The Matabele are an African tribe whose origins are in the mighty Zulu Nation. During the early 19th Century, they rebelled and created an infamous name for themselves whilst they escaped north from Shaka Zulu, fighting Zulu Impis, Boer settlers, and every tribe they met to eventually settle in what is now Zimbabwe. The Matabele Kingdom was defeated in 1893 by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company. They rebelled in 1896, in what is described as Zimbabwe's first Battle for Independence.
The Matabele range from North Star Military Figures is now available, and photographs of all the packs are on the website - northstarfigures.com under North Star Africa!
There are ten packs available, each of four different figures. The warrior packs go from figures wearing very little right up to full regalia, each carrying an assegai and shield, so you can represent any style of Matabele army.
We have an Impi deal available right now, giving you a significant saving over buying the normal packs.
The range is not complete though. The first thing we will add is a pack of extra weapons. Right now you get assegais with the figures, the extra weapon pack will have knobkerrys, axes, muskets and breech-loader rifles to vary the armament of your warriors. Next we'll produce Matabele shooting their firearms. This will also include figures in a mix of traditional and European clothing to represent warriors of the Matabele Rebellion of 1896 rather than the War of 1893.
We have a fantastic Matabele hut, designed by Paul Cook, which will be produced in resin, along with other battlefield pieces in an African scenery range. Don't forget the range of African animals we produce under the North Star Menagerie banner.
Our Matabele range was inspired by playing the Ruga Ruga Publishing wargame, Death in the Dark Continent, available from North Star. The author Chris Peers has been adding free downloadable army lists to the North Star site since its publication (see on the Death in the Dark Continent sales page) and the eighth set is ready now. The list is titled Slave-raiders of the Savannah and covers tribes along the edge of the Sahara. Chris also updates the Errata page, and has actually upgraded the Matabele, giving them more breech-loader rifles, based on further studies.
Death in the Dark Continent is post-free worldwide right now.
The Matabele are 28mm sized, made of metal, and sold unpainted.