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/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
Your horsemen look good! I am no fan of bendy spears either but practicality and safety come first.
ReplyDeleteIndeed it does Jon, I think I would have struggled changing the spears.
DeleteLovely, I do find bendy spears (and areas of weak metal) an irritation, but sometimes ... what can one do!
ReplyDeleteExactly Norm, Like I said, I'd normally cut them off and glue in new ones, but it would have been very difficult, I'd have ended up cutting myself and turning the aire blue, so bendy spears it is!
DeleteThey look smashing Ray! Can only imagine the pain trying to switch out those spears would end up.
ReplyDeleteYeh, it just wasn't worth the hassle.
DeleteLooking really good Ray!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michal.
DeleteGreat work, Ray.
ReplyDeleteCheers Rich!
DeleteLovely work Ray, can see no issue with painting them uniform. Will help them stand out among the rest of the Ottoman cavalry
ReplyDeleteYep, that's what I thought as well, Neil.
DeleteSipahis of the Porte have always been one of my favourite troop types. Great work on them Ray, and I wouldn't have noticed the bendy spears if you hadn't mentioned them. Too much fiddling around otherwise and in my experience the replacements have a habit of falling off over time anyway.
ReplyDeleteWith some figures its just easier to do, with these is virtually impossible and I'd have probably ruined a few figures on the way too.
DeleteVery nicely done and a good idea to have them in a sort of uniformed look to make them stand out on the battlefield:). Shame about the spears though:(.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the whole Turk army shouldn't be in uniform, but it'll just get confusing especially as I've used the same figures, so it made sense to keep them in the same colour.
DeleteExcellent Sipahis of the Porte Ray!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Sir!
DeleteLovely done Ray, two nice units there, I like those Venxia figures, they look very decent indeed.
ReplyDeleteThey are rather nice, I bought loads of their Pavia range when they first came out at salute one year, I've still got most of them still in their packets!
DeleteVery nice work Ray and you are certainly getting through them - a game cannot be too far away?!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Keith, just gotta find the time to reread the rules along with all the other rules I need to keep reading to play other games!!!! Terrible eh?
DeleteLooks like two dead good units off the painting desk, and cracking progress on that army list!
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Andy
I'm very nearly there Andy!
DeleteVery nice, they look suitably elite!
ReplyDeleteAlan 'Tradgardland' gave me some Minifigs Sipahis/Spahis, I'll keep your post in mind when I (eventually) get round to painting them
Thanks David, I enjoyed painting them up, Are yours the 25mm versions?
DeleteNice work Ray 👍
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt!
DeleteSplendid looking elite cavalry!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Cheers Iain!
Delete