Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Number 11: See the Pyramids Along the Nile

While digging out my 30mm figures for the Quebec game, I came across the abandoned beginnings of my 25mm Horse and Musket Turkish army which has been looking for a reason to be. I also came across a handful of test castings from 25mm Prince August Waterloo moulds I'd been given but had no reason to use. It took a couple of days for me to finally see the obvious connection.
My Turks in the backyard  3 years ago.
Roughly 20 years ago, one of my first 54mm projects (yes a deliverable with plan and target date) was to assemble a convention game based on the action at Rosetta during the 1807 British invasion of Egypt. I got side tracked into Colonials and the War of 1812. The Turks became the army of the Emir of Wadi Foulyam and fought 1850's British instead. Both armies have since retired to the England where the weather is more conducive to wargames in the great outdoors.

Retired Cairo Janisaries in a Garden  Wargame last fall. Photo snitched from Brian Carrick's Collecting Toy Soldiers Blog.
I made the 25mm Turks back in 2011 to use against Ron's SYW Austrians but after one game we were onto to something else. I never got to making cavalry or enough infantry for a proper game and since that first game, they've only been out once, a solo game 3 years ago (see 1st picture).
The moulds being made back in 2011.
The Waterloo moulds were given to me by a friend who needed a home for them but I don't want to go there. Its always seemed a shame not to use the moulds though and my sole Turkish cavalryman is a conversion from the  French lancer mould.

I'm not sure  why it took me so long to figure out the obvious. Reboot the 1807 Anglo-Turkish War but using 25mm homecast figures. The Highlanders will work fine, the British and Foreign infantry will have the wrong hats and the cavalry will probably need some converting but it'll be cheap and I'll finally have a good reason to use my little bits of 25mm desert terrain. It should also help scratch my exotic "Colonial" itch!

In any event, this just leaves one open spot in my list of 12 collections.

It'll probably also take some time though since there are a lot of other things to do. Its just good to know why I'm keeping these figures and moulds and to have a reason to cast and paint up a few when in the mood.
My Turks (with French allies) facing Ron's Austrians in an early Portable Wargame in 2011.
Of course, a One Hour Scenario wouldn't need a lot of troops.... so who knows? "Home by Christmas" maybe?

11 comments:

  1. Glad to see 'old pictures', atmospheric and beautiful...and these Turks are colorful and superb!

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  2. I really like your 25mm turks and I think the horses of the 25mm Prince August Waterloo line are very good, so I await anxiously your progress on this project.

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    1. Thank you Cesar, the winter here is not the best time to cast figures but I am eager to start.

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  3. Neat! You don't see many Turkish armies.

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  4. He certainly didn't! He was already started on the ECW! I'mwith Featherstone on this one. ll periods are interesting!

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  5. Ross Mac,

    Turks are a great choice as they can be used for so many different conflicts. I know of one wargamer whose Turkish army saw service from 1750 to 1914. All he did was to use the earlier troops as reserves and third-line troops for the later periods. For example, Crimean Turkish troops are useable as Regulars against the Russian in the Russo-Turkish War, and as Reserves in the Balkan Wars.

    A good choice, IMHO.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  6. My 15mm Napoleonic Turks were once one of my larger armies, about 1/2 Battle Honours, lovely figures, I miss 'em (and the days when I could see them "with my own eyes".

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  7. Love it. I always wanted a Turkish army. More Medieval or Baroque periods for me though. Looking forward to seeing them in action on your blog.

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  8. Going completely off the point as usual, thanks for reminding me of that old song (You Belong to Me) - I can't get it out of my head now!
    Oh, nice pics also, and Happy New Year, hope the weather's not too rough up there.

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    1. Apparently Jo Stafford had the biggest hit but in my head I hear .

      Patsy

      Weather? I try not to notice....

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