Late Ottoman

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Historical Overview Section

The first military unit of the Ottoman State was an army that was organized by Osman I from the tribesmen inhabiting western Anatolia in the late 13th century. The military system became an intricate organization with the advance of the Empire. The Ottoman military was a complex system of recruiting and fief-holding. The main corps of the Ottoman Army included:

• Janissary: Infantry units recruited at a very young age from the non-Muslim ethnic groups of the Empire and raised as Muslim Turkish warriors, also forming the Sultan's household troops and bodyguard. Most of the recruits were Christian Balkans.
• Sipahi: Elite cavalry knights who were granted tımars (fiefs) throughout the Empire's lands. Their alternative name was Tîmârlı Sipahi (Enfiefed Knight).
• Akıncı: Frontline cavalry units of the Ottoman Army which raided and scouted the border areas and outposts. These units were known as ghazis before the establishment of the Ottoman army and contributed significantly to early Ottoman success against the Palaiologan army.
• Mehterân: Ottoman Army Band which played martial tunes during military campaigns. The mehterân was usually associated with the Janissary corps.

The Ottoman army was once among the most advanced fighting forces in the world, being one of the first to employ muskets. The Ottoman cavalry used bows and short swords and often applied nomad tactics similar to those of the Mongol Empire, such as pretending to retreat while surrounding the enemy forces inside a crescent-shaped formation and then making the real attack.

Starting from the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 and the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, the Ottoman army quickly advanced towards central Europe, capturing Hungary with the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and twice laying siege to Vienna, in 1529 and 1683. However, the decline in the army's performance became evident from the mid 17th century and after the Great Turkish War, the Ottoman army's reputation as one of the most feared fighting forces in the world was never regained. The 18th century saw some limited success against Venice, but in the north the European-style Russian armies forced the Ottomans to concede land.

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

Using the Army in FoG

• V2.0 change Later Ottoman Turkish armies cannot have more than ½ of their Timariots battle groups as Superior.
• Pete Dalby's highly successful version unusually only uses 2 LH units, with one LH on each flank, falling back with one and supporting offensive troops with the other.
• The firearms with the LF are worth their weight in gold. 28 AP for 2 BGs. Everything in the army shoots - apart from the Knights - so the firearms just support the quality shooters to deliver the extra minus 1 on CT. At the edge of the table that can add up to minus 3. Very nasty!
• Taking good quality cavalry in this army is better than taking bulk. Drilled are better than undrilled if you can get them because they can expand for free and move & expand with a CMT.
• Pete deploys one Cv unit on each flank and one in the middle - to mislead the opponent. They are so manoeuvrable they can quickly get them to where they are needed.
• Spreading the Cv around provides multiple threats. Most of the time deploy them 1 rank deep so you can evade but against other Cav, HF, or MF there's no need. Be bold enough to take a charge from Cav lancers rather than evade - same with HF or MF. You may be down on impact but will probably be at even or plus in the melee.
• You have to be in 1 rank against longbows or you die horribly.
• Against Knights always evade - unless you know you have got a flank charge coming to the rescue next turn.
• Keep the Janissaries late in the deployment order as until the Janissaries go down you don't know where this army is going to hit you.
• Armoured HF are the hardest nut for the Ottomans to face so generally the flanks would be a reasonable place for the Janissaries to be.

Allied Contingents

• Turcoman, Anatolian . Date restrictions: Before 1466 Book: Eternal Empire Page: 14 - Bw/Sw Cavalry and supporting LH seems to add little new to the parent army
• Serbian, Later . Date restrictions: Before 1459 Book: Eternal Empire Page: 27 - Serbian Knights! (after 1345) and enough LH and LF to make them worthwhile adding a general to.
• Albanian . Date restrictions: Before 1479 Book: Eternal Empire Page: 54 - Whats the point of J/LS LH or Cv in this period ? Move along….

UK Tourney Results

6 / 8 Later Ottoman Godendag 2008 Doubles (EE)
4 / 16 LATER OTTOMAN Scottish Open 2008 (open)
3 / 20 Later Ottoman Turkish Warfare 2008 15mm (S&S, SoA, EE)
5 / 20 Later Ottoman Turkish Warfare 2008 15mm (S&S, SoA, EE)
6 / 20 Later Ottoman Turkish Warfare 2008 15mm (S&S, SoA, EE)
9 / 20 Later Ottoman Turkish Warfare 2008 15mm (S&S, SoA, EE)
8 / 27 Later Ottoman Turks Britcon 2007 15mm (open)

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

• Essex Miniatures
• Donnington
• Vexilia - Ottoman & East European ranges - a little on the large side, and a bit late in the period too
• Museum Miniatures
• Old Glory 15's, highly regarded janissaries, one of OGs best ranges
• 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

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
List used by Wayne Dare at Roll Call 2009

• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw, Sword, Superior
• 4 LH, Bw, Sword, Superior
• 6 LF, Bw, Average
• 6 LF, Bw, Poor
• 4 Demonic Handgunners, Poor
• 4 Cv, Superior, Undrilled, Bw/Sw, Armoured
• 4 Cv, Superior, Undrilled, Bw/Sw, Armoured
• 2 Cv, ELITE, Drilled, Bw/Sw, Armoured
• 2 Cv, ELITE, Drilled, Bw/Sw, Armoured
• 2 Cv, ELITE, Drilled, Bw/Sw, Armoured
• 6 Janissaries, Sup, Prot Bw, Sw
• 6 Janissaries, Sup, Prot Bw, Sw
• 4 x TC

Pete Dalby's IWF 20009 & Britcon 2009-winning list

• Azabs, Poor LF, Unprotected, Undrilled, Bow x6
• Akinjis, Average, LH, Unprotected, Undrilled, Bow x4
• Akinjis, Average, LH, Unprotected, Undrilled, Bow x4
• Serbian Nobles, Superior, Knights, Undrilled, HvyArm, Lance, Sword x4
• Azabs, Poor LF, Unprotected, Undrilled, Firearm x4
• Janissaries, Superior, LF, Unprotected, Drilled, Firearm x4
• Timariots, Sup, Cav, Armd, Undrilled, Bow, Sword x4
• Timariots, Sup, Cav, Armd, Undrilled, Bow, Sword x4
• Qapu Khalqi, Sup, Cav, Armd, Drilled, Bow, Sword x4
• Janissaries, Sup, MF, Prot, Drilled, Bow Sword x8
• Janissaries, Sup, MF, Prot, Drilled, Bow Sword x8
• Qapu Khalqi, Sup, Cav, Armd, Drilled, Bow, Sword x2
• IC , 2 x TC, 1 x Serb Ally TC
• 1 x Field Defence

798 points

800 ap list used in Rome at the IWF Euros 2009

• 9 FF
• 4 LF, HG, Superior
• 4 LH, Bw, Average
• 4 LF, HG, Superior
• 4 LH, bw, Av
• 4 LH, Bw/Sw, Superior
• 4 Timariots, Cv, protected Bw/Sw, Superior
• 8 Janissaries, Sup Protected Bw, Sw
• 8 Janissaries, Sup Protected Bw, Sw
• 4 Timariots, Cv, Armoured Bw/Sw, Superior
• 4 Serbian Proper Knights, Undrilled
• 4 Quakapulu, Elite Armoured Bw/Sw Cavalry
• 4 MF Impact Foot Swordsmen, Average Protected
• 6 LF Bow, Average (in ambush)
• Ally, TC, TC

800 AP list used by Mr Spain, Pedro at the IWF Euro's in Rome 2009

• 4 LF, Bw, Poor
• 6 LH, Bw, Average
• 6 LH, Bw, Average
• 4 LH, Bw, Average
• 4 LH, Lancer, Swordsmen, Average
• 4 LH, Lancer, Swordsmen, Average
• 4 Cavalry, Superior, Undrilled, Protected, Bow, Swordsmen
• 4 Cavalry, Superior, Undrilled, Protected, Bow, Swordsmen
• 4 Cavalry, Superior, Undrilled, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen
• 8 Janissaries, Superior, Bw, Swordsmen, protected
• 8 Janissaries, Superior, Bw, Swordsmen, protected
• 4 Cavalry, Elite, Drilled, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen (Quakapulu)
• IC + 2x TC

900 AP army used at Oxford Doubles 2009 by Richard Bodley Scott

• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw/Sw (tatars)
• 4 LH, Bw/Sw (tatars)
• 4 LH, Bw
• 4 LH, Bw
• 8 LF, Poor, Bw, funny hats
• 4 LF, Guns, Superior
• 4 LF, Guns, Superior
• 4 Cv Superior Armoured, Undrilled, Bw, Sw
• 4 Cv Superior Armoured, Undrilled, Bw, Sw
• 2 Elite Cv, Bw, Sw
• 2 Elite Cv, Bw, Sw
• 4 Cv, Armoured, Bw, Sw, Superior Timariots
• 4 Cv, Armoured, Bw, Sw, Superior Timariots
• 3xTC + FC (Sub general for lowering initiative score)

800 AP list

• 4 LH avg, bw
• 6 LH avg, bw
• 6 LF poor jav
• 4 LH avg bow
• 4 Cav Sup, bow/swd
• 4 Cav Av, bow/swd
• 8 MF bow swd protected Sup
• 4 cav elite bow/swd
• 4LH avg bow
• 4 kn HA sup l/swd
• 4 cav Sup bow/swd
• 4 cav avg protected bow/swd

1xInspired, 2xTC, 1xTC ally serb
(as used at Warfare by Charles Masefield)

• 1 Light Horse 8 Light Horse, Bowm Unprotected, Average
• 2 Light Horse 8 Light Horse, Bowm Unprotected, Average
• 3 Peasant Foot handgunners 4 Handgun, Poor, Unprotected
• 4 Janissaries 4 Handgun, Superior, Unprotected
• 5 More Light Horsemen 6 Light Horse, Bowm Unprotected, Average
• 6 More Light Horsemen 6 Light Horse, Bowm Unprotected, Average
• 7 Emirs Mamluks 4 Drilled Protected Superior Bow / Swordsmen
• 8 Mamluks 4 Undrilled Protected Superior Bow / Swordsmen
• 9 Mamluks 4 Undrilled Protected Superior Bow / Swordsmen
• 10 Lancer Cavalry 4 Unprotected Average Light Horse Lance
• 11 Serbs 4 Knights, Lance, Superior, Heavy Armour (this was from a beta list, now superseded by the printed version. 8 Lancers are available only as Cav in the Early Ottoman Turkish)
• 12 Serbs 4 Knights, Lance, Superior, Heavy Armour
• 13 Ghazis 6 Undrilled Protected Impact Swordsmen Medium Foot

used by Pete Dalby in Britcon 2007

Name of Army / Date

• Using asterisks inthe edit mode creates a bulleted list in the actual site
• This is a lot easier to do than easier than setting up tables
• For FoG I suggest listing your army in order or march
• with troop desctiptions on each line, for example
• 4 HF Armoured Average Drilled Impact Foot Swordsmen
• 8 LG Undrilled Unarmoured Poor Bowen
• Dont forget to include your Generals !!!

Include any notes you want here, including comments on how to use - or play against - the army.

Remember to leave a line before you copy the above section as a template for your own list

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