Arab or Ottoman VSF

[gloriousbattle]

What are they doing in the lands of the Prophet during your VSF campaigns?

In mine, the Turks are rather villainous, trying to use a combination of steam and sorcery to conquer the world, while the Arabs are more noble Moslems with a mission -somewhat like the Bedouin order in The Mummy- they are trying to keep the world from being destroyed by supernatural horror locked in desert tombs.

While lacking in steam tech, my Arabs have a certain amount of magic available, which can make them deadly opponents.

Curious how others have dealt with the Sons of the Desert in a VSF context.

PS Please note that, for me, VSF includes a lot of fantasy as well as SF, as this seems to have been popular among Victorians, and the distinctions were far less clear in those days.

[Sterling Moose]

Someone did a conversion of the GW Empire Steam Tank for their VSF Turkish Army, very nice it was too.  Unfortunately my powers of Google are failing me tonight.

[Hat Guy]

The VSF army I'm building is based around the Arab nation, most noticeably Afghanistan, but encompassing the Bedouin culture as well.

The Army is led by El Laurence, a former British soldier turned traitor, trying to force the colonial services out of the Holy Land. He is aided by the wheelchair-bound American Muslim scientist and engineer, Professor Malcolm X who provides new Western technology for the Jihad.

El Laurence has also awoken the Immortal Prince Dastan from his slumber to defend his ancestral lands, Dastan wields the mythical Dagger of Time and is accompanied by a mysterious Vizier that can summon forth a host of ghostly ancient Persian warriors.

The army acts as an antagonist in our games, often supported by other downtrodden natives such a Zulus and Martians as El Laurence tries to galvanise these forces against the accursed British.

The terrosists will never win so long as I can make fun of them. 

[Tomsche]

Steampowered flying carpetmen?  Camelmounted missile contraptions?

[Gluteus Maximus]

Steampowered flying carpetmen? 

Now that is one VSF model I'd love to see 

[HerbyF]

Steam Elephants maybe. Some ancient technology in a secret location in the dessert to reach other worlds.

[former user]

not that far fetched if one considers that the araby invented kerosine in the middle ages as well as tarred roads and street lamps....


I pal made an ottoman steamtank based on some heroclix model, complet with prayer carpet tyed to the turret 

[zebcook]

Oh dear, I'll have to get the photos of my Turkish VSF force up. I'm just in the last stages of getting it painted. So far it consists of:

Outpost Russo-Turkish Infantry and Command group
Ironclad Martians
Janissary bots (converted Mage Knight figs)
An armored steam car (Dark Eldar sled/steam engine hack)
Flying monkeys (as soon as I get them mounted)

I'm still working on the GW Empire steam tank (which should fit in nicely with little work).

Zeb

[former user]

please do

we want to see

[oxiana]

The VSF army I'm building is based around the Arab nation, most noticeably Afghanistan, but encompassing the Bedouin culture as well ... a mysterious Vizier that can summon forth a host of ghostly ancient Persian warriors.

 

That army is going to be fighting against itself and no mistake! An Afghan being called an Arab is bad enough, but to call a Persian an Arab is truly a heinous insult. You might as well have the Brits and the Russians in the same unit! 

[former user]

I think Germans and Austrians would be a more appropriate comparison

well, I guess many Muslims don't make a very fine distinction either.

remember the many european flags with a cross that were burned after the thing with the cartoons 

Oh, and btw - generally speaking, many near eastern armies used to field foreign fellow muslim mercenaries in the past and also today, so I don't think this would be a problem, especially in wargaming VSF terms


with Austrians and Germans on the other hand...

[gloriousbattle]

First off, neat ideas all!  Bravo gentlemen!

Janissary bots (converted Mage Knight figs)

Which mageknight figs did you use?  Even if you don't get the photos up right away, I'd love to know.

Thanks!

[Skrapwelder]

I have been working on an Ottoman army for VSF for a while now. I'll be trying to add a Lovecraftian aspect to the backstory. I've posted pictures of my elephant before. Here are some pictures of a couple of finished units and a work in progress vehicle.


A unit of Ottoman Regulars


A small band of Smoke Knights. Followers of the Vizier of Night, a mystical said to be the power behind the Imperial Sultan.


A carpet stretched over a frame of liftwood and propelled by a small Stirling engine.


The clockwork elephant with some of its crew aboard.

I'm caught up in a Pulp/Second American Civil War project currently and the Ottomans have been sidelined for a bit. I'm also planning on a contingent of Bashi Bazouk and some Romanin client state troops.

[zebcook]

First off, neat ideas all!  Bravo gentlemen!

Which mageknight figs did you use?  Even if you don't get the photos up right away, I'd love to know.

Thanks!

Whirling Golems. Trimmed off half of the double blade and rigged a janissary-style hat with a bit of plastic straw, some paper and plasticard.

[Fjodin]

Amazing elephant!