No new figures here but rather a taster for the upcoming Siege of Vienna mini game, highlighting the Polish & Imperial Armies' relief of the city.
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| The two Polish Cavalry Divisions, First on the left, second on the right. See below for organisational details I will be using in the game |
I'll let the photos do most of the talking but these figures represent the two divisions of Polish Cavalry which rode alongside two Imperial (Austrian and Holy Roman Empire) Cavalry divisions, into the heart of the besieging Ottoman army.
The Poles were organised into 'Banners', roughly akin to a squadron, each will be treated as an independent unit. Their cavalry was one of three types -
Winged Hussars
The legendary armoured heavy cavalry armed with lances, swords, pistols and war-hammers! These guys are not the fastest cavalry around but the lances give them a big bonus on their initial impact and the plate armour gives them plenty of protection.
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| Hussars of the First Division, with their leader. Three banners strong, hussars wore one or two wings according to taste. |
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| Hussars of the Second Division and their leader |
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| And just because I can - the Massed Winged Hussars that the Ottomans will be facing |
Panceri
This lesser known, but potentially more important group was also armoured heavy cavalry, albeit that the armour was usually chainmail rather than plate. These too were not too fast on the battlefield but they also carried lances, pistols and an array of hand weapons. The backbone of the Polish Cavalry Divisions
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| Three Panceri Banners of the First Division with their leader, who carries a war hammer. |
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| Just two Panceri Banners in the second Division as this was historically weaker than the first, the leader here is on a horse with quilted barding. |
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| And a massed shot of the Panceri, almost as daunting as the Hussars above. |
Cossacks/Tartars
Unarmoured light cavalry armed with spears, pistols and a variety of hand weapons, these guys were quick and agile on the battlefield. They could hold their own with the Ottoman light cavalry but would likely struggle against their heavier comrades.
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| The Cossack General and his accompanying Musician, this guy wears armour and has wings to designate his rank |
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| Cossacks of the Second Division, two banners strong. |
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| Another two Cossack banners, this time from the First Division |
Organisation
Both Polish Cavalry Divisions fall under the command of a Polish Cavalry General, he is escorted by a musician and an aide.
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| Polish Cavalry General, plus attendant Aide and Musician. He is wearing the lighter Chainmail armour of the Panceri but also sports the wings, beloved by the Hussars, to denote his rank. |
The First Division consists of three banners of Winged Hussars and three banners of Panceri, these each have a leader assigned to them.
The Second Division also has three banners of Winged Hussars but only two of Panceri, again each of these groupings has a leader assigned to them.
The Cossacks have a Cossack General leading them and two banners each are assigned to the Polish Cavalry Divisions. The Cossack banners own allegiance to the Cossack general not to the Polish General. The Cossack General has a musician assigned to him for communication purposes.
Each 'Banner' is represented by six figures, giving the Polish players a total of 24 Cossacks, 36 Winged Hussars and 30 Panceri, plus models for leaders, musicians and aides etc. Total 99 figures!
Coming Soon... Part 2: The Imperial Cavalry Divisions
