Sudanese riflemen fight to the last against screaming, bloodthirsty tribesmen to prevent the capture of the baggage.

The Scots and Egyptians fall back as the Beja advance.

The Gordons come under accurate fire from Beja musketeers but launch a punishing volley in response.

Played my first game of Death in the Dark Continent for a year this weekend. Myself and Mark M commanded the Beja against Ian and Rob with a British-Egyptian force.  The scenario saw the British-Egyptian force discovering Beja scouts, giving chase and being engaged by a numerous enemy detachment. The British corralled their baggage in secure position behind the Gordons and Egyptians as their Bazingers discouraged their counterparts and then launched devastating attacks from an area of high grass.

As the main Beja force emerged, they swung round to isolate the Sudanese - having to guard the right flank from a handful of warriors - from the main battle.  The chief led the mass of warriors against the Scots, attempting to hold them in place and penetrate their lines.

And here is the finished baggage element for my British-Egyptian force:

This is the base for my baggage element, a news crew from Perry Miniatures: http://www.perry-miniatures.com/product_info.php?cPath=23_35_51&products_id=2444
Here's the base:

And the Gordon command is finished!

Part way through the command for my British-Egyptian force for Death in the Dark Continent.

Gordon Highlanders: Done, done, done!  The figures were glued to their base, milliputted and sanded.  The sand was given a watered down coat of Vallejo Earth mixed with PVA.  A drybrush with Valleji Iraqi Sand, followed by one of Iraqi Sand mixed with white, finished the painting of the bases.  Some tufts completed the figures.

Gordon Highlanders:  For the wrap around the helmet, I just added white to Vallejo Earth and built up to a final highlight with white paint.  I like getting to these final stages with a unit, the excitement of getting them finished pushes you to get 'em done.  Listening to Olly Murs' new track as I polish them off.

 Gordon Highlanders:  Still on the helmet and sling, not long to go now.  In the top pic I added white to Vallejo Khaki, being careful not to be too heavy, in the bottom pic I added more white and highlighted the edges.

Gordon Highlanders:  Vallejo Earth is the base for the helmet and rifle sling; the sling and helmet are painted in the same manner as the belts (above).  Below shows the first Khaki stage on the helmet and sling.

Gordon Highlanders:  A thin line of Vallejo Charred Brown under the lighter wood stripes finishes the wood.  Vallejo Brass and Natural Steel are used as the basis for the metal.

 Gordon Highlanders:  The much used Vallejo Flat Earth provides the base for the rifle (above) and, adding Vallejo Medium Fleshtone to Flat Earth for the next stage, thin stripes are painted on (below).

 Gordon Highlanders:  Highlighting with some white added to the khaki finishes off the belts.

Gordon Highlanders:  Second coat for the belts is Vallejo Khaki.  Note the haversack belt in white.  Pretty quick painting step with a bit of Taylor Swift's vocal genius as inspiration.

Gordon Highlanders:  The haversack was built up to white by just adding white to the Vallejo Earth in successive layers, finishing off with...white! Watch for where the strap goes because the rest of the webbing is khaki.

Gordon Highlanders:  Belts are based with Vallejo Earth, don't forget the strapping around the water bottle.  It's a bit of a slog but shouldn't whine as it's only 6 dudes - if I was doing a Napoleonic era battalion of 32 figures I would never have got this far - and some atmospheric tunes the soulful voice of Matt Cardle makes the time fly by.

Gordon Highlanders:  You guys are serious enough to not need the sporran step typed out but I'll do it anyway. Just add a bit more white and drybush. Then drybrush white. Vallejo Brass for the, er, brass and plain black for the tassles. Should take less than half an hour for the lot.  Now have tea.

Gordon Highlanders:  You can see the fronts of the flashes here.  The water bottle (right hip) is painted with Vallejo Flat Earth and the sporran based with the ubiquitous Earth mixed with white.

Eyes; I feckin' hate eyes. Mine have been getting worse these last couple of years and I am totally unable to paint eyes without artificial aids.  I use a hobby headband type thingy with the magnifying glasses. It has a pathetic light on it as well (that I never use), but for a tenner it has been a decent buy.  So that's how I paint eyes.  And sometimes I get it into my head that all the eyes have to be painted. Not a big issue with 6 highlanders, but I have just finished an Anglo-Danish army of over 200 guys and my eyes are killing me because of painting eyes that no fucker will ever see or appreciate.

Oh music. For this I was entertained by the current Take That album - they have emerged to become a most respected and admired group of music maestros, and have sealed a place for themselves in the minds of serious music lovers.