Gola Park Rangers

The government of Zangali is proud to announce that the first groups of wildlife rangers are deployed in the Gola Rainforest. They will fulfil a key role in the ongoing battle against poachers. From the elite military forces the first 27 have been selected  to be deployed in the North. They are all highly skilled men, used to operate isolated on their own. The 27 have been divided in 3 groups of 9 men and along with their bloodhounds, equipment and weapons they will be airdropped in the area where they will patrol and track down poachers. After a month they will be relieved by the next group of rangers.

Some say that this is just a publicity stunt because of the upcoming elections and improvement of foreign relations whilst others question the motives to deploy elite soldiers in the North where the recent unrest causes concern. Are these elite forces deployed to track down poachers or are they there to gather information on the local militia rebels or even kill the militia leaders. Wild speculations? maybe...

RAZ Humvees painted

I ordered a couple of Humvees from Imaginative Miniatures to bolster the RAZ forces. It took me a couple of days to paint them up but overall it went very quick and smooth.

The models I ordered were the Empress Miniatures: Humvees with .50 cal. The main body, wheels and suspension are made of resin. the hatch and .50 are made of pewter. The resin is pretty smooth and there was only one air bubble I had to fill, remarkably the same size air bubble was in the exact same place on both models, the rear fender. The details look good and smooth. my only gripe is that the windows are not completely smooth and are really hard to sand because of the angle.
The pewter is good and hardly any cleaning needed to be done. However. with these thin barrels you can very easily bend them by accident. Something to watch out for.

Because most of the fighting in Zangali will be done in a jungle environment I painted up the Humvee's with a NATO camo colour scheme. Below is a short tutorial in how to get a result like this the easy way. There are other and maybe better ways to achieve this look but I like this one.
I also had a look in my spare decal box for some striking details. Since this is my Imagi-Nation I can do what I want and don't have to be historical accurate. Therefor I now have "the Bomb" and "Hunter". I thought they were cool names .

NATO CAMO TUTORIAL

1. Undercoat the HMV in black, I used Vallejo black primer. Then use some blue tac or poster tac to create a camo pattern and stick it on top. Not too thick so it will be easier to airbrush all the angles. (Note; everything under the blue tac will stay black)
2. Spray with a green colour, I used Vallejo Olive Grey 70.888.
3. Again add a layer of blue tac in a camo pattern on top of the green and the blue tac that was already on. (note; make sure you wait till the paint is 100% dry)
4. Over spray with a light brown colour, I used Vallejo Flat Earth 70.983.
5. When all the paint is dry you can remove the blue tac to reveal the NATO Camo.

From there you can start to paint the details and rest of the model. 

RAZ models painted

Click to enlarge

It took a little while but I have now finished painting my Republican Army Zangali (RAZ) force. These are all Eureka Miniatures 28mm ZANLA models. I have 29 of them in various poses and with several different weapons although most models have an AK47 or a rifle but I also have some with RPG's and LMG's. I have only a few duplicates.

I have given the RAZ men a mix and match outfit. Most of the men wear combat combat boots and army clothing but some have sandals and/or a t-shirt. I have painted the duplicate models up differently so you don't even notice there are some "twins"in the army.

Click to enlarge

The colours I used are;
Camo: Vallejo Brown Violet, Vallejo Flat Earth, Vallejo Khaki, Vallejo Black Grey.
Webbing: Vallejo German Camouflage Beige.
Berets: Vallejo Burnt Cad. Redy, Vallejo Red.
Skin: Vallejo Chocolate Brown, Vallejo Flat Earth.

I just painted these models in the colours above and painted the rest of the details like eyes, knives and weapons. then I washed

Click to enlarge

the models in a light wash of Agrax Earthshade (still the best wash imho). Then repainted the models
with the colours above and then highlighted them with the colours above and some added Vallejo Ivory. I highlight everything in two different shades going from darkest to lightest to get more depth. To finish the models I airbrush some Vallejo Matt Varnish on them to take the shine off.

It's a shame I can't take better pictures. the colours in these photo's are a bit off. the vibrant red berets are really more burgundy red and the skin depth doesn't really come out good on these pictures but you get the general idea.

I will use these models for my upcoming battle reports with various rule sets. I now have about 30 Eureka Somalis on my painting table that will feature as my rebel militia.

The republican Army Zangali infantry force

Stay tuned for more...

Notorious arms dealer in town

"Papa" Redvik, notorious arms dealer

Today the minister of National Security Kwame Olabode and Minister of Finance Andile Kumbokani struck a deal with the Notorious Arms dealer "Papa" Redvik.
Mr. Redvik is a well known man in the black market arms trade and is often seen there were humanity and peace are absent.

Mr. Redvik officially resides in the tax heaven called the Netherlands in Europe and his "company" even has a webshop where many warlords and dictators buy their latest toys.

President Anan of Zangali has been having negotiations with many foreign diplomats willing to sell their old and abundant war gear but were asking a high price knowing the situation in Zangali is urgent. Therefor Anan made his ministers strike a deal with a wanted arms dealer, this way he can not be linked to the transaction and maintains his deniability.

Unknown is how much money is involved in the trade or what weapons will be shipped to Zangali and how. Because "Papa"Redvik is a pure opportunist one should not be surprised if he would now turn to the rebel leaders with information and a sweet deal.. The weapons race has started.

Anan responds to attacks

no stone left unturned

President Anan has responded to the recent attack in Nabali which killed 24 republican soldiers. In the 2 hours long speech Anan declared war on all rebels and complimented the people of Zangali, their blind faith in the government is heartwarming in these troublesome times. He also pointed out that the republican forces should have limitless resources for their task to eradicate any threat to the nation’s stability and peace. Therefor both ministers of Finance and National Security have begun negotiations with various arms dealers and foreign liaisons.

Anan: “To support our troops in their task to locate and crush the criminal rebels who aim to undermine the people’s faith in the republican and democratic government I have made new resources available. We can only ask a small contribution of our loyal citizens for the aid to their safety and therefor I will only raise taxes by 5%. Together we are strong, Together we stand, Together we are proud to be Zangali”

His speech was met with cheers and dancing by some but others were worried about the impending tax increase. This rebel attack against the sitting government seems to hit the people already living in poverty the hardest. 

Patrol attacked near Nabali

After a brief period of peace the people in the villages around Nabali once again live in fear. This morning a patrol that was on it's way from the main base in Nabali to a nearby checkpoint just outside the city was hit by an ambush attack. Two Humvee's and two trucks were knocked out, most of the soldiers that were on board were killed. The few soldiers who survived the attack said it happened really quick and they had no idea what hit them. The attack was over in just a few minutes and in the chaos the soldiers were unable to identify the enemy or their position.

Investigation at the scene has provided little information about the attack. What is known is that at 07:12am the lead Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. The vehicles caught behind the burning wreck were stuck at the narrow road when they where hit from the flanks with RPG's and machine gun fire. From the evidence found at the scene it is estimated that this attack was well coordinated and carried out by at least 12 men. The soldiers in the vehicles were caught of guard and most were killed instantly. Most of the men that managed to get out were gunned down on the road in deadly crossfire. 24 soldiers died and only 3 survived the attack.

The people in Nabali and surrounding villages had been assured that they would be save now the Zangali army is in the city but many now feel the rebels will continue their attacks. The people behind the raids had always attacked by night but the zangali army only moved at day light. It seems the rebels have altered their strategy and don't hold back. Many men have formed vigilante groups that patrol the suburb regions. However their weapons are old and unreliable and it is feared they will be no match for the rebels.

The Zangali government and president Anan have not yet responded officially on the attack.

Everything under control

RAZ Forces Arrive in Nabali

 This morning the RAZ forces arrived in Nabali. Nearly 300 men, 16 armoured vehicles and 15 trucks with their supplies and cargo have reached the small city of Nabali. The convoy left Port Espoir military base yesterday morning and had no trouble along the way. Many happy and relieved faces greeted them. The news of the nightly raids had spread rapidly under the population and fear of attacks grew stronger.

Happy faces along the way

Nabali is a small city but lays at a strategic position. Many of the roads from the coast to the north lead trough the city or it's neighbouring villages. The RAZ forces have started to build the base camp at the former athletic field at the northern edge of the city. Patrols are expected to be dispatched later today and road block checkpoints will be set up shortly.

Col. Obi Mphatso speaks

At 12:00 Colonel Obi Mphatso spoke to a crowd of gathered civilians at the Nabali sports fields. He assured the safety of the city and swore to track down the criminals responsible for the recent raids. The crowd cheered and chanted "RAZ! RAZ! RAZ!".