Traditional Balinese society was feudal and most of their warriors were in fact peasants who answered the call to arms from their own prince. Relatively sizeable armies could be raised at times, especially when alliances were made. Weapons consisted of the Kris knife, long lance like spear and the occasional firearm. Round shields are also depicted in some sources. The reference I consulted made no mention of bows or blowguns. In attack tactics seemed to rely on frenzied masses of warriors rushing at the enemy. As the battles for Jagaraga in 1846 and 1849 demonstrated, the Balinese could also be tenacious in defense. KNIL reports from the time are very clear of the fanatical resolve shown by the Balinese. The illustration accompanying this article depicts typical Balinese warriors of the era.

The appearance of Balinese warriors varied according to their social status and the occasion. Peasants would have been dressed simply in a sarong or loose shirt and little else [see illustration], while nobles would have been much better attired, with their entourage including attendant umbrella bearers. At the Singaraja conference in 1849 the Buleleng and Karangasem armies were uniformed in red with white headresses. I was unable to discover just what the term "uniform" actually meant or what style of headress was used.

As for miniatures suitable to depict Balinese of the era I would suggest that any figures depicting sarong like clad troops could do. Maybe these could be found in the lines made by manufacturers of miniatures depicting types from the ancient era. Perhaps some of the Moros and Dayaks which are being made at the moment could be modified to give a reasonable impression of Balinese.

Dutch Colonial Campaigns in Bali 1846-1849

The First Buleleng War 1846
The Second Buleleng War 1848 - 1849
First Battle at Jagaraga 9th June 1848
Second Battle at Jagaraga 15th-16th April 1849
The Fight for the "Bat Cave": Kumbasa and Beyond
Balinese Warriors and Weapons
Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger, KNIL (Royal Dutch East Indies Army)