"Ral Partha Bashi Bazouks" Topic

I have a bunch of RP Bashi Bazouks that I want to paint up for a TSATF game.
I had painted one of them many years ago, back in the last century.
For the life of me, I can't remember my source!
I dug up a likely source, the Osprey MAA book on the Sudan Campaign, but he was not in it.

I KNOW that I painted it from a reliable source, that even matched the sculpt in pose. I think…
Does anyone know what it is based on?

BTW, I also have some RSM "Balkan Auxiliaries" that will also become Bashi Bazouks soon in an OFM's basement near you.

John;
I can help. I have Bashis that need a coat of paint too…

Eric

Good. I paint in large job lots.

Maybe I should have asked Tom…

I didn't know they had a uniform. I painted them all kinds of colors.

Reds, greens, whites, all very dirty. I have some done up, but with out the dirt.

The source that I vaguely remember had red pantaloons and a blue vest with yellow braiding. Maybe that was a "uniform", possibly not.
Leib Garde Bashi Bazouks?
Or was it blue pantaloons and a red vest?
I am just as happy to paint them all differently, though.

TVAG'S Mahdist Sourcebook perhaps? Several color plates of Bashi Bazouks I believe. Away from home so can't check.

John,
There was a nice article on bashi-bazouks in Savage & Soldier, Vol XVII, No 4, back in 1985 by Douglas H. Johnson, which has lots of b & w photocopy pictures. He quotes F. Werne's book, African Wanderings from 1852. First, he makes the same point Joe makes about dirty clothes that are never washed (think of the gamers at some of the conventions you've been to). Jackets started out yellow, "a gay vest of many hues," white shirt (whose sleeves are brown or even black by now), leggings usually bright red or green.

Later in the article, Mr. Johnson mentions "waistcoats and jackets are usually brown, buff, red (the most common color), green or blue." If you don't mind a little file work, he mentions that turbans are seldom worn, and the fezzzzzzzes are red with blue or black tassels. When worn, turbans were white. Sashes are described as "rainbow colored" or red, while belts are crimson or buff leather. Trousers are white or drab, and shoes are frequently red leather. Feel free to add gold metallic embroidery to the jackets, especially for the leaders. Jackets were often sleeveless, in which case, you could treat the sleeve as part of the shirt for painting purposes.

Standards (in case you decide to add some) are green or perhaps red.

Hope that helps.

Hmmm--I will have to look up RSM Balkan Auxiliaries.

Grelber

There's a bashi-bazouk illustrated in a colour plate in Osprey's MAA Russo-Turkish War.

Just throw some paint on and then make sure you use them at the next convention game. Someone is bound to point out the "correct" uniform then.

John, yes, Savage & Soldier(also in The Mahdist Wars source book) had a nice article on their participation in the early Sudan campaigns, plus there were some other descriptions of them in earlier articles on the various Sudan campaigns. They were prevalent at almost every garrison and before the uprising were used for patrols, tax collecting, "the brute squad", and escorting caravans/supplies.

The best way to paint them is the same as pirates; just use every color under the sun! There were no uniforms, especially since many of them served on the frontiers and outposts for years at a time. There is some mention of standards, but I have never ever been able to find a single drawing or actual description of one.

I did a google search and found lots of images
link

I'm researching the Sudan period at the moment. I got hold of the Perry's book Go Strong into the Desert and it suggests white with red trim on the jacket with white pants with red waistband for the Sudan period. These minis are painted as such

Daniel

Bobgnar, I found those images too.
I am merely puzzled because I KNOW that I got my first painting scheme from SOMEWHERE, and darned if I can figure out where!

It now makes much more sense to paint them as if they were Gauls or Vikings or … rabble. More fun, too.

When I did mine year ago I went with red pants, a white shirt, medium blue vest and a red fez with a white turban.

Thanks to this thread, I went down to the work bench this morning and dug thru my old boxes and have come up with a 6 man unit (mounted and foot) of Ral Partha Bashi-bazouk. I did a few head swaps and a rebuild for the officer and now I plan to paint them in the mixed uniforms as outlined above.

Vince

My Ral Partha Bashi-Bazouk are in uniform. I found a couple of color plates in an Italian military history book. More importantly, I like them that way!! Sal Sr out!!