1:72 Egyptian Camel Corps

HäT 1:72 Egyptian Camel Corps

A set of plastic figures in 1:72 scale from the HäT brand. The package holds twelve figures in four poses: nine riders in three poses and three on foot in one pose. With them come twelve camels in three poses, one of which is the animal without a rider, so a dismounted patrol can be built as well. The plastic is unpainted.

The real subject

The Egyptian Camel Corps was raised in British service for fighting in the Sudanese desert, where a horse could stand neither the distances nor the shortage of water. The units moved on camels and dismounted to fight, so they worked as mounted infantry. It is exactly this way of using them that explains why the set also holds figures on foot and loose animals: a dismounted patrol with the camels set aside was a common sight of the campaign.

Building and painting tips

Wash the plastic, dry it and spray it with a flexible primer. Do the coats of the camels with a light buff base, a brown glaze and a dry brush along the back. Play the khaki uniform out a shade lighter and a shade darker, and suggest dust on the boots and the lower hem with a pigment. Build a scene from riders and dismounted figures alike; it is exactly the combination of both that matches how the corps was really used.

Who the set is for

• for collectors of the colonial wars in Africa
• for wargamers of the Sudan campaigns
• for builders of desert dioramas
• for complementing the British colonial sets of the same range

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