During the rolling, seemingly endless series of lockdowns and partial lockdowns in 2020 I've been gradually building up an "all options" set of Arab troops to make up armies for L'Art de la Guerre in 28mm.
The aim is kinda to mirror the 15mm Arab armies that I've enjoyed using in various competitions over the last few years, but also to try a couple of new things along the way - kitbashing and using GW Contrast paints. This means - for the cavalry component - an over enthusiastic purchase of a set each of Gripping Beast's Arab Light Cavalry and Heavy Cavalry, a Fireforge Mongol Cavalry set and two boxes of Gripping Beast's latest Gothic Heavy Cavalry (which are basically armoured lancers on cataphract-style fully barded horses), and glueing them together not quite as the manufacturer intended!
There are several pages of pictures on my website at https://www.madaxeman.com/main/28mm_Arab_Cavalry_2.php but for a taster here's some of the 28mm kitbashed cavalry done mostly in GW Contrast paints :
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3888.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3892.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3905.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3907.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3917.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3920.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3924.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3854.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3858.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3861.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3867.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP3872.JPG)
Those have come out particularly well ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil :)
Good stuff
Fabulous!
Those plastic Gothic heavy cavalry sets are very useful, I've used them to make some Ethiopian heavy cavalry in the padded barding for 19th colonial warfare. No pics yet, haven't finished painting them.
Also it's worth noting for 28mm plastic conversion fans, Conquest Games do a box just of plastic horses with plain horse furniture. All I need now is some camels.....
Mark
They look great!
Quote from: sultanbev on 11 November 2020, 10:13:29 AM
Fabulous!
Those plastic Gothic heavy cavalry sets are very useful, I've used them to make some Ethiopian heavy cavalry in the padded barding for 19th colonial warfare. No pics yet, haven't finished painting them.
Also it's worth noting for 28mm plastic conversion fans, Conquest Games do a box just of plastic horses with plain horse furniture. All I need now is some camels.....
Mark
Horses only? OOh!
However, what would be really, really useful as well would be a sprue of 'only legs' - the GB and Fireforge cavalry sprues have many more torsos, arms and heads than you need, so right now I'm staring at maybe 20-odd potential other figures that just need legs to be made up from the spares box!
I have thought about trying to make some "down to the ground" skirt-type things from miliput but I fear it may just look a bit crap!
Quote from: madaxeman on 11 November 2020, 01:46:51 PM
Horses only? OOh!
However, what would be really, really useful as well would be a sprue of 'only legs' - the GB and Fireforge cavalry sprues have many more torsos, arms and heads than you need, so right now I'm staring at maybe 20-odd potential other figures that just need legs to be made up from the spares box!
I have thought about trying to make some "down to the ground" skirt-type things from miliput but I fear it may just look a bit crap!
How about mounting them in wire and have them cantering through a lot of tall grass, brush or small bushes Mark?
It might sound dodgy but I have used it before where I've had 28mm metal horses break off at the ankles or 'knees'. (a particular issue with some Aventine poses - as the metal is quite hard - but that produces really crisp detail).
A few more infantry:
First, the Perry "Afghans", painted as "Generic Indianized Arabs". These are staggeringly good figures.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nOWE6QG9Yhk/X7pDwymzHLI/AAAAAAAAEBc/kYzev25-TSgQ3jLQcN18SGBzehQ1uWCHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s703/IMGP3988.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rd7Krysbm4k/X7pDxafNP_I/AAAAAAAAEBo/QYgSQqfj_-Mp4jMpait_KRRLENIsbxZNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s724/IMGP3989.JPG)
Then, the Kings of Kitbash - Fireforge Mongols, Perry Afghans and Wargames Atlantic Persians with some Fireforge Russian heads and a few Gripping Beast Arab bits as well.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ieJQBizTzs8/X7pDx_gvnAI/AAAAAAAAEBw/5SlDBqr6sM0ExsErWp0AvBGJvugkGVV0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s868/IMGP3992.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4bS0l__3EXc/X7pDyPqj7KI/AAAAAAAAEB0/s3PNi5UHpKUZPMYc7CPNYVGvAOCPlu5rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s761/IMGP3993.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znAvkOFB5VE/X7pDy2qsWLI/AAAAAAAAECA/ZyUu_4iYCQoZ9rcqfdU3sNILOzLtGQklQCLcBGAsYHQ/s715/IMGP3997.JPG)
Those are lovely!
Very nice ... are they designed to represent any specific units (MF swordsmen) etc? Tim
Quote from: Big Insect on 25 November 2020, 11:17:28 AM
Very nice ... are they designed to represent any specific units (MF swordsmen) etc? Tim
They are part of my "Generic Dynasties" 28mm Arab army project :-) ,
The paviser units fall half way between "I may need some Sudanese A'bid"mixed bow/spear units and "gee, it would be a shame to waste those pavises and Mongol whicker shields ...."
Cracking !! :-bd
Cheers - Phil :)
Those figures have turned out remarkably well using that technique.
And now for some infantry as well...
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP4011.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP4026.JPG)
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/Figures/25mm_Ancient/IMGP4029.JPG)
There's a load more photos online at : https://www.madaxeman.com/main/28mm_Arab_Infantry_1.php (https://www.madaxeman.com/main/28mm_Arab_Infantry_1.php)
Very impressive, once again. :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Very impressive Tim - it looks like you are well covered for most LaDG Arab type armies - the Dynastic Bedouin is a lovely army, as is the Tulunid Egyptian or Ghaznavid or Buyid (oh all right there are just so many good alternatives with Arab type armies !!!) I look forward to facing them at some point on a table-top in 2021.
Quote from: Big Insect on 05 December 2020, 11:51:04 AM
Very impressive Tim - it looks like you are well covered for most LaDG Arab type armies - the Dynastic Bedouin is a lovely army, as is the Tulunid Egyptian or Ghaznavid or Buyid (oh all right there are just so many good alternatives with Arab type armies !!!) I look forward to facing them at some point on a table-top in 2021.
Fingers crossed it won't be too long... although I suspect it might end up coinciding with the tidied-up V4 coming out.
Anyways, I also have loads of small-scale modern kit waiting for a run on table, so I don't want to distract you from that :-)
small scale modern kits? how small?
On the LADG versions - where are we with the next set? Is there a way to stil influence the army lists - like adding the missing Javelinmen (as alternatives to Light Foot javelins) in the Ancient German list or adding a Sarmatazied Gothic allied contingent to the Sarmatian list etc.
Quote from: Big Insect on 06 December 2020, 07:06:52 PM
small scale modern kits? how small?
On the LADG versions - where are we with the next set? Is there a way to stil influence the army lists - like adding the missing Javelinmen (as alternatives to Light Foot javelins) in the Ancient German list or adding a Sarmatazied Gothic allied contingent to the Sarmatian list etc.
The author published something on the French bit of the forum last week saying that the lists are done, the rules update is nearly done and this time around there will be Italian and Spanish as well as English and French versions - so it sounds close.
Probably too late this time around for any list changes - but good news we have a V2 to play with in 2021
Thanks
and finally... the full army all together
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsGpB03elV0/X9PrLY6O-8I/AAAAAAAAEFA/wOvXDXkYwrw1y5vhr6yS8snxMU1uVLNzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s764/IMGP4043.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hApgQjQMsDU/X9PrL4Y-8nI/AAAAAAAAEFM/X_yXLS0XkvsiTTqy5MdO1ipjgk0QigS-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s768/IMGP4046.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u4mtXq2oJgI/X9PrMs5-YoI/AAAAAAAAEFY/hFXJKiybBE0g9vVnYEND8bi7-GK6f98ugCLcBGAsYHQ/s769/IMGP4049.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CI3pWW6vQk/X9PrOMnPx3I/AAAAAAAAEFw/-VvnYDHdzEM03hrntDw2hl_eFlDUUTg7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s773/IMGP4055.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3x7GVJlXVIk/X9PrPuyvg2I/AAAAAAAAEGI/pzur8jlB7BMgBjY5cRsKHXgH6oT0QgcMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s773/IMGP4061.JPG)
Even more photos on https://madaxemandotcom.blogspot.com/2020/12/heres-those-arabs-for-last-time-for.html
Those look great !
Cheers - Phil :)
Looking good.
How many possible lists Tim?
Couple of nasty looking 'death-stars' in their Tim :D
Although it is a totally historic formation. I am currently researching a talk I am giving at the Society of Ancients on-line Spring conference (plug, plug, plug) on Sassanid Infantry and there is a firm reference to mixed formations of Sasanian war elephants intermixed with Dialami units when used against a confederation of Gok/Blue/Iron Turks with Hepthalitic Huns - which seemed like a winning combo. Especially when combined with heavy bolt-throwers chucking naptha genades. Who said you cannot have hi-tech weaponary in an ancients army.
A very colourful army Tim - congratulations.
Beautiful, what a colourful lot!
Quote from: mad lemmey on 15 December 2020, 10:59:17 AM
Looking good.
How many possible lists Tim?
I suspect there's maybe 30 different ADLG lists I could just about pretend they were ... thats the advantage of making up your own colour scheme !
And - Big Insect - if the Dailami Death Star is actually a real thing, maybe you can add in that they tended to wear Viking- or Russian Feudal-style armour, as those are the figures I used as base torsos for the Dailami here ;D
Nobody actually knows what the Dialami actually wore or looked like Tim - all the figures in books appear to be modelled on a single interpretation and that was/is all guesswork.
The oval shields attributed to them are from a pre-Sassanid (Parthian) Caucasian rock carving - with no direct Dialami reference. We know (from Arab & Persian references) that they were impact infantry, armed with hand-axes, maces, swords and a 2-prong javelin specifically.
A later Sananian King of Kings relocated 4,000 Dialami warriors to his capital to act as an elite infantry bodyguard force - so I suspect they all be pretty well armed and armoured - however, as the Arab attack on the empire gained momentum they deserted and switched sides (always a trait of mercenaries) converting to Islam on the way!
So I suspect that as the later Sasanian military were heavily influenced by southern steppe culture, and there was little or no uniformity of equipment in the army, your Russo-Islamic look is perfectly acceptable Tim :D