I totally agree with your sentiments. I must admit I thought the number of WW2 Germans even higher! Unfortunately, the leading manufacturers do have the tendency either to keep repeating old sets or more of the same. I take my hat off when companies get away from the same old poses i.e. officer waving gun in air, troops dressed in perfect uniforms etc. and give us more realistic poses.

Strelet need congratulating for their Stalingrad set and their WW1 artillery sets. These are original and have imaginative poses. The 1812 images are also very encouraging.
HaTs British artillery crew in shirt sleeves - I have used them for colonial, early and late WW1 French.

However,I do wish that sometimes the current companies have their modellers look at the 50+ year old sets such as the Airfix WW1 sets (OK they made a pig's ear of the Americans uniforms and the 13pdr guns)but they do have some amazing poses! Certainly, I would like to see the poses gunners as in Airfix RHA in other sets.

Other accolades for opening new territory or taking a new slant on things would include:
1) Revell a) WWII German Horse Artillery
b) WWII Soviet/Russian Cavalry
c) WWII Late War and Winter Germans and quite possibly,
the first undeniable waffen SS-Set
d) WWII Winter Americans
a) WWII Winter Russians

2) Hat/Armourfast a) Mounted Germans
b) German Motorcycle troops
c) Romanians
d) Polish
e) Tank riders

3) etc. ...

I almost forgot ESCI for giving us the first of only two or three (three for sure if you count Atlantic's blue Americans) WWII French sets

cheers to strelets for opening up the dark ages with some nice sets.hopefully we can see some new ones in the future,as well as some rerun.

Oh yes, I could go on & on about some of the specialty sets, but steered clear of nationalities that have tons of sets!

I loved the Cossack & Italian cavalry sets, the more in depth Italian sets, All the German motorcycle, Stalingrad & mtd sets, all the winter sets & tank riders, French & so very much more!

I agree with RCD about looking back at some of Airfix's poses! I loved so many of the stock Airfix poses & so many of today's companies don't use them!

Again, cheers to all the companies who have branched away from the status quo & have given us some truly unique sets that fill such gigantic voids in such gigantic conflicts! BRAVO!

I am not so worried about nationalities. A set of surrendering Germans like the Preiser HO set would get me searching for my cheque book. Some of those old Airfix WWI sets even had signallers and casualties. The Airfix WWI French infantry signaller(set 01728)of 1966 was releasing a pigeon from a basket. Not seen many of that ilk since 1966 (or England World Cup victories for that matter). Unfortunately many sets now show 5 or more different ways of how to stand holding a rifle or sub machine gun or heavy machine gun (ditto bow, sword, spear for olden tymes) and not much more.
Yes cheers to those who made/make models of artillery crews, refugees, Russian WWII winter tank men, Viking rowers, Medieval jesters and binge drinkers and so on.

David