1:72 Turkish Eyalet Infantry (XVII century)

Ottoman provincial infantry of the 17th century

A set of figures from the brand Mars in 1:72 scale capturing the foot soldiers of the Ottoman army of the 17th century of the kind that the individual provinces of the empire sent into the field. The eyalet was a large administrative unit of the Ottoman state, and the units raised from it differed from the standing corps of the janissaries: the equipment and the armament tended to be more varied and the unit came about for one particular campaign. In the 17th century such bodies fought in the Hungarian theater against the Habsburg monarchy, in the north against the Polish-Lithuanian state and in the long war for Crete.

Size and use

In 1:72 scale an adult figure works out at roughly 24 mm, so the set suits models, dioramas and tabletop scenes of the same scale. The small size dictates the way of working: a legible outline and the contrast between clothing, metal and flesh matter more than fine drawing of detail.

Painting tips

• Wash the figures in lukewarm water with detergent before painting and let them dry.
• Apply a base coat; without it paint holds considerably less well on smooth plastic.
• Leave the coloring of the clothing uneven across the set, as provincial contingents had no uniform.
• Bring out the hollows with a dark glaze and go over the edges with a dry brush.
• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the figure and sand the remainder down.

Who the set is for

The set will speak to collectors of historical figures and to builders of dioramas of the period of the Turkish wars. The figures will serve as the garrison of a fortress, as a besieging body before a wall or as a marching column at the edge of a scene, where they will complete cavalry and artillery of the same scale.

Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.