the lure of another skirmish game, this time it's Empire of the Dead by West Wind Productions. This is an old game, I believe it was released in 2012, and continues my habit of being up there with the cool kids and fashionably late to the party. I have been looking for a game to interest my other half and youngest daughter and this seems to fit the bill, especially with the recent offer from West Wind, £75 for 4 starter boxes and a free rule book. The terrain is part of a batch I've bought from TT Combat with the view of WWII games and possibly my 1866 collection. The factions chosen are, Lyaons, Nosferatu and the Gentlemen's club with Victorian Zombies. At first glance the rules seem simple enough for a novice to quickly grasp and the setting will definitely appeal to the intended audience.

The only issue I have at the moment is storage space for assembled mdf kits with renovations still ongoing, but one more box can't hurt! I'll pick up some more TT combat kits once I see how these fill the table out and I can get a better idea of what I'll need.

Other projects haven't been abandoned, they will just rotate as the mood takes me. This may have the positive outcome of making me more productive as output has slowed of late.

Tuesday, 30 August 2022

Newcastle Rifles and Buffalo Guard - Anglo-Zulu War

28mm Anglo-Zulu War cavalry representing Newcastles Rifles and the Buffalo Guard. The figures are from Empress Miniatures. Observant readers may notice a stray mounted and dismounted Natal Mounted Police figure, I'm unsure where his fellow officer is, likely misplaced in a box during packing for a move, this particular chap has also seen action, having lost his helmet spike. Just like the Mounted Infantry set there is a horse holder set included. The intention was to combine these with the Mounted infantry to form a cavalry detachment for a small game. I also have in the lead pile some Mounted Natal Native Horse to paint. The Anglo-Zulu War project has very much been a slow burner, with small additions being infrequently made, in fact I've only managed to paint one of the Rorkes Drift Buildings and the Zulu huts have remained untouched!

Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Anglo-Zulu War Correspondent

War Correspondents were important in informing the public of the trials and tribulations of the ordinary soldier, failings of command as well the battles the occurred in the far distant parts of the empire. I've included this 28mm miniature set from Colonel Bills to represent a war correspondent in the Anglo-Zulu War, the intention is to provide a nice bit of table dressing or an objective. War photography was very much in its infancy during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, most pictures are portraits of leaders and groups of soldiers pre and post conflict. Battlefield photography was rare and would have consisted of post battle shots of the dead prior to burial, despite this I decided on including a cameraman to represent an Anglo-Zulu War correspondent for easy distinction on the table top, and because I liked the model. During the Anglo-Zulu War the war correspondent Archibald Forbes famously reported on the death of Louis Napoleon Prince Imperial of France, a story which reportedly caused more distress than the defeat at Isandlwana!

Source: Best, B. Archibald Forbes - War Correspondent https://www.anglozuluwar.com/images/Journal_6/J6f_Archibald_Forbes.pdf

Saturday, 30 July 2022

Mounted Infantry Anglo-Zulu War

28mm Mounted Infantry for the Anglo-Zulu War. Figures are from Empress Miniatures, and include mounted, dismounted and horse holder with horses. I have a number of small detachments of mounted in my collection, the idea was to build various scenarios with each player commanding a detachment. I've been very fortunate over the years to have played a number of excellent Anglo-Zulu war games, and always thought that they worked particularly well for multiplayer games with the Zulus being managed by an Umpire.

Hoping by the next post to return to the Bronze Age.

Sunday, 17 July 2022

Naval Brigade - Anglo-Zulu War

28mm Naval Brigade detachment for the Anglo-Zulu War British from Empress Miniatures. The Naval Brigade had a strength of 863 men and saw active service in the Anglo-Zulu war, for the warmer they offer a variation on the red coated infantry of the British army. The Naval Brigade was formed from men from the Active, Shah, Tenedos and Boadicea.

I opted for a unit of 16 men and Royal Navy Gatling gun and crew. The figures wear straw hats and represent a detachment from HMS Shah, an iron clad frigate built in 1873.

Interestingly, HMS Shah had seen action in 1877 against the Peruvian Huasca (an armoured turret ship), which had seized coal from British ships, an act viewed by Admiral de Horsey as Piracy. A three hour engagement followed which ended when the Huasca reached the safety into harbour and surrendered to the Peruvian navy. The Huasca had been seized by Nicholas de Pierola who became President of Peru following the engagement with HMS Shah having been elevated to the status of a national hero. In the following wave of anti-British feeling HMS Shah was ordered home in disgrace. On the journey home after learning of the defeat of Isandlwana HMS Shah transported the 88th Regiment (Connaught Rangers), No. 8 Battery and the 7th Brigade of Royal Artillery from the garrison of St Helena to South Africa. These joined Chelmsfords column set for the relief of Eshowe and saw action the Battle of Gingindlovu on 2nd April 1879. This was to be the last action that the men of the Naval Brigade saw, a subsequent attachment to the coastal column under General Henry Crealock saw them used to build and man forts and protecting the supply routes. For a more detailed account of the Naval Brigade please refer to the excellent account of the The Naval Brigade in Zululand by Brian Best.

Source: B. Best (n.d.) The Naval Brigade in Zululand https://www.anglozuluwar.com/images/Journal_5/4)_The_Naval_Brigade_in_Zululand_-_BB.pdf