ALL72059

This is the second set of heavy cavalry for the Eastern Tribes, and in many ways it is similar to the first. The clothing and armour that these men wear are exactly the same, each having a mail coat with a cuirass of diamond plates over the trunk, and protection for the arms and legs. The helmets are as diverse as the first set, with an array of crests and decoration that match those in the first set, and make these look very like Easterlings out of the Lord of the Rings universe.

Where the two sets do differ is with the weaponry. Some here have a sword scabbard of straight or slightly curved design, but this is not their primary weapon. The three figures in our top row have no such scabbard, but all have a sword of fantastical design, curved somewhat like a khopesh, but with the kind of extra bumps and hooks as you might associate with Klingon blades. We cannot imagine what sort of a scabbard could accommodate such shapes, which is presumably why no one here has one. However, that does beg the question of where do they put them when they are not needed. The first two in our second row hold something like a short axe, but with a large blade that includes a spike and is basically more about show than practicality, as you would expect from a fantasy subject. The last man holds a large mace - the most conventional of the weapons here.

The figures mostly hold the same sort of shields as in the first set, being a range of rectangular ones with curved sides, plus some circular ones. All are heavily engraved with designs, and of various sizes, but the last one seems to us to be particularly small for a mounted warrior.

The poses are the usual mix of riders holding their weapon up in the air or by their side, and are reasonable enough. The last figure in the top row is presumably just about to swing his blade, or has just done so, but in either case you have to wonder where his opponent is, and whether his horse's head might be at risk, since he looks straight ahead. Also, the very last man is quite flat, so is not convincing as about to strike with his weapon.

The horses are exactly the same as those in the first set of heavies, so all have heavy barding front and back, apparently made of mail, scale or just padded fabric. They have either a solid chanfron or a hood of the same armour as their barding, and some of the poses are not particularly natural, assuming these horses move in the same way as horses do in the real world.

The fit between rider and horse is a bit variable, with some fitting well and others struggling to sit fully on the saddle. These complex sculpts are nicely done however, and the exotic armour and weaponry certainly give them a fantasy air, while all this protection makes their task of smashing into an enemy all too clear.