Early Ottoman Turkish
Historical Overview Section
Osman Bey conjured the Ottoman empire out of the bones of the ruins of the Seljuk Turk Sultanate in 1299. The westward drive of the Mongol invasions had pushed scores of Muslims toward Osman's Anatolian principality, a power base that Osman was quick to consolidate. As the Byzantine Empire declined, the Ottoman Empire's emergence stepped into the power vacuum and took its place.
In 1302, after soundly defeating a Late Byzantine force near Nicaea, Osman started to attract large numbers of Ghazi warriors, Islamic scholars and dervishes with a promise of land to settle in Osman-controlled areas, and this led to migrants composing the bulk of his army. The influx of Ghazi warriors and adventurers of differing backgrounds into these lands spurred subsequent Ottoman rulers to title themselves "Sultan of Ghazis". Alarmed by Osman's growing influence, the Byzantines gradually were pushed out of Anatolia. Late Byzantine leadership resolved to prevent Osman from crossing into Europe and attempted to contain Ottoman expansion westward. Osman however continued to press westward and captured the Byzantine city of Ephesus near the Aegean Sea, and then moved eastward and seized Byzantine domains in the Black Sea region of Anatolia. Osman's last campaign, before dying of old age, was against the Byzantines in the city of Bursa. Although Osman did not physically participate in the battle, the victory at Bursa proved to be extremely vital for the Ottomans as the city served as a staging ground against the Byzantines in Constantinople, and as a newly adorned capital for Osman's son, Orhan.
In the early stages of his reign, Orhan focused his energies on conquering most of northwestern Anatolia. The majority of these areas were under Byzantine rule and he won the first battle, the Battle of Pelekanon, against the late Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Orhan also occupied the lands of Karesi Principality ruled by a Turkish Emir and of Ankara which was controlled by religious fraternity-guilds called Ahis. During the last years of the civil war in the Byzantine Empire, John VI Cantacuzene induced Orhan to marry Theodora, daughter of Cantacuzene, in order to support him in his aim to become the ruling Emperor, usurping Emperor John V Palaeologus. In 1354 Orhan's son, Suleyman Pasha (Süleyman Paşa), occupied Gallipoli (evacuated by its Byzantine population in the wake of an earthquake) and gave the Ottoman state a bridgehead into mainland Europe. In 1362 Pasha's successor Murad I transformed the army into a professional organisation, with the origins of the Janissary Corps.
Using the army in FoG
- The army is a classic Bw/Sw shooty cavalry outfit, with the added benefit of Superior LH with Bw & Sw. being superior increases their shooting anc combat power significantly, and it may be woth using a number of them in BGs of 6 to further intimidate other enemy LH.
- The big risk with the main Timariot strike force is to ensure that they are in the approriate 1 or 2 deep formation (ready to fight or skirmish) early enough in the game, as being undrilled they will find it more difficult to change formation than drilled opponents, and also are unable to expand and move.
- For this reason - and to "guarantee" the right terrain, an Inspired Commander may be worthwhile - perhaps dropping to 2 sub generals as the army is going to be doing more shooting than hand to hand combat.
UK Tournament Results with this army
Useful Links
User-contributed links about this army:
- Ottoman Flags write some more detail about the link here
- 20mm painted Ottomans a wargames blog
- Wikipedia Page on the Ottomans
- Ottoman DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
- Ottoman Empire DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
- Ottoman Turk DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
Allies
Put information on allied contingents here - including recommendations on which to use, and why.
15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army
You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site
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- Essex Miniatures
- Donnington
- Vexilia - Ottoman & East European ranges
- Museum Miniatures
- Old Glory 15's,
- Magister Militum
- Minifigs
- Irregular Miniatures Arab & Turkish range
- Lancashire Games Some eastern Renaissance figures
- Outpost Wargame Services Crusade period Islamic Range
- QRF Models Freikorps Medieval a& Renaissance Turkish range
- Khurasan Miniatures - their Ghilmen cavalry maybe suitable to add to an Ottoman army?
- Legio Heroica 1683 Vienna range also suitable for earlier.
- Falcon Figures Now moved to the US these were once cast in the UK - Ottoman range
- Naismith & Roundway 13-strong Ottoman range
- Baueda Ottoman incendiary javelinmen
Core Troops
Which troops are absolutely needed for this army, and what are your thoughts on how to organise, paint and buy them.
Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
Early Ottoman 800 AP army
- 1 Azab slingers LF unprotected poor Undrilled sling - - - 4
- 2 Azab Foot LF unprotected Average Undrilled bow - - - 8
- 3 Ghazis LH unprotected Superior Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 4
- 4 Ghazis LH unprotected Superior Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 4
- 5 Ghazis LH unprotected Superior Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 4
- 6 Ghazis LH unprotected Superior Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 4
- 7 Ghazis LH unprotected Superior Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 6
- 8 Timariots Cv Armoured Superior Undrilled bow Swordmen - 4
- 9 Timariots Cv Armoured Superior Undrilled bow Swordmen - 4
- 10 Ghazi Cavalry Cv protected Average Undrilled bow - Swordmen - 4
- 11 Timariots Cv Armoured Superior Undrilled bow Swordmen - 4
- 12 Azabs MF unprotected Average Undrilled bow - - - 8
- General TC - - - - - - - 1
- General IC - - - - - - CinC 1
- General TC - - - - - - - 1
- General TC - - - - - - - 1
eBay Listings
UK Bookstore
