"How on earth did you decide which colonial war to focus on?" Topic

Hi all,

I spent a fantastic weekend with some old friends watching some classic "colonial era" war films:

Zulu, Zulu Dawn, Khartoum and 55 Days at Peking.

I do not, currently, have a Colonial-era project underway – but after watching those films I am coming perilously close to embarking on one.

My question is:

When it came to deciding which war or conflict to base your project on, how did you pick?

I am torn between (as a Brit) between the sheer iconic nature of the Zulu War – and the colour and variety of the Boxer Rebellion. But then I think about the Sudan, about how much variety there is in terms of the Sudanese troops vs. the Zulu.

Sudan, Afghanistan and the Zulu Wars all have the advantage of excellent plastics by the Perry twins.

How did you pick? Are there any wars/conflicts you'd particularly recommend that I haven't mentioned – and why?

Those (and perhaps the Boer war) seems to be the popular three. Personally I prefer the smaller wars fought in places like Rhodesia, East Africa, the Congo, Uganda and British Central Africa much smaller forces and lots more exotic stuff.

If I was to pick one of the three you mentioned it would be the Anglo Zulu war of 1879 because a lot of your British Imperial forces can do double duty. In the BaSotho gun war, the last Cape Frontier war against the Xhosa, the war against the Bapedi and the 1st Boer war.

1. Focus v. Flexibility. While the Boxer Rebellion is a stirring scenario, it requires a lot of stuff that has limited utility in any other context. Unlike UK Redcoats, Boxers have no role in any other setting. It may be useful to pick some setting that interrelated.

2. Scope. If you want to keep things small, consider a skirmish oriented project, like the Boer Wars.

3. Preference. Make a list of projects you might consider tackling. Then, go down the list and ask yourself a question. "If I opted for a different project, how bad would I feel about not doing this one?" Give it a number score.

4. Coordination. If your friends are all doing French Foreign Legion, and you launch off into 1920s Warlord China by yourself…

This is a start…

Why do you need to pick one?
I game the 2nd Anglo-Afghan war that's 1878-1880
The Zulu war was 1879
Sudan started in 1881
you can have figures from every war in small numbers and do skirmish games.
My Colonial British army is a collection of Red and khaki uniforms…I can use British Indian troops in the Sudan just as I can use Red Coats in Afghanistan.
I think it would depend on what size battles are you looking for?
I love gaming Colonials because the battles for the most part are small and easy to do on a tabletop.

I am more a collector than a player, and I love to paint. So "colourful" is (for me) probably the most important. Immediately springs the most colourful period/region in mind: India ! Historywise interesting too: the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798-1799), the Second Mahratta War (1803-1805), both with Sir Arthur Wellesley (the later Duke of Wellington), the Sikh Wars (1845-1846, 1848-1849), the various afghan wars (1838-1842 – with the Retreat from Kabul where a group of around 16.000 people inclusing the Britsh Army were massacred within a week (!), second Afghan war 1878-1880), the Mutiny (1857, with both sides with colourful uniforms).
Books: link has an impressive list of books about the various colonial wars.
Of course much, much more, but perhaps this is something to offer you a start ;-)).

Thank you all for your answers.

I think I'd be leaning towards skirmish games – *probably* using TMWWBK.

Do you think I'd get more utility from painted my Brits in Red or khaki uniforms?

The red is obviously more striking, but not right for Sudan, Abyssinia, 2nd Afghan War etc.

There is lots of scope – for example, various nefarious expeditions in Africa, Riel Rebellion in Canada, skirmishes in the Caribbean/South America not to mention the Imperial frontier along northern India – and in China you have the Opium Wars in addition to the Boxers

I mostly have my colonial Brits in khaki although I do have a few redcoat/rifle green units because I like the look of them – all based for The Sword and the Flame

I don't think I have read anything of substance on the Zulu War. It just strikes me as boring. I went with the Sudan because it provides more interesting gaming experience. I would not hesitate to use a redcoat Brit at any point during the wars in the Sudan. If someone doesn't like it, they can find another game to play. Likewise with khaki Brits in Zulu Land.

I'd say pick an imperial army you like, put it in your favorite historical uniform from within the broad period and then look over your range of opponents. No need to limit yourself, but try to have viable armies before you move on.

Plan B--pick the most colorful--always ends up with the Boxer Rebellion, and Plan C--favorite movie--is a three-way tie: 55 Day in Peking, Zulu and The Wind and the Lion.

I collected the Afghan NW Frontier in 54mm because I liked the figures and because of the pieces in Solo Wargaming by Donald Featherstone which I have always loved.

It gives plenty of opportunity for different scenarios, with Brits attacking an Afghan village/fort or trying to get to relieve a besieged small fort or recapture the elephants the afghans have stolen or (in one scenario) defend a broken down armoured train against afghan attack…

I am also collecting Sudan forces in 20mm because the battles appeal, they are slightly more even than something like Zulu War and also have more variety with paddle steamers, etc.

I was really interested in Boxer rebellion (and you get to pick a number of different european forces) but the number of scenarios seemed some what limited.

Just my thoughts…

The thing about the Sudan is was fought over a prolonged time period. So the British on the Gordon relief expedition look a lot different to the Brits at Battle of Omdurman. The Beja of the Suakim campaign looks different later in the conflict. The interesting side to having a Mahdists army though is you can fight the Force Publique of the Congo free state, the Azande of the Congo, the tribes of South Sudan, the Abyssinians and the Italians all historically which is nice change from the Anglo Egyptian armies.

Adding the word "first" to your question makes it easier to answer. I started with Zulus, then Mahdi, Boxers, Crimean, and Afghan. I had Sikh Wars figures next on the list but never got to them. I have maybe 200 figures for each army, plenty for TSATF.
Zulus are a good first choice.

Rules wise I like TMWWBKs Some people don't like the unit activation side of the rules especially if you get saddled with poor leaders (who are randomly generated before the battle). Having said that I play solo and Mr Babbage (the solo version of TMWWBKS) is brilliant. Here is a recent solo battle I played in British Central Africa. A historical battle pitting a small force of less than twenty Sikhs and Africans under a British Royal Engineer corporal against 2000 African warriors under a Yao chief called Kawinga.

link

Where to start is the question. In my case, the very first unit (20 man platoon for TSATF) was the 24th foot with white helmets. Since this a quite a few turns ago, I used RalPartha figures. Next up was some Zulus. It would take decades before I had 30 some units and called the project complete (for now). Not sure of the order, but, later I added Boers, Afghans, and a lot more Brits.

Sometime in the 90's (when RalPartha was converting from lead) I added the Sudan.

I read Diane Preston's book on the Boxer Rebellion and was hooked. Exotic locale, lots of uniform variety and plenty of opportunity for politically incorrect humor. I have about 600 figures for the period with many more waiting for paint and vague plans for a solo campaign cooking in my head.
I recently started a Foreign Legion project with Morocco / The Wind and the Lion in mind.
You could go the way of Major General Reddering and shelve the history books and just have fun with the period.

My very first colonial army was Zulu, both sides. This was because of the movie, and figure availability. Ral Partha are lovely figures, and came in very reasonably priced 10-pack blisters. All I needed was the Osprey book and Sword and the Flame rules.
NW Frontier followed. That was aided by Frontier Miniatures. They had the Afghan regulars that Ral Partha lacked. Call them Egyptians for rules purposes, and Bob's your uncle.

I guess write your own rules. You will have fun doing all of the research on. Armies to make army lists. I really enjoyed working on "Induanas, Colonels and Emirs" the 1:10 scale for mass combat. The year it was nominated for the GAMA HG Wells award, 1984 or 85, my friend Larry won with TSATF. So in those years Colonials were hot. My rules used mainly 15mm but could use 25mm.

So do the research for a set of rules.

Might as well wave the flag for Darkest Africa/scramble for Africa era and location plenty of exotic in my opinion.

The Sultan of Zanzibar's British trained regulars

A unit from the British raised Central African Rifles

Lomwe warriors from east of Lake Nyasa

A Ngoni Impi of King Mpenzeni

Portuguese Cacadores 1880s from Portuguese East Africa

An Arab/Swahili army east Africa

German exploring expedition east Africa 1880s

Nkonde warriors northern Lake Nyasa

The advantage of the Sudan is a wide range of troop (both in type and quality) for both sides. If you're doing TMWWBK it would be easy to raise two or three forces per side. Then the British could travel to fight the Boers, or to the North-West Frontier.

I have figures for the Northwest Frontier and various forces for central Africa. I am also working on armies for the Sudan. With the Sudan you get gunboats.

Grelber

You don't pick a colonial period, it picks you.

I have zero interest in colonial gaming, but I accidentally have two different colonial gaming genres under construction – Egypt 1882 and Mexico 1862-1867. In both cases, ironclads got me started, history books drew me in further, movies stoke the fire once in a while.

I liked the movie Zulu and I like to paint red uniforms. Zulu war it is! That's not very profound or reasoned, but there you go.

Yellow Admiral has it right. You just have to do a period / theatre that fascinates you. OTOH have you considered the Māori Wars, you don't need big armies.

And what about other nations? I find the German colonies in Africa fascinating, and figures can be had. Also, things like the Americans in the Caribbean, a later colonial feel.

Started with Zulus then Sudan then China Boxer Rebellion even did some FFL.

The Second Afghan War of 1878-1880 provides a wide range of scope and flexibility in terms of troop types… historical tactical scenarios… and uniforms for British & Indian troops.

It was fought during the "transitional phase" of British uniforms changing over from service dress full color to standardized khaki, with some units starting out wearing red, blue, or green, while others started in white dyed khaki at the regimental level, allowing for a variety of different shades of "drab" even if you're a grognard type fixated on historical accuracy. By the time it ended units were starting to receive what was becoming the standardized khaki uniform.

The Afghans have the familiar "Tribal" forces but also regular army infantry, cavalry and artillery, organized and trained along the lines and in imitation of the Anglo-Indian Army, plus by the later stage of the war they had large numbers of Ghazis, religious fanatic fighters, who occasionally appear in other actions on the North-West Frontier, but never in such large numbers as during this war.

Pretty much any/every type of colonial scenario you can think of occurred at least once during the course of the war. From overwhelming attacks on isolated British outposts (the Kabul Embassy in Sept. 1879, which the British lost; the Sherpur Cantonments in Dec. 1879)… British assaults on strong defensive positions occupied by regular army troops (Ali Masjid 1878) or a mix of regular army and tribal forces (Charasiab in Oct. 1879; Kandahar Sept. 1880)… to stand-up field battles (Maiwand, July 1880 -- which the British lost), and virtually every kind of Colonial skirmish scenario imaginable.

The only thing I can think of as a mark against it is that there are no Royal Marines or Naval landing parties or gun crews -- but it does feature elephant batteries, British and Indian Screw Guns, Gatling Guns, several Highland regiments, Heliograph signaling parties galore, and every variety of Indian Army troop type.

And all the troops you raise for both sides -- other than Afghan regulars and red-coated British infantry -- can be repurposed for use in endless smaller actions on the North-West Frontier, stretching from before the war started until the introduction of magazine-fed bolt-action rifles and Maxim Guns -- or, if you're less of a grognard type, straight through to the end of the Victorian era on the Frontier, say circa 1900.

As an academic my area was French West Africa, but this is terribly under-supported, probably because the research material is almost exclusively in French. I've not yet ordered from Castaway Arts which sells West African opponents. I've converted some Artizan FFL to serve as French Marines. The early period of French expansion up the Senegal is difficult though I've converted some FPW French to suit.

Go with what you feel most compelled to collect. My interest was sparked by the movies Zulu, Zulu Dawn, Khartoum and Gunga Din. Never thought about colonial gaming until I got TSATF rules in 1981, bought some 15mm figures, and never looked back. First Zulus, then Afghan wars and then Sudan. Followed the unit organizations in the rulebook and stopped at 240 Zulus, 4 impis (horns, chest, reserves) and built a British force to fight that at the 3 to 1 ratio. With the Colonial Campaigns scenarios books released in the last few years, went with the 8 figure units and got reengaged in fighting all the scenarios in the Zulu war book.

I chose the 2nd Boer War and French North Africa. I chose them partly because no one else locally was doing them. I also like the change of tactics in response to more modern weapons and the 28mm figures available for those conflicts.

link

link

Yes, don't forget the Legion! See Beau Geste and March or Die for inspiration.

Gunga Din for the Northwest Frontier and Beau Geste and March or die for the North African French Foreign Legion.

There was also a mix of improvised 'regimental' khaki with scarlet frocks carried by the infantry battalions on Napier's Abyssinia expedition of 1867, and as has been mentioned, between 1878-1885 a mix both seenin Afghanistan and Sudan as well.

Interesting topic. Thanks for asking the question.

When you watch "Zulu", "Zulu Dawn" and "Breaker Morant" growing up, the choice is easy. My figure collection covers all of the above.

Having said that, you can never go wrong with a French Foreign Legion game in any era.

I took a dive into the Sudan. Very early you can justify red coats, then add troops from Indian service, the Post Office Rifles who never saw combat are fun to have, Naval Brigade and more for the British. Add Egyptians and Sudanese, the vast variety of Mahdist armies, and you can add all sorts of conflicts from the fringes, which also let you add Italians and Abyssinian cavalry. Google the Abyssinians… And I almost forgot the river steamers.