Saturday 4 April 2015

Highlanders for the Sudan: The Black Watch

The first five of my Black Watch for the Sudan are finished. 



The Black Watch or a Royal Highlanders were among the first regiments to land at Suakin, deploying from Egypt in early 1884 and fought at the second battle of El Teb, as well as Tamai in 1884 and as part of the River column the following year, the less well-known part of the Khartoum relief expedition.  Their strength at El Teb was 750, more than twice the size of the KRRC. 



My Sudan collection has what I'm calling a 'Heirarchy of Pose'c  The quality (usually British, but not 
always, for instance the XIth Sudanese) troops are in firing line, where's the poor troops are marching. When I decided to get some highlanders for the British forces, I was originally going to do the Gordons or even the Camerons, the latter I could do in red jackets for the 1885 battle of Ginnis - the last time a British regiment wore red in combat. At the last moment, I changed my mind: while the Black Watch are a bit of a cliche'd favourite, but I just couldn't resist the dynamic charging poses over the firing line of the Gordon/Cameron sculpts:


Image from the Perry website

Still, I can look forward to doing the Camerons later! Yay, more tartan (a more interesting tartan, at least).

It isn't event the first time I painted the Black Watch: here they are through the ages: 28mm Victrix Napoleonic painted a few years ago and 28m Perry Sudan. 



The tartan method is broadly the same but I made some refinements for the latest version - I think it works better and is more subtle, I toned down the green and didn't bother with the horizontal black lines through the colours - a devil to get neat considering the angles you're working at and they further complicate an eye strain-worthy pattern.

I wonder what the Mahdists thought when they saw loons dressed like this charging at them


15 comments:

  1. Fantasic painting and figures. I love the Perry Sudan range

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    1. Thanks vinnie. It us a fine edge - I'd like to collect all of it eventually!

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  2. Your right the pose is a lot more interesting, in fact I quite dislike the usual boring firing pose.

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  3. Top work Phil, have you seen that Mike Snook has his own miniature range (iron duke) sold by Empress and sculpted by Mr Hicks . He's doing Indian Mutiny there will be plenty of highlanders there ! So that's another range I will need to get, and I have only just decided to give 15mm Vietnam a go .
    Regards Furphy .

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    1. Oh now that is interesting news. Sudan please, Mr Snook! Not sure I have the pockets or appetite for another colonial range right now (not when there's so much more Sudan to be doing...). Though I do have a few Mutineer Indian Mutiny figures hidden away for a rainy day...

      15mm Vietnam, intruiging...

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    2. Gav - Catch up with Dane at the club I think he was planning on a similar project.
      Cheers
      Stu

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    3. Cheers Stu I will catch up on Sunday .
      Regards Furphy .

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  4. Those are lovely Phil - I was just checking its not the 1st April and you were not using that tartan paint again.
    Fantastic job on these.

    Cheers

    Stu

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  5. Splendid minis for a great period to play!

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  6. They are awesome !
    I've never painted tartans ... but I don't think that my skill allow me to paint so difficult things! I'm impressed....

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    1. It's something that you just have to get the effect to pull off - patience and a steady hand help though!

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  7. Great painting work; and their bases are perfect!

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