"28-mm Darkest Africa Masai" Topic

I assume Foundry is the only provider of 28-mm Masai. I'd like them to be my last Darkest Africa army. However, the expense for 65 figures is rather putting off. The figures are on my "to buy" list. However, other stuff keeps getting in the way…

In general, did the Masai fight anyone who would bother them or stop them from rustling cattle?

From what I can gather, they fought Arab slavers, other native tribes, and an occasional German/British column. It doesn't really matter to me who the Masai actually fight (I'd assume mostly each other). I'm looking to do some weird tribe actions. Besides an occasional German or Arab slaver game.

Thanks in advance,
Blake

I'm not sure I'm clear about what you are asking for. In the last paragraph you say it doesn't matter to you who they fight. So what is your question?

Sorry for being dense but I don't really get what you want to know.

If you want a list of Masai enemies, that is quite easy: Everyone within their reach, just about.

(Deep breath)
The Wagogo,
The Baganda (several wars apparently),
The Luo,
The Kipsigis,
The Nandi,
The Turkana,
The Suk,
The Wahehe,
The Swahili and coastal Arabs (a lot: they were considered a soft target compared with many of the fiercer tribal peoples),
The Kamba and Kikuyu (who stood up to them rather well, and so the wars between them tended to be ritualised, chivalrous affairs – though not always).

That's off the top of my head, I've probably missed some out. Many ferocious civil wars too.

Not much aggro with the Brits. An unsuccessful attack on an IBEA fort, and the massacre of a Swahili caravan belonging to the IBEA is about it. Served as auxiliries for the Brits in the 1890s in their wars with the Nandi and Kikuyu, and again in the Great War.

Fought the Germans a fair bit though, but mostly in a low-level skirmish sort of way. Masai Moran fought alongside the Arusha in their conflict with the Germans mind, and that was a pretty bloody affair if I remember rightly.

Those Foundry Masai are gorgeous, but expensive. You also have to buy the spears seperately.

Too bad you aren't doing 15-18mm. Blue Moon is coming out with what looks like some nice figures.

Maybe these will come up for sale at Foundry, as other items do from time to time.

I had listed a shedload of them at reasonable prices, and had little interest shown. I'm not listing them again. The Foundry cast spears are stupid. Plynkes has done some with proper spears.

Allen

No I haven't. I use the stupid Foundry cast spears. Lots of people go on about how bad and wrong they are, but they match the drawing of Northern Masai spears in Thomson's Through Masai Land pretty well. What they don't match is 20th/21st Century Masai spear fashion, but that only matters if you want to game 20th/21st Century Masai. The only thing is that the shaft and especially the butt-spike are rather oversized. But I see that as an unfortunate necessity with a gaming model, they would probably be too fragile if they were a more realistic size.

Of course, I could make them the right size and more durable if I used some other material, but I'm far too lazy for that, besides I paid good money for them when I bought my Masai army years ago, so I'm going to get my bloody money's worth.

You must be thinking of somebody else. :)

Hmmm. I had thought you had done the bouncing Masai with more moderate weapons, but apparently not.

I'm still not selling mine to any of you ingrates, especially since a Marketplace ad disappears after 30 days now.

Allen

Indeed I did, but gave them sticks and knobkerries rather than replacement spears, as these seem to be the accessories of choice for your more modish Masai dancer.