"Getting started with Ottomans" Topic

I made a short video presentation to help people with getting into building Ottoman armies for c.1500-1700 period:
YouTube link

Thanks for this post. I enjoyed the video. I have planned out a future ottoman army and this verified that I am on the right track.

Thanks for watching Martyn. It can be really hard to do historically accurate armies because there's been (ironically for a strong military power) relatively little study on Ottoman armies and campaigns. Ottomans are also great for skirmish gaming as well because of their violent hinterlands. You can do the Hungarian frontier, Crimean-Polish borders, or the regions near Persia. Actually may make a video on this very topic

Thanks that was enjoyable.

Glad you liked it

Very interesting video – thanks 👍

A quick question for you. I have two collections of figures:

1) The Italian Wars (1496 -1525). With French,Spanish, HRE, Swiss, Landsknechts, Milanese, Venetians and Papal States.
2) The Cossack Uprising of 1651 With Poles, Cossacks and Tatars.

An Ottoman army could conceivably fight figures from either collection.

The bulk of an Ottoman force could be used for both periods (1525 or 1651) – Janissary, Spahis, Azabs. However, are there some specific figures that I could add that would period specific to one or other of the periods? What changes would you make to change the army from a 1525 army to a 1650 army?

Martyn- it's mostly the composition of the army overall. In a 1650 army there would (generally) be fewer Janissaries and more of the sekban or tufekci (either mounted or dismounted). There's also a bit of difference in terms of the fronts with regard to how armies were composed. Since the north-western front around the Black Sea was steppe, you can have more Tatars and other cavalry, plus those sekban. Circa 1650 you'll also want some janissaries, but fewer than the sekban infantry.

I would say the main difference is the absence of Akinci. While they made up a substantial part of the mounted forces in the early era – fighting all on their own with a force of 12.000 when cornered at the Steinfeld in 1532 – they became obscure and dissolved with the start of the 17th century.

For a battle this is probably less important, as the Acinci often were on campaigning on their own, devastating the hinterland of the enemy to distract forces (as in 1532, when the main show was a major standoff before Vienna). Afaik they did play a part at Mohcas, though I might be wrong here.

Fine video. Thanks for sharing!
Do you have a list of recommendated manufacturers?

Puster- Assault Group has a fantastic line of Ottoman figures, as does Warfare Miniatures USA (the US arm of League of Augsburg/Beneath the Lilly Banners). Warlord's Janissaries are pretty good as well, although I have not yet gotten my hands on their Sipahi. TAG is my favorite to date simply because of their variety of options

My main concern with these TAG Ottomans is that they look to 17th century for me. If I ever give in and build up an Ottoman army, it would be for the reign of Suleyman, perhaps starting with the campaign against the Mamluks 1519 (I know, a year ahead) and concentrating on his early decades, with a focus on the 1532 campaign.
If any are usefull for Malta, the better, but most of TAG or even Warlord Games looks a bit too modern to my taste. I am looking in the direction of Old Glory for their stuff, though its a bit on the small side compared to newer ranges. Gripping Beast has lots of plastics that would need heavy conversions, though. I realize that you are going through the manufacturers in your video, but would prefer that in writing – just for the day when I yield and start buying…

PS: I remember that there was a company from Turkey that sold character minis like Mehmed or Suleyman in 28mm some years ago – but was unable to find it. I hope they still live somewhere.

I'm not sure what you consider to be "too modern," the paintings from the era of Suleiman that I have looked at do not radically depart from later periods in terms of clothing and equipment. Janissaries were foot musketeers from at least Mohacs, and most likely during the Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk dynasty as well. Although I have my collection painted in uniform colors Ottoman art shows a variety of different colored kaftan coats on janissaries, although the white hats were uniform throughout.

The only (very minor) issue with the TAG cavalry is that the set I got has a single figure with a pistol, which would have been uncommon for the sixteenth century.

I have not bought from them, but this Spanish company has a nice looking Ottoman range, this may be more what you had in mind?

link

Yep, Kraken. I took part in their campaign and have a box full of Ottoman goodies waiting to be built. They also concentrate on the 17th century, but many of their minis fit for the 16th.

My main case against TAG (and to some degree Warlord Games) are the muskets, which should be different for the time of Suleyman, and the jackets, which just look a bit wrong to me – no idea why, but the few contemporary depictions like Mohacs 26 give me a different impression.

Typically the janissaries were issued blue cloth to use to make their coats, so there was probably variation in the exact length, color, sleeves, etc.

Depiction from the Suleymanname of Mohacs: Troops immediately behind Suleiman are the sultan's bodyguards, hence the different dress

Another view of Mohacs:

This a fairly famous image of a Janissary from the 15th century:

A major difference between the 16th and 17th centuries is that the Janissaries began to wear campaign dress and turbans. The 16th century costume became the Janissaries' ceremonial dress.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume & Soldiers