Carthaginian armies had plenty of mercenaries, and these came from many parts of the Mediterranean world both within the Carthaginian sphere and beyond. Therefore the title of this set is pretty vague, but Evolution say that these figures are Semites, and are for the period from approximately 450 to 50 BCE. The term Semite refers to people with a common linguistic heritage rather than a racial one, and indeed the Carthaginians themselves were Semites, but in broad terms they lived in the lands at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.
Like many mercenaries, these men have a distinctly Greek appearance, with crested Attic helmets and the hoplite round shield. However each is different from his fellows in terms of weapons or equipment, with the kneeling figure in particular having a much more Italian appearance. Since the figures cover such a long period, all the influences of their world would have appeared on such men, and it would not be possible to say that any particular feature is not correct. In general however they seem authentic.
The poses are reasonable, and include one unusual one of a man holding his hand in front of his face (bottom row, third figure) - presumably a casualty. Two of the figures have ring hands for separate weapons. However in our sample both hands were filled in, and there were no weapons provided to insert in them. This may be a similar policy to that of some HaT sets whereby the customer is expected to provide the long thin spears that these figures would be holding. Judging by the poor quality of spears provided in earlier sets from LW, the lack of weapons in this one is no real loss.
The sculpting is generally fair with nice detail. Proportions are not always spot on, however, and several of the figures are very flat - the trumpeter is extremely so. Some of the finer items are a bit too chunky, and there is a noticeable amount of flash to be removed. Not one of the best sculpting jobs, but not one of the worst either.
When we first saw these figures we felt they were appropriate for Etruscans, but in truth they could be used for many different groups that adopted Greek traditions of warfare and equipment. While Semite mercenaries may not have been a substantial part of a Carthaginian army, these figures do add to the now considerable Punic war range, and they offer other possibilities for ancient warfare enthusiasts.