COMBAT CHERKAS (ENGINEERS)

Combat Cherkas — the trench engineers of the Cossack army — walk the front like living anvils. Their presence is both practical and symbolic: they embody the weight of iron, the patience of stone, and the inevitability of destruction. Clad in half-plate armour, a heavy steel gorget protecting the throat, and a reinforced backpack bristling with tools and charges, they move with deliberate steps that echo discipline rather than haste. On their left arm rests a plated shield, scarred by countless impacts, while the right is covered in overlapping scales of steel, a flexible barrier against shrapnel and bayonet alike. Few in number, their silhouette is unmistakable — slow, deliberate, and utterly unafraid, as if the battlefield itself bends around their resolve.

They are craftsmen of ruin and repair alike, masters of paradox. Where others see obstacles, Cherkas see material to be shaped. They are expert at blowing bunkers, collapsing tunnels, and clearing minefields with precision born of necessity. Yet the same hands that set charges can also reinforce barricades, rebuild shattered trenches, and carve new pathways through the mud. A single Cherkas can turn a stalled assault into a breakthrough, or undo an enemy advance with one well-placed detonation. Their art is not chaos but controlled devastation, a balance between destruction and preservation. In their philosophy, the battlefield is clay, and they are its sculptors.

Their tools are as varied as their duties. Satchels of explosives, coils of wire, hammers, and spades hang from their belts, each item worn smooth by constant use. The reinforced backpack carries both demolition charges and repair kits, a contradiction that defines their role. To fight alongside a Cherkas is to witness the battlefield reshaped in real time: walls crumble, bridges rise, and the terrain itself becomes a weapon. Their comrades often say that where Cherkas tread, the earth obeys.

When necessity demands, they close to brutal hand-to-hand work. Engineers become fighters without hesitation, wielding their shields as battering rams and their tools as weapons. A spade in their grip is not a mere instrument of digging but a blade of iron, swung with the force of survival. Their training emphasises endurance and adaptability, for they must be ready to shift from delicate calculations to savage combat in an instant. In the chaos of the trenches, they are both builders and destroyers, guardians and executioners.

The Cherkas creed is simple, spoken in words as heavy as their armour: “If it must fall, I will bring it down. If it must stand, I will hold it.” This oath defines their existence. They do not question orders, nor do they hesitate before obstacles. Their loyalty is to the structure of war itself — to the idea that every wall, every trench, every fortress has a purpose, and that purpose must be fulfilled. To them, victory is not measured in banners or songs, but in the silent endurance of fortifications and the thunderous collapse of enemy strongholds.

Legends surround their name. Some say the Cherkas are descended from smiths who forged weapons for the Cossack hosts, their bloodline carrying the memory of iron. Others claim they are chosen from those who survive disasters, men who have already walked through fire and ruin and emerged unbroken. Whatever their origin, their reputation is undeniable. Enemies fear the sight of their shields glinting in the smoke, for it means the battlefield itself will soon change. Allies trust them implicitly, knowing that where Cherkas stand, the line will not break.

In the great theatre of war, the Combat Cherkas are neither generals nor common soldiers. They are the hinge upon which battles turn, the quiet force that shapes victory from mud and steel. Their footsteps are heavy, their work relentless, and their presence unforgettable. They are the anvils upon which the fate of armies is hammered, and their creed resounds through every trench and ruin they touch: to bring down what must fall, and to hold what must stand.

Fully compatible with Trench Crusade

A dream for painters and grimdark collectors

The set – “COMBAT CHERKAS X2 (ENGINEERS)”, designed by Wargames Crew

The set includes:

Weapon options

Cherkas 1
Right hand: semi-automatic rifle, automatic rifle, sabre
Left hand: sabre, axe, shield, SMG, pistol

Cherkas 2
Right hand: sabre, mace, satchel charge, axe
Left hand: shotgun, semi-automatic rifle, automatic rifle, pistol

Additional options: sabre in scabbard, empty scabbard

Overall height ranges from 40 mm to 45 mm, with a base size of 25 mm.

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