VSF - Prussian Cavalry

Horses on Mars.

When the first Interplanetary Aeronefs made the voyage from Earth to the Red Planet a vast number of beasts of burden were loaded aboard the huge floating ships.  Amongst those were of course horses.  Thousands of horses to be more precise.

For years the horse has worked alongside mankind in both economical and military enterprises so it was almost a forgone conclusion that this unison would continue on Mars.

Unfortunately this was not to be.

The harsh desert winds and blistering heat of the deserts, combined with the scarcity of plant life suitable for the horses to digest caused considerable frustration to the investors who lead the expeditions.  The initial solution was to transport food up to Mars whilst farming settlements could become established and provide a more long term method of feeding the livestock.

For a while, this worked.  Crops grew, feed was produced and everything appeared to be working.  After several years, and a noticeable lack of any newly bred horses scientists started to become concerned that something was causing the infertility issue.

In 1898 renowned French Scientist Albert Calmette discovered that small micro bacteria in the soil was the cause.  Although this bacteria had no noticeable effects on humans the effect on the Equidae species was to render it infertile.

Over the next few years the horse population began to decline.  Death from injuries and old age being common causes as were raids my Morlog parties who found the meat of the creatures quite satisfying.

For horses to continue to be viable on Mars a different solution had to be found and vast funding deals were offered to whoever could find a remedy.

With the outbreak of War on Mars the Cavalryman became an almost luxury addition to any force.  Horses being in such great demand and expensive to keep it was a foolish general who would risk losing his cavalry in pointless attacks.  Sure, riders could be trained, but horses themselves, they were almost priceless.

And so the the once popular cavalry arm has deteriorated to mere hundreds.  Indigenous creatures like the mighty Rhinox have now been drafted into labour and although extremely difficult to train and control are worth their weight on the battlefield.  Mechanised steam tanks and landships have also become more commonplace as each nation struggles to keep one step ahead in the rapidly mobile theatre of war.

I finally managed to finish my Prussian Cavalry for our Victorian Science Fiction ongoing campaign.

The figures are from Renegade Miniatures as for the rest of my Prussian force.

I like these models as they paint up nice and quickly.  They have just enough detail without being over complicated.

I think this pretty much concludes my Prussian land based force for the time being.  

I may have to add a small scout Aeronef or two in the future but for now I think I am done.

I need to work on some more Martian troops but I don't think they will be hard.  I have already found the figures I want to use for the Morlogs and also some suitable looking models for a small British expeditionary force.  

But for now I may head back to Earth and do some Darkest Africa figures that I have had sitting around for a while now.  

Cheers.