Monday 18 March 2024

Some Congolese Army

I've finished a few Congolese local troops for my Simba Rebellion project this weekend.  They are a mix of Mongrel miniatures Congo Mercenaries, Eureka Aden Emergency British and a TAG WW2 US Marine MG team.

There are quite a few head swaps using various heads from Empress, Perrys and Crooked Dice.


The general is a great character figure from the TAG Modern characters

These figures can serve as ANC regulars operating with the mercenary commando columns.


I things go to plan I will soon have some more vehicle pictures. 

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Ferrets in the Congo

A little more Congo Crisis progress today.  This nice resin kit of a Ferret armoured car is from Empress Miniatures.  I have added a 1st Corps Para commander and a few kit-bashed stowage items to the front.

Ferret armoured cars were brought to the Congo as part of the Malayan contribution to the ONUC Forces but the vehicles were left behind with the Congolese Army when the UN pulled out in 1963. 




Several Ferrets were used by the Commando mercenary units and saw action against the Simbas in 1964-5.


I will paint this one up in ANC colours for the Simba rebellion phase of the fighting, so that it can be part of my 5 Commando column.

Sunday 10 March 2024

Congo Crisis Update

I have made a little new progress on my Congo Crisis forces.  First up, I have built two .50 cal armed jeeps.  The one of the left will be painted for 5 Commando, and the right-hand one for 6 Commando.

The vehicles were cheap 1/48 scale Willys Jeep plastic kits from eBay.  The gunners are from Brigade Games in the US.  In the left-hand jeep the diver and radio operator are 1st Corp WW2 Para jeep crew.  The driver has a head swap for a Westwind separate British para head.  On the right-hand jeep the driver is a Dixon miniatures WW2 US figure with a Mongrel miniatures merc head I had left over from a previous head swap.  The passenger is another 1st Corps para with an Empress miniatures Indochina French Bigeard head.


These figures are Aden Emergency British from Eureka miniatures with heads swaps.  The heads for the two in M1 helmets come from Empress Miniatures.  The figure at the back has  ahead from the Perry Natal Native Contingent pack.  I'm not sure if he will end up an ANC soldier or a Simba yet.  The figure on the left has a Crooked Dice head.

Previously I thought the Eureka miniatures would be too small to go with the Mongrel miniatures I have for most of my mercenaries but after head swaps they actually go quite well.  The rifles are very similar in size and that counts more as people vary in size but kits often doesn't.  The figure second from the left is a from the Eureka African Wars range, a ZANLA guerrilla.  I will use thees figures to make the better quality Simba units that were backed and trained by Uganda, Tanzania or the Cuban mission under Che Guevara.

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Grimdark Future

Yesterday we played our first game of Grimdark Future rules from One Page Rules.  These are a slimmed down and cleaner Warhammer 40k alternative and got our old armies out of the boxes.

As this was our first game we played using only the basic rules and a 'standard' 2000 point game.  2000 GDF points is a somewhat smaller game than 2000 40k points.


The armies we used were my 40k Steel Legion Imperial Guards, using the Human Defence Force GDF list, and my club-mate Matt's Black Legion Chaos Marines, using the Havoc Brothers GDF list. 


The lack of 'to wound' rolls seemed to speed things up quite a bit but things weren't quite as brutal as expected.  


Combat seemed a little more attritional than 40k, with fewer immediate deaths.  I liked this as my guardsmen got to stay on the table for more than a turn after getting out of the trucks. 

Vehicles have morale too, which means they can rout rather than having to be destroyed.  This lead to an odd situation where a full transport vehicle was routed but left it's passengers behind.  We weren't sure if we played that right.  Maybe they should have come back on as reserves.

The HDF were victorious this time, mainly due to some amazingly bad dice rolls by the Chuckle Havoc Brothers.  We had a fun game and will try another one before long. 

Monday 4 March 2024

15mm Romans, the Debut

My 15mm Roman ADLG army saw their first action last Tuesday.  My club mate Colin, our resident master tactician, used an ambush against me.  It wasn’t clear whether it was a real ambush, or cover for a flank attack, so I opted to responded to neither well. You can see them here emerging from the trees in the top left.

The main bulk of his Spanish came down the seashore and threatened my right flank, which was anchored on a hill covered in fields.  I tried a spoiling attack with my auxiliary cavalry, which chased off some of his skirmishers and caught the lead Spanish cavalry in column. 


The Auxiliary cavalry must have lost formation on the charge though, as they proceeded to lose the resulting fight.  Forgetting my Zhukov, I reinforced failure and my auxiliaries were overwhelmed.  The stalwart defence of the hill by the Sagittarii a bright spot in an otherwise disastrous holding action.


Meanwhile on the left the rest of my auxiliaries chased the Spanish light horse about and finally provoked the ambush to emerge.  They then got wedged between the returning light horse, now backed up with burning carts, and the scary Celt-iberians emerging from the woods. 

Whilst all this was going on my legionaries desperately attempted to wheel around and get into action with the Spanish tribesmen. 

My left wing general died heroically, but in vain, trying to stem the rout.  A notable fight on the far left saw Spanish and Roman skirmishers fight to the death, whilst Celt-Iberians and Roman heavy cavalry cheered in support. 


As dusk fell the legionaries finally managed to get to gladius-point and show the barbarians what real fighting is all about. 

With the sun setting on the day, and the Spanish general having an early start, we retired to our camp to write back to Rome about our great victory.  Due to the brilliance of my generalship, and virtue of Roman manhood, we had survived an attack by hordes of barbarians and retired in good order. 

Sunday 25 February 2024

Genuinely Ancient Romans

This has got to be my most procrastinated project.  My dad bought me most of these figures at the Armageddon show in 1982.  Still better later then never.  So, I now have a 15mm Early Imperial Roman army for ADLG.

Starting with the legionaries.  These are armoured impact heavy Infantry in ADLG terms, based with 8 figures on a 40mm x 30mm base.


Next are the Auxiliary Cavalry.  The Romans can have quite a lot of heavy cavalry.  It's not as hard hitting as some but not bad.  3 figures per 40mm x 30mm base.

Plus some additional more specialist cavalry.  A base of Cataphractii, who are heavy cavalry with impact, probably recruited from the Sarmatians, and a couple of base of Light Horse archers, Syrians or Judeans possibly. All on 40mm x 30mm bases again.

You get a lot of options with the main Auxiliary infantry but I have based them as medium infantry on 40mm x 40mm bases, they get impact and an option to be armoured.  I have also done one base of bowmen to give a little long range archery.


Last of the troops are some light infantry Auxiliaries, four with javelins and two with bows.  All 2 figures on a 40mm x 20mm base.  All could serve double duty as supports for the infantry if needed. 

For command bases I have these two below and the single legionary above.  I might find another mounted Roman officer at some point.  

All this gives me just a bit over 200 points, so there is a little room for fine tuning the list.   I can always add some other options later if need be.  All figures were from Minifigs except one officer that was from Essex miniatures.

Wednesday 14 February 2024

Ottoman Vassals

This is the third batch of my 15mm Napoleonic Ottoman army.  This time the units represent the forces of the empire's vassal states.


These Mamluks were a class of slave soldiers found across the middle east but especially associated with Syria and Egypt.  They formed units of fierce cavalry and were famed for their skill and courage.

Palestinian or Syrian soldiers like these would have served in the armies of powerful Ayans like Jazzar Pasha, who fought Napoleon at the Siege of Acre


These Delis are the sort of irregular cavalry found serving in the retinues of Asiatic and North African pashas and could be sent to fight for the Sultan when called.

Large numbers of north African Maghrebi mercenaries like these were recruited and found serving throughout the empire.


These figures were originally Cossacks, I think, but I have pressed them into service as some northern horsemen.  Possibly Turkic Yoruks, Wallachians, Moldavians or some sort of Caucasians.  All irregular cavalry in Blucher terms.

Lastly we have someone to lead them all to victory, a senior Pasha with a two-tailed tug standard in true Turkish style.

This is all I have completed so far.  I still have a few additional units to paint up, but they will be added later.