Sunday, 8 July 2012

Zulus

A few years ago now I picked up a box of each of the Wargames Factory Zulus and the British infantry. I have made up most of the British and even painted a couple but don't like them that much.I thought the Zulus might be just as bad so they have been sitting around untouched! Finally, the other week I was looking for something other than WW1 to paint, came across the box of Zulus and proceeded to make some of them. There are 30 in a box , so, I have split them into a group of 18 that will be spear armed, and a group of 12 that will have rifles and muskets.
Here then are the skirmish chaps, armed with muskets and  Martini-Henry rifles, with a few mods.

The photos were taken last weekend when there was next to no sun about.





The firing figures are crap! But the guy in the centre here got a bit of surgery.


There are some powder horns on belts to be worn over the shoulder but I changed a couple of them to have the guys carrying them in their hands

The way the powder horns are meant to be positioned.

Along with the captured Martini-Henry rifle this fella has grabbed an ammo belt as well.

This guy has also grabbed an ammo belt but he is wearing his one.



All 4 stands.

at

45 comments:

  1. PanzerKaput8 July 2012 at 23:39

    Very nicely painted there but I have to agree with you that the WF Zulu's are not that great but Warlords ones are as are the British. Great job of the painting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 21:52

      I really like the look of the Warlords ones. I will have to get them too!

      Delete
  2. Paul8 July 2012 at 23:41

    Great looking Zulu's Rodger, The tone of the skin colour and attention to detail on the accouterments is amazing!

    A few years is well worth the wait.

    Top notch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 21:54

      Thanks Paul. I am happy enough with these guys.

      Delete
  3. Ogilvie VC8 July 2012 at 23:41

    Looks like I'll have to dust off my pith helmet and give those fine warriors of yours a jolly good hiding old thing.
    Maybe an opportunity for the disgraced Lt Fortesque Cutler to redeem himself after his shameful performance at 'The Ingumu Massacre'of which we shall not speak.

    Love your work Mr Wood.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:01

      Get that helmet dusted off and stop taking the pith! See you Wednesday night.

      Delete
  4. Unknown9 July 2012 at 00:24

    If you say the figures were crap, I'll take your word for it. But by looking at what you've done with them, it certainly doesn't show. The modifications you've made along with the paint work makes these real stand out pieces.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:04

      Thanks Anne. I'm just disappointed with the Wargames Factory fig's. Not as good as the likes of Warlord or GB.

      Delete
  5. Phil9 July 2012 at 00:29

    This is a great work, Rodger, for sure! Zulus are looking very nice, details are amazing, even the bases...
    That's not a period played in our club, but may be one day, when we look a such stands...
    Best,
    Phil.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Uncle Brian9 July 2012 at 00:55

    Great looking paint jobs - I love the conversions that you have done!I am very tempted to dig out my old Esci Zulus and have a crack at painting them up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:10

      Thanks Brian. Get those ESCI guys out! I painted a couple of hundred of them about 20 years ago. Nice to paint too.

      Delete
  7. Jay9 July 2012 at 02:07

    Nice job. Clever conversions. The feathered-edge on the white spotting on the shields is a sign of a pro-painter, IMHO.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:13

      Thanks Jay. The shields look better in the flesh than in the photos I think!

      Delete
  8. Dalauppror9 July 2012 at 04:23

    You done a realy good paint job on some not so god minis.

    WF are not a favourite, they got to many strange "angles" especially the vikings and saxons.

    But in the end then the minis are on the gaming table no one will think about it:)

    Keep up the good work!

    best regards Michael

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:18

      Thanks Michael. I have some Vikings too and feel the same way.

      Delete
  9. Ray Rousell9 July 2012 at 05:45

    I think you made a great job on these!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Silver Whistle9 July 2012 at 06:11

    You have done a superb paint job on these and the ammo belts and basing finish them off nicely.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Willie Anderson9 July 2012 at 06:57

    Great job really has me tempted to get into these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:28

      Thanks Willie. Go for it, the Zulus are fairly easy to paint.

      Delete
  12. The Angry Lurker9 July 2012 at 07:10

    I like them especially the shields Rodger!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Neil Scott9 July 2012 at 08:06

    You've made a good job on them zulus. I did try the WF British but gave up as I couldn't get the arms to look right

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:34

      Thanks Scotty. I know what you mean. Don't know if I will ever paint up the rest of the Brit's.

      Delete
  14. Michael Awdry9 July 2012 at 09:44

    They look pretty good to me Rodger! The painting, basing and conversions make these stand out units regardless of the quality of the original mouldings! Brilliant work Sir!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Cyrus9 July 2012 at 12:04

    Great job on the WF Zulus Rodger, the Warlord ones are much nicer to paint.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:35

      Thanks Cyrus. I need to get some Warlords fig's.

      Delete
  16. Craig C9 July 2012 at 21:54

    Not a fan of WF but you've done a great job with them- a couple of the poses look like great candidates for conversions to Maori- they look like they are doing a haka!

    Craig

    ReplyDelete
  17. Rodger9 July 2012 at 22:36

    Thanks Craig. Funny, but I thought much the same thing when I looked at the photos too!

    ReplyDelete
  18. King Daddy A10 July 2012 at 08:30

    Wow these are nicely done, keep 'em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  19. peter11 July 2012 at 02:14

    The shields look so real. Did you kill a cow for that? ;-)

    Excellent work!

    Greetings
    Peter
    http://peterscave.blogspot.be/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger12 July 2012 at 21:50

      Thanks Peter. No animals were harmed during this project!

      Delete
  20. Captain Richard's miniature Civil War11 July 2012 at 04:30

    Great color,Rodger...nice work

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ken12 July 2012 at 22:32

    Hard colour to paint! Well done. The bases finsih them off quite nicely too.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Rodger12 July 2012 at 23:49

    Thanks Ken. I am reasonably pleased with the baases.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Scottswargaming15 July 2012 at 00:39

    Nice job with these Rodger.
    I too have a box of these and made up a sprue of figs as a test. They look OK and will work when used en masse I think but there were several dissapointing issues:
    Several simply look too fat, the open hand is 'too open' so it doesnt look like its gripping the weapon, the necks seem to sink into the torso giving a hunched back appearance, and the actual gun that is sculpted in firing pose I couldnt get to fit to any of the torsos provided. It has put me off goetting on with the rest of the box...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rodger15 July 2012 at 10:09

      I totally agree Scott. Hate the firing poses. I did think about trying to close up the hands but in the end I gave up on that idea, thought I might make things worse. Thanks for the comment mate.

      Delete
  24. Jason Meyers15 July 2012 at 10:02

    Great job on these Rodger. Very nicely done!

    Jason

    ReplyDelete
  25. tigey19 July 2012 at 08:43

    The look great in numbers

    ReplyDelete
  26. Captain Richard's miniature Civil War22 July 2012 at 12:59

    Amazing work, Rodger

    ReplyDelete
  27. The Kiwi24 July 2012 at 18:30

    Great job. I recently got some WF plastic celt chariots and my first WF figures. Not very sharp looking compared to a box of Warlord celts I have. They will need a lot of prep work by the looks. I can see why they end up in the round to it file.
    Great painted Zulus though. Yours look excellent.
    cheers

    ReplyDelete