28mm British Infantry Zulu War 1877-1881 (40 Figures)

British infantry in southern Africa 1877 to 1881

The set from the British brand PERRY Miniatures holds thirty-eight multi-part figures of hard plastic in 28 mm scale. Four of them are fallen and wounded, two work a heliograph, that is, a mirror signaling device. The box further holds four pairs of flags, bases for the units and a sheet with details of the uniforms. Besides pith helmets, home service helmets are included as well, so the figures will serve for fighting on other battlefields too.

The real subject

The British foot soldier of that time wore a red coat, a white pith helmet and a single-shot rifle with a falling-block action. The set covers three conflicts that followed one after another in southern Africa: the Ninth Cape Frontier War on the Eastern Cape, the war against the Zulus in 1879 and the First Anglo-Boer War. It was precisely in the clashes with the Zulus that it became clear how vulnerable a thin firing line is against a fast attack at close quarters, and how decisive, on the other hand, a closed formation and a sufficiency of cartridges are.

Building and painting tips

The parts are of hard polystyrene, so they glue with ordinary liquid cement for plastic. Assemble the figures on their bases first and spray them with primer only after that, preferably a dark one, because that creates the shadow in the folds straight away. Lay the areas of color on thinly and lighten them gradually on the raised places. A dark wash and a matte varnish unify the finished paintwork, and the varnish also protects the figure during play and carrying.

Who the figures are for

• players of tabletop wargames in 28 mm scale
• those interested in the colonial wars of the 19th century
• modelers who build dioramas from the South African battlefields
• collectors who want a British infantry unit in one package

The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.