The Nizari Assassins -from Gripping Beast Plastic Arabs

 

The project was to create a Nizari, “Hashashin” Retinue of Assassins using Gripping Beast figures. I chose the plastic figures because none of the metal ones struck me as Assassin material, they all seem to be designed to be martialled in ranks as big units, whereas the kit bash potential of the plastics combined with some very characterful facial expressions said, “please use us!” So, I did.

When assembling a new historical Retinue, particularly if it involves creating new figures, the first thing you need to know is what they actually looked like. Usually this is not a problem, if you are researching Napoleons’ Imperial Guard or the 1^st Airborne at Arnhem there are many thousands of images you can download from various sources, however, once you ignore the numerous Assassin Creed, D and D and other fantasy options, there is very little evidence for how the Nizari actually dressed. This is of course due in part to a penchant for disguise, the Nizari were masters of hiding themselves in plain sight, in fact, we can dress our Assassins as pretty much anything from the same region and era. This provides many options, they could be wearing the attire of grooms, servants, soldiers, priests, potentially even the Military Orders…

I decided to make mine Islamic figuring that the Nizari had more conflicts with their Islamic neighbours that they did with the Frank invaders and because I really wanted to paint some Islamic figures! I think I will expand my collection at some future time to include more civilian types and few disguised as Western soldiers.

What makes an Assassin? A dagger or possibly two. I reckon any figure, particularly a furtively stooped or crouched figure, will make a good Assassin as long as its carrying a dagger or two!

GB Arab Spearmen and Archers set, GBP04

Gripping Beast plastics are the grandaddy of the multipart plastics world, it was the GB Arab Heavy Cavalry that got me back into gaming after a long hiatus when I spotted them in a model shop window in Salisbury about 15 years ago. I converted them into Haradrim Mumak riders.

There are eight frames in the box each with five figures which means you can create a very respectable 40 figures. You can have all 40 as spearmen or create up to 16 archers and 16 javelin men

There are enough shields for each figure to carry one and they come in two different styles, round and “fat kite” shaped

There are eight heads, two of which have scarves over their faces, perfect for Assassins!

These are all very characterful.

Some GB spearmen, the Dark Age warrior set for example, have the left arm sculpted closely to the body, great for holding a shield but limiting the potential for kit bashing, these guys do not suffer from that problem quite so much.

Of the nine right arms two are holding bows, one brandishes a rather fancy sword, and one totes a long straight trumpet. 

The range of different heads, weapons and poses does not compare to that presented by the WGA kits, however these kits are nearly thirty years old and have far smaller fames so that’s not so surprising. The figures are well proportioned, crisp and smooth, with minimal cast lines, they are perfect for painting.

This kit is designed for creating units and as such succeeds admirably, it is somewhat limited in its potential for creating a skirmish force but that’s’ exactly what I am going to do

Assassin Heroes!

The body, and cloak, for the Captain, that is the Fidais Shaykh, came from a GB Dark Ages Welsh figure, his head is GB Arab Heavy Cavalry, and the knives are both from my spares box and probably originated from Frostgrave figures.

  I like the angle his head is held at, its as if he is going all in with the overhead stab that started at his hip!

  I imagine him disguised as a Turcopole, he has maybe infiltrated the Templars themselves! 

He is a work in browns, mostly Citadel, Mournfang etc for the tunic, Rhinox et al for the cloak, the little skirty thing is done with AP Fanatics Burnt Turf and Desert Yellow. All browns are washed and glazed with Agrax.

A Fidais, a fully trained Assassin, in Ruckus terms he would be a Squire. His body is from the GB Arab Spearmen and Archers set, as is his head. His tunic is painted with Citadel Balor Brown trio, his head covering is the Citadel Khemri Dust trio

The leather belt and pouch use the leather recipe of Valejo Chocolate, Flat Earth, and highlighted with Dark Sand and washed with Smoke

This next Character is another Fidais this time in a dark blue theme based on the deep desert “Blue men”, the Tuaregs, I met when travelling in Morocco near the Sahara

All the parts for this figure came from GBP04

Taureg 

The blue black of the head covering is Citadel Kantor blue mixed with black and highlighted by adding lighter blues to the mix

The blue grey of the tunic is Citadel the Fang, plus highlights, glazed with Tyran Blue 

Assassin Novices disguised as Sufis

a common disguise was that of the Sufi dancer or “Whirling Dervish”, the long white robes and red felt hat may also have been associated with Assassins traditional dress so feels quite appropriate 

A true Tommy Copper fez. After I painted this figure I found some images of Sufis and it is far more likely that the hat would have been a natural pale brown rather than this bright red

 The white gown was painted with my “warm white “ recipe of Citadel Screaming Skull washed wit a pale mix of Zhandri Dust and highlighted with Vallejo Ivory 

Leather as before, little red boots Citadel Khorne trio

Another “Sufi”!

Nizari Spearmen

A Nizari spearman, these were unlikely to have looked any different to the other Islamic infantry

I used a “cold white”  mix for his turban beginning with a mid-grey and adding white for consecutive highlights until I reached a “near white” I rarely use a pure white and only then for highlights 

The shield is predominantly Foundry Terracotta with some Citadel Rhinox and Zamesi for the detail

The Tunic is AP Fanatic from the Ochres and Tans triad. Tundra Taupe, Prairie Ochre and Desert Yellow

The arm band is Mephiston Red with detailing and border from Vallejo Stone Golem

The lettering is Arabic from one of the 99 names of God as near as I could render it!

Many if not all Islamic warriors of the period would have one

Not the best version of this pic but the best I could get to download. 

This spearman sports a lattice pattern on his shield. The shield is stippled with Citadel Ungor Flesh and Tau something and glazed with Seraphim Sepia

Again the armband, this time in Black and Stone Golem. When painting very small detail like this it is not always a good idea to use a tiny brush as the very small amount of paint used dries very quickly on the brush and it can be a challenge to paint curves as the brush is simply too light and frail to direct. Instead, try a normal sized brush, a 1 for example, with a good pointy tip. 

A much larger target but I did not do so well as the script should be flat and level whereas this is a bit slanty

  I love this guy’s face, so characterful

  The skin colour is Foundry Dusky flesh

The wood of the spear is another Foundry Triad, Spearshaft, which has a very marked contrast between its lightest and darkest shades which can produce quite a variety of different looking effects depending on how much of each shade you leave exposed 

See what I mean about the face?

Assassin Archers

An archer! The blue is my friend the Fang again, “triple dotted” with Stone Golem

  The troos are Citadel Orange 

Here is another archer. He has a tunic of Citadel Steel Legion Drab, Tallarn Sand and Karak Rock

The turban is black highlighted with Citadel Dark Reaper

Another spotty tunic, must be in vogue. When you look closely the spots are very irregular in size and shape, fortunately they are usually seen at more than arm’s length and such inaccuracies can be explained as being due to the various folds in the cloth etc

 I like this guy’s pose, is he picking a target or following the flight of an arrow?

I think this guy’s armband says “Death to the de Lynnes and to any of Mark Taylors armies” 

There you go, Gripping Beast plastic Arabs, adaptable, characterful, distinctive and individual enough for Skirmish Forces and yet cheap, cheerful and plentiful, a real bargain and fantastic for filling the ranks of your Big Battle Armies 

The Hashashin: A medieval Special Forces Unit

 

Setting out from the security of their mountain fortress, journeying in disguise then stealthily creeping along the corridors of power to strike suddenly from the shadows, one of the earliest examples of special forces are the Assassins of medieval Iran. These fanatical killers, feared by Kings and leaders of men, were members of the Nizari Ismaili Shi’ite minority, a breakaway sect of extremists who dominated their enemies not by force of arms but by fear of sudden unexpected death. They were created by Hasan al-Sabbah in 1090 and became a constant threat to their opponents until well into the 13th century. Sabbah was a formidable leader, and an accomplished scholar of mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. pic Hasn al-Sabbah 

Hasan al-Sabbah and each of the later Assassin leaders came to be known in the West as the Old Man of the Mountain, a name given to the sect's leader in the writings of Marco Polo that referenced the sect's possession of the commanding mountain fortress of Alamut Castle, the "Eagles' Teaching" in modern Iran. In 1090, Hasan took over the fort by infiltrating it with his converts, a method that became the signature move of the Assassins. Pic Alamut Castle

Marco Polo is accredited with giving the Assassins their name, a Westernised version of Hashshāshīyīn, which was a derogatory term given by their enemies and translates roughly as “Druggies” or “Junkies”

The Nizari Ismaili Shi’ite were a minority surrounded by the massive Sunni empire and were always likely to be overwhelmed. They knew that the death of a carefully chosen leader or even a family member could have a devastating effect on their enemies. Nowhere was off limits for these remorseless killers. Nobody was safe. The Assassins’ threat was death when you least expected it – a strangling in the bedroom, a poisoned dagger at prayer, an ambush from stealthy murderers waiting in the shadows.

A Deadly Force

Pic A Seljuk horseman, a common disguise

They were a group with extreme ideologies. They were men with political strategies founded on an ability to exploit their Opponents fear of death. Their ability to kill the most important and best protected of men became legendary and often the fear of assassination was enough to deter their foe. They were outnumbered and surrounded by their foes, geographically, politically and spiritually and so resorted to fanaticism and reckless bravery to redress the odds.  They sought the death of their opponents even if it meant their own deaths. Death was their promise and constant threat- and from that they gained power.

Sabbah taught his followers martial combat techniques and they were rigorously drilled in the Islamic warrior code. They learnt how to move silently, how to disguise themselves, how to assimilate the ways of their enemies, how to blend in and most importantly how to kill. They trained for many hours each day.

 

Sufi dancers, another common disguise

The Assassins were taught how to mix and disguise poisons, how to shoot, how to ride and care for horses but most of all they were taught how to use the dagger. Death by stabbing was the most common form of Assassination and the followers of Sabbah brought it to their enemies wherever they may be. They penetrated their opponents’ castles, snuck into their palaces and fortresses and dealt death with a cold sharp blade to Caliphs, Viziers, Generals and their families.The Nizaris did not invent the act to which they gave their name, assassination has been a common political tool from ancient times, however, it was usual to be discreet, poisoning was a popular method and it was normal practice for the poisoner to avoid detection. Not so the Assassins! Their executions were very often performed in public places with a dagger and were usually very bloody affairs. It was form of advertising their power “We can get you anywhere, anytime we chose”

Often the threat of Assassination was enough to achieve their aims, a letter pinned to a pillow by a poisoned tipped dagger might do the job.

“Cut off the head of the serpent!”

Assassins used Special Forces tactics, hitting hard at the head of their enemies and then retreating to the security of their mountain fortresses.  

The Assassins posed a substantial strategic threat to Fatimid, Abbasid, and Seljuk authority. Over the course of nearly 200 years, they killed hundreds of people – including three caliphs, a ruler of Jerusalem and several Muslim and Christian leaders. Saladin, a major foe of the Assassins, escaped assassination twice in 1175–1176. They killed Caliphs, Atabegs, Viziers and Emirs. They killed them in their homes, their army camps, bazaars, and in ambushes almost anywhere. Nowhere was safe from them. They taught their Sunni enemies to fear them. So much so that one Caliph insisted on his staff being naked at all times in his presence so that they could not conceal any weapons. He was killed by an assassin who posing as stable hand, stabbed him despite being naked, ha had hidden a knife in a horse’s mane.

The Assassins were feared and despised by the Crusaders. The first Frank known to have been killed by the Assassins was Raymond II, Count of Tripoli, in 1152, at the southern gate to his city after returning from a ride along with two of his knights, possibly because Raymond had established Templar castles in the region. Assassins hated and reviled the Templars, their diametrically opposite fanatical opponents.

In 1192 a council of senior Crusaders deposed the ineffective and incompetent King Guy of Lusignan from the throne of Jerusalem and elected the very competent Conrad of Montferrat. However, Conrad was never crowned. Around late morning on 28th April, he went to eat at the house of his kinsman and friend, Philip, Bishop of Beauvais. The bishop had already eaten, so Conrad returned home. On his way, he was attacked in the street by two Assassins, who stabbed him at least twice in the side and back. His guards killed one of his attackers and captured the other. It is not certain how long Conrad survived, he either died at the scene of the attack or in a nearby church, within a very short time. He was reckoned to be a very capable leader and the loss of a potentially formidable king was a severe blow to the kingdom.

Who ordered the killing will never be known but there can be little doubt that it was an Ismaili Special Forces Operation!

 Terminator Royally Terminated

In June 1272, Edward 1 while Crusading, as all good English Kings must do, was another intended target of the Assassins. He was the victim of an assassination attempt by a member of the Syrian Order of Assassins, purportedly ordered by the Mamluk Sultan Baibars. Edward was sleeping in his bed when he was disturbed by his attacker. The doughty King was a big strong man and he managed to kill his assailant, despite being stabbed in the arm by a dagger feared to be poisoned. He was severely weakened by the injury however, and soon decided to abandon the campaign and head home. Pic the imaginative Victorian take on the bungled assassination of Edward I

Legendary Killers 

There were of course many legends about the Assassins. One such tale concerns Count Henry II of Champagne, who in 1192 spoke with the Old Man of the Mountains, Grand Master Rashid ad-Din Sinan. The count claimed to have the most powerful army in the region and at any moment he claimed he could defeat the Hashashin, because his army was 10 times larger. Rashid replied that his army was the more powerful despite being smaller, and to prove it he told one of his men to jump off from the top of the castle in which they were staying. The man jumped to his death. Surprised, the count immediately recognized that Rashid's army was indeed the strongest as his men would obey orders without question even if it caused their certain death! 

Another story tells how the leader of the Assassins was in negotiations with a powerful Sunni Caliph. The Caliph grew infuriated with the Assassin, called his household guard and threatened to kill the impertinent leader and all his men. 

The Assassin calmly signalled the Caliphs guard who drew their sharp swords and held them towards the Caliph. They were all Assassins who had infiltrated the Caliph’s army many years before!

The End of the Asassins?

The Assassins were a prominent force in Middle East politics for two centuries but met their demise when their Sunni neighbours decided enough was enough and conducted a series of military campaigns to besiege their castles and eradicate their sect. The potent Special Forces Unit was finally disbanded after being a threat for two hundred years.

Their essence never really went away though, they gave us a term that is still in use today, assassination, assassinate, assassin although it is usually associated with political hit men rather than an extreme religious cult.

Assassins live on in our culture, they stalk through our spy stories, they stealthily ambush unsuspecting targets in our computer games, and they silently slay their enemies in our graphic novels.

a Kitbashed Fantasy Assassin that I use with my Haradrim