Ngāpuhi Scouts, New Zealand Musket Wars

The following is the beginning of my next side project, a small Maori war band depicting the Ngāpuhi tribe from the New Zealand musket wars. On release of the new Empress Maori Wars miniatures being a New Zealander (Kiwi) myself I immediately fell in love with the miniatures and despite already have far too many unpainted miniatures I couldn't resist starting this side project. Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi from my local Northland region of New Zealand, and centered in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei (my home town). I have used Back to Basixs Woodland bases to depict the thick rainforest like conditions of which the Maori often loved to battle utilizing gorilla warfare style tactics and I almost went cross-eyed painting the traditional patterns on the blanket ha.

Some wikipedia history: Ngāpuhi: New Zealand Musket Wars
By the early 19th century, the Bay of Islands had become a prominent shipping port in New Zealand. Through increased trade with Europeans, initiated by Ruatara, Ngāpuhi gained greater access to European goods, including muskets. Armed with European firearms, Ngāpuhi, led by Hongi Hika, launched a series of expansionist campaigns, with resounding victories across Northland and in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Anyway I hope you enjoy and please feel free to comment, share and follow :-)

Oh and the Empress Maori range can be found here http://www.empressminiatures.com/userimages/procart11.htm

 

 

 

2nd Coldstream Guards, Waterloo 1815, The Defence of Hougoumont

I have slowly been working on this unit over a number of years in the background of my halfling army and have finally finished the final base below. This unit has been slowly painted over 3-4 year period and you may notice a slight difference in the painting quality between the two earlier bases and the more recent ones (hopefully). The unit is a mix of Victrix, Perry and Foundry and may not be a 100% historically accurate but ah oh well ;-).

I have attempted to present the unit as a very battle-worn formation to depict the brutal defence of the chateau of Hougoumont on the outskirts of the Battle of Waterloo. This defence is considered one of the greatest achievements of the regiment as some declared that the success of the battle turned upon closing the gates at Hougoumont. The two battalions that defended Hougoumont suffered 500 dead and wounded out of strengths of 2,000 hence the high amount of casualties in my unit.

"This attack on the Hougoumont led to one of the most famous skirmishes in the Battle of Waterloo — Sous-Lieutenant Legros, wielding an axe, managed to break through the north gate. A desperate fight ensued between the invading French soldiers and the defending Guards. In a near-miraculous attack, Macdonell, a small party of officers and Corporal James Graham fought through the melee to shut the gate, trapping Legros and about 30 other soldiers of the 1st Legere inside. All of the French who entered, apart from a young drummer boy, were killed in a desperate hand-to-hand fight.^[1] The French attack in the immediate vicinity of the farm was repulsed by the arrival of the 2nd Coldstream Guards and 2/3rd Foot Guards. Fighting continued around Hougoumont all afternoon with its surroundings heavily invested with French light infantry and coordinated cavalry attacks sent against the troops behind Hougoumont". Wikipedia lol

 

 

Legless, mounted halfling ranger

I figured it is about time I shared this lil fella Legless the mounted halfling ranger. He is the first completed model of my mounted halfling "The Knights of the Kitchen Table". I'm very happy with the out come of this guy being a conversion from an old Citadel model and pony.....more of this unit on the way soon.