Naffatun

A variation on my standard Berber paint theme, turned a bit darker for fire wielding troops.

 

Figures by Musketeer Miniatures

Cloaks and scarves:
Cold Grey (V)
Redstone Highlight (Reaper)

Naffatun pots:
Grass Green (R)
Golden Olive (V)

Arab Figure Compareson

A review of various manufactures of 28mm figures for Arab/Muslim infantry and cavalry from the 10th-12th centuries.  I’ve be busy collecting figures from different companies for my Arab armies.   Most recently I’ve added Berber models from Miniature Design Studio and Arab troops from Musketeer Miniatures.

The models from MDS are well sculpted, on the smaller end of 28mm, come with little flash & a small amount of venting and are rather inexpensive.  I recommend looking at the Warband deals – £25.00 for 50 is a pretty good deal.  The Berber line is well stocked with 5 poses each of spear and bow, but many of the lines from MDS have only a single figure of each type.  The only negative is the soft metal used to cast the figures – swords and bows bend easily and I immediately discarded the cast bamboo spears for wire spears.  MDS was very prompt to respond to emails and was able to ship & deliver from the UK in less than 2 weeks.

The models from Musketeer Miniatures are some of the best sculpted figures on the market (although the crown still be longs to the Perry brothers).  Well cast with little flash or venting, the figures are on the larger end of 28mm possibly being a bit bulky.  The line is rather expensive, but I’ve been lusting after the Senior Ghulam cavalry unit for some time now & had to indulge.  The figures where ordered through Architects of War here in the US.  The order took 6 weeks to complete, but AoW stayed in constant communication with me during the process.

My army will use figures from five companies: MDS, Perry, Gripping Beast, Magister Militum and Musketeer.  Posted are comparison photos of infantry from all 5 companies and cavalry from Perry, Magister and Musketeer.

Arab Cavalry Comparison – Side

Arab Cavalry Comparison – Front

Arab Infantry Figures

First Figures for Arab WAB Army

Testing a variety of color schemes for my new Arab army. The goal is to have a variety of colors scattered through out the army. All too often my figures are too similar – unity in an army is an important quality to have, but I seem to take it to extremes at times. So far I have found little information/inspiration for painting an Arab WAB army. Osprey has a number of tiles for the time period – I purchased Armies of the Caliphates and Saracen Faris. Both book depicted the solders of the period in a variety of primary (if pastel) colors with soft brown leather foot ware and gear. Darrel Hindley creates a very different view of the Arab world with a controlled pallet of white and blue – check the bottom of his Figure Painter blog page.

Additional Sources:

• More painted figure pics from the Musketeer Miniatures forum: Spear men and cavalry & Command.
• Arab Cavalry army from Olicanald.
• Tom Weiss’s show case of Moors and El Cid from Gripping Beast.
• Cleeve Prints Gripping Beast Moors from the Steve Dean Painting forum.
• More from Steve Dean forums:  Musketeer archers, Musketeer Ghulam, Ghulam.
• Saxon Dog Crusader project.

Of the 6 figures – I’m most satisfied with the three in the front rank. The primary color pattern is much cleaner than the three brown figures in the back row. I really like the red – but a whole army in red robes would look too much like some chaos death cult. On the next set of figures, I need to revisit the brown & see if I can create a softer result.

Paint List

All figures primed white and washed with a brown ink.

Spears: Vermin Brown (GW)

Bows: Tan Yellow (V)

Green: Orkhide Shade (GW), Snot Green (GW), 50/50 Snot Green/Ivory (V)

Red: Burnt Cad. Red (V), Beige Red (V), 50/50 Beige/White

White: Astronomican Grey (GW), white

Blue: Regal Blue (GW), Ultramarine Blue (GW), 50/50 Ultramarine Blue/Ivory

Flesh: Medium Flesh (V), Gryphonne Sepia (GW) (Borrowed this wash hint from Five Armies)

Brown: assorted combinations of Calthan Brown (GW), Iyanden Darksun (GW), Bubonic Brown (GW), Ivory, Sepia and Devlan Mud (GW)

Shoes: Tanned Flesh (GW) or Iyanden Darksun

Shield: Red Leather (V)