Reconquista at Partizan, Yusef ibn Tashfin's Hasham Guard Cavalry

Finally, the completion of another cavalry unit! This time it is the turn of Yusef ibn Tashfin's Hasham Guard Cavalry Regiment.

Heavy Cavalry such as the Hasham Guard were something of a rarity among the Berber tribes thus it is likely that the guard units were specially raised and trained as personal bodyguards to the Emir, Shaykh or Sayyid.  These units would not fight in the Christian style with their increasing tendency to couch the lance but rather with throwing spears and javelins albeit mounted on very sturdy horses. It is not clear as to whether the Hasham Guard units would use feigned flight as a tactic like many other Muslim cavalry types.

The cavalrymen are all Artizan Designs but the horses are all old Musketeer Miniatures (Now sold by Footsore Miniatures) as they have a superior look to them. The Footsore Miniatures are currently OOP but I have heard that they might be available again sometime this year- those that is not from the horses mouth (sorry :>) ). I was actually really surprised to see them OOP as I know Bill the sculptor reasonably well and I know that they were a range that was very close to his heart as they a his first sculpting passion of his. The prospect of having a Caliphate range available was one of his prime reasons for sculpting the range.

I have primarily used Vallejo paint but started with a Foundry Blue for the base of the miniatures cloaks, turbans and veils. The base for the Black is Andrea black which is wonderfully matt and a great base to start with when painting up a black robe. (It must be good as they have sold out of it in the Andrea online shop!) The protective layer of varnish is Humbrol Gloss Enamel with a final spray of Windsor and Newton Professional Matt Varnish to flatten things out. I find W&N to be the best matt varnish I have tried in all my years of painting (by a royal mile!).