When I got home from Wellington last week I found a package from Nathan at Elite Miniatures Australia waiting for me. Nathan had packaged these up and posted them to me before he left on his latest adventure in PNG.
These Empress Miniatures are lovely figures. I got the three sets of dismounted auxiliary cavalry (4 Natal Mounted Police, 4 Natal Carbineers and 2 each of Buffalo Border Guard and Newcastle Mounted Rifles). These figures can easily be painted up as units that were attached to forces other than No 3 Column – such as the Stanger Mounted Rifles. They are on the small side compared to the Black Tree figures that make up the bulk of my miniatures for this project. Even Mrs Woolshedwargamer commented on the fact that “they look little”.
I now have to get some horse holders to make the unit “look right’ when deployed dismounted. I think that these Empress Miniatures fit really well with my converted Perry Miniatures ACW cavalry.
Next on the wish list – horse holders for these guys and a unit of Mounted Natal Native Contingent, some Frontier Light Horse and Imperial Mounted Infantry.
Natal Carbineers
With Durnford
Natal Carbineers
Natal Mounted Police
Buffalo Border Guard (L) Newcastle Mounted Rifles (R)
Buffalo Border Guard (L) Newcastle Mounted Rifles (R)
Buffalo Border Guard (L) Newcastle Mounted Rifles (R)
Natal Mounted Police
Firing Line
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Like I needed another period to paint. I saw a collection of Zulu Wars figures on Trademe (New Zealand’s own eBay type site) and they were what I considered a bargain. To top it off I had just watched Zulu again…and…and….I am an addict. There! I said it! These minis are like meth to me.
I got 40 British Infantry, 30 Boers, 30 Natal Native Infantry, 9 British Lancers and these two artillery pieces with crews. There were also 120 Zulus. All metal and less than NZ0.80c a figure (not counting the guns and horses). All the British/Allies were already based onto 25mm MDF rounds. I decided to leave them like this and use sabot bases for them.
First off a Black Tree Gatling Gun. There are an additional three Empress Miniatures crew serving this weapon. I based this gun team on a 90mm round MDF craft coaster. I kept the figures on their individual bases. I think it works. As far as uniforms go, I have absolutely no reference material so went with pictures of what other people had done – give or take. Over-all I am fairly happy with these guys.
Here is the Empress Miniatures 7Pdr Gun and crew.
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Wargaming and Roleplaying in the wilds of rural New Zealand
The Woolshed Wargamer 