That's an awesome response Jchaos, have you been planning this for a while? Thanks for putting in so much time into your post.
It was fun. When I painted my historical araby army I spent some time thinking in araby generic fantasy list, so it was already in my head, just some certain image google searches and some copy paste from photobucket.
I really like the idea of having a 40 thieves type unit, they'd be great for an infiltration type unit.
I've definitely been thinking along the same lines with elemental Djinns. Something I've been toying with is an Arabian style Landship, perhaps using Air Elemental Djinns bound to it to keep it racing around popping little cannons off.
In the new manowar (dreadfleet) there is a boat with some djinn blowing the sail. I think is a cool concept.
I really want to portray this Fantasy Arabian culture as a real economic and cultural powerhouse , as opposed to the somewhat limited scope they are given in the fluff. I picture it as being being a mix of Arab Golden Age, Achaemenid & Sassanid splendour and Ottoman grandure. In my mind the great cities of the merchant princes, viziers and satraps would be an amalgam of Constantinople, Isfahan, old Baghdad and Seville.
Yep indeed. I think fantasy araby is already very influential for renaissance ottoman turk, or to be accurate, IMO fantasy araby army is influenced by the romantic XIX century vision of renaissance ottoman turk (arabian nights / one thousand and one night). And these can fit well with Iranids culture (pre islamic) as you mention above. It is a really interesting army full of details and rich in sources.
Thanks again for sharing all the inspiration, and I'm glad my ideas aren't far from the mark. I really need to look into that Berserk comic, I love the Sultan - battlefield portable peacock throne anyone? I also thought that the half ogres I'm working on would probably fit into the summoned demon role perhaps.
If you want to take a look to berserk comic, here you can find the whole comic
http://www.mangareader.net/berserk/303About half ogres, yes defenetiviley they are very interesting figures, as half ogres, big bodyguards or summoned demons.
About the sultan portable peacock, have you take a look to Matt's Kublain khan (the winner painting competion in open base )?
http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,11625.0.htmlAnyway, almost too many ideas and all my time has been spent teaching life drawing from 9a.m. to 6p.m. Gets a bit of a strain keeping students interested after two solid weeks, but I get some sketching in when doing examples - which I'll be popping up on the blog hopefully tonight.
Those are only inspiration. A lot of exotic ideas, but as you said somewhere, probably the best seller are archers. About archers I can imagine different aproaches:
- One aproach is dark age (VII -X century AC) historical aproach: some light mail archer, with helmet, no turban and mail mask. Byzantine influenced. A look similar to katafracti horsemen or sassanid bowmen. And composite bow of course.
- Other aproach is more "ottoman turk / arabian nights" style, with no armour, turbant and composite bow. Vest, naked chest, Point tip shoes and harem pants. They could be similar to the WM araby stuff.
- The last approach is the typical archers with long dress, but I think there are enough historical figures that fit that description
