I've decided to start this project with the Beja contingent which is now half, more or less, finished. I painted the figures using enamels.
So far I've done four of the seven spear/sword units, two of the four riflemen units and three of the four command command stands. There will also be a unit of camel riders and two 'captured' Krupp pieces. All figures are Perry Miniatures.
When deciding to do the Beja I took a fantastic piece of advice from Kevin Calder and completely ignored his other piece of advice.
I decided to copy his round base idea. Round bases are a very simple way of losing the regimented look of 'irregular units' when they are based on rectangular/square bases. The way they can be bunched together any old how is transformative. All of my irregular infantry units will be based on 50mm diameter bases (from Warbases).
I ignored his advice about picking a Sudan sub-period campaign. Sometime between the 1st and 2nd Suakin campaigns, the Mahdi prescribed an edict that all of his followers should shave their heads, wear a skull cap and sandals and, where practicable/available, don a patched jibba. In effect, from 1885 all early period Mahdist Ansar looked, more or less, the same. I've decided that my Mahdi will never issue such a decree - this will give my Mahdists an imagi-jihad feel but frankly, for the variation in unit look, I'm happy to go against history: I will have 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' Beja with 'ayrick 'air for the entire period and I will be able to do Kippling, in bad 'Michael Caine':
So 'ere's to you Fuzzy Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan;
You're a pore benighted 'eathen but a first class fighting man;
An 'ere's to you Fuzzy Wuzzy, with your 'ayrick 'ead of 'air -
You big black boundin' beggar - for you broke the British square.
My first three command stands with Osman Digna (centre) flanked by two other command stands; the mounted figure on the right has had a Beja head swap (originally bald in skull cap). Initially I had thought to do single mounted figure 'brigade level' command stands but, somehow one stand on a base hasn't done it for me for quite some time.
My sword and spear units will all be based around an average standard of six bases (50mm diameter).
Initially I thought to put six figures on a base but discovered that a mix of six and five figure bases (three of each) actually increased the irregular look - six figures only really fit on a stand one way, especially when mixing metal and plastic figures.
Each base will represent about 100 men.
Each base has three metal figures and either two or three plastic figures.
I have a feeling that the plastic spears will prove to be fragile. In consequence, I have decided to place at least one metal figure on each flank of a base to protect them when handled.
I'm sticking to three basic colours for the clothing: White, dirty orange and tan. The tan will have a natural variation because I'm purposefully not noting the precise paint mix for each batch.
Flags are downloads that have been over-painted. They are slightly oversized for effect (and ease of painting).
Riflemen are based three to a stand (representing 50 men per stand). Fifteen of the eighteen men in a unit are metal, the other three are plastic.
I'm going to continue painting the Beja until they are done (six more units and two pieces of artillery). Then, I'll move onto do half of the British force before moving onto the Kordofan contingent (which is about the same size as the Beja with a few more cavalry).
This is never going to be a huge collection - I'm thinking one session games - but, if it plays well, I'll do an Egyptian army, the Camel Corps and add another half a dozen or so Mahdist units - especially more cavalry/camelry.
