Imex 1-72 Confederate Cavalry Set

Four of the six dismounted figures are also cavalry. The men forking hay and carrying water are nice representations of the everyday appearance of cavalry out of battle, while the other two are useful reminders of the frequent occasions when cavalry acted as infantry for various reasons. Both these last men carry a Colt revolver with a shoulder stock, which was a fairly unusual weapon that mostly saw service early in the War. The last two dismounted figures are simply infantry, and their inclusion in this set is a puzzle.

All the figures are correctly dressed and all are properly armed. The short shell jacket, known as a 'roundabout', was popular when in the saddle, and many here wear this. The trooper with the carbine seems to have his fastened only with the top button, which was common. This man also has the good fortune to wear a pair of boots - many were less fortunate and simply wore shoes like the other troopers here, so this is a good variety. Officers pleased themselves in terms of uniform, but this one looks good, and the man with the guidon has braiding on the chest in the hussar fashion that was not especially common but was popular, particularly with some of the privately raised units where the uniform could differ considerably from the regulations. The troopers all wear the kepi hat - an item that was not nearly as practical, or as popular, as the simple brimmed hat worn by the officer and bearer. A minority seem to have retained the kepi in the field, so in this regard these troops are not entirely representative of the look of Confederate cavalry, though this would vary greatly between units and at different times during the War. Finally, the main items of kit are here - pistol holster, canteen, cartridge box and cap pouch - plus some haversacks, but perhaps not quite as much as they should be, since all were pretty essential.

Detail is good and there is little flash. The riders fit their horses fairly well, but are not so tight as to grip them, so glue is required. The standard could be rectangular, although the swallow's tail is known, but all those with a scabbard have it 'hovering' some way from the body in an unrealistic and bizarre fashion. Both the foot cavalrymen would have considerable difficulty running with their long scabbards too, which is another reason they might have discarded them or left them on the saddle. However the proportions of the figures are excellent and this is a good sculpting job.

The three horse poses are not too bad, and the saddlery and bridles look OK. Since Confederate cavalry provided their own animals and furniture this varied enormously, but nothing here looks wrong. If anything the horses are somewhat over-supplied with canteens, saddle bags and the like, in a way that would be unusually complete for the time.

This is an interesting set with some good figures, and pretty well researched. 

1. Scrape away the excess plastic from the mold lines with a needle file or craft knife.
2. For paint to stick to the model, we recommend washing all parts in a mild detergent before painting.
3. When they are dry, carefully remove each figure from the sprue with a sharp modeling knife or a pair of cutters.
4. Apply a uniform coating of white with a brush or spray paint.
5. Use acrylic colors.
6. Multi-part models must be painted before assembly.
7. We recommend a polystyrene-based glue.