Foundry 25mm Darkest Africa

Miniature Products Review

by David Barnes

"Darkest Africa."

Cue SFX. Hyenas and lions, "brainfever bird" cries, etc. "I say Carruthers, is that a patterned scarf or a boa constrictor round your neck?" It is all here, in your mind when you look at these figures. Mark Copplestone is deeply enthusiastic about Aftica and is really doing a one man recreation of colonial African history and its western explorers. The first packs will cover European expeditions and Zanzibar (or Arab) caravans "which penetrated the heart of Africa." Lots of little wars spring to mind: Belgians in the Congo, Gerinans in East Africa, Ashanti wars, the French in Dahomey, WWI in Aftica - "The African Queen!" Humphrey Bogart pushing his steam launch through the swamps to attack the German navy on the great African lake. Some rules are in the offing, maybe entitled "Far Frontiers" for 30 - 50 men a side. A second release aims at the Belgian "Force Publique," German colonial troops (see a recent number of "Age of Empires" magazine from Caliver, No. 14) and Zande and Masai tribesmen. If Foundry turns out a few lions with the Masai you could have a "Lion hunt skirmish." Ask them! Later releases will be French in Westem Sudan and Dahomey, the Ashanti wars, British and Egyptians in Sudan and WWI in Africa.

I will list the packs, comment on them and draw a few of them, not to scale.

DA1 Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, John Manning Speke, Dr. Livingston, The Lord of the Jungle (a.k.a. Lord Greystoke), Carl Peters, Sir Samuel Baker and Henry Morton Stanley. J.M. Speke in shooter's vest, looks like him - he accidentally(?) shot himself, out after game birds, having just heard some other explorer had found the source of the Nile. Sir R.F. Burton was a fearless explorer who leamed many languages and went about in disguise visiting Mecca, etc. The metal version is firing a dragoon colt. The Lord of the Jungle can be taken either as the earliest film character portrayal of Tarzan or the newest. Not Johnny Weismuller. Can be used as the leader of the Africans versus the 'orrible colonials if you like. No Cheetah the chimpanzee yet (the best actor I thought).

DA5 Loyal Askaris #1. To begin with there's an Askari type figure in a fez and wrapover kilt with a musket, looking warily about. He has a shot pouch at his waist and a gourd on a thong over his shoulder. All these gentlemen wear a kilt except one who has a loincloth. They all have different faces, some have little pillbox hats - two have Ashanti-style turbans. Their muskets are held across the chest, ready for action. One has an animal skin across his shoulder, one has big plug earrings, another tribal scars on his cheeks. One has a sheathed knife at his belt. AB have shot pouches or gourds. A handy looking lot to protect.

DA9 Porters (Stalwart Bearers #1 on the sheet). First chap is a porter with a big roll on his head. It could be a small tent or part of a big one. He wears a wraparound kilt with a rolled top. All have a variety of locked boxes, suitcases and bundles on their heads. 2 have loin cloths and the rest kilts. One has a turban type cloth on his head. He carries a wooden box. Vital to your expedition - you go nowhere without them. Guard them well. This pack is worth a thought. All these famous explorers in Africa only got anywhere because of guys like those represented in this pack.

DA7 All "in the aim." As an ex-musketry instructor, I can see they are all getting very bad habits. Not one has the butt in his shoulder - however, as all the shoulders are naked, it's understandable - particularly with the kick of black powder! All wear kilts. 3 wear pillbox hats, one a natty woven one. Two have bare heads. 3 have ashanti style turbans (cf. Ted Herbert's Colonial Handbook produced for the Victorian Military Society). Two are firing percussion cap muskets, the rest are English style flintlocks.

DA30 Ferocious Tribal Spearmen. Provide your own plastic, brass rod, piano wire, toothpick spear, or Florist's wire says Foundry. Loin clothed all. 4 spears poised for a cast, 4 spears in low line for a stab. 5 are shouting, one snarling, 2 saving their breath (probably the most dangerous). The left hand is up in all cases to take a shield - a pack of these is included in the samples, randomly assoried. A Gothic window shape - like and ancient Egyptian one, without the hole. A rectangular wickerwork one, 4 wickerwork rounded rectangles with slight central bosses and 2 wooden rectangulars r-ather like small Medieval mantlets. A shield which could be cut out of card in the correct shape for your chosen tribe or nation. Give your leader a unique shield! The good musculature on these figures repays shading and highlighting.

DA34 Stealthy Tiibal Archers #1 (on the pack "bowmen"). First a tribal native firing a bow. A quiver with long arrows is cast onto the base. It has a lug on it to put in the corresponding hole in his back. He has just released an arrow. The bow is almost straight and his left arm is back in a flourish. He wears a simple loin cloth. Four of them are drawing the bow, four of them are loosing arrows. All have arrows in quivers cast to the bases to cut off and place in the hole provided for the lug in the back of the character. They are all characters with different head angles and expressions - all different heads. Excellent. Flash is negligible - the odd airgate still on. After a few drawings I'm off into the garden or twigs and moss that's been flown off - or one could use various jungly trees provided by the trade. The Explorers pack can take it in turn to be boss - except "Swampy" - I mean Tarzan! (For US readers, "Swampy" is a defender of woodlands against would-be road builders in Britain.) A great range and lots more to come.

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© Copyright 1997 Hal Thinglum
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