Severnik Mounted Cossacks

When I was looking for inspiration for these units, I ended up watching the movie Ogniem i Mieczem at least twice. One of the first things that caught my attention was that, as the Cossack army advanced, there was a group of riders in front performing what looked like horse acrobatics… and I thought: what the hell is this?

So I started digging into it…

And what did I find? Well, it turns out these aren’t just flashy, pointless tricks. It’s called jigitovka, a form of acrobatic horsemanship used as a combat technique—designed to impress the enemy, avoid incoming fire, and demonstrate bravery in battle.

So… OBVIOUSLY, I had to try and capture some of that in my miniatures.

Of course, I didn’t dare to go all the way… Those kinds of poses are extremely difficult to achieve in printable miniatures that also need to be assembled in separate parts. The only way I could make it work would have been to sculpt them attached to the horse and… those of you who know me already know I’m not going to do that.

So instead, you get a unit full of personality, with hybrid weapon options and a high level of customization (horses, heads, and bodies are all separate and compatible).