For many of us, it was a fascination with miniature gaming which first drew us to a study of the Ottoman Empire. In our last two issues we ran Robert Burke's review of avail able 25mm, 20mrn and 15mm figures. In this issue we continue the study with two articles which look at the 6mm range.

The main article is by Mark Bevis who focuses on the figures available from Irregular Miniatures. In the box at the top of page 11 is a short piece by David Wester with information on the Ros & Heroics line.

Many wargamer like to fight their Napoleonic battles in 6mm (1/300) scale, where the massed visual effect of tiny figures actually looks like a Napoleonic battle, and with the right sort of rules, corps and army level actions are playable.

In this scale there are only three manufacturers of Napoleonics: Heroics & Ros, Adler Miniatures and Irreguler Miniatures. Of these, Adler figures are really 8mm and should be used on their own. I treat them as 1/200 when painting them for customers; they really are that much bigger.

Heroics & Ros are probably the best detailed, but only Irregular produces Ottoman troops for the Renaissance, Napoleonic, Crimean War and WWI periods. By using figures &om these and other ranges a complete Ottoman army can be built.

Therefore I will concentrate on the figures available from Irregular. Below are the catalog codes for the various troop types required for Ottomans and Egyptians. The beauty of Irregular Miniatures is that the figures come already based, in close order, loose order and open order, depending on type. These correlate well with Napoleonic troop densities with close order used for Europe.

Infantry

Janissaries: REV10 and REV10 are close-order Janissaries with muskets, the latter being the command strip complete with two flags and cauldron as would be required for each Orta. LR31 and LR32 are loose-order Janissaries with musket and command respectively. Cut these into half strips and rebase as skirmisher to represent the six Janissary Chasseur Ortas.

Nizami Jedid: REV12 are the correct figures, especially made for this troop type. Before these came out I used Crimean War CWT1 and CWT2 figures. Use the CWT2 for command strips.

Yamak Janissary Auxiliaries: Use LR31, first filing the hats to a pointlcone shape. Because they were poorly trained militialmob troops, the loose-order base is correct.

Anatolian Sekhans: REV13 are the correct close-order based figures.

Yemeni/Elejaz Guard Sekhan Archers: IND18 can be used, these being loose-order bases. Despite being Guard Sekhans, it is likely that these were irregulars rather than close-formation foot, as this would be more appropriate to the terrain.

Moroccan Sekhans: LR33 would be ideal for these troops and paints up lovely when done in off- white cloaks with dark brown vertical stripes. However, these are loose-order bases, when they should be close- order. You can use them as is for poorer quality militia or mountain irregulars, or you can rebase them for better quality Sekhans, or use REV13 instead. The REV 13 figures don't have cloaks, but at least are closeorder

Albanian Sekhans: Use CWT7 Crimean War Irregular Turks for these figures. This is an excellent close-order based casting with fully detailed baggy pants, skull cap and waistcoat--perfect for Albanians.

Bosnian Derbents: REV15 is ideal on loose-order bases.

Egyptian Arabs: Use IND17 and ignore the bucklers. These are loose-order bases.

Anatolian/RumeWBandit Mountain Irregulars: A mix of IND17, XT52 and REV15 is ideal, all being looseorder bases, which is ideal for these irregulars who were well adapted to the rough mountainous terrain of the Balkans and Anatolia.

Anatolian Derbents: LR33 is ideal on loose-order bases.

Azabs (up to 1780): LR42 are the right figures, but ideally they should be rebased to loose order for this period.

Arab Militia: A mix of loose-order bases XT52, LR33 and REV14.

Rayas (Rifle-armed skirmishers): XT21 is ideal, being open-order based. It will also do for Bosnian Rayas and I have used them for the regular trained riflearmed skirmisher battalions attached to the 31st marine Janissary Orta.

Dervishes: Djeemat Janissary 99th Orta: IND16-- These are loose-order based figures ideal for a latter day warband.

Egyptian Fellaheen/Arab Town Militias: DA7, REV14. Loose-order bases with spears, etc.

Greek Martolos: REV 15 is the nearest, although CWT7 and XT21 are the better looking figures but are on the wrong base sizes. Ideally these should be loose-order, as befitting mountain irregulars.

Croat Irregular Infantry: LR24 is ideal on loose- order bases.

Transylvanian Haiduks: LR47 has older muskets with rests which are too dated for c 1800; however they are such nice figures I just had to use them. These figures will also do for other Christian militias in the Balkans.

Mamluk Foot Servants: A mix of IND56 and B27 are ideal loose-order rabble to follow up the cavalry.

Bostanci Guard Infantry: The nearest equivalent is CWFI and CWF2 for command strips. These are French Guard from the Crimean War, but at least they have a similar uniform and are close-order based.

Cavalry

Ottoman Heavy Cavalry: LR37, REV17--These are good for the Suvarileri, Sipahi Oghlans, Silihtar and other Ottoman heavy cavalry; the REV17 figures have armor, which some still wore.

Nizam-i Jedid Trained Cavalry: CWT3 is okay, but these figures do not have lances so they are not perfect.

Sipahi Cavalry: IND62, REV16--These are loose order based, which for irregular means they are in fact in close formation. For skirmishing Sipahis you will just have to spread the bases out on the table top.

Mamluks, Ottoman Guard Mamluks: FN4--These are French Mamluks which only have a sword.

Egyptian Guard Mamluks: I suggest using REV16 for these, as they have both spear and the pointed helmet used by Guard Mamluks in Egypt.

Yorak Light Cavalry: IND8, IND9 are ideal figures mounted on open-order bases. The different codes have different weapons.

Tartars: LR39 is ideal, but comes with five figures on each open-order base. I cut the fifth figure off so that they match other skirmish cavalry. The spares go toward making another strip.

Balkan Turkish Djelli: IND50 will do when fighting in close order. These are not suitable figures for Kurdish Djellis in tall fur caps.

Arab Cavalry: IND15 and IND17 are ideal.

Arab Camelry: DA10--These are close- order based. These can be deadly! I have broken a Russian square with a unit of these (though the cannister fire from three batteries may have had something to do with it).

Albanian Sipahis: XT46 would be ideal when skirmishing, but really the figures need to be rebased to close order.

Bosnian Besli Light Cavalry: XT46 is okay, and on the correct skirmisher basing.

Croat Light Ca,~alry: LR22 is ideal, in open-order skirmish basing. Ukrainian Cossacks: RN7 is ideal and in open-order frontage.

Kurdish Light Horse: LR58 will do. These figures are in full mail armor, cloaks and pointed helmet.

Artillery

Topiji Artillery Crew and Limbers: REV18 is very good. You can also use IND31 for provincial gunners.

Oxen Limbers for Artillery: These are available in the Wars In India range, but I do not know the code. Just ask for six-oxen limbers with turbaned crew.

Mortar Battery: MN31 with crew base from REV18 or IND31. For wagon use ES 15 two-oxen cart.

Zembuk Camel Guns: Still used in Arabia in 1800, but not by the Ottomans of this time. XT51 is the only suitable model.

French 6pdr Guns and Mercenary French Artillery: FN21 includes gun, crew base and four- horse limber.

Artillery: I use LRl l for 14pdr Sahi guns, LR23 for 48pdr Saker/Sahi guns, LR35 for 60pdr Balyomez guns and FN21 for French-style 6pdrs. For howitzers I cut down the barrels on LR23 for 8pdr Abus guns and LRl11 for 14-25pdr Abus guns.

Others

Lagimcilar Sappers: Use XT16.

Generals: You can use LR43 for mounted ones. There is also a camel with covered howdah which makes a nice Arab leader, and in their 6mm fantasy range there is a foot magician which looks suspiciously Turkish.

Irregular Miniatures

Irregular Miniatures can be reached at 3 Apollo Street, Heslington Road, York, YO1 SAP, United Kingdom. Their phone number is 01904-671101.

Their infantry comes in strips of six figures for 15p; cavalry are four figures (or five if Renaissance) per strip for 30p.

Artillery is normally sold as batteries of one gun, a three-figure crew base and a four-horse limber for 50p, or if with six-horse/oxen limber for 60p. If you ask nicely they will sell guns and limbers separately, or in differing combinations.

Overall, an Ottoman army can be built up cheaply and added to as you go along. Irregular's castings have deep detail which sometimes does not look right in the bare metal, but once painted, they look really good.

And because the Ottomans have such a variety of costumes and troop types, the result is an extremely eye- catching army.

More Armies

So You Want to Buy an Ottoman Army? Part I: 15mm
So You Want to Buy an Ottoman Army? Part II: 20-25mm
So You Want to Buy an Ottoman Army? Part III: 6mm
So You Want to Buy an Ottoman Army? Part IV: Update
More Good Figure Information
Faking it in 6mm