Vienna 1683 15mm - Sipahis of the Porte

 

The Sipahis of the Porte (known formally as the Kapıkulu Süvarileri or Household Cavalry) were the elite, salaried regular cavalry guard corps of the Ottoman Empire. Acting as the mounted counterpart to the famed Janissary infantry, they served as the personal battlefield guard for the Sultan.

The figures are again from Venexia via Lancashire Miniatures, there only flaw is the spears are very soft metal, which normally I'd cut out and replace with wire, but the arms of the spear wielding chaps are separate and need to be glued onto the body of the figure, so this doesn't make that job easy, without lots of burnt bloody fingers, so bendy spears it will have to be.

As far as I'm aware the Turkish Cavalry of the period didn't have uniforms and wore their own clothes, I painted all the other Cavalry this way and used some of the same figures too, so to differentiate them and make them look, more Elite, I've painted the two units up in a uniform, the first a light blue.

The second in red.

These two tick off another 2 units from the list below, there's only the Viziers Guard and artillery left for the Turks and the Imperial Cuirassiers, Bavarian Dragoons, Commanders and Artillery left for the allies.

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 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

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

Re-Play 2026 - 1812 the Retreat from Moscow and others.

 

What a great day out the Rejects had at Re-Play on Saturday.

We managed to play 3 of the 4 Scenarios from our rule book, 1812 The Retreat from Moscow.

Here's a mug shot of us all taken by Des Darkin!

L-R Steve, Charlie, Dan, Colin, Dave, Chris, Lee & me.

Unfortunately we were missing Richard who had a family commitment and poor Postie who was ill with Man-Flu!

What follows isn't my usual show report as I didn't get to look around at the rest of the show until everyone was packing up! And I kept forgetting to take photos of our game too, so all I have are some random shots I'm afraid.

Scenario 1 is an introduction game, its the start of the adventure for the first 6 French Survivors.

All they had to do is get to the opposite side of the 2 foot table, and collect whatever loot they could find, without getting attacked by the random appearing Russians, that is!

They managed it without losing anyone and gained enough supplies so all could carry on into the next game and managed to find another 3 men to join their band.

In the second scenario, once again the Survivors had to cross the table and exit between the 2 red counters. On their way across the board they had to search for loot again but this time they could pick up randomly placed French civilians who we're hiding, there are 6 of them, 3 are special characters a Tailers, a Cook and a Surgeon. If these are found they aid you in the campaign by making warm clothes, making more food and fixing up wounds.

Dave's figure Sebastian with a civilian in toe.

Colin figure in the foreground was attacked by 3 Russian infantry, Pierre didn't make it.....

Paul from Pazoot was unable to attend, which was a shame, the plan was for him to play a scenario using my 10mm Pendraken figures along with the public, and maybe sell a few sets of rules. But we left a small display up, just so people could see what can be achieved.

In the third game, the game is played during a snowstorm at the end of each turn a dice is thrown and the exit point is moved. here the exit point has moved 18 inches to the right, which pleased Steve, because that's the corner he'd headed to collect loot. But the Russian are waiting for him.

Game 3 is played on a 3 foot square board.

Cossacks attack Steve in the rear, but good dice saves him.

 

Jerome, Chris's figure is in deep trouble, he's between the fence and the house, he has 3 wounds and is moving very slowly. He makes the decision to sacrifice himself and let the other escape.

Every time Russian enter the table they have to head for the closest French figure. So they were hoping Jerome would attract the majority of the Russians toward him and hope he would survive long enough to do so,

Unfortunately for Steve the exit point moved clockwise for the next few turns which meant there was no escape for him.

, But it did benefit Chris and Dave, by the house you can see Sebastian, Dave's figure, he had 3 wounds which meant he could only move 1 inch per action.

Jerome takes down several Russian Jagers before being cut down in the snow.

RIP Jerome, who dies a hero of France.....even though he was a Pole!

Chris and Steve are nearing the exit, Colin's figures never made it.

Another Frenchman is cut down, Sebastian who had collected a lot of loot including Gold, alcohol and bandages, loses his life, as does the civilian he was escorting.

Philippe has 2 wounds, he can only move 2 inches per action. But 6 inches in enough, he escapes off table. Only because the exit point moved back anti clockwise toward him.

But away from the rest of the French troops, who are now completely surrounded, the exit point where Steve escaped in in the bottom right of the pic, just out of shot.

But luck was on their side at the end of the turn just when it looked like they were doomed, the exit point moved clockwise, just within their reach and they escaped off table.

There wasn't enough time to play the 4th and last scenario as time was running out, so I left the lads and had a quick scoot around the show, most games were packing up, but I did get a few photos.

Des Darkin/Shed O War - The Battle of Piedmont 1864

Using Des' newly released ACW rules, which I must say look very interesting. I've gotta have a chat with Postie about these.

The Battle of Zinna 1759

SEEMS - Star Wars

Shepway Wargames - An Englishman's Castle

WotR - 1483

And that my friends is it, every other game was either packed up or in the process of packing up.

I did manage to spend a few quid at the Debris of Wat stand though.

They're all 28mm and should be an easyish paintjob???

Large Haystacks

Finished haystacks

Small haystacks

Vienna 1683 15mm - Ottoman Turk Commanders

 

The two armies are nearing completion....... will I add more to these armies of course I will!!!

Essex's selection of Ottoman figures isn't that vast so I bought some Lancashire figures and also some Venexia , also sold by Lancashire, to make up some command stands. I already painted up the top dog  Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Commander in Chief of the entire Ottoman army, here. But I still needed the other brigade commanders.

After finding some historical Turkish commanders names I tried to chose the ones that matched the brigades set out by Mr Hilton in his scenario, now they don't all match unfortunately, but they were all real people who fought in the Vienna campaign. 

I was wondering why they were all named Pasha at first, so I asked Mr Google who said Pasha isn't their actual name its a high-ranking historical title in Turkish meaning a commander, governor, or high-level official, roughly equivalent to a British lord or a general/admiral.

Also the word Beylerbeyi is a a high-ranking provincial governor-general in the Ottoman Empire, so you learn something new everyday, or so they say???

Ibrahim Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Buda and Chyzyr Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Bosnia Eyalet

Abaza Sari Husetin Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Damascus and Kucek Hasan Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Rumelia

Celebi Huseyin Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Janowan, Ahmed Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Anatolia & Binamaz Halil Pasha, Beylerbeyi of Sivas

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 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

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