Number 11: See the Pyramids Along the Nile

While digging out my 30mm figures for the Quebec game, I came across the abandoned beginnings of my 25mm Horse and Musket Turkish army which has been looking for a reason to be. I also came across a handful of test castings from 25mm Prince August Waterloo moulds I'd been given but had no reason to use. It took a couple of days for me to finally see the obvious connection.

My Turks in the backyard  3 years ago.

Roughly 20 years ago, one of my first 54mm projects (yes a deliverable with plan and target date) was to assemble a convention game based on the action at Rosetta during the 1807 British invasion of Egypt. I got side tracked into Colonials and the War of 1812. The Turks became the army of the Emir of Wadi Foulyam and fought 1850's British instead. Both armies have since retired to the England where the weather is more conducive to wargames in the great outdoors.

Retired Cairo Janisaries in a Garden  Wargame last fall. Photo snitched from Brian Carrick's Collecting Toy Soldiers Blog.

I made the 25mm Turks back in 2011 to use against Ron's SYW Austrians but after one game we were onto to something else. I never got to making cavalry or enough infantry for a proper game and since that first game, they've only been out once, a solo game 3 years ago (see 1st picture).

The moulds being made back in 2011.

The Waterloo moulds were given to me by a friend who needed a home for them but I don't want to go there. Its always seemed a shame not to use the moulds though and my sole Turkish cavalryman is a conversion from the  French lancer mould.

I'm not sure  why it took me so long to figure out the obvious. Reboot the 1807 Anglo-Turkish War but using 25mm homecast figures. The Highlanders will work fine, the British and Foreign infantry will have the wrong hats and the cavalry will probably need some converting but it'll be cheap and I'll finally have a good reason to use my little bits of 25mm desert terrain. It should also help scratch my exotic "Colonial" itch!

In any event, this just leaves one open spot in my list of 12 collections.

It'll probably also take some time though since there are a lot of other things to do. Its just good to know why I'm keeping these figures and moulds and to have a reason to cast and paint up a few when in the mood.

My Turks (with French allies) facing Ron's Austrians in an early Portable Wargame in 2011.

Of course, a One Hour Scenario wouldn't need a lot of troops.... so who knows? "Home by Christmas" maybe?