The impressively thorough range of samurai subjects for the Zvezda Art of Tactic game series is joined by this collection of samurai archers. In Europe during the medieval period the bow was seen as beneath the dignity of the elite as it was a distance weapon, but the samurai had long used and respected this weapon which in Japan was generally a longbow with a grip about a third the way up, as correctly depicted here. Zvezda have made many samurai sets by this time, and the armour and clothing are all done very well here, including the relatively small quiver of arrows each man has. The bows are great, but we were uneasy about how some of them are being held, with the arrow not square to the bow.

The sculpting is excellent as usual, with great detail and long, slender bows being a standout feature. All the figures have some element of assembly, but all fit together well and need no gluing. With no flash or excess plastic these are really well done figures which look good individually, and if anything slightly less good when huddled together as a game piece (shown here), which is the primary purpose of the set. Although each figure has their own base, this is thick and ugly, so if used as part of an ordinary diorama some alternative basing might be considered. However these remain great-looking figures and a suitable addition to a high quality range.