Gli Stradiotti (The Stradiots) (28mm)

Next among the cavalry are the stradiots, introduced into Italy by the Venetians probably sometime in the 1470s probably to counter Turkish raids into the Friuli region. The French Memoirist, Philip de Commines described them:

These Estradiots are of the same nature as the Genetaires; they are attired like Turks both on horse and on foot, except they wear no turbans on their heads. They are a rugged people, couched all the year round on their horses. They were all Greeks, coming from places possessed by the Venetians, some from Napoli di Romagna [Nauplion], others from Albania at Durrazzo, and their horses are good and are all from Turkey...

The Redoubt figure comes with detached arm so that it can be posed in a variety of positions. All figures are empty-handed, so that any of the many weapons that the Stradiots carried can be used. Only the Connoisseur figure comes with shield attached. I prefer them detached, but the Connoisseur figure is rather nice. My least favorite is the Old Glory figure, mostly because of the horse.