You go to the show...
You see the figures
You think they're the best thing since 'Colonial Conquest'
You borrow that last 50p needed off your friend (or anyone)
You return home with 100 more figures (avoidiing the better half)
You now have to paint them
You normally put them in a drawer and start another period.

Yes indeed painting your wargames figs is one of those jobs that is rather time consuming, yet extremely satisfying when eventually finished. Wargamers vary in their standards as to painting, from mini works of art to the 'splash it on all over Henry' method. My own standard is leaning towards the work of art but done in the shortest possible time. What follows below is a guide to painting your Zulu range which should give you an impi that even the King would be proud of and a British Command that should look good even when dead!

PAINTS

For many years I used Humbrol paints, easily available in most modelling shops with a good range. The disadvantages were the drying time, having to really stir them, difficult doing the delicate work as they are runny and even harder to use them for dry brushing. I have now switched my allegiance to the matt paints produced by Colour Party Paints and Miniature Paints.

The advantages of both are that they dry virtually instantly, no hassles stirring, easy to use on delicate work, excellent to dry brush with and the finished article gives that dry look which looks good on Colonial figs. Both ranges are available mail order, Vandrad figs sell the Miniature Paints range, but you should be able to purchase both ranges at any of the shows.

ZULU FIGS

1. Undercoat white - best to glue on shields and spears before this.

2. Flesh - artist oil paint Burnt Umber, thinned down with turps, paint all the fig in this. 137mm tube will do 100s of figs. This paint does take a while to dry at least 1 full day, so I suggest you paint as many figs as possible all at once, you should be able to do 200 or so in a few hours as the paint just washes over. The end result is perfect for native Africans (see pics).

3. Dry brush leggings and armbands in white, leaving the burnt umber to show through in the creases.

4. Loin cloths - khaki or browns.

5. Hair & married head ring - black.

6. Shields - according to regts, just paint front and sides black/white/red Add stitch detail, if black shield use white paint and vice versa. Paint 3 rings on top shield pole use white paint, 3ust painting the rings over the burnt umber. For patches on shields refer to issue 1 Zulu regiments and corps listings.

7. Spears - brown for spear pole and shield and silver for spear end.

The Zulu warrior wore little ceremonial uniform to battle, the unmarried regiments wore least of all. The married regiments wore a reduced ceremonial uniform.

It is recommended that you start your collection with the purchase of unmarried figures being simplest to paint.

COLONIAL TROOPS

1. Undercoat white, then wash over whole fig in burnt umber.

2. I use Boers figs as N.N.C. officers and mounted units, they can be easily painted in khaki, browns, greys and sand colours, leaving the burnt umber showing through in the creases and folds of the uniform.

3. Belts, straps and boots use Miniature paints leather brown no. 19

4. Rifles - use Colour Part musket brown then silver for the metal parts. The rifle strap tendered to be leather for Colonial troops.

5. Buckles/buttons/bullets on bandolier - brass paint.

6. For boers figs they do have a band around their hats, paint this using Humbrol British Scarlet to represent the N.N.C.

7. Flesh - first paint in orange then use colour party skin paint leaving the orange to show through in the folds and creases of the face and hands. For beards and moustaches - browns and black, then light dry brush in white.

8. N.M.P. - tunic and trousers black. Belts etc. and boots use leather brown. Helmet dry brush white and the helmet point is brass. Dry brush whole figure with white once complete.

N.N.C. - as Zulus except for scarlet rag around head.

For Wargames Foundry N.N.C. you can adjust the figures arms around to give different poses so your company gets that ragged look, do this before you glue on the shield and spear.

HORSES (quick ones)

1. Undercoat white

2. Wash over with thinned down burnt umber or black oil paints varying the thickness for variety.

3. Paint mains and tails black dry brushing lightly with white.

4. Saddles and straps - leather brown.

5. Dry brush white around the hooves (fetlock area I think!)

BRITISH LINE

1. Undercoat white.

2. Trousers - navy blue use miniature paints colour, dry brush white.

3. Tunic - Hurnbrol British scarlet, paint line down side of both legs.

4. Boots - black.

5. Belts/straps/shoulder straps white. For officers these were leather except for the shoulder straps.

6. Rifle musket brown plus silver for metal.

7. Arm and neck markings - light green for 24th.

8. Flesh - as Colonial troops.

9. Helmet - white. This should be dry brushed a sandy colour, items in no.5 should also be dry brushed in this colour. A simple way to achieve this greatly thin down some burnt umber.

10. 17th Lancers - all blue uniform, straps and helmet etc tended to be kept white, but use the thin down burnt unber method for light weathering.

11. Artillery gunners - blue uniform, black boots, dry brush white.

WAGONS/CANNONS

Undercoat Humbrol gun metal then dry brush heavily in light grey. Leave the gun barrel in gun metal.

BASING YOUR FIGS

Basing your figs is important to enhance your figures, it's no good wearing your best suit and putting on your scruffy trainers.

There are 2 methods that I favor, the first looks best but is more time consuming, the latter still looks good but takes a fraction of the time.

1. A - Using Tetrion plaster firer (ready mix tub). Put on thin layer over the your card base, adding small rocks and scrub as necessary and use a nail file for applying the filler). Note that the Tetrion dries very quickly and frequent opening of the tub wili dry the Tetrion inside, so it is recommended that you do as many figs all at once.

B - Paint base using Sandtex bitter chocohte, this is an outdoor masonry paint - buy a sample pot at any D.I.Y. store for around £ 1.60. This is a gritty thick paint which aids dry brushing. You can add model railway ballast and small rocks etc whilst the paint is wet.

C - When above is dry, dry brush heavily in a sand colour then in a light green.

2. A - Paint base using bitter chocolate. B - Dip base into a bowl of sand.

C - Base should now be coated in sand and when dry, dry brush In sand/green colows.

D - To add scrub/large rocks glue these on, or use Tetrion and simply paint over. This is a simple method and it looks quite good.

VARNISHING YOUR FIGURES

This is a must if you want to preserve your figures from the wear and tear of battle.

I simply use 1 coat of matt varnish as gloss varnish spotis the effect of the matt paint.

WHO SELLS WHAT?

Figures

Wargames Foundry 25mm - easily the best in 25mm (see pies). Comprehensive range covering all troop types, artillery, lances, colored horse, N.N.C. British line, the Zulu figs are quite exquisite 55p per foot, 70p per horse, this may be a pricy but they are well worth the cost. As yet there are no naval figs HINT HINT.

Essex Minbtures 15mm - excellent range and being a good size fig fine detail. Again comprehensive range including naval, artillery and gattlings, command groups, wagons and mounted units. They also provide variations on each figure code. Available in packs of 8 foot - £ 1.05, command foot 6 figs £ 1.05, 4 cavalry figs £ 1.05, command cavalry 3 figs £ 1.05. Also available in discount army packs.

Abbotts Miniatures 25mm - available from Redoubt Enterprises. Have not seen these in the flesh but a pic back in issue 13 W.I. Iooked good. Range includes 9 Zulu figs and 4 British. The range may be larger by now please check.

Warrior Miniatures 25mm - agatn haven't seen these, range includes 8 British line foot, 2 lancer figs, 10 Zulu figs. Foot 35p, Cavalry inc horse 80p, also provided 2 mealie bag lengths 60P and £ 1.50.

Gallia Miniatures 15mm - site unseen but extensive range. 16 Zulu figs, 12 British line inc highlanders, lances, dragoons, colontal horse, naval, artillery, and N.N.C. Foot 12p, horses 12p to 18p, box sets available at discount prtces.

Ral Pantha 25mm - these are on the small size for 25mm, but the detail and range is good tnc gattlings, naval, mounted untts, artillery and command groups.

Redoubt Enterprises 25mm - have just brought out a very nice range of British/Egyptian colonial foot, the British can be used for the Zulu war; definitely worth checking out. Foot 45p.

Hinchliffe 25mm - available from Ellerbum Arrnles. not aware of range details but believe it is comprehensive. Foot 40p cav 60p they do produce a colonial wagon for £ 3.95 which is a good price to enable you to make that wagon laager.

Buildings etc.

Wargames Foundry 25mm - produce as far as I am aware the only Zulu huts in this scale (see pies) large £ 5.50, small £ 2.75: and very nice they are too. Mealie bags lengths and ammo boxes are available (see Issue 1 Rorke's Drift) 50p - £ 1.10.

Hovels 15mm - produce a complete Rorke's Drift layout, buildings, barricades, they also produce large and small Zulu huts all of which can be supplied painted or unpainted. Prices are very reasonable going by 1991 catalogue.

Battleground supply 25mm Bell Tents.

Refer to Issue 1 for other firms producing buildings, etc.

SCRATCH BUILDING

Zulu kraals - the simple way.

Many moons ago I acquired a bamboo blind and this has been invaluable on the modelling front; A.C.W. fencing, stockades, huts etc and now Zulu kraals (see pies). It's probably not practical for you to go out a buy a whole blind just to make a couple of kraals, although they are relatively inexpensive. Match sticks, garden twigs and balsa wood lengths will suffice. Decide on the size of your kraal by laying out your huts. The outside wall height needs to be cut for 25mm in 4cm lengths, the Inside lengths need to be 2.5cm, don't worry about exact measurements just chop away. For 15mm leave that to you.

If you just want an instant kraal that you do not want to keep, simply push the sticks into some plasticine lengths (child plasticine lengths) and paint the sticks using thinned down burnt umber. If you want a more permanent kraal again use the plasticine stick onto thick card or thin wood and cover with Tetrion to seal then paint.

STONE CATTLE KRAAL

Use road chippings, there are normally some lying around in the odd layby. Glue together, dry brush white or grey then white. Most model manufacturers sell stone walling if you can't be bothered.

MEALIE GRASS

Covered in issue 1, broom end etc base on card. You can give this a light brushing in green for colour.

RORKE'S DRIFT BUILDINGS

I scratch built mine.

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