Recently I bought Polish Skirmish force for By Fire and Sword game. Very nice miniatures produced by friend of mine Konrad Sosiński. Ive been yet to play a game of By Fire and Sword , and I am not a big fan of this wargaming topic but i like the models and Its best local historical wargame so I had to try.XVII century saw Poland at its historical peak in power but as unable to successfully rule itself it was a swan song of Polish Imperialism. And many literary arts and movie epics are placed in this time of fading greatness - it was especially hot topic for national writers in XIX century. SO each Pole grows up with some knowledge and preconceptions about this age and its warfare.
Of course posterboys of the era age Winged Hussars - cavalry so potent that it could crush enemy 10 time larger with single charge. But My favorite units was always pancerni. Hussars trump rest of the cavalry of national type with sheer awesomeness, but it was rarely most important and numerous element of the national armies.
Most important was Cossack style cavalry (that took its name from Ukrainian Coassacks- subject of Poland at the time as whole Ukraine was part of Poland then. But when most of the Cossack fought on foot with very interesting defensive tactics including hussite styled wagon trains.
But cossack style cavalry was most numerous Polish cavalry with very light or no armor equipped both for close combat and with bows or arquebuses for ranged or harassing combat. here is my first base of Cossack style national cavalry completed.
Here is first base of the first Banner I am painting. (Polish cavalry were organized in banners that could be either territorial or private - with name taken from banner owner or commander - some private armies could be best components of some Polish armies but normally King was paying for formation and the pay - so there were the times when such banners fought for years for nothing...
Two of the soldiers wear Kolets - that could be captured and Used during Czarnecki campaign in Denmark 1658-59 - but they were newer part of polish styled military clothing (except mercenary soldiers from the west)
It compromises of 1 Colonel stand, two Cossack style banners - two base each. one three base Pancerni banner with rohatyns (a kind of light cavalry lance) and three bases strong banner of Wallahian light cavalry.
As an extra set of fleg is given - but two of the banners are not historically accurate to this kind of force ( as they are for territorial drafted cavalry -two with a lot of writing on them- and we have professional cavalry there )
Overall very nice set of miniatures with ready to play force out of the box. And most historically accurate models for Polish XVII century forces on the market.
And with 11 cavalry bases for around 50$ is less than 5 $ per element with plastic bases, banner poles and spears + flags supplied - very nice set I am happy with.
