Cavalry played a larger part in the Red Army than any other during the Second World War. In part this was due to the difficult terrain and weather often experienced on the Eastern Front, but whatever the reason any game based on this theatre of war can justify some horsed cavalry, hence this small set, which is essentially a game piece for the Zvezda Art of Tactic system. While the game piece can be simply the two pictured horsemen on a single base with a marker flag, Zvezda have also provided separate bases for each as shown above. There are two figures, both wearing standard Red Army uniform of the time, being the gymnastiorka and breeches. Both have long boots, and one wears a helmet while the other wears the peaked service cap - often worn even in combat. Both have rifles slung across their backs and hold Cossack-style swords with no guard, which was quite common even in units not officially designated as 'Cossack'. Everything here is accurately done, and as neither man has shoulder boards they are appropriate for the whole period to at least 1942, when such devices were reintroduced.

Both the poses are fine, and the same can be said of the horses. Man and horse both have some element of assembly (see sprue), which in the case of the riders is mainly because the pegs on the inner legs prevent them from being mounted in the normal way (the plastic being too firm to bend like conventional mounted figures). As the box suggests, everything plugs together really well without need of glue, so these are two terrific little models that should find favour with modellers and gamers alike.