Turks!!

  For any number of odd reasons or for no reason at all, I have been fascinated by the "side-shows" of the Napoleonic Era. Swedes, Turks, the North American War of 1812 - all interests of mine. I've built armies for each of those nations. Today, I'd like to show you some Turks. They are based (for the most part) for the rule set named Shako. I continue to rebase and paint more of these guys... and I may have to sell some of them off, because I have more than I'll EVER need. Anyone interested?
   So let's take a look:


A selection of Sipihis, lancer cavalry in the service of local governors or Pashas.
Some can be really wretched. (Minifigs, some ancient)



More provincial Sipihis.



A nicer group of Guard Sipihis, servant of the Sultan. (Essex minis)




Sipihis of the Porte... Regular cavalry, more or less. (Minifigs and Falcon)




A Guard Sipihi unit (Old Glory) I have a similar unit armed with swords, but I
can't find them just now. They could also be Mamelukes.



Lance-armed Sipihis of the Porte (Minifigs)



Turkoman Horse Archers... Why not? (unknown figure range)
These would be volunteer cavalry serving for plunder and might be called
"Yoruks", "Djellis" ("Scouts"?), or even "Bashi-Bazooks"("Crazy Heads")



Circassian irregular lancers (Minifigs Crimean War range)
More volunteer plunderers.





Szeklers... I don't know what it means. The figures are from some
Renaissance range and they act like Cossacks.





















European Djellis from Falcon Miniatures.
Great at raiding, crappy at fighting toe-to-toe.





Other Djellis with lances (Essex)





Janissaries! The rules rate them as 'elite', but everything I've read about them rate them as arrogant, self-important scum.
 On my table, they'll be 2nd rate at best. (AB miniatures - they are choice!)

 

More Janissaries, this time by Essex.



Bostanci ("Gardeners") of the Janissary Corps. These would be true elites
- the Sultan's personal infantry guard. (a mixed bag of Essex and Minifigs)
Shako sets elite Ottoman units at 12 figures and others at 9 figures.
I'll run Janissaries at 12 to allow them to think they are elite!

Sekhans - the infantry of the private armies of the Provincial governors.
They were often mercenaries hired from Bosnia, Albania, or elsewhere
within the Ottoman Empire. Some received training in Western-style tactics -
with bayonets! - from European renegades and later British and French
advisers or Slavs who had served in the Austrian or Russian armies.
(Minifigs)



More Sekhans - Old Glory this time; New Order Army figures painted in odd
colours. With Ottomans almost any colour is right.
"Uniforms? Ha! It is to laugh!"




More Sekhans - cause you need a ton of these mostly 2nd rate troops.
(Minifigs Renaissance and ACW, Essex ACW Zouaves in front)




Even more Sekhans - unknown ACW Zouaves in front, a cobbled-
together unit of Minifigs and Old Glory in back.





Two regiments of the Nizam-i-Cedid, The New Order Army. Formed by
Sultan Salim III in the early 1800's, they were good solid troops, who defended
Acre against the French. The Janissaries hated them, seeing them as an affront
 to Islam and to their privileges, so the Janissaries slaughtered them.
Look! Drums! Uniforms! Bayonets! Volley fire! Western innovations!

  


One of the Nizam units up close (Old Glory)




Skirmishers, perhaps Rayas or armed peasants. They'd be attached to a
more "regular" unit, possibly one of the Janissary regiments (or ortas.)
(AB miniatures)





Heavy artillery (Minifigs Mogul range) Probably too much skin being
seen here for a Muslim unit, but I liked the figures. Ottoman gunners were
fairly good, and at one time, cast their cannon on site!



Some more modern medium artillery. These Old Glory Cossack gunners
portray the Topiji artillery of the time, using more Western cannon.

A mass of fellahin or peasants without a firearm among them. They need to
be re-based, but I imagine the units to be HUGE with absolutely abysmal morale.

There's more Turks hiding in the garage somewhere and I may never find them. I love the weirdness and medieval feel of the army and the mixed bag of contemporary troops along side feudal cavalry and mercenaries from everywhere.

How about we do Swedes next time?