Black Powder Epic Battles: Zulu! – Zulu Impi Brigade

Unleash massed Zulu warriors onto the battlefield with the Black Powder Epic Battles: Zulu! – Zulu Impi Brigade. This boxed set provides 24 bases of Zulu warriors, divided between married and unmarried formations, giving you 6 Large units for building or expanding your Zulu army.

Renowned for their speed, discipline, and aggressive battlefield tactics, Zulu regiments could maneuver with remarkable coordination before launching attacks using the famous Horns of the Buffalo formation. Armed with spears, firearms, and ox-hide shields, these warriors formed the heart of the Zulu forces that fought to defend Zululand during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Features

• Official Black Powder Epic Battles: Zulu! miniature set

• Builds a substantial Zulu Impi Brigade

• Includes 24 bases of Zulu warriors

• 12 bases of Married Zulus

• 12 bases of Unmarried Zulus

• Builds 6 Large units total

• Includes plastic bases

• Ideal for expanding a Zulu army

• Excellent for Anglo-Zulu War scenarios

• Represents different elements of the Zulu military system

• Great for historical gaming, painting, and large-scale battles

The Zulu Impi

The Zulu army was one of the most formidable military forces in southern Africa.

Its development is closely associated with Shaka, whose reforms helped create a disciplined military system capable of moving quickly and fighting as a coordinated force.

Zulu warriors trained together within organized formations, with individual regiments potentially numbering around a thousand men.

These units could then be combined into much larger forces for major campaigns.

Horns of the Buffalo

Zulu armies are particularly associated with the classic Horns of the Buffalo attack formation.

The formation was designed to bring different parts of the army together in a coordinated attack, surrounding and overwhelming the enemy rather than simply charging directly into their strongest position.

On the tabletop, massed Zulu formations provide an impressive visual representation of the speed and numbers that characterized the historical army.

Married Zulu Warriors

The set contains:

• 12 Bases of Married Zulus

• Builds 3 Large units

Experienced warriors who had been granted permission to marry held increased status within Zulu society.

The characteristic head ring was an important visual symbol of this mature status.

These warriors provide one of the two distinct formation types represented in the box.

Unmarried Zulu Warriors

Also included are:

• 12 Bases of Unmarried Zulus

• Builds 3 Large units

Young Zulu warriors could remain unmarried by royal order until they had proven themselves in battle.

These formations represent warriors eager to earn greater status through military service and success against the enemies of the Zulu kingdom.

Weapons of the Zulu Army

Zulu warriors could carry a combination of weapons suited to different stages of battle.

These included:

• Throwing spears

• Smoothbore muskets

• Short stabbing spears

• Ox-hide shields

The iconic short spear and shield combination is particularly associated with aggressive close combat.

Patterned Ox-Hide Shields

The large ox-hide shields carried by Zulu warriors were more than simple defensive equipment.

Their colors and patterns could help identify particular formations, giving painters an opportunity to visually distinguish different regiments across a larger army.

This makes a massed Zulu force especially impressive when deployed across an Epic Battles tabletop.

Build a Large Zulu Force

With 6 Large units included, this box provides a substantial body of warriors for your army.

Use the brigade as:

• The foundation of a new Zulu force

• Reinforcements for an existing army

• Part of a larger Impi

• A major attacking formation

• The core of historical Anglo-Zulu War scenarios

Multiple brigades can be combined to represent the enormous formations involved in some of the campaign's largest battles.

Anglo-Zulu War Gaming

The Zulu Impi Brigade is designed to complement the wider Black Powder Epic Battles: Zulu! range.

Combine your warriors with:

• Zulu commanders

• Additional Impi formations

• Zulu casualty markers

• British infantry

• British cavalry

• Colonial troops

• Artillery

• Mission stations

• Battlefield terrain

This allows you to recreate battles ranging from smaller engagements to enormous clashes between British and Zulu forces.

Excellent Painting Project

Massed Zulu warriors provide an excellent opportunity to create an impressive army while adding variation between individual units.

Experiment with:

• Skin tones

• Ox-hide shield patterns

• Spears

• Muskets

• Head rings

• Regiment distinctions

• Feathers and decorations

• Earth tones

• Dry grass

• Southern African terrain

Different shield patterns can be particularly effective for visually distinguishing your married and unmarried formations.

Contents

The Zulu Impi Brigade includes:

• 12x Bases of Married Zulus

  • Builds 3 Large units

• 12x Bases of Unmarried Zulus

  • Builds 3 Large units

• Plastic Bases

Total

• 24 Bases of Zulu Warriors

• 6 Large Units

Product Information

• Game: Black Powder Epic Battles

• Range: Zulu!

• Force: Zulu

• Unit: Impi Brigade

• Married Zulus: 12 Bases / 3 Large Units

• Unmarried Zulus: 12 Bases / 3 Large Units

• Total: 24 Bases / 6 Large Units

• Setting: Anglo-Zulu War

• Bases: Included

• Product Type: Infantry Brigade Miniature Set