More Zulu's

I was going to call this post getting it wrong in every way! But that is a bit harsh and |I assure the kind and gentle reader that it is of course not in every way.

If you ever decide to paint a Zulu army make sure you have plenty of Zulus. One or two will just not do you do need a serious amount. So here are my next 33. (And that is just a drop in the bucket! Bucket not ocean let us not exaggerate!)

So what did I get wrong, well not so very much as all that but one thing that is quite important. Well probably more than just one thing, but 1 thing I am aware about.

Here is what happened! I did have a painted example on my painting table to copy and copy I did. I finished the 33 and was feeling jolly good about it. All based and varnished and ready to put away. It all happened in the putting away.  Below is a picture of the few painted so far, many more to go. And then I noticed that the ones with the headdress had different  colour shields from the ones I have just painted also in a headdress.  Opps.

As Zulu Impis (Regiments are identified by their shields I had clearly started a third regiment without realising. Therefore I do have one of 3 solutions!

1. I can start a 3rd regiment and be content and allow more space in the boxes for them. (Brown and white shields)
2. I Can re-paint the shields of these new troops to bring them into line with my other troops in headdress. (Black and white shields)
3. I can re paint the previously painted troops to make them match the newly painted. (Brown and white shields)
4. Re paint both sets to get black brown and white shields (Black and brown and white shields as a tricolour!)

At this stage I am thinking option 2 makes the most sense. While I still have many to paint it is possible to carry out option 1 but I know the nagging voice in my head will tell me of for being lazy. Option 3 is also possible and just as much work. Option 4 is more work and historically not correct but I could fudge it enough to make it look convincing. But I think In reality it needs to be option 2. But I just cannot face it today. so Maybe Monday night!

All the best Clint

Panther (!5mm)

A couple (ok 3) of years ago I was trying to build a 15mm PBI Late war German company. Well as I scratch my head and look around and try to focus I have revisited that project. The easiest things to paint for it are of course vehicles! So As I wanted the easy option here are 2 Panther tanks. I will not lie one (on the right) has been shown on the blog previously. The one on the left though (with the commander) is newly painted!


They are bother FOW vehicles and as such are both metal and resin. They look the part now that they both have the same camo. ( Three colour ambush) . I can honestly say that I will not need any more Panthers and that indeed 2 may be overkill as it is. So that should be enough late war tanks for PBI. Which of course means I will buy some more just to get variety! But no plans at present!

I will be at a show on Sunday (a little/local show) so who knows what will tempt me then. But at least this puts me on the way to a normal painting schedule. Another Post on Saturday IF I can get this batch of Zulu's finished.

Until then take care and have fun and slap some paint about!

Cheers Clint

Lewis Gun Team.

A slow painting day post "Challenge", But I have managed to get 2 more WW1 figures finished. These will do double duty serving with my 28mm WW1 troops, And also with my VBCW figures.

As the figures were a gift I am not able to tell you who made them but they do look and paint like Great war miniatures. They were a gift from Matt about a year ago and then I lost them and now I found them. Given the need to do double duty in two armies I have been keen to keep the bases simple just so they do not look too out of place in either army.


The double duty is so that my WW1 army being mostly early war can now stretch all the way up to VBCW all using the same figures. All I have to do is include the Lewis gun teams or indeed remove them for early WW1 games.

Later this week I intend to work on two OLD projects that have been on the back burners for a while.  Yes back to the 10mm Zulus (As a local show is planning a Zulu themed event next year!) And hey have sat idle for about a year and so are in need of reinforcements as I did start them but did not get so vary far. The problem being that to look good a Zulu army in 1/200th scale needs masses of them. The other old project is a German late war PBI company. Again a local wants an Arnhem game, it can (and in my case will be Operation Market Garden as opposed to Arnhem it self!) By using my US Paratroops I painted last year  I only need to get some late war Germans done. They will be useful for other games as well not just Market Garden!

But those are plans for the future so I will get side tracked but at least I have a goal to aim at now.

Cheers From Sunny Kent!

First painted since.....?

Well that is just not true! Well not entirely as I had started this BEFORE the painting challenge started and thus it was not eligible for entry into the challenge. One of the big problems with the painting challenge is the cool down period afterwards. I am slowly tackling it! I did manage to paint 6 Napoleonic Highlanders (IN Tartan with tartan socks) in 15mm the day after the challenge ended for a club friend (Peter) but other than that it has been slow.

So I thought with a game coming up next Sunday at a show I would get some more VBCW figures done and thus I tackled this vehicle which had been started BEFORE the painting challenge.

It did start life as an eBay purchase of £0.99 plus postage as no one bid on it!. At the time I could clearly see why! It was very badly painted and converted and not at all historically accurate. However a few dabs of paint and several grey hairs later it does make a passable VBCW vehicle. The crew with US helmets are all wrong and the howitzer is un feasibly large on this little carrier. But as a bit of fun I can forgive that and I know several players will find this "Troll-Cannon" amusing. (I do anyway).


Because it was already assembled it was tricky to get the brush in all the right places but despite my complaints I do like it! Clearly it would never exist in real life. The recoil would topple over the carrier most likely killing the crew at the same time. But that aside for the craziness of VBCW I think I will get away with it as long as people will forget the reality.

I cannot be sure where all the parts came from but I suspect the carrier was Warlord and probably the figures as well as they do seem a good fit. The gun though I have no idea as it is white metal while the carrier is plastic. Overall I am pleased with it yes it could be better but working from another's build and painting there is just so much you are inclined to do. And for the price what can I say it has kept me amused for several hours so that can't be all bad.

Happy Easter everyone. And I should post again on Tuesday as I "Should" get some painting done today!

Take care and have fun!