28mm Almoravid Light Cavalry

Almoravid light cavalry, HäT 28020 28mm set

This HäT figure set in the 28 mm wargaming scale contains riders and horses of Almoravid light cavalry. It belongs to the range devoted to the eleventh century on the Iberian peninsula, which covers three sides of the conflict, each in four sets: heavy and light infantry, heavy and light cavalry. The figures are of hard plastic and are joined with ordinary modeling cement for polystyrene. The manufacturer does not state the number of pieces, so check it on the packaging.

The real subject

In Berber armies the light cavalry was the element that decided the tempo of a battle. The riders carried no heavy armor but were fast: they rode within range, threw javelins or shot, and withdrew before the enemy could react. The North African armies perfected this way of fighting and it gave great trouble to Christian formations built on the charge of armored horsemen. It lies behind more than one defeat of Christian armies in the period the set belongs to.

Building and painting tips

Seat the riders only once the horse is painted, otherwise you cannot reach between the leg and the flank. The javelins are thin and they break; a broken one is replaced with steel wire glued into a drilled hole. Do not mix the horses into a single color; various shades will enliven the group. The cloth parts will take richer colors than those of the infantry, because the riders belonged to the better equipped part of the army.

Who the set is for

• wargamers building the armies of the Spanish Reconquista
• figure painters with a taste for medieval subjects
• completing the infantry and the heavy cavalry from the same range
• display and tabletop formations in 28 mm

The figures are supplied unpainted and unassembled. Paints, glue and bases are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.