Packs of 5 figures for £5.50.

Page 15 has the figures. My scanner has died completely and there is no way I can get another for my old Mac so I have decided to use the figures on Mark Copplestone’s web site to show them to you. PLEASE NOTE THE FIGURE PHOTOS ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT TO SCALE. The discussion below is by line order from top to bottom.

AF 16 Somali Spearmen 2 - (28.5-29mm sole to eye). These are spot on by the photographs I have and I particularly like the second and third from the left. Nice variety of heads, poses, animation, what more can I say.

AF 17 Somalis with guns - (26.5-28.5mm sole to eye). Nice height variety and interesting poses. The variety of weapons is interesting as several of these can be used as bearer on expedition, particularly the man with a shotgun.

AF18 Ngoni chiefs (3) and witchdoctors (2) - (27.5 [first on left] - 30mm [center figure] sole to eye). This set comes with two shields. The three chiefs (on the left side) are very imposing figures with wonderful headdresses. The two standing chiefs get the shields, which are similar to Zulu shields and vary in size. The two witchdoctors are two strange characters and are not in scale to the three chiefs. The cow tail whisps in their hands is a nice touch, I wonder if they are calling for war or picking a victim? These are all nicely animated.

AF19 Sailors in caps advancing - (29-28mm sole to eye). Another great set of sailors full bearded to clean-shaven, with cutlass bayonets. I will have to add more sailors to my Naval Brigade.

AF20 Zanzibari Regulars - (29mm sole to eye) Three on guard, one shooting, and one loading. They all seem to have Arab features although I could be wrong about two of them. These are very nice with useful poses. As far as I can tell the uniform is correct (red fez, white uniform, black equipment).

AF21 Zanzibari’s marching - (27.5-29mm sole to eye). Nice height, animation and pose variety. Again the uniform is correct. There appears to be three Africans and two Arabs, although I thought that the regular troops would have been African with Arab (or even white) officers. The animation is very nice. It is pretty obvious these guys need a little Parris Island training under a gentle Marine Gunny.

Limited Edition 3 - British Naval officer 1890s. WOW, this guy is great, he looks just as I imagine a Naval hero to be, looks like he could take on all the Queen Empresses enemies. A regular Hornblower for the 1890s.

While the “Return to Darkest Africa” line will continue Mark Has decided to add another line the “Back of Beyond” sort of like darkest Asia.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The following is from Mark Copplestone’s web site: www.gisby.org/orders.htm

COMING SOON: THE BACK OF BEYOND

Daredevil Adventure in the 1920s

Episode One: The East Ablaze - Genghis Khan Reincarnated, Mongols with Machine Guns, Chinese Warlords, Dinosaur Hunters, Bolshevik Armies and British Agents

THE BACK OF BEYOND - Daredevil Adventure in the 1920s Episode 1 - The East Ablaze

Maybe it sounds a little obscure, just one step too far, weirder than Darkest Africa - but I promise you, Central Asia in the 1920s has got the lot.

For a start there's the psychopathic White Russian general, Ungern-Sternberg, the "Mad Baron", who believes himself to be the reincarnation of Genghis Khan, and who dreams of conquering Russia at the head of a Mongol army. There's Enver Pasha, the former Ottoman Minister of War recruited by the Bolsheviks, but soon betraying them in pursuit of his dream - a new Turkish empire in Central Asia. For Britain the greatest threat comes from the new Russia of Lenin and Trotsky, once more playing hard at the Great Game, eager to undermine Britain by striking at India. There are Chinese Warlords, defeated White Russian armies, Muslim rebels, bandits, an ambitious Afghan king, secret agents, Tibetan bandits, well-armed fossil-hunters and always the possibility of a British expedition.

At the geographical centre of all this is the Chinese province of Sinkiang - a land surrounded on 3 sides by soaring mountain ranges, at its heart the world's most inhospitable desert, littered with lost cities. Between mountains and desert lies a ring of walled towns where travellers cross with a single step from an arid expanse of sand and gravel into a world of trickling streams and shady groves. Along the ancient Silk Road between the towns trudge trade caravans of camels, donkeys, huge-wheeled carts and the occasional motor car or lorry. In the towns among the narrow streets, crumbling buildings, and bustling markets Indian traders watch, sending reports back to British India. Most of Sinkiang's people are Muslim Uighurs (or Turki), but the towns are dominated by the Chinese, and there are substantial minorities of Tungans (Chinese Muslims), Kazakhs, Kirghiz, Tadjiks and Mongols.

For wargamers it's colonial plus WW1, with everything from aircraft to Tibetan tribal cavalry, via submachine guns and matchlock muskets. Conveniently the guys at the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Co. already make the tanks and armoured cars, and have a set of rules, "Contemptible Little Armies", by Chris Peers. Strangely enough, it was an article about the "Mad Baron" by Chris [Peers], who I didn't know at the time, that gave a twist to my existing interest in the Russian Civil War. He's just written a supplement for "Contemptible Little Armies" for me, which will include historical background, army lists with special rules, a simple campaign system and uniform information. Like "Darkest Africa" we wanted to create a gaming world where accurate, historical armies could fight plausible enemies in a believable what-if world. Most of the armies really fought, but some didn't - mostly because the competent Chinese governor of Sinkiang was murdered (at a banquet served by waiters with broomhandle Mausers) eight years too late!

The armies I plan to cover (eventually) are:
Bolsheviks
White Russians
Ungern-Sternberg
Chinese Warlords
Tibetans
Basmachis
British
Dinosaur Hunters
Afghans
Japanese
Bandits

As well as basic troop types there will also be plenty of character packs - including some generally useful 1920s types like "Jolly Good Chaps", "Innocents Abroad" and "Beastly Huns". If you want to find out more, THE book to read is Peter Hopkirk's "Setting the East Ablaze", published in paperback by Oxford University Press - real life ripping yarns, proving the truth of the cliché "Truth is stranger than Fiction". For a feel of the place try Peter Fleming's "News from Tartary" - if you can find a copy.

I for one a very excited about this, as there are now three manufacturers that produce these figures - Copplestone, Cannon Fodder and Pulp Figures.