from RayR - Vienna 1683 - 15mm Ottoman Janissary's 96pts

  

I'm carrying on with my Vienna 1683 shenanigans, but I've shrunk back down to 15mm once again.

For my army list I needed 4 units of the famous Janissary's of the Ottoman army. Two would be Musket armed and two would be Firelock armed.

The Siege of Vienna saw the elite Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire deployed as the main assault troops during the campaign led by Kara Mustafa Pasha. Renowned for their discipline and training, the Janissaries were originally formed through the devshirme system, in which Christian boys from the Balkans were recruited, converted to Islam, and trained for imperial service. During the siege they were heavily involved in the complex engineering work that characterised Ottoman warfare, digging mines and tunnels beneath Vienna’s fortifications in an attempt to collapse the walls, while also carrying out repeated infantry assaults when breaches appeared.

The siege reached its climax on 12 September 1683 during the Battle of Vienna, when a large relief force from the Holy League arrived to break the Ottoman encirclement. The allied army was led by John III Sobieski, whose forces launched a coordinated attack from the hills surrounding the city. The battle is particularly famous for Sobieski’s massive cavalry charge—often regarded as one of the largest in history—by the Polish Winged Hussars, which helped shatter the Ottoman lines. Despite the determination of the Janissaries defending the Ottoman camp, the army was forced into retreat. The defeat marked a major turning point, halting Ottoman expansion into Central Europe and beginning a gradual shift in the balance of power between the Ottoman Empire and the Christian states of Europe.

I've not named any of these units, but will call them by their coats colours.

The Green regt are armed with Firelocks

As are the Red regt

While the Blue are armed with Muskets

As are the Yellow regt

Usually with Beneath the Lily Banners foot regts are 18 figures, but for this specific scenario they are only 12's. I'll have to ask Barry, why he chose to make them that way?

The figures are all from Essex Miniatures, unfortunately in their Janissary Command pack, the standard bearer has a caste on flag, I really didn't want to paint the flags, so the figure went into the unloved pile and I bought some Janissary halberdiers and converted them into new standard bearers. 

The flags are made by my good self, I found an image online, copied it over to Microsoft Paint, where I changed the colours around to suit. I have enough flags to paint another 17 units??? Gulp!

Points mean prizes, or do they?

Each unit had 12 figures, so its 24 points per unit.

4 x 24 makes 96 points!! 

Ottoman Army under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha

1st Line (Independent Commands)

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

2nd Line indie command

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

Janissary Brigade & Brigadier

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12
Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12

Reserve & Brigadier

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Vizier's Guard All Musket, Flintlock Guard 6 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Holy League under King Jan III Sobieski

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Imperial Cavalry Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Veteran-Elite 12 figs

Bavarian Cav Brig

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 12 figs

Saxons Cav Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 6 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 18 figs

Field gun 1 model

From DaveD. Grand job Ray , creating in multiple scales is always the answer .lovely bold colour scheme choices too . 

Have a good run to the end.

From MattT - Serbian Nobles ( 55 points )

Another small addition to my slowly growing Ottoman army. This time its some Serbian Nobles. Figures are from Claymore Castings with a couple of head swaps to make the unit look a little more eastern. 

I am in awe of people who manage to paint freehand heraldry. While I'm very happy with my standard of painted miniatures I know my freehand could improve. Surprisingly I am happy with the two headed eagle but I struggled to get the shapes of the helmet correct, and I gave up on a bow and arrow design. I just couldn't get the lines fine enough. More practice required before a tackle the 100YW.

5 x 28mm cavalry = 50pts

From DaveD . Lovely clean work there Matt. Freehand work on heraldry is not to be undertaken taken lightly . I think you have done a fine job here . 55 for you .

From MattT, Wallachian Voynuks (35 points)

This week sees me pressing on with my Ottoman project that should keep my brother happy. I have completed a base of Voynuk infantry. Figures are a bit of a mixed bag with a couple of head swaps thrown in. I have painted them blue for no other reason than that's what Angus McBride painted them in. I think most of us will have made painting choices based of his illustrations. Those early Osprey books have been essential reading over the years.

The unit is being led by Vlad himself. Shamelessly stole the idea from the Camisado Blog. Thanks for the inspiration. Mini is from the Assault Group hidden in their fantasy section

I have also been trying to improve my photography and have bought some new gradiated paper as a backdrop that hopefully helps improve the images.

7 x 32 minis = 35 points

From DaveD . They are looking good Matt . I think the photo set ups are improved with the new set up . It helps to show off your skillz alright . That Vlad figure is great . There are various interesting things on the TAG site if you can find them . The blues are great shade on the infantry . 35 it is .

From MattT : Ottoman Janissaries, ( 35 points )

 For this years Impetus Army project I am painting up some 14th / 15th century Ottomans. Its been an army I have wanted to paint for some time due to their colour and unusual units. My brother has already posted up the first of his Hungarians on the blog that will be their main opponent on the tabletop.

Been a change in pace to paint some cleaner colours after my last few grimdark posts. I'm quite taken with using static grass flowers on my impetus army bases as a unifying feature to tie them together and for this army I have gone for some white daisies to pick up the white in the minis. The minis themselves are lovely sculpts from The Assault Group.

7 x 28mm minis = 35 points

From DaveD . A colourful little collection of Jannisaries indeed . The flowers on the base have worked well here I think . I do like TAG figures , always nice to paint , and you have done a fine job . 35 it is .

From RayR: Donnybrook - Vienna 1683 - Ottoman Swordsmen (75 points)

At last!

My first entry into this years Challenge!!!!

And I'm revisiting an old gem, my Donnybrook (surprise surprise) Vienna 1683 project..

The last time I posted any of these figures was in 2022, so it was good to finally get these figures painted.

They've been undercoated and in the paint queue for a long time.

The figures are from Essex Miniatures and were bought from fellow blogger Dave Crook, he was selling a massive collection of unpainted figures owned by a friend Eric, who sadly passed.

I can't find the figures on Essex' site, so I guess they may be a discontinued pose???

I wanted some poorer armed troops, most of the previous Ottomans I painted had muskets, so 

I bought a selection of swords and shields from Magister Militum and glued them all in place, I guessing again but I think these were probably spear armed skirmish type troops when originally made? But no more!

I included 3 character figures, a Dark Age looking Commander, a standard bearer and a musician, although looking at him more closely, he could be an ACW Zouave?

Onto the points

15 x  25mm figures @ 5 points = 75 points.

TeemuL: Welcome back to the Challenge, Ray! A nice collection of minis, that I can actually see - compared to last year's tinymen. They will be a nice addition to your existing force, a good close combat unit. I like the Christmasy(?) hats. :)

from RayR - Planet Curt - The Centre of the Challenge Universe. 140 points

  

From GregB
"Ray has successfully navigated the perilous interstellar shoals of the Challenge 12 Quadrant, arriving at the very core of this complex set of worlds. Thus he has earned a final Challenge from the Snowlord!"

"Ray, I love your Siege of Vienna project, and I think it needs a further boost! We know what prodigious, sandbag-levels of painting you are capable of...therefore, to appease the Great and All-Knowing Snowlord, you shall paint TWO more units for this project - one for the Ottoman side, and one for the defenders of Vienna!
Good luck Ray!"

GregB

After a lot of thought I decided on the two units I'd paint up for my trip to the centre of the Challenge Universe. I've been painting up loads of Poles, for my Siege of Vienna project, BUT , the Poles came to the recue of the Austrians holed up in Vienna and did not defend the walls.

So I chose a unit of Austrian's, I do have a unit of infantry I want to paint up, but there's at least 20 figures in that unit, so I chose a smaller unit of Austrian town Militia. A small 8 figure unit with 4 command figures, all from Dixon Miniatures.

The Austrians loved their grey, so the only colour other than grey is their red neckerchief.

Officers could wear whatever they fancied!

So I painted him up in the same kinda blue as is on the flag, which I found online.

Rear shot!

I do like that flag!

And now for the Ottomans!

I didn't actually have any Ottomans ready or planned to paint anymore during this Challenge.

I did have the artillery, previously posted, but I'd already started painting them at the time.

So I delved into the big box of figures I bought from fellow blogger Dave Crook, he was selling them as part of a collection of his friend Eric who passed away.

In said box were 8 Old Glory archers and 8 Dixon archers.

So I mixed them together, to make a unit of 12 archers to represent some of the lighter Seyman Peasant Militia conscripted by the Ottomans from their provinces such as Anatolia, Judea, Egypt, Armenia or Capadocia, where these fine fellow are from.

The Dixon figures are pretty small up against the Old Glory figures and are not that animated either

.

But double basing them brings them up to roughly the same height..

So there we have it...

2 units one for each side for the Siege of Vienna 1683!!!

Austrians x 12 figures 60 points

Ottoman x 12 figures 60 points

& a bonus  for making it to the centre.

From DaveD - hey Ray , you managed to squeeze some Donnybrook into the centre of the universe good lad. A fine job has been completed indeed - but where are the sandbags my friend . I will go with a 20 point centre bonus for you Ray. Thanks for your company on the chats this year too Ray . 

From Curt: Ottoman Laylar Fanatic Infantry at The Great Siege of Malta, 1565 (105 Points)

For the past few Challenges I've tried to make an effort to add a new unit for my Great Siege of Malta project. This time round I thought I'd add some more fellas to the Ottoman mosh pit with some Iaylar fanatics.

From what I understand, the Iaylars were a large, irregular force of religious fanatics which the Ottomans used as expendable shock troops. They were typically thrown in the the initial assaults to soak up missile fire, disrupt defensive lines, and generally pave the way for the more high-value troops.

It's rumoured that the Iaylars regularly used hashish to help put themselves into a religious frenzy before flinging themselves into the assault. I like to think that perhaps their imams stoked them up by telling them that the defenders held vast stores of Cheetos and Mountain Dew behind the lines. I figure that after a good hookah pipe, there's nothing like the prospect of a big munchie run to get your blood up. :)

These 28mm models are from Old Glory and fit the Iaylar bill quite nicely. They actually didn't look like much when fresh out of the packaging, but as with many OG models, they paint up wonderfully and look great in a mob. In order to give them a little more variation I bent a few limbs, drilled out some fists to add some hand-painted banners, and played around with their skin tones to reflect the wide variety of ethnicities which would have made up the ranks.

I've been quite taken with AlanD's wonderful 3,2,1 basing for his ECW Covenanters, so I thought I'd do something similar with these lads. This mob will give me two groups of 12 figures (plus one hanger-on) for any future 'Pikemans' Lament' scenarios. I hope to double the numbers for this contingent as I feel the Ottomans should have a schwack of cannon fodder, er, enthusiastic recruits willing to spread the word that Suleiman is rather Magnificent.

Points? Let's see, four of these mooks were done pre-Challenge as 'proof-of-concept' (as if you need such a thing for religious fanatics these days), so that puts it at 21 models for 105 points. This should also provide me another Squirrel Point and count as my 'O' (for Ottomans) in my Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Finally, this group will allow me to check off another subject on my ridiculously unrealistic Challenge Project List. Still, seven out of twelve isn't too bad.  Okay, you're right, it's pretty bad.

1. French Indochina
2. 10mm Fantasy
3. Moonstone
4. Malta
5. Italian Wars
6. Sisters of Battle
7. 28mm Napoleonics
8. Spanish Civil War
9. 28mm Modern
10. 20mm WWII
11. Retreat from Moscow
12. Dungeon Crawl

I think I have a few more posts left in the tank before the end of the Challenge, but we'll see what I can manage. Wish me luck!

Thanks for dropping in for a look. Have a great week!

- Curt

Always great too get a chance to vet the Snowlord's work and no disappointments here at all, these are wonderful (of course).  Love the movement in the figures and those flags.  And they look amazing ranked up against those ruined walls.

I agree with a lot of what you said about OG figures.  One can get sucked in by large bags at a good price and then get disappointed on opening the bag and looking closely at the figures.  But they do tend to paint up well and the end product in this case looks excellent.

From RayR - Donnybrook Ottoman Artillery (70 points)

 

A little carry on from my Ottoman project that I started back in Challenge 11. Warfare Miniatures hadn't yet released artillerymen.

But they have now!

And very nice figures they are too.

I decided on two artillery pieces for the Ottomans. Just because they just look cool.

Rear shot

This gun is from Trent Miniatures.

And this ones from The Assault Group.

As for the points

10 figures @ 5pts each = 50pts

2 artillery @10pts each = 20pts 

***

Wow, this is cool Ray. I have a lot of hangups when it comes to painting artillery - the spoked wheels, and in general, just not being too sure what is what on these old guns. But you can't argue with the final results, these cannons are so neat. It seems to me that it was a particular feature of Ottoman guns to have so much art and style on the cannons - as well as having just, in general, a whole lot of cannons? These look solid Ray - nice stuff. 

GregB

From Mike W - Odds & Ends (55 Points, 1 Squirrel)

 I don't know about everyone else but I'm often trying out new figures to see how they paint-up or to add one or two additional details to existing collections etc.

Here are a few that have been on my workbench the last few weeks awaiting finishing and I finally go around to completing them.

First up is a 35mm Gladiator figure to add to my Jugular collection, this guy is in the Greek style, armed with a short sword and a small shield, with just his sword arm armoured.

Jugula Gladiator

I kept the paint scheme simple, with a red loincloth, brown leather straps and shield cover and brass and iron armour and fittings.

Rear view

The skin was given a flesh wash and coloured washes were applied elsewhere as appropriate before varnishing and basing

Another view

Next up are two Spartan warriors, not your historical kind but more akin to those found in the 300 films. These are 28mm 3D prints and were so much fun to paint. Red cloaks, a lot of brass work and a lot of skin tones!

The two '300' Style Spartans

Spartan spearman

Spartan swordsman

Next, some people may have caught a sneak peek of a couple weeks back, a 15mm mounted figure representing Captain Nolan at the Charge of the Light Brigade, by Eureka Figures. Not much to say here but a lot of gold braiding & bullion on show

Capt. Nolan charging headlong down the valley

Reverse view

Next two 28mm Ottoman Turkish Officers. These have been converted from the Perry Miniatures Afghan plastic set by adding resin heads and that's pretty much it! Painted to represent Ottoman Officers and to be used as markers to impart additional morale to units in upcoming games.

The Two Ottoman Officers

Without too much scrutiny, these simple conversions make passible Ottomans!

Another view

Rear view of the Ottoman Officers

Next is a Space Marine on a Motorcycle, I usually go for Ultra Marines but this guy was part of a set given to me some years ago and believe that these from the Deathwing of the Blood Angels? Anyway  have been playing with it for the last few weeks and finally gotten round to finishing it.

I counted the Motorcycle as a vehicle for 20 points and then added the marine for an additional 5 points. Not sure if this is OK but will allow Peter D to decide. If OK this will count as an additional Squirrel point for the Space Marines

POINTS

1 x 35mm Gladiator            = 6 Points

2 x 28mm Spartans             = 10 Points

1 x 15mm Captain Nolan    = 4 Points

2 x 28mm Ottomans            = 10 Points

1 x 28mm Motorcyclist       = 25 Points

TOTAL                                 = 55 Points

When you say odds and sods you really mean it Mike. 

Love the gladiator, your simple is best works very well on this figure.  As an owner of a historical Spartan army, I keep a 12 foot xyston's distance from those type of Spartans, but I appreciate your fine brushwork. 

 Really like the quick converts on the Ottoman, if I can figure out where you sourced the heads I may try that one my self.  My biggest issue was trying to figure out what the round sword pommel attachment was on the first picture of the lad in pink.  Then I realized that it was the hole punched in the piece of looseleaf used as a backdrop!

Capt Nolan looks a right nutter, and has his match in the motorcyclist.