Ottoman Tufekcis

A late addition to the army roster, this is the TAG Ottoman Tufekci unit builder set completed:

The Tufekcis came to prominence in the latter half of the 17th Century and were primarily recruited from hunters. I can vaguely recall reading somewhere that "tufekci" translates as "musket", which I suppose is a fairly literal but quite apt description of this troop-type in the same way that "sipahi", which I have always thought sounds quite exotic to my Western ear, simply means "cavalryman":

One thing I found interesting is that, while they were recruits, they had a regular appearance and may had been issued with a uniform. There are some descriptions and an early plate which is contained in the Sloane collection of the British Library portraying the soldiers in red and blue coats. I went with red and used the Foundry scarlet triad, which I was quite pleased with and think I might use for my Napoleonic British as it has a richer colour than the Foundry triad actually intended for that purpose:

The TAG figures are again very nice, and the unit builder set contains a wide variety of poses to help maintain interest:

I have also managed to complete the last of the command figures; another Turkish Pasha which makes seven of these all told, if I include the one on my wife's desk:

That just leaves the artillery to complete the project, which I hope to have finished within the next couple of weeks.

Fourth and Last Azab Unit

I had originally planned three Azab units, but this fourth hand-weapon armed group of Azabs was an unexpected addition thanks to the generosity of Pete at The Assault Group. I had ordered a few additional units including some Ottoman Tufekcis, which will hopefully be off the painting table within the next couple of weeks, but I received another unit of Azabs by mistake. I offered to send them back but Pete said not to bother and that I should keep them with his compliments, and he posted the missing unit of Tufekcis the following week.

Well, I couldn't leave them lying around just gathering dust, so here is the fourth and final unit of Azabs completed:

TAG Unit Builder Sets are often a mixture of complementary packs which gives a fair amount of variety within each unit. The Azab hand-weapon pack includes a mix of pole and sword wielding figures, with a total of twelve different poses in a twenty-four figure unit:

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It then dawned on me that, due to the way I had based the earlier unit-builder pack, I could combine these figures to provide one unit equipped with pole arms and another entirely with swords. So here they are rearranged as such, and this is the way I will probably keep them going forward:

The sword-armed Azabs:

And those armed with pole weapons:

Needless to say I am very happy with the result, and especially Pete's generosity. Hopefully I'll make it up to him over the coming year as I will be placing an order for more renaissance Poles, and have three additional TAG Eastern European armies planned beyond that.

Ottoman Delis

Second post in a week, and the last of the Ottoman cavalry for this project. I really enjoyed painting these figures as they are quite different from the others that have been completed:

In the Ottoman Turkish language Deli basically meant fanatical, and they appear to have dressed accordingly wearing a variety of furs and skinned animals. To this is end I found that I have ended up painting a mixture of furs, including foxes and a lioness skin:

Sheepskins:

Bearskins, which I did in black and dark brown, and leopard hides:

The lion pelt actually reminded me a bit of the pink panther, and I wondered for a moment whether I should have done it that way for a laugh, but thankfully thought better of it:

This represents the last of the Ottoman cavalry, with nine units of twelve figures each. Just two more foot units and some artillery to go, so the end of the project is well and truly in sight now.

Last Feudal Sipahi Unit

The third and last of the timariot or feudal sipahi units now completed, this time with a mixture of lance and sword-armed figures:

I was keen to get these completed while I was on a roll and still remembered how to approach the figures, having completed the last two feudal sipahi units within the last six weeks:

The shields have again been done using cut-down Little Big Men Studio decals which I have then attempted to blend in where the transfer does not cover the entire shield, while the lance pennons are from the same company:

That's thirty-six TAG feudal sipahis completed, to complement the twenty-four sipahis of the porte and thirty-six akinjis:

Just one unit of Delhis undergoing some final touches which I hope to have completed within the next few days, and then the cavalry component of the project will be finished.

More Feudal Sipahis

A second unit of timariot sipahis completed, this time a sword-armed unit:

Most of the shields again incorporate part of a decal from Little Big Men Studios which, because they weren't designed for TAG figures, are not an exact fit and so have to be blended in with the uncovered areas of the shield:

As I mentioned in response to Peter/Gonsalvo on the previous post, I am glad I went this route as I think they add an extra dimension to the figures and provide a result that I would not be able to achieve freehand:

As with most TAG mounted units there are three command figures and three poses for the rank and file, one of which carries a bow and is a welcome inclusion as this continued to be standard equipment long after the sipahis obtained firearms:

That's seven cavalry units completed, with the remaining two currently on the painting table. I have just realised that I have now passed the six-month mark on this project so it has been a larger investment in time than originally planned, given that it was intended only as a diversion after having painted twenty or so Napoleonic French line units. I am thoroughly enjoying the break from Napoleonics however and my mind is now turning to taking on one of several 15mm ancient armies I have in the lead pile, once this army is completed.

Feudal Sipahis

I'm on the home stretch now, with the first unit of feudal or timariot sipahis off the production line:

The timariot sipahis were provincial landholders who had been granted their fiefs by the state in return for service and the recruitment of a number of retainers, the number of the latter being related to the size of their individual landholding.

I ended up replacing the lances with wire lances from North Star as those supplied are a little bendy and therefore difficult to push through. There are three different lancer poses which is sufficient to provide some variety:

Along with three command figures:

I have again used lance pennons from Little Big Man Studios, along with a few shield decals, to try to give each figure a unique appearance:

Two more units of sipahis and a dozen dellis to finish, and then the cavalry for the project will be completed.

More Ottoman Command Stands

One of the nice things about The Assault Group is that Pete often throws in a few additional extras on larger orders, some of which can't be ordered directly through the website and are always a welcome addition.

I have ended up with quite a few so decided to combine them into additional command stands, having already completed the Sultan and aide, and a Pasha which has ended up on my wife's desk. First up, a couple of Ottomans staring at a dead bloke:

A Pasha alongside a fellow having a drink:

A Pasha alongside a fellow having a drink, while standing over a dead body (they could get away with that sort of thing in the Renaissance without falling foul of health regulations):


Another Pasha:

And, finally, the regimental Kazan. This is one of the more interesting aspects of Ottoman military life in that the Janissaries revered the dining experience to such an extent that they carried their spoons in their headdress, which speaks volumes for regimental cohesion and also Turkish cuisine:

Finally, a group picture:

I have two more units of Fuedal Sipahis on the painting desk at the moment and will then be moving on to some artillery and the last of the infantry, so will hopefully have the entire project completed over the next two to three months.