Scenics: Herero Cattle and Herd Boy

28mm Northstar Africa! Native Cattle

 Cattle were everything to the Herero, a pastoral people for whom these animals were sources of wealth as well as subsistence.  Even with the decimation of their herds during the Rinderpest outbreak in 1897, the Herero had tens of thousands long horned African cattle (with more than 20,000 estimated to have been brought together at the Waterberg prior to the battle of Hamakari).  These herds consumed vast amounts of forage and could drink a waterhole dry.

These 28mm animal figures are by Northstar Africa!, with gaps between the cattle heads and bodies filled with epoxy before painting.  The herd boy is part of an African Women and Children pack  - DA027 in 28mm from Wargames Foundry's Darkest Africa line.  They are painted with subtle shading. I may add another layer of ground cover sand but otherwise consider them finished.  They will travel with my Herero forces as they maneuver in the field.

A few More 28mm Figures Ready to add to the Herero Forces

28mm Brigade Games Haitian (Carribean Empire) Perry Mafeking Firing

28mm Wargames Foundry, various Darkest Africa sets

Witbooi Native Auxiliaries in 25mm

Witbooi Nama Native Auxiliaries (Monday Knight Productions Haitians 25mm)

A troop of about 110 native auxiliaries from the Witbooi tribe served with the Germans in the Herero War of 1904.  Contemporary images suggest that they went to war wearing their traditional white turbans around their wide brimmed hats.  In previous campaigns they wore imperial armbands over civilian clothing to distinguish them from the enemy, and that is how I have depicted them with these figures.

The miniatures are 25mm, too small to work well with the 28mm figures that comprise the bulk of my forces on the gaming table but adequate when used as a group on their own.  They are from
Monday Knight Productions Banana Wars Haitian Figures line and have been modified with Kneadatite epoxy putty tape to add turbans to their hats.  These are simple sculpts and very affordable at $12 for a mixed squad of nine different men with rifles and one of two leader types with pistols and machetes.  Three are without hats and I have assigned them to the Herero forces to round out some smaller sized units.  They can also be purchased singly.

Instead of wheat-based cat litter I used beach sand to texture the bases.  I think it will require a second coat of white glue and additional sand to get the right amount of ground cover, but it avoids the problem of the wheat absorbing liquid and the longer associated drying time.

Just 24 figures are needed to represent the Witbooi troops in the Jones/Alvaredo Herero Wars

Scenario and Rule Book and I may decide to acquire the remainder from Monday Knight.  Alternatively, I may consider these an interesting experiment and use 28mm figures instead.

Witbooi Native Auxiliaries modified with Epoxy turbans