The Foundry is back to sculpting more Wild West and DARKEST AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!

I have a set of the Regiment's Gurkha issues waiting for the first subscriber to write me.

We're back into printing rules, I have three sets beyond what is in this issue by Greg Blake. Greg presents us with "Bugles, Bullets and Blades" this issue. In future issues we have two sets by Larry Brom, one from Scott Hansen, and I may finally write down my simple, back of a post card, skirmish rules. I am going to try them out with a Franco-Prussian War scenario first.

Don't let this deter you from sending me a set of rules to publish. We continue to receive very favorable comments on "Roll to your Rifle" by Grant Sigsworth, as well as those rules submitted by Howard Whitehouse and Blake Walker on the French Foreign Legion. If you haven't got Howard's rules for Camerone printed here contact Bob Burke now and get them for the Foundry's new Camerone range.

I received a short note from John Hollyoak with the latest edition of Principles of War: The Magazine saying that it astounds him how I can find the time to do any painting and gaming. The answer is simple I don't find the time. Although I plan a lot very little gets put into action unless I go away on business. I usually go away once or twice a year to various universities or museums to conduct some research on the 18th century southern backcountry, what I do at work. Occasionally, I'll get a chance to look up something for the colonial 19th century but the Univ. of South Carolina library has a pretty fair collection. So on trips at night and late afternoons I paint figures, go to local hobby shops or read hobby related stuff.

Recently, I finished off several Hovels 25mm Eastern buildings for any number of Sudan campaigns and have been painting Africans various shades of brown. I have just finished (?) (Well, we'll see) collecting a platoon of Praetorian Guards for Warhammer 40K to game with my son, hopefully while he's home from college--that is my Mid-term project.

Long-term, I have four projects in the works -- two African, one scientific fantasy Victorian and one a major terrain-building project of a Northwest Frontier Valley/Pass in sections so that it will be variable. One African campaign will involve a multi small unit force in an Edgar Rice Burroughs/ Conan Doyle /Tarzan /Lost Worlds scenario. The Other African project will be either the Kings African Rifles versus Somalis or a Belgian Congo Campaign (depends what gets painted first). Heck, I'll probably do both. The Victorian Campaign will be more along the lines of an RPG type game with less than 50 figures, although it has the possibility of getting out of hand and much larger. The terrain project will involve planning and constructing a set of eight - two foot long by one foot wide sections of hilly/mountainous terrain that will be interchangeable. These should be able to form either a steep sided valley from four to eight feet long or center of the table four by two foot hill/mountain or end of table hill/mountain. It will be built out of blue board cut and shaped with a hot wire and finished with Durham Water-putty. Small trails and firing platforms for single figures will dot the sides. I'm not sure yet of vegetation, but probably just scrubby stuff and tallish grasses. Height-wise I think not more than a foot or storage will be a bigger problem than I need to deal with. As it is I will have to clear-out half the area under the table's shelf on the floor. To help add a little weight I'll mount it on 1/4 inch masonite or hardboard and may be add a few real stones. I might even put an 1/8 inch masonite or hardboard backing on it to help protect it. More later as I work on the planning drawings.

Short-term I am working to complete a Franco-Prussian war mini-campaign I started several years ago and have nearly got it done, only two German guns to paint and rules to obtain as I don't feel like writing these rules. ANY RULES SUGGESTIONS????? Actually, this has been on the table soooooo long that I may forego the painting of the last three units and just complete the campaign. The opposing forces have taken their places and made several opening moves. No clashes yet.

This issue sees the first of three or four pieces by Larry Brom. The first is an introduction on how and why TSATF came about. The next two issues will contain the rules sets "Volley Fire" and "Brom Geste". They are from the By Jingo web site that Larry asked me to print and with the very kind permission of that fine downstanding Oklahoma Gentleman -- Patrick Wilson. (OOPS, Sorry, Patrick, that's upstanding when he's not sitting).

Guide to German Colonial Military Uniforms: Africa with 5 color plates illustrating 14 uniforms and 25+ b&w illustrations. Available from Richard Brooks for $16 or £15.