The Aztecs - Jaguar Warriors

The Jaguar warriors or Jaguar knights, were members of the Aztec military elite. They were a type of Aztec warrior called a cuāuhocēlōtl, like the Eagle Warriors. The jaguar motif was used due to the belief the jaguar represented Tezcatlipoca. Aztecs also wore this dress at war because they believed the animal's strengths would be given to them during battles. Jaguar warriors were used at the battlefront in military campaigns. They were also used to capture prisoners for sacrifice to the Aztec gods. They fought with a wooden sword studded with obsidian volcanic glass blades, called a macuahuitl. They also used spears and atlatls. To become a jaguar warrior, a member of the Aztec army had to capture twelve enemies during two consecutive battles. This was said to honor their gods in a way far greater than killing enemy soldiers in the battlefield. For a warrior to kill an enemy was considered clumsy.

Both models are gorgeous prepainted 60mm models from John Jenkins Designs, with one wearing a Jaguar suit based on an actual Jaguar's skin and one wearing a more expensive "artificial" blue suit.