Meet Prince Vasiliev Nikolaivitch - (Post Mongol Conquest Rus)

The early Rus were effectively first cousins of the Vikings, and their armies reflected this, being mainly infantry, who travelled by rivers and other inland waterays by boat to reach their destination, then disembarked to ravage the countryside and fight whatever battles needed to be fought.

As trade took place with the Arab nations to the south, and then especially after the Mongol invasions and conquest that began around 1230AD, Rus armies began to use the horse more frequently. By the time the Mongol Empire declined to the point it lost control of the Rus lands, Rus armies were often all, or at least mostly, horsemen.

This Later Rus army I only started building earlier this year, and it hasn't actually fought yet. Its initial commander will be Prince Vasiliev Nikolaivitch, who actually strikes quite an impressive pose! (I was REALLY pleased with the way he came out after being painted!)

My Later Rus army can in fact be used to provide key elements of Russian armies from 1,450AD (when the Rus broke free from the Mongol Empire) through to 1,710 (when Peter "The Great" reformed the army) although from the early 1600s on, the cavalry will only be a portion of the army, as the famous/notorious streltsi units (which I haven't yet painted up) became a force at that time.

Oh, one final note. These generals I have in charge of my armies are fictional characters, but named and given personalities very much in line with their historical counterparts. For each of my personality figures I have created a family, as well as individual personalities etc which will affect the way they lead their armies in battle. As younger members of their families come of age, I might allocate them junior roles within the army, or diplomatic tasks within a particular campaign, all of which allows me to study the nation a little more thoroughly than just from a military stand point.

And when I get campaigns going of course, the family goings-on can create an interesting backdrop to the military action! When I start writing about my battles you will start seeing this come through!