I normally don't go nuts and buy figures in en masse until extensively researching a period However, when the Darkest Africa range by Mark Copplestone came out last summer I started hoarding figures (note: the author is a big 19th century British Colonials junky). I found a figure review in the June '98 issue of the Heliograph (a newsletter devoted to colonial wargaming) and started buying them. The range is about 200 different figures ranging from European explorers and their loyal askaris to generic native tribesmen and Zanzibari Arab slavers. I've purchased about 160 figures for an upcoming The Sword & The Flame variant called Dark Continent and can comment on them Wargames Foundry is in the process of repackaging their entire 10,000 figure line and now selling their figures in blister packs. Each blister pack has eight figures in different poses depending on figure type. The figures are highly detailed and run about 25-26 mm high. The only down side that I've noticed is the amount of flash I've had to remove on certain castings and the Foundry's planned price increase from $11.00 to $14.00 per blister pack. There are about a halt dozen different European explorer packs and another hall dozen askari packs. The explorers cover everybody from Stanley and Livingstone to a mythical Lord of the Jungle (or Tarzan). The askari come with firing and dancing poses and can be used as caravan guards or a colonial levy. In addition to the askari, there are numerous civilians ranging from native bearers to captive slaves to village women. Besides the European expeditions, Foundry is planning to release Belgians, Colonial Germans, Anglo-Egyptians, and even a British Naval landing contingent. I'm also guessing there are about 10-12 different generic African tribesmen packs in various poses from skirmishing spearmen to tribal archers and musket men. These natives were designed to be used for any sub-Saharan African tribe. Mine are going be used in a future British East Africa campaign. Some tribesmen have feathered headgear, braided or sculpted hair, or no headgear depending of the individual pack. I was a little disappointed that I'd to buy the shields separately and make my own spears, though there are ten different styles of shields to chose. The Darkest Africa Range also has several packs of Arab slavers and RugaRugas (West African bandits) in different firing and advancing poses. I've got about 40 Ruga-Rugas for Dark Continent to go along with my generic African tribesmen. Old Glory is also preparing to put out a rather large 19th century colonial range of 28mm figures for early 1999. Though I haven't seen the figures, if their anything like their new ancients range they should be good, though I'm becoming progressively frustrated with their older castings since the company is apparently running their molds into the ground. The good news is that they're covering the entire Colonial range including the Indian Mutiny of 1857, Zulu War 1879, Boer War 1880, Northwest Frontier 1878-1890, Sudan Campaigns 1884-1898, and Boxer rebellion 1899-1900. The down side is that a bag 30 infantry or 10 cavalry figures now costs $24.00 per bag, while most of the colonial line won't be released until Cold Wars in March '99! I personally own about a 30 figure British Naval contingent, 40 French Foreign Legion figures in marching poses, and 60 Arabs armed with spears and rifles and relatively satisfied with them. Redoubt also has an excellent line of British Colonial figs covering the 1879 Zulu and 1884-85 Sudan expeditions. Besides these, they also produce a wonderful older March or Die! French Foreign Legion 1900-14 range. These 28mm figures are sold individually at $1.65. However, they're some of the best sculpted figure that I've ever owned and had very little flash problems when I got them (unlike Old Glory). The majority of my 300 odd Zulu's are Redoubt and I've recently bought about 60 Sudanese Arabs, one French machine gun and crew, and some French Legion command. They also make a Nile steamer and Rorke's Drift buildings in addition to their miniatures I just can't say enough about how happy I've been with them concering their Colonial (or Trojan War ) ranges. Speaking of more obscure Colonial ranges, I've seen some of the 1st Corps miniatures for the 1850's South African Xhosa Wars (note: the Xhosa were a tribe of bush people whom the British fought a series of disastrous frontier wars). Each blister pack has about eight to ten 28-mm figures for $11.95 and is on the same quality as Foundry and Redoubt. There are about six different blisters ranging from officers and British line to a pack of Xhosa warriors armed with spears and muskets. They'd work well for earlier Colonial skirmish rules set or you just use the British officers and line for an Indian Mutiny game. As an aside for 15mm scale collectors, Sam Houston had been selling his Rorke's Drift and El Caney' 1898 boxed games set for $85.00 each, though I don't know it he still has any sets left alter he went out of business. Finally, I'll make a plug for my TS&TF variants Dark Continent and Tattered Legions. though the publishers of TS&TF have filed for receivership. Dark Continent covers colonial skirmishers for Central Africa from 1860-1918. while Tattered Legions is designed as a supplement for 19th century French and Italian colonial warfare. They contain background. unit organization, playsheets, and scenario rules for each period. Back to Dispatch Mar. 99 Table of Contents Back to Dispatch List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by HMGS Mid-South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com