Reporting for duty

As I mentioned in a previous post, The Men Who Would be Kings ruleset requires that each unit has a leader figure, so I have now added three more personalities to lead the Empire units.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Huyshe CB commands 1bn Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire) Regiment, Colonel Sir Cromer Ashburnham KCB commands 3bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Henry Ozzard commands the Royal Marine Light Infantry contingent in HMS Tyne.

Left-to-right: Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Huyshe CB, Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Henry Ozzard, and Colonel Sir Cromer Ashburnham KCB.

Game markers and British unit leaders

I’ve finished a small set of 16 game markers, which I hope will be enough, and the three leader figures are ready for varnishing.

As I mentioned in my last post, the game markers are to indicate ‘pinned’ units and, specifically for the Beja, warriors who have ‘gone to ground’.

When I first saw Charles C Stadden’s plates of Royal Marine Light Infantry in the Sudan, I considered adding a red stripe to all the figure’s trousers. However, it was difficult to verify whether this was historically accurate in-theatre, so I abandoned the idea. My recent decision to add Lieutenant-Colonel Albert H Ozzard gave me the opportunity to add stripes to his trousers, so I am pleased about that. I’m also rather pleased with the way Ashburnham’s facial hair turned out.

Top-to bottom: Game markers for ‘pinned’ and ‘gone to ground’, which are intended to be positioned behind a unit’s leader figure; Charles C Stadden’s plates of Royal Marine Light Infantry showing the red stripe on their trousers; Huyshe, Ashburnham, and Ozzard.

Three more leaders and some game markers

The Men Who Would be Kings ruleset requires that each unit has an identified leader. To this end I needed three more personalities to lead the Empire units.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Huyshe CB commands 1bn Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire) Regiment, Colonel Sir Cromer Ashburnham KCB commands 3bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Henry Ozzard commands the Royal Marine Light Infantry contingent in HMS Tyne.

The main additions are lanyards for the drawn pistols and characteristic moustache and sideburns for Ashburnham.

My Hadendowa are lead at rub level, with these leadership characteristics also applied to each band. Each band has an individual leader figure, so that an individual band can become leaderless.

Once I have completed the three British leaders all my units will have an individual leader figure. This makes leaderless units easy to mark. I am making some ‘pinned’ and ‘gone to ground’ markers; the former will be a shield on a small scenic base, with a tuft added for the latter.

Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Henry Ozzard, Colonel Sir Cromer Ashburnham KCB, Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Huyshe CB, and the first of the game markers.

KRRC and a low hill

I have just finished the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, distinctive in their black webbing, and a low hill. 

I have based the KRRC figures in pairs to allow them to be deployed in a loose formation for skirmishing. The hill is in two sections for flexibility and ease of storage … and ease of making, to be honest. I’m using A4 size XPS craft foam in various thicknesses.

On to the Black Watch next.

Top–to–bottom: the KRRC formed up and skirmishing; the new low hill.

New recruits: KRRC and The Black Watch

Figures representing 3bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 1bn The Black Watch are now ready for undercoating. The KRRC is a standard 24 figure unit, while The Black Watch is 36 figures.

This begins to reflect the numbers of men in theatre (eg 320 KRRC and 750 Black Watch at second El Teb). I plan to base coat all the kilts and then finish them in small groups while working on the KRRC and then 9th Bengal Cavalry; doubtless there will be a diversion or three along the way.

Realistically, I don’t expect to have the Scots finished until the Spring.

Top–to–bottom

The kneeling infantry figures were cast without bayonet scabbards, so I have added these.

24 figure KRRC.

Preparing the Scotsmen took patience, care, and time. I was determined to remove the fillet of metal obscuring the tunic and ammo pouch, which also spoiled the shape of the rifle stock. Once painted these will look fine, I think.

36 figures will look pretty imposing.

King’s Royal Rifle Corps bugler

I did a bit of painting today, but the temperature wasn’t helping. I did manage to make some more progress with my first Naval Brigade company though, but switched to priming my third Hadendowa band.

I have some figures allocated to become a company from the third battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps. They’re in a range of fire-at-will poses, but the only bugler I had left was in a running pose. There was nothing for it but major surgery; so a sergeant from Perry Miniatures SB4 (British Infantry command advancing) donated his legs to the running bugler from SB5 (Light Infantry Command standing and running).

KRRC bugler: major surgery, but the result is plausable.

First recruits and sundries

This post marks the beginning of a project I have been thinking about for over 18 months. At the outset I read Mike Snook’s excellent Go Strong into the Desert, which led me to seriously consider the early years of the Mahdist uprising for my miniature adventure.

I like the idea of improvised armoured trains, paddle steamer gunboats, and marauding slavers, while the romance of the Nile and the desert are major draws.

Just before Christmas I received my first deliveries from a handful of manufacturers and suppliers. 

I needed some additions to my scenic palette to allow modelling of mimosa for landscaping and, importantly, zarebas. Accordingly I bought some rubberised horse hair. I also bought brown short and long tufts, and tall shrubbery in yellow/green and natural hues.

I am considering The Men Who Would Bed Kings for rules, and gave the organisation of my forces some thought, but failed to form any firm conclusions about composition for the British. So I decided to order miniatures for Naval Brigade, Royal Marine Light Infantry, and King’s Royal Rifle Corps units, with some medics and war correspondents for vignettes; I settled on early war Beja (the Fuzzy Wuzzys of Kipling’s poem), and ordered two boxes of plastic figures, metal rifle armed, and camel mounted warriors, all from Perry Miniatures.

I also bought the Blood on the Nile Black Powder supplement, principally for the Fred Burnaby miniature, but it turns out to be an excellent source of inspirational photographs.

I bought Union Flags and White Ensigns from Flags of War. I will need to buy some flags for the Beja too … The Virtual Armchair General’s extensive range looks suitable.

My first Perry Miniatures order: metal Naval Brigade, RMLI,
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and Beja …

… more Beja, and a handful of tents …

… and Blood on the Nile for the Fred Burnaby figure, (the volume is full of great photos).

A range of accessories including Martini-Henry rifles, assorted loads, packs, and helmets, and a water cart, all from Empress Miniatures; assorted crates and bundles from Field of Glory; scale chain from Green Stuff World.

Union Flags and White Ensigns will stake out the territory the plucky Brits are hanging on to!

I needed some additions to my stash of scenics, and rubberised horse hair for mimosa thorn bush.