Tannenburg Rough Rider Squad: Build and Basing Guide

Start with the kit layout, not the glue

The Tannenburg Rough Rider Squad is a physical kit of high-quality 3D prints, and its part count rewards a short planning pass before assembly. Lay out the five horses, five rider leg sets, five rifles in holsters, five Stetson heads, five heads with dress caps, five dress torsos, five cavalry torsos, seven dress uniform right arms, five dress uniform left arms, and five oval bases. Group the duplicated parts by pose or detail so you can compare them before committing to a build.

This is a modular kit with full compatibility with Grimdark Empire components. That compatibility is useful for planning, but the supplied information does not list specific Grimdark Empire parts or fitting instructions. Treat any cross-kit swap as a dry-fit experiment rather than a guaranteed drop-in replacement.

A dry-fit sequence for five mounted riders

The goal is to catch fit problems while the parts are still separate. Work through these checkpoints before any permanent bond.

1. Match each horse to a rider leg set: Pair the five horses with the five rider leg sets and check that the legs sit naturally against the horse. Because the kit supplies equal numbers of horses and rider legs, you can build all five riders without borrowing from another kit.
2. Choose torso and head combinations: You have five dress torsos, five cavalry torsos, five Stetson heads, and five heads with dress caps. Decide whether each rider gets a dress torso or a cavalry torso, then match a head style. Keep the unused heads and torsos aside for later projects or variant testing.
3. Test the arm options: The kit includes seven dress uniform right arms and five dress uniform left arms. The extra right arms give you a little room to test a different pose or weapon grip on one or two riders. Dry-fit the arms to the chosen torso before gluing.
4. Place rifles in holsters: The five rifles in holsters can be positioned on the horse or rider. Check that the holstered rifle does not interfere with the rider's leg or arm before fixing it in place.
5. Check the oval base footprint: Set each horse on an oval base and look at the overhang. The kit includes five oval bases, but the supplied information does not give base dimensions. If a horse overhangs, adjust its position on the base rather than forcing it.

Kit facts that shape the build

• Tannenburg Rough Rider Squad: The kit contains 5 horses, 5 rider legs, 5 rifles in holsters, 5 Stetson heads, 5 heads with dress caps, 5 dress torsos, 5 cavalry torsos, 7 dress uniform right arms, 5 dress uniform left arms, and 5 oval bases. The equal horse and rider counts let you plan all five riders at once, while the extra right arms give a small margin for pose testing.

  

• Tannenburg Rough Rider Squad: This is a physical product made of high-quality 3D prints. You are working with printed parts, so dry-fitting and gentle handling matter more than with a single-piece metal or plastic miniature.
• Tannenburg Rough Rider Squad: The kit is described as fully compatible with Grimdark Empire components. If you already own Grimdark Empire parts, you can test swaps, but the supplied information does not confirm which specific parts fit.

Basing a mounted squad without losing stability

Mounted miniatures put more weight and leverage on a base than infantry do. The kit supplies five oval bases, which gives you a consistent footprint across the squad. Before you attach any horse, decide whether you want all five riders facing the same direction or whether you want a more varied cavalry arrangement. The supplied information does not include recommended spacing or base dimensions, so use the oval base itself as your guide and keep the horse's center of mass over the base rather than at the edge.

If you plan to add texture or rocks to the base, check that the added material does not lift the horse's feet away from the base. A dry placement of the horse on the bare base will show you how much room you have for basing material. Because the supplied information does not include basing instructions, keep your first pass simple and test one base before repeating the approach across all five.

Painting choices that follow the kit's structure

The kit separates dress torsos from cavalry torsos and Stetson heads from dress-cap heads, so you can paint those elements in batches before assembly. That is useful if you want the squad to look uniform or if you want to distinguish the two torso styles. The supplied information does not include a painting guide, color scheme, or recommended paint types, so choose a scheme that matches your existing collection and test it on one rider first.

For a mounted squad, paint the horse and rider separately where possible. The rider legs and torsos can be painted before final assembly, and the heads can be kept on a temporary holder. This avoids reaching around the horse to paint the rider's chest or face. If you are using the extra right arms for a variant pose, paint that arm alongside the others so it matches the rest of the squad.

What the supplied information does not cover

A few practical details are not confirmed by the supplied product record. Plan around them rather than assuming.

• Adhesive and preparation: No specific glue, primer, or surface preparation is listed. Use your usual approach for 3D-printed miniatures and test on a hidden area first.
• Base dimensions: The oval bases are included, but their exact size is not supplied. Check the physical bases in the kit before planning movement trays or storage.
• Grimdark Empire part compatibility: The kit is described as fully compatible with Grimdark Empire components, but the supplied information does not list which components or any fitting notes. Dry-fit any swap.