Miniatures Review 7: - 10mm Pendraken Zulu War

I've recently bought some of the Pendraken Zulu War range for a project this year and am going to post a review before I get into painting them.

I bought the Zulu War army pack which contains 1 pack each of ZC1 British Infantry, ZC2 Natal/Durban Cavalry, ZC4 Royal Artillery 9lb RML guns and for the Zulus a mixture of figures from the ZC5 Zulus without headdress and ZC8 Zulu command packs. In total there are 120 Zulus included along with 30 British Infantry,  15 Cavalry and 2 guns with 6 crew so the army pack is a decent saving as it contains the equivalent of 7 packs of figures.

British

Infantry figures are sold in packs of 30 with 1 officer and 29 other ranks in two poses. The officer is in field uniform with a sun helmet holding a pair of binoculars, he has a holster at his belt but no scabbard though officers did still carry swords in this period. The two poses for the infantrymen are standing firing and at high porte with fixed bayonet. These have the regulation equipment and are decent poses for making up units with.

The cavalry figures are actually more suitable for British regular cavalry as they are depicted with sabres which were not carried by many of the irregular units such as the Newcastle Mounted Rifles or Natal Mounted Police. What I intend to do is modify the figure with the carbine in hand removing the scabbard to depict these and using the figures with sword in hand to depict regulars.


Zulus

The majority of the Zulu figures are modelled without the full headdresses that their uniforms could include, it is reasonable to think that in combat many would have not worn the full ceremonial array so just the headband or ring worn by the figures is acceptable. The detailing is good on the figures with the shields having the correct appearance and the weapons reasonably close to scale.

General Comments

These were well cast though a few figures had some pitting present and occasionally some flash, there were slight mould lines to be removed but on the whole they figures were produced to a good standard. The height of the foot figures is 10mm foot to eye, so the base of figure to top of head for a standing figure is nearer 12-13mm.


My main reference for the review has been The Zulu War (Men at Arms Series, 57) by Angus McBride, but I have also looked at a range of magazine articles and contemporary photographs in other books.

Wargamers ADD - it can be conquered!

Like many miniatures wargamers I have a tendency to a form of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) when it comes to new periods and scales, maybe something that should be called PFD - Project Finishing Disorder, but I have found this can be conquered.

My method is simply to refuse to purchase new miniatures until I have completed a specified number of the existing lead pile, the only exception being the odds and ends to finish existing forces for a project. So I have made a vow this year to paint a minimum of 50. Though as I need quite a lot of terrain that is not included in the spending ban.

As I  have enough figures for most of my projects this year maybe it isn't so hard, but I still think the main thing is to select one project and work on that till completion before getting involved in a new one.

My current projects are:

• 25mm Fantasy and Medieval Skirmish with Song of Blades and Heroes, 
• 10mm Zulu War with The Sword and the Flame, 
• WWII with Fast and Dirty(FAD) and Troops, Weapons & Tactics,
• 15mm American Civil War with Fire and Fury
• 15mm SF with FAD
• 15mm Fantasy with Hordes of the Things

Most of which I already have fair numbers of painted figures for already, so just sorting out terrain is the priority.