--- In ColonialWars@yahoogroups.com, "Nick Gornall" <ngornall@...> wrote:
>
> Progressing well thanks, painting in fits and starts due to other
> commitments. Basing my figures for Principles of War with a unit
> being a French company (around 120 bodies)or a Dahomean "Regiment" >
(about 400 firearm troops for the regular army or 1000 spears, etc >
for the levies).

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Principles of War, how many figures
do you need to represent those sizes of units?

> Yes, the Dahomeans are the problem. The army was uniformed and had
[snip]
> clubs, bows, crossbows, etc; however, they aren't like the east or >
central african tribes with lots of feathered headdresses and oval >
zulu-esque shields- Dahomeans wore mostly caps, headscarves and
> pillbox like hats and carried small square or rectangular shields

This is what I'm finding out too, although good sources of info are
hard to find. I'd love a good source of color pictures, but I don't
think Osprey has anything on them.

> I have written my own campaign rules to cover the appalling
> terrain, supply problems and sickness that play a major part in the
> war (the

This is perhaps a little deeper than I intend to go. My thoughts have
been mainly to re-enact the edges of the battles, skirmishes mainly,
or pseudo-historical confrontations. I don't think I have the stomach
for painting that many new figures so soon after my Rorke's Drift set!
Nonetheless, I applaud you.

> You are right to think about the terrain- the first half of the
> route to the Dahomean capital was along jungle trails by the river;
> most actions should have the river (plus gunboat) as one table edge
> with the rest of the table as typical west african rainforest
> ie,close jungle, plus lots of brush-choked streams running across
> the path into the river. This means lots of terrain that just gets >
in the way so I was thinking of leaving everywhere blank except
> where the French are hacking along, when you mark the immediately
> adjacent landscape- as they move, so more is revealed and placed on
> table, like a curtain.

In my queue of projects is the building of some jungle terrain. I may
have to move it up a notch. I like your idea of placing it as you go,
that's cool.

> Sorry for the long post; get carried away sometimes.......

Don't apologize to me, you're preaching to the choir. Send some pics
when you get 'em!

K.C.