Zulus!

I've just finished reading this Osprey Combat book and jolly good it was too. I was a bit dubious about the format, which contrasts a typical combatant from either side of a conflict, as it seemed a little gimmicky and pointless, despite the stonking Peter Dennis artwork on the cover. 

However, on reflection, I think it really works and gives a history from below feel to the narrative, which is a refreshing change and ideal for those of us who like skirmish level games. The text is by Ian Knight and is, therefore, well worth reading.

The Zulu War is something I've been interested in for a long time but never got round to, for the usual tedious reasons. I have a dusty box of 28mm Black Tree Zulus and British infantry somewhere that is at least a decade old and I've been thinking about the potential of plastic for quite awhile.   

I've also pre-ordered a copy of the soon to be published Zulu War supplement for Black Powder. I really enjoyed the single game of Black Powder that I played a while ago but have been put off by the large number of figures required for a typical scenario.

However, the ease of painting Zulus is a significant incentive to give it a go. I may go for the 28mm plastic option but 10mm is also a real possibility, especially as the Perrin Zulu War range is so well sculpted. It's made be wonder if 2014 might be Africa Year on the workbench?