Running the Ottoman Turkish Army
by Martin Morgan

This article describes my first introduction to, and my development of an Ottoman Turkish army for De Bellis Multitudinus (DBM) rule set. This is currently my favourite DBM army and it has helped me to win two Australian Championships in the last four years. It is an army that combines mobility and firepower with a good strike capability while still remaining resilient.

Cancon 97

My first introduction to the Ottomans was late in 1996 when I was looking for an army to take to Cancon for the Australian Championships in January 1997. I was looking for an army that could attack quickly and breakthrough an enemy line. For my two previous trips to Cancon I had taken Gauls and later Carthaginians, both armies that lacked punch. I had achieved some good results with these armies but their inability to quickly finish off opponents meant that I had scored too many draws.

Cancon 97 was a 330 point competition so an Ottoman army was going to be small. To provide the punch I wanted I decided to run a Serbian ally command with a core force of superior knights (Kn(S)). However I also wanted an army with good mobility, which means good command control, so I needed three regular commands. Therefore the army I selected consisted of four commands. After selecting the required minimums there were not many points left to round out the army.

The army list was as follows:

1 x	C in C	Reg Cv(S)	@ 30	30	30
2 x	Sub-general	Reg Cv(S)	@ 30	60	90
1 x	Qapukulu Cavalry	Reg Cv(S)	@ 10	10	100
3 x	Feudal Sipahis	Irr Cv(S)	@ 9	27	127
6 x	Feudal Sipahis	Irr Cv(O)	@ 7	42	169
10 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)	@ 4	40	209
3 x	Janissary Archers	Reg Bw(S)	@ 7	21	230
1 x	Janissary Handgunners	Reg Ps(S)	@ 3	3	233
5 x	Azab Archers	Irr Ps(O)	@ 2	10	243
1 x	Azab Handgunners	Irr Ps(S)	@ 3	3	246
1 x	Spearmen	Irr Ax(O)	@ 3	3	249
5 x	European Infantry	Irr Hd(O)	@ 1	5	254
1 x	Serbian Ally general	Irr Kn(S)	@22	22	276
3 x	Serbian Vlastela	Irr Kn(S)	@12	36	312
2 x	Serbian Gusars	Irr LH(O)	@ 5	10	342
2 x	Serbian Archers	Irr Bw(I)	@ 3	6	328
1 x	Serbian Archers	Irr Ps(O)	@ 2	2	330

The command structure for this army is shown below.

Command 1
1 x	C in C	Reg Cv(S)
3 x	Janissary archers	Reg Bw(S)
1 x	Janissary Handgunners	Reg Ps(S)
1 x	Spearmen	Irr Ax(O)
1 x	Azab Handgunners	Irr Ps(S)
5 x	Azab archers	Irr Ps(O)
4 x	European Infantry	Irr Hd(O)
Total Element Equivalents = 10.5  (16 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 3.5
Command 2
1 x	Sub-general	Reg Cv(S)
1 x	Qapukulu Cavalry	Reg Cv(S)
3 x	Feudal sipahis	Irr Cv(S)
3 x	Feudal sipahis	Irr Cv(O)
5 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)
Total Element Equivalents = 13   (13 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 5
Command 3
1 x	Sub-General	Reg Cv(S)
5 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)
3 x	Feudal sipahis	Irr Cv(O)
1 x	European Infantry	Irr Hd(O)
8 x	Immobile Baggage
Total Element Equivalents = 9.5   (18 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 3.5
Command 4
1 x	Ally General	Irr Kn(S)
3 x	Serbian vlastela	Irr Kn(S)
2 x	Serbian gusars	Irr LH(O)
2 x	Serbian archers	Irr Bw(I)
1 x	Serbian archers	Irr Ps(O)
Total Element Equivalents = 8.5   (9 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 3

Total Army Elements = 41.5
Army Break Point = 21
Largest Command = Command 3

The Serbian command was minimal, but I thought that 4 knights were enough to achieve a breakthrough while being a small enough group to control and manoeuvre. The command had 8.5 element equivalents (EE) and a break point of 3. This meant that the lone Psiloi was expendable. If I was defending, the Psiloi could be placed in ambush where it could be attacked, thus making the command reliable. If I attacked, the Psiloi would accompany the knights and provide flank support. The Serbian command has always performed well and I still use the same command structure that I started out with.

The Ottomans were split into three commands, a strike command, a skirmish command and a reserve. The strike command contained the bulk of the cavalry, superior backed by ordinary. To give it an added dimension it also included 5 akinjis (LH(F)). The skirmish command consisted of the general backed up by three feudal sipahis (Cv(O)) and 5 akinjis, with a horde added to make the command break point 3.5. The akinjis were the main arm of this command with the feudal sipahis being a support force that could help out against enemy light horse. The third Ottoman command was the CinC’s command. This was a reserve command and contained most of the infantry in the army. The Janissaries were kept with the CinC as a reserve to be moved to the part of the battlefield where they would be most needed and the Psiloi were given the task of clearing any rough going close to the Ottoman deployment area.

One of the reasons for choosing the Ottomans was their aggression of 4. With preset terrain I believe it is always best to be the attacker as it means that you have a greater chance of selecting the direction of attack and you get the first move. With an army that is highly manoeuvrable, like the Ottomans, you can often pin most of the enemy with light horse before they have moved. This limits the enemies opportunities to redeploy if they have bad match ups.

The general battle plan was to use the light horse to pin the enemy on the first turn. By moving the light horse forward I would have a clear area to manoeuvre my strike commands to positions where they could attack the weakest points in the enemy line. After pinning the enemy, the light horse would try and stretch the enemy by threatening their flanks or any gaps in their line. If faced by superior numbers the Akinjis would fall back slowly and try to delay the enemy for as long as possible.

I work on the notion that when someone is fighting Ottomans they are always fighting superior troops. While the akinjis are LH(F), their superior movement makes them very valuable. Having the greatest movement capability of all the troops on the battlefield means that they have excellent threat potential and are great at skirmishing. They only fight when the odds are heavily in their favour, or when they can make a quick hit and run attack.

The Serbs would be the main attack force. If they achieved a breakthrough then they would move through the enemy line and attempt to regroup before looking for their next target. The cavalry from one of the other commands or the Janissaries would exploit the breach. The psiloi would clear any rough going near my deployment area, supported by the auxilia and Janissaries. The light horse would run past the rough going to cut off any enemy reinforcements. The psiloi would then attack frontally while the light horse attacked from the flanks and/or rear. This proved to be very successful on a number of occasions.

So how did it all turn out? At Cancon 97 I fought six armies containing knights; 2 later Hungarians, Serbian Empire, Medieval Portugese and 2 Alexandrian armies (one Macedonian and one Imperial). I achieved 5 wins and one hard fought draw against Robert Zamykals Alexandrian Macedonians where I was defender and my Serbians were unreliable for almost the entire game. The Ottoman cavalry command was usually used as a blocking force while the Serbs attacked supported by the light horse and the Janissaries. The akinjis showed themselves to excellent skirmishers with a small number being able to tie up large numbers of the enemy while my other troops concentrated on delivering the knockout blow.

Cancon 98

Cancon ‘98 saw the points total increased to 350pts. I decided to run roughly the same force and simply added two bombards to increase the firepower of the army. The artillery would give me the chance to break open defensive lines and to combat armies with superior bows. I also decided to rearrange the command structure slightly, adding some psiloi to the main cavalry command to provide a shield against enemy archers. The artillery was added to the CinC’s command so that the CinC could use his extra PIP to provide the artillery with more mobility.

I took the army off to Canberra only to find that due to an organizational problem there were not enough 6’ by 4’ tables and we were going to be playing on 6’ by 3’ tables. As the Ottomans rely heavily on their mobility they require room to manoeuvre. On a 6’ by 3’ table this was going to be hard to find, especially for the skirmish command whose mode of operation is to rush forward and then execute a slow withdrawal.

Some 6’ by 4’ tables were available and I had the good fortune to play on them for the first four rounds. The umpire, Craig McGarty, ruled that if both players agreed then they could use the full table depth, if not then the depth would be reduced to 3 feet. My first four opponents all graciously agreed to use the full table size and the result was four wins to the Ottomans. My opponents being Later Hungarian, Free Company, Lithuanian and Normans. On day three my opponents were Marcus Watson with Classical Indian and Scott Nicholas with Mitanni. Both had "steamroller" type armies and, quite understandably, did not want to fight on full size tables. In both games I was forced to commit the Serbs early, before I had time to weaken the enemy line, in order to stop my skirmish command being pushed off the back of the board and my CinC’s command being engaged. Both times the Serbs failed to break through, the CinC’s command was engaged and lost and I lost both games.

The artillery proved to be very useful, although the Janissaries performed poorly, except against the Lithuanians where they were deployed on a flank and managed to hold off a vastly superior force of light horse.

I finished the tournament with four wins and two losses and 10^th place.

Cancon 99

Cancon 99 saw the points value increased to 375 points, which meant I had an extra 25 points to add to my list (as did everyone else!). The performance of my artillery at Cancon 98 led me to the decision to increase the firepower of the army even more. Therefore another bombard was added and the Janissary contingent was increased from three to six. The Serb command remained the same.

The army list is as follows:

1 x	C in C	Reg Cv(S)	@ 30	30	30
2 x	Sub-general	Reg Cv(S)	@ 30	60	90
1 x	Qapakulu Cavalry	Reg Cv(S)	@ 10	10	100
3 x	Feudal Sipahis	Irr Cv(S)	@ 9	27	127
6 x	Feudal Sipahis	Irr Cv(O)	@ 7	42	169
10 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)	@ 4	40	209
6 x	Janissaries	Reg Bw(S)	@ 7	42	251
3 x	Bombards	Reg Art(S)	@ 10	30	281
2 x	Janissary Handgunners	Irr Ps(S)	@ 3	6	287
2 x	Azab archers	Irr Bw(I)	@ 3	6	293
4 x	Azab archers	Irr Ps(O)	@ 2	8	301
1 x	Spearmen	Irr Ax(O)	@ 3	3	304
1 x	Serbian ally-general	Irr Kn(S)	@ 17	17	321
3 x	Serbian vlastela	Irr Kn(S)	@ 12	36	357
2 x	Serbian gusars	Irr LH(O)	@ 5	10	367
2 x	Serbian archers	Irr Bw(I)	@ 3	6	373
1 x	Serbian archers	Irr Ps(O)	@ 2	2	375

The basic plan for Cancon 99 had not changed much from the previous years. The first turn would be used to push the light horse forward to pin the enemy and also to move the artillery as far forward as possible. It is important to get artillery in position early in the game as they cannot fire if they have moved and you want to start shooting at the enemy when they are 500 paces away and not 200 paces away. It is for this reason that I always run light horse in front of the artillery to cover their deployment.

One other tactic that I intended to use at Cancon 99 was to run four Janissaries between two bombards. The group would advance but then the bombards would stop while the Janissaries continued their advance, with the Bombards covering the flanks. If the Janissaries were attacked they would fall back covered by the bombards.

The skirmish command was decreased in size, which allowed the cavalry command to be beefed up. This meant that the CinC’s command and the cavalry command could attack from two different directions setting up a killing ground and drawing the enemy into it, while the Serbs waited in support looking for weak points in the enemy line.

The command structure for this army is shown below.

Command 1
1 x	C in C	Reg Cv(S)
6 x	Janissaries	Reg Bw(S)
3 x	Bombards	Reg Art(S)
1 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)
1 x	Spearmen	Irr Ax(O)
2 x	Janissary handgunners	Irr Ps(S)
2 x	Azab archers	Irr Bw(I)
4 x	Azab archers	Irr Ps(O)
6 x	Immobile Baggage
Total Element Equivalents = 17   (25 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 6
Command 2
1 x	Sub-general	Reg Cv(S)
1 x	Qapukulu Cavalry	Reg Cv(S)
3 x	Feudal sipahis	Irr Cv(S)
6 x	Feudal sipahis	Irr Cv(O)
5 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)
2 x	Mobile Baggage
Total Element Equivalents = 16   (18 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 6
Command 3
1 x	Sub-General	Reg Cv(S)
4 x	Akinjis	Irr LH(F)
Total Element Equivalents = 5   (5 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 2
Command 4
1 x	Ally General	Irr Kn(S)
3 x	Serbian vlastela	Irr Kn(S)
2 x	Serbian gusars	Irr LH(O)
2 x	Serbian archers	Irr Bw(I)
1 x	Serbian archers	Irr Ps(O)
Total Element Equivalents = 8.5   (9 Elements in total) Command Break Point = 3

Total Army Elements = 46.5
Army Break Point = 23.5
Largest Command = Command 1

During the competition I had wins over Teutonic Order, two Feudal Spanish and Early Tang and a winning draw against Mike Walsh’s Early Achaemenid Persians where the Janissaries and artillery defeated the Immortals and the Serbian knights crumbled against enemy Bw(O). This left me in first place going into the last round, where I faced Nick Wade’s Uighurs. These included a mass of Psiloi backed Spearmen, perhaps the troop type the Ottomans have the most trouble dealing with. Luckily I was the defender and I was able to counter all of Nick’s attacks, with the Artillery doing a great job of delaying the Spearmen. The game resulted in a 5-5 draw, which was enough to give me the championship. The games that I won in this tournament were won through the use of combined arms. The combination of Cv(S), Bw(S), Art(S) and Kn(S) supported by LH(F) did the damage.

Ottomans under DBM V3.0

The rule changes in DBM V3.0 have decreased the effectiveness of the Ottoman army. The superior troops are less powerful. Due to the small size of the Ottoman commands the superior quality of their troops is important in keeping the commands intact. The effectiveness of the artillery has also been decreased. The increased deployment zones means that it is harder to pin the enemy on the first turn if they deploy a skirmish screen in front of their army. This means that the Ottoman skirmishers have less room to withdraw into.

I think that the rule changes will force a change in the structure of the Ottoman army. The Ax(O) and Bw(I) both benefit from the rule changes and as they are cheap troops they can be maximized to bulk out the commands. Similarly Ps(O) are probably a better buy than Ps(S), especially if supported by Ax(O), and the number of Cv(O) could be increased. Deploying two or three bombards is probably no longer cost effective, although a single bombard could still be very useful, especially if the enemy has Elephants and War Wagons.

The Serbs still provide a powerful punch for the army, although taking a later Ottoman army with Bd(O) and WWg(O) could provide an interesting alternative. However as a three command Cv/LH army the Ottomans need to be bulked out with filler to be able to fight a prolonged battle of manoeuvre.

My Ottomans will certainly be fighting many more competition battles.