Update: Plans For The New Year

Hi all, I must apologise profusely for my lack of posts. I suffer from several mental illnesses that dictate my life for me, but I'm on the mend again. I'd like to reassure you all that this blog (but sadly not my others) will be updated as frequently as possible in the new year. I've finally made purchases! I'll break them down in a moment, but I'm hoping that they arrive sometime in mid-January (I ordered from Eureka and it can take up to 14 days, though I'm giving a safe 3 week wait taking into consideration the New Year).

So, the purchases! I ordered all three sets of the Rhodesian African Rifles, these will represent the brave men of Natonga, so that's 12 men, enough for a section or so. These are African males armed with FN FAL rifles and, I'm assuming, FN MAGs, though I'm not 100% sure! Next up I ordered the two 'We Don't Want To Be Vertically Enveloped' packs which give me one each of the ZANLA guerilla fighters, including a leader. That gives me 33 guys. Now, as Natonga has Bugabu as its neighbour, the 12 AK47 armed ZANLA will be painted up as Bugabu Border Guard, wearing Dark Blue Fatigues with a lighter blue shirt (possible white webbing to add a little panache). As there'll be little to no camouflage on these guys, I should be able to paint them up fairly quickly!

If you all remember, I decided to turn the clock back to around the 1960s, just after independence, as the aesthetic, and the armour used, is much more to my liking. So the border guard will have Soviet trucks, the Mechanised Infantry will be in Saracen APCs, etcetera, etcetera. Another reason is the fact that Eureka's ZANLA armed with bolt-action rifles, SKS semi-automatic rifles, as well as the PPSh-41 armed ZANLA, gave me butterflies in my stomach the moment I saw them. I'll also be buying, when funds allow, all of their Somali gunmen which will give me an extra 22 guys to act as either pro-government or pro-rebel civilians.

I have so many ideas for this project, including scenarios, terrain, outsider assets (think KGB, CIA, MI6), possibly even UN peacekeepers if things get too hairy! I'm also going to write new background information which may or may not contradict my previous writing (especially the earlier pieces set in modern day Natonga) so consider those pieces retconned for now. But a new year calls for a fresh new start, right? Until next time!

News: Anti-Government Threats

Suspected Leader of the NLA

March 14th, 1967 - Excerpt from NLA Propaganda

'People of Natonga, we urge you all to take up arms! The farmer, the worker, the down and out! Rise up as one! Fight our tyrannical overlords! Natonga belongs to Natongans! For too long now we have suffered at the hands of the powers that be. They have whipped our backs raw, acting no better than the Romans, treating us like cattle. I urge you ALL, please, fight back now before it is too late. The people will be silenced no more! We fight for those without a voice! We fight for the weak! We fight for the poor! We fight for the people!'

The Boys Are Back

Hi all, it's been over a year since I updated the blog and for that I am ever so sorry. Mental health got in the way but I'm back on track! 2 stone lighter and 2 waist sizes slimmer! I've been wondering what to do. The ultramodern timeframe has lost its interest on me, however I still very much love the Cold War, and what's better than retconning half of the stuff I've already written and starting the timeline again?

We'll be focusing on the actual war of independence, including the uprising, and ousting, of Her Majesty's Government. I've got a lot planned, and as I'm actually painting again maybe we'll see some staged scenes of key events!

Until next time,
Cheers,
Sean.