Friday, 6 November 2026

Vienna 1683 - 15mm - Grand Viziers Bodyguard

 



The Personal Albanian Bodyguard: At the climax of the battle of Vienna, when the devastating Polish Winged Hussar cavalry charge collapsed the Ottoman lines, Kara Mustafa personally entered the melee. He was surrounded by his innermost personal Albanian bodyguard, along with his private secretary and pages. This elite unit was completely wiped out, falling to the swords and firearms of the Christian allied coalition while trying to defend the Grand Vizier and the Holy Banner of the Prophet.


I slightly cheated with this unit, doubling its size from 6 figures to 12. I've also given them 2 flags, What I may do at another date is add another 2 bases to the unit , using just Musket men to make 2 units proper. But like I said....one day?


The figures are from Essex Minis and the flags are re coloured versions of  a Janissary flag I found online.

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

Tuesday, 3 November 2026

BLB - Vienna 1683 - Bavarian Red and Blue Dragoons

 


The Blue and Red Dragoons? That doesn't sound very Bavarian does it?

In the 1683 Battle of Vienna, the Electorate of Bavaria under the command of Elector Maximilian II Emanuel provided a significant contingent of troops to the Imperial alliance to lift the Ottoman siege. Among these forces were two distinct cavalry units known as the Red Dragoon Half-Regiment and the Blue Dragoon Half-Regiment



Rather than operating as full standalone regiments, these dragoons were organized into two "half-regiments," each consisting of 4 companies. At the Battle of Vienna, they were integrated into separate cavalry brigades, The Red Dragoon Half-Regiment: Positioned under the brigade of Generalwachtmeister (GWM) Marquis von Beauvau, The Blue Dragoon Half-Regiment: Positioned under the brigade of GWM von Munster



The Blue Regiment 


The Red Regiment

They are of course Essex miniatures and like the last Allied unit in the series the banners are unknown so I've made them up, all on my lonesome!


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


Friday, 30 October 2026

Retreat from Moscow - Yes I know....More 25mm French Wagons

 


How many French wagons do you need for the Retreat from Moscow??
I thought I'd give the 15mm a rest for a brief time.....


Another two of course!


This one is from Warbases, with a Warbases wagon load a Redoubt horse and another Depot Battalion 17th century driver with a Napoleonic head.


If I remember correctly, this ones one of the newer Warlord, Black Powder MDF wagons.


Again with a Depot Battalion driver with a green stuff blanket wrapped around them, the load is made of of some odds and sods of boxes and barrels I glued to a piece of card, so it would fit into the quite small footprint of the wagon.