After a number of years, I really don't remember how many, my NWT Project in 25mm is nearly finished. This is a period which interested me long prior to getting involved in it, though it ran a distant third to the Zulu War and the Sudan and I tackled those two periods in 25mm before starting the NWF.

What got me started on it was the release of the beautiful Northwest Frontier Wargames Foundry figure line perhaps three years ago. Starting with Pathans and regular Indian infantry, cavalry and artillery, The Foundry expanded into the Sikh War, a period I knew very little about until the figure releases!

My original intention, as usual with Colonial efforts, was to have the figures singly mounted on washers. However, again as usual, the collection grew to the point where I could tell this was going to be a mistake, again, so I reorganized them to a three figures per stand approach. This required going from twenty figures per unit to twenty-four, but reorders to The Foundry for the additional four foot figures per unit solved that problem. I did, however, have to pop hundreds of figures off of washers and remount them, something I am getting terribly good at!

What drew me to the NWF? Well, years ago I ran across a used copy of Donald Featherstone's "Solo Wargames" and Donald featured a number of photographs of his NWF 25mm collection as well as a chapter or two on wargaming this period. It grabbed my attention and it only took the release of the "right" figure line to do the rest.

Once I started collecting figures for the NWF, I began to look around other WF offerings for figures to use. They have extensive Indian Mutiny and Crimean War lines and I felt comfortable about drawing from these two to augment my collect especially since it was my intention, originally to have two periods of NWF history on tabletop. First of all, the 1880's- 1890's period and secondly, the period between 1810, native forces

1880. 1 didn't have to add any native forces cover the period 1850 to 1900; however, I to add earlier Indian-type units and these readily available from the Mutiny offerings and later, British infantry figures from Opium Wars of the 1840's and from the China Wars of the 1850's.

Thus, I ended up adding artillery crew and a Heavy Dragoon (yeh, I know they didn't have any Heavy Dragoons in India, but look so nice!) Cavalry unit from the Crimean War as well as a Highlander Unit.

The real finds, however, were from Indian Mutiny period as they offer a number of infantry figures in different uniforms. I think I ended up with about seven 24-figure units of British regular infantry the 1850's. This included two units of Di British line infantry which are very well do and fit in perfectly well with The Found figures.

When The Foundry released their Wars line, this opened up a third period for within the NWF where I could still use all my native forces as irregulars for the Sikhs. The Sikhs also provided me with opponents for my native forces as there were a number Sikh campaigns against other countries/ in the area and my Pathans; would be per for Sikh enemies.

Actually, when I started considering the NWF, I also planned on building Russian force from The Foundry's Crimean War line. to use as opponents for both British and native forces. I haven't come the urge that yet, as I have resisted the urge to do so. One could also utilize the Guernsey Foundry's Cossacks, which I have for my SYW, on the Russian side against either the British or Afghans.

Speaking of Afghans, when WF released this line of figures, it really caught my attention. One of my favorite Colonial battles was the Battle of Maiwand in which the Afghans inflicted a startling defeat against the British. These figures allowed me to represent this period by obtaining British regulars from WF's Zulu War line, although I probably should have used their regular infantry from their Boer War, and again, using my native forces for Afghan irregular allies. By the way, the WF Sikh irregular forces can also be used as Afghan irregulars. Rather handy, wouldn't you say, as to how many uses they have for the NWF?

The Battle of Maiwand is one of the first battles I want to represent on the tabletop. It is relatively small, actually. There was only one regiment of British line infantry, two regiments of Indian foot, and, I believe,two batteries of British artillery. They were opposed by quite a large force of Afghan regular and irregular troops. I am anxious to see how this battle looks on the tabletop and how it works, using my own homegrown rules, The battlefield had a significant ravine and some years ago, I obtained a number of "river- edges" from Village Green in the UK and had Howard Whitehouse paint them up for me. They will he perfect for the edges of the ravine, something that is very difficult to represent on the tabletop. At the same time, I also purchased a large piece of felt 6' X 12' and Howard prepared it to look like a desert. I organized my Afghan army for this battle and have eight Afghan regular foot regiments and I believe, four cavalry regiments, along with four 2-gun batteries of artillery. The foot batteries are pulled by oxen. I did use the WF Boer War British artillery crewmen along with several of the Boer War British limber sets, which are truly breath-taking! I also picked up some Mutineer cavalry (WF) to be used as native cavalry with British officers; there were two such units at Maiwand.

The only other manufacturer I've used as regards figures as been Richard Houston (also known as Lyzard's Grin). Richard makes some beautiful guns and limbers as well as an extensive line of Sikhs - infantry, cavalry and artillery crew. If you are interested in this period, drop Richard $2.00 for a complete listing of his Colonial products; you'll be very surprised as to the variety of figures and weapons/accessories which are available. I used many of his Sikh artillery crewmen, Camelmen w/one pound cannons mounted on the camel, and many guns and limbers for my project. Richard really shines with guns and limbers! He has a huge "dog" gun whose barrel end is shaped like the head of a dog. Also has several different sized mortars. Redoubt Enterprises, in their "Wellington In India" line, has a very nice mortar which I'm using.

Howard Whitehouse, over the years, has constructed "desert" type terrain for me which can fit either 15mm or 20mm for the most part, so I am pretty much set as regards terrain. In addition, I have added buildings and walls from TCS, and they will be used for all three sections of the NWF I will be representing on the tabletop. There is always a need to represent small villages on the tabletop for this period and I only require four to five small-type buildings and some short walls for some of the buildings. TCS meets this need very well and I heartily recommend you check them out; I am especially taken with the walls (mentioned in this issue's review section) and they are nice and thick and look "just right" for this period!

At one time, I had a very nice NWF fort which Clem Clemens built for me. However, it has been sold for sometime and I don't plan on having another one built. If I need larger buildings, I can always go with the ones Clem built for my French Foreign Legion collection some years ago.

I've completed basing and terraining all of my figures for this period and am very pleased with the result. I used metal bases for the first time and "Lake Michigan" sand (fine sand) dropped onto the painted stand (GEO- Hex Desert) and then dropping white Elmer's Glue onto portions of the stand and then dropping green turf on the glue. When it dried, it looked very effective; much better than my old method of just using the sand without any green turf!

I am looking forward to doing something with this period on the tabletop. While putting it together, I've had visions of British-Indian forces moving down the middle of the tabletop with elephant-drawn siege guns and/or Indian mountain guns mounted on camels. One has to, of course, have a large supply train, and I put together quite a large one! I had lots of mules loaded with supplies from my French Foreign Legion period and I hung onto these, knowing that I would be able to use them in the future. I also have many pack camels - Redoubt Enterprises and Wargames Foundry - and a number of wagons. In addition, WF has a number of Indian civilians from their Mutiny line; there are Indian baggage carriers with boxes or sacks balanced on their heads as well as water carriers. They also have civilian figures walking along and I ended up putting one of these walking figures along with three or four mules and mounting perhaps eight mules and several walking figures on a large metal base. This will make moving the baggage train quite easy in a wargame. I always like having a large baggage train in Colonial games for the Imperial forces to defend!

Let's see, any really interesting units in this project? Aklai foot and horse figures for the Sikhs; these were fanatics and look the part! Tribesmen w/matchlock muskets for the Sikh War though they will be used up to and including the Afghan War. There are Highlanders for the Mutiny, Crimean War, and 1880's. My favorites are the Mutiny period Highlanders - they look like "big, burly men!" Three different units of Goorhas: those who fought for the Sikhs; 1850's and 1880's. Many different types of artillery and crews including irregular Sikh/Afghan artillery crews; horse and foot Sikhs; and about a dozen different types for the British. I have roughly fifty guns and limbers to cover the three portions of the NWF. Naval Brigade for the 1850's and 1880's. Another of my favorite units, the Bengal Lancers. Afghan Highlanders wearing both the kilt and long trousers underneath! British infantry in all sorts of headgear covering the three different periods; even a unit with "airpipe" helmets from 1865, I believe. "Early" Indian and Sikh infantry for the 1850's and then other Indians and Sikhs for the 1880's. Indian mountain guns with crews and separate camels hauling the mountain guns and ammo (1880's). British Lancers for all three periods. Beautifully done Sikh Ghorchurra cavalry and six 15-man units of Pathan irregular horse, which of course, can be used through the time period.

As for emplacements which were extensively used by the Sikhs in the two Sikh Wars, I have some very old, attractive earth emplacements which were terrained by Andrew Doyle of 3-D fame. I suppose I could also use my SYW-type square redoubt as a Sikh redoubt; hadn't thought of that!

The Afghan force can be used against irregular forces as well as against Russians, if I ever decide to build up a small Russian army with WF figures from the Crimean War. They could even join forces with the Russians against the British and Indians.

"John Company" is well represented with foot and artillery as well as several Indian "Mutineer" foot units to be used as allies for the British in the 1850's/60's. Look for more on this in future issues of MWAN!