Polish Winged Hussar

The Winged Hussars were a specialized type of cavalry unit that was widely used in the XVI to XVIII centuries in Eastern Europe, especially in Poland and Lithuania.

Initially, this kind of unit was formed in Poland with Hungarian and Serbian mercenaries, in an effort to deploy cavalrymen that were effective and not so expensive as the heavy-armored shock cavalry, typical of the late Renaissance. After the reforms of Stephen Bathory and John Sobieski III, Kings of Poland, and Grand Dukes of Lithuania, they were equipped in a heavier fashion and started to replace the older heavy cavalry.

The golden “century” of the Winged Hussars started in 1577 with the Battle of Lubiszew and spanned till the Siege of Vienna in 1683. After that, they were slowly replaced by more modern units, like the Uhlans, as infantry firearms became much more effective and the tactics of heavy cavalry were finally discarded.

Our miniature carries the typical elements of these troops, like the half-armor, the particular type of lobster-tail helmet, and of course, the huge “wing” frame made of feathers that gave them their characteristic profile.

Note: This is a resin miniature kit that requires assembly and painting.