Roger Deal

I've just finished reading another book entitled "Campaigns on the North West Frontier" by Capt. H. L. Neville, 1911. It is chock full of scenario ideas and I could write a few up, although not for any specific system (most are easily adapted to TSaTF) What would you think. I think I would like an article of any length using scenarios form the book.

Joseph Seliga

I have enjoyed the Heliograph over these many years and look forward to each issue. I have been entertained and enlightened by the rules that you have published, the historical articles, and the summaries of what is new and worthwhile to investigate. I particularly enjoy the figure photographs and internet sites that you have published.

I thank you for all the hours that you spend in the production of the Heliograph. I know that it is a labor of love and it shows.

Well thank you very much, Joseph. I greatly appreciat the compliments.

Blake Walker

I saw your notice about articles, so I'll try writing upu some TSATF scenarios for you later this summer. Have enjoyed the Darkest Africa articles and even gotten a gaming friend "bitten" by the colonial bug, who's now collecting Foundry Belgians, Askaris, and Zanzibari slavers for "Roll to your Rifle".

Unfortunately, much of my free time has been spent undertaking a 15mm Franco-Prussian War Campaign for a local wargaming club in St. Louis, MO. The first engagement went smoothly, but now I've to get the Froeschwiller scenario ready by July 15, 2000. Though it's been a real pleasure discovering how playable Bob Burke's They Died For Glory rules are (play testing the Meeting Engagement at Weissenburg scenario, I pulled a Steinmetz by getting half of a German Confederation Corps slaughtered in the space of four hours).

However, the person painting my 25mm Redoubt Colonial British should be done soon, so I can get back to gaming what I really love. When the 150 1882 Egyptians finally get finished, I'll have about 150 British to play with on top of the painted 300 figure Zulu Impi that I currently own.

Speaking of which, how well to Cannon Fodder Miniatures blend in with the large 28mm Redoubt or Foundry figures? Like the mounted command figure of Loring Pasha, but don't know if I can purchase online. Better rap this up, so hope your summer is going well and you enjoyed yourself in the UK.

I hope the colonial bug your friend got 'bitten' by wasn't while you were on safari, they can be really nasty little bites. Yes, the Cannon Fodder Miniatures fit in well with the Foundry and Essex. The Redoubt's are slightly larger but will work with them also. The CFM tend to be slightly thinnner than most figures, similar to Connoisseur. Actually, they have a more realistic waist size than most others. I am most happy with the Cannon Fodder Miniatures I have and they fit in perfectly with my other large 25s. I have not looked at the CFM site lately, but I know that Greg Blake at CFM said he takes credit cards now so you should be able to send him an email directly or through the site with an order. I should tell you that Greg is currently on vacation so he may not get back to you quickly for the next three weeks.

Enzo De Ianni

I have just received the latest Heliograph and, surprise, I have found my own little notes about the Sikh Wars published! Well, I understand you are short on articles and that's probably why you published it! :) But, at least, lest me know your opinion on the item... it's not every day that I write in English, even a small and simple thing like that, and I look forward to your comment.

Would you like some more lines about how I solved the figure issue? Just to let the audience breath after the long suspence!

I love the way you offer those figures... I am too far to ask for them, but it is a nice thing to do for all the people around... read about the same idea practiced by Hal Thinglum, too and that's one of the causes of my love for informal USA-published newsletters: they really look like are made by players for their fellows.

Keep up the good work.

Well, the issue is that Italy has now some figure manufacturers, that's true, but only one, Pierpaolo Triglia, has tried something in the colonial area. Others are producing Risorgimento and Ancient figures (some very good Lombards in 30 mm. among others) or 30 Years War. The presentation would be a little out of theme for your newsletter, I am afraid.

The second part of the article I already sent, on the other side, would describe which figures are available for Sikh Wars in 15 mm. The object is definitely colonial, but the figures are manufactured in UK and, maybe, others among the readers know about them. Let me know if you think my notes would do, please, and I'll get to write asap.

Yes, I would like your update on the figures, and any thing else that you care to write about figures from Italy. I understand that there are figures available for the Italian colonial period. How about an article with list of manufacturers.

Timothy Boyd

These last few months, I've been devoting my painting time to two sort-of-colonial projects: the US Plains Wars and the French Occupation of Mexico. I've had the figures for both for years (does this happen to you?), but there they sat in their boxes-until we moved here from Washington, DC and I began to open boxes and, well, there they were.

The Plains War stuff was actually a mixture-Frei Korps 15, old Frontier, and God knows what else-and it's been fun putting together a US Army which has the weathered look of men (and equipment) which spend their time outdoors-lots of different clothing-black hats, grey hats, white hats, tan hats, men in blue blouses, men in red or grey or white (well off white) shirts-in contrast to the uniformity of cavalry companies with same-color horses per company. I've added 1 12pdr, 1 mountain howitzer, 1 gatling (after all, they were there-Custer turned down a pair), cavalry, infantry, and even Crow scouts and mounted infantry. Along with a collection or rather generic-looking Native Americans (sort of Sioux and Cheyenne-ish), it's been easy to add Apaches, which gives you a wide geographic range, from plains to arroyos, as well as a range of building styles, from stockades to adobe, from tipis to wikiups, for wargaming. I'll finish the last details over the summer and begin campaigning, I'd guess, in August.

The French in Mexico are pretty much all Frei Korps, who have a big listing for the period. (There is also an extensive listing in 25mm from The Foundry, as well as a smaller range from Frontier, but: 1. I already had the figures; 2. I have a 6x4 table and, as much as I love 25mm, 15mm and 20mm just work better on it, on the whole, unless your 25mm forces are very tiny, as I tend to keep mine.) The uniforms and units are about as colorful as you can imagine-Egyptians, Belgians, Austrians, Imperial Mexicans, Zouaves, Chasseurs d'Afrique, vs. the much dustier-looking armies of the Republic-and the gaming is pretty much brigade-size, there not being any big pitched battles of the sort which were going on north of the Rio Grande at this time. As I'm painting these figures simultaneously with the Plains Wars, this setup shopuld also be completed and on the table by the early fall.

So--my yearly report. Thanks for being out there for us who are interested in the colonial world. The Heliograph is a great help-and the xeroxed figure review is a real inspiration, as always.

Does it happen to me that I have figures sitting around for years unpainted unplayed with, are you kidding, of course not, I paint every figure as soon as I get it. Right and someone else is writing this. I have pounds and pounds and pounds of unpainted lead. Heck I have figures I haven't painted yet since 1961. The total number of figures I painted in 1999, none yet in 2000, was 25 out of an acquired 1,000, I'm doing real good. About ten years ago I had about ten percent of my figures unpainted, now I would guess it's more like 50% or greater unpainted. I just don't seem to have the time since we moved to the farm for painting. I have been able to make myself a fairly nice gaming room but I don't have the time to spend in there. I just sent an order to Patrick Wilson for some Foundry figures I know I won't get to paint for years. I still buy paints and scenery stuff, I should stop whinning about this and get those other projects out of the way so I can paint my figures again.

It sounds as though you have two projects going that are quite interesting. What rules will you use? Will you be on campaign or just one-off battles? Keep us informed as to the outcomes.

Ron Lizorty

Hope your trip to England was everything you hoped it to be. Please do write up on your trip to Foundry if you made it there.

I've sent some reproductions of illustrations for Heliograph covers and an article on gaming when one lacks space. I've also enclosed a couple of pages on constructing adobe-type buildings for wargaming which I thought might be of interest to the Heliograph Subscribers. I'm still plotting my Sudan campaign (to rescue Gordon), trying to come up with a good way to Add to the Dervish army as time goes by. Everytime the British lose a battle, a 20 sided die is thrown (total equals how many thousands join the Mahdi?). Each day an 8 or 12 sided die might be rolled (again die roll = thousands) balanced by British roll of a lesser die to subtract from the Dervish total? and of course, everytime a British victory is had, a die roll subtracts from total Dervish forces -representing the disenchanted followers.

Does this make sense to you? Any suggestions?? I don't recall any rules doing this, but would like to know how it's handled if such rulings have this aspect.

I'd like to see someone address the gaming aspects of Dervish firepower-I've never been satisfied with rules covering it. My thinking runs along the line that when the Dervish charge, they can also fire-not as a volley but individual die throws, also, just before Fuzzies hit the British/Egyptian lines, again a fire throw-this time to throw their sticks or rocks-which was common in real life, this would result in some shots to go wild-how does that sound?

Another thought on Dervish firepower -although seldom done, they would suddenly halt their charge, and fire a volley (standing, kneeling, prone)-and then continue the charge! This was very unsettling to the British when it did happen, but shouldn't be overdone (once per game?). I don;t know how you find the time to put out the Heliograph, but your efforts are appreciated, I assure you!

In regard to adding units: I have used a similar idea for every time the madhists won I added X number of units from a six sided die. I did not subtract units when they lost. But never used it for a large scale campaign. I think thatGrant Sigsworth used similar ideas in the campaign series he wrote for the Heliograph four or five years ago. I won't swear to it but I vaguely remember seeing something similar in a printed set of rules but cannot remember where. Can Any readers help?? I really like this idea and will incorporate it into the campaign rules I use along with TSATF.

As to the Dervish firing during a charge I usually let them fire depending on the number of rifles in the front rank attacking and the defenders are classed as behind hard cover regardless of the cover they have or not have. It has worked for the Mahdists whenever they come up against one particular Egyptian unit, no matter who is commanding they always loose their fire power and are overrun. Only once has this happened to a British unit when the Dervishes broke a square and almost wiped out a British Brigade., thank God for my Indian Cavalry Lancer Brigade. This again is used inconjunction with TSATF. But I have never used the throwing sticks and rocks idea. Probably since I never had any Dervishes so equipped until now. I thank you profusely for the cover artwork and the two articles. I have nothing for the next issue, please don't make me write something anybody can write, even if it's only a letter PLEASE.