"An Alcovian War Elephant?" Topic

Yes…you read right.

It's nto as crazy as it sounds.

Imagine something like this –

Now, imagine it covered in icons of saints and it's head adorned with a cross. Paint it in Byzantine/Orthodox/Muskovite flare and crew the howdah with either a naval swivel gun and streltsy or several streltsy armed with muskets and grenades.

It might be fanciful, but a bit more believable than a mammoth to be sure. Also, Alcovia isn't too far from the Ottoman Empire and might be able to either purchase or hire elephants from there.

-Eli

Yes. In 15mm :)

-Eli

Now…to make it happen.

-Eli

Now…to make it happen.

I am brain storming right now.

If I do it, it will likely be accomplished through the use of green stuff, plasticard and maybe even some flat-molding.

Icons will likely be printed from images found online.

-Eli

KTB – We need to get you blogging man.

-Eli

crew the howdah with either a naval swivel gun and streltsy or several streltsy armed with muskets and grenades.

Thus we need (at least) *two* war elephants! Probably three: a 'jingal' with gun escorted by two 'musketeers' -the swivel gun cannot cover the flanks, and for sure not two flanks at the same time…
For sure a good basis exists in some 15mm [Renaissance?] 'India' range?

@Abdul (I knew your real name once) – I will likely build each elephant able to take either combination for maximum flexibility. It should be no trouble to set up a pin mount for the swivel gun on the howdah for the easy swapping of swivel gun crew for musketeers.

For visual of various 15mm armored elephant options, I refer you to the following TMP thread that I started for researching this very project. though not comprehensive, it certainly does touch on samples from many manufacturers –

TMP link

Seems there are quite a few good options, including an almost exact example of the above photo from QRF/Friekorps.

-Eli

Cheers!
Jean-Louis

Thank you sir

-Eli

You have a precedent with the Axumite Christians and their elephants.

Ok, maybe a 1000 years or so earlier.

db

It's amazing what a would-be-king with an imagination, local access to elephants, and a desire to crush his enemies utterly will come up with.

Now, what would the next step be, Ostriches carrying light infantry?

I think it was Time magazine that had pictures of elephants carring 0.30 machine guns in howdahs during the Vietnam war, Of course, the elephants were also dragging heavy mortars and ammo wagons… And so there is your next model, get rid of those pesky horses for pulling artilery, go Elephant Guns!

I think I'll stick with elephants. They are at least feasible if not exactly plausible. I'll also be avoiding such cool things as bear cavalry and walking hut war machines .

All said, who knows what lies in the dark corners of Alcovia on future skirmish tables?

-Eli

Walking huts? Part of the Russian folklore, I believe? Did not a mighty sorceress live in such one (vague memories..)?

Babba Yaga and her chicken-legged hut that ate people :)

Yes! Thanks
A challenging model, btw…

I'm not building that!

Although, if I were to do so it would be an easy model to make it look like the picture there. A cheap plastic chicken toy for the legs and an existing piece of terrain and bingo.

Now, if you wanted something spookey and/or haunting you might have to do some green stuff work to make it look broken down.

-Eli

Here is a quicky concept sketch I hacked out while working. You can see the vague hints at the potential placement of religious icons.

One thought is to guard the mahout using a stylized halo on the top of the elephants head, much like is seen on statues of saints. A steel plate, guilded in gold would offer protection against casual missiles and incidental attacks.

Great, perfectly 'in character' design: cheers!

Not sure about the halo -let's see- but it could be gilded with brass, you know. Is Alcovia so rich that, as in Hyrkania by Conan's times, every warrior wears trousers of silk? :)

Looks nice..but..still not convinced about the elephants :)

What about a tank (from 4:16):

YouTube link

Inspirational stuff :)

Alcovia is not so rich. When I said when I said gold I meant more the color than the actual metal. Heck it could be a cheap gold paint or something.

As for the elephants, the going idea is that they were not native to the region, but purchased from the Turks. As much as I'd love to put elephants someplace they don't belong, my conservative mind says there are much more plausible explinations than an unknown population of elephants roaming the Balkans.

Tanks are right out. Just way too high tech for Alcovia.

-Eli

@ Jeroen72: thanks for the link!
Inspirational 'Lacepunk' contraption.

That was cool. Hmmmmm…sooo..tempted…but…must…resist….

Thank you for posting that link. have now watched the whole thing. Very inspiring for Alcovia.

-Eli

Old hat here in Saxe-Burlap und Schleswig Beerstein. The Princess' Army hauls its heavy siege guns around with Elephants. During the times when peace breaks out the pachyderms are farmed out to fairs and circus' to give rides to the kiddies and be a general attraction at carnivals.

We never use them in battle, far too valuable and loveable.

The Elephants, tricked out in their "gala" dress are always a big hit during the parades when they haul the Long 32 lbders around.

Not for the pleasure of thread necromancy, but these images reminded me of Alcovia, so…

link

Best wishes!

I believe some of the heffalumps from Outpost wargames services in their 15mm ranges have this sort of armour.

Wow, this project really needs a kick in the pants. I have been so distracted from it.

Thanks for the images!

-Eli

Brilliant. Unfortunately susceptible to the rabid charges of the Onager Hussars of the Bashaw of Molotzplatz.

If surviving mammoths are too much for your taste -or if they suffer from warmer climates- what about a steam elephant?

link

Definitively compatible with 28mm (thus a land Leviathan with 15mm), and some judge it to look better if converted with a howdah (can then become a self-propelled jingal gun):

@ link

A few years ago a normally 'historically minded' member here was toying with the idea of Prussians with a handful of zambereck camels (a gift of the Sublime Porte to Frederick as a token of anti-Austrian sympathy) vs Russians with one or two jingal elephants (a gift of the Shah to Catherine as a token of anti-Ottoman alliance)….