No posts for a while as I have been busy working on sixty-five elements of two hundred and sixty pikemen to complete a Ghurid army, the last of the quartet of my middle Eastern armies for DBMM, and because they are all the same figures I wanted to wait until they were all complete:
The Ghurid dynasty was another short-lived empire based in Afghanistan between 1149 and 1215 AD. They conquered the Ghaznavids and, like the Ghaznavids, pushed into India. There is therefore a fair bit of overlap between the Ghanavid and Ghurid army lists with the main difference being that the latter utilised mail-coated foot and were armed armed with a long spear, usually carrying a 'karwah' or pavise. Unfortunately no manufacturer makes a specifically Ghurid foot figure carrying a karwah, but Forged in Battle do a nice long-spear armed and chain-mail armoured Arab figure which ticks all the other boxes quite nicely:
There are six poses in each pack, and only four outside the two command figures, so by the time I got to figure two hundred and sixty I had seen a lot of the same poses:
These are however nice crisp castings so it was not as big a chore as it otherwise might have been:
There is an option in the army list to double-base the figures. This has the advantage of reducing the points cost of the second rank which can still lend support to the first, but a disadvantage in that if the first rank gets killed the second goes with it:

I opted to base forty-two of the elements on double bases:
And twenty-three on single bases. There was no way I was going to paint an additional couple of hundred figures to accommodate this variation and the double-based figures can still be nominated as single elements when required, with the single-based elements acting as loose change.
April also saw the completion of another fifty-two Daylami warriors to provide an additional thirteen elements to the thirty-three previously completed, just in case I ever need to field the maximum:
With the Arabs all now finalised I have commenced work on my remaining 15mm Forged in Battle army in the form of some 15mm Dark Ages Welsh, which I hope to complete over the next couple of months.
WOW!! They look fantastic Lawrence. You must be (should be) rightly pleased with them.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, James
Thanks James. They were nice little figures to paint which helped elevate the finished product.
DeleteFabulous, Lawrence. Such impressive work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard. This lot took a bit of time.
Deletesuburb work Lawrence, really like this army Ghurids glad to know you double base the infantry I would have done the same. looking forward during the year your painted Forged in Battle 15mm Dark Ages Welsh longbow men!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the Welsh will allow you to lean into a "rugged and weathered" dressing of the figures tones/shades of grays greens browns etc?
oopps...I meant "Superb" :o)
DeleteThanks Phil. Yes, the way I was thinking is that even if I don't take the double-based option from the army list then I can at use them anyway as I have done twenty three single bases which can be used to take away casualties.
DeleteLots of greens and browns in store for the Welsh. I have started on them and am finding them much more time-consuming than the Arabs.
Splrndid looking arabs and nice to have finished this arc of armies, looking forward to your dark age Welsh as they can give me some pointers for when I get to mine!
ReplyDeleteBedt Iain
Thanks Iain. As Phil says the Welsh will just be a mixture of browns and greens with a few greys thrown in which will be a nice change from the Arabs. I'll look forward to seeing yours when you get started on them.
DeleteHi Lawrence, these are so impressive, the detail you have achieved in 15mm is incredible.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris. It helps when the figures are nicely sculpted and you are enjoying painting them.
DeleteNow that's quite a horde!
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit of a slog to complete them but the army list calls for quite a few of them.
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