I do agree. While I understand that was your cool niche when you started, I feel the Streltzis have run their course in that by now people probably have accumulated enough for a sizable army.

I wish the additional pose was an accessory that supplemented the set in some way, that you wouldn't make a set of by itself. Like if the Civil War sets had a civilian woman (or nurse or camp follower) or a personality like a famous general, or Lincoln, or Jeff Davis or whatever, or even a period barrel or crate, that would be awesome.

But having said that, Alan also points out a curse I would have to deal with. I would buy stuff I wouldn't normally buy! That would cost me more money! For example, I don't buy ancients, medieval or Napoleonics (unless they can apply to the American War. But if you had a series of, say, women or civilians in History (historical costume from different eras, or cultures, or occupations), well darn it, I'd have to buy it just for that one pose. (Like maybe a box of Nappy ditch diggers just to get that saloon girl pose, so maybe you shouldn't do this, never mind!!)

Case in point, I didn't need the box of Confederates standing around, but I did need that photographer, and R.E. Lee was a useful pose too, so I bought set 156.

When I first started buying Strelets sets I would take the bonus figures and put them on my hobby work desk for fun. Now, after having bought many sets, they are threatening to take over half of the desk (I usually don't throw figures away). It was a neat concept for the sets in which all the poses were unique and there was only one bonus figure, but for the Mini series with repeated poses I end up with multiple bonus figures for a period that I don't collect.
Maybe Strelets could offer additional bonus figures only in sets with all unique poses as opposed to sets in the Mini format? Just a thought.

I agree, too.
Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, C. de Gaulle, D. Eisenhower, F. D. Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini, Hirohito (Adolfs, we have some from other companies) would be a splendid idea !!! Not to mention some great marshals like W. J. Slim or D. MacArthur ...

I've actually enjoyed the Strelsi figs, but, I do agree, they have run their course, unless... they choose start giving us artillery figs & cavalry figs. Strelets' new style of adding a command sprue makes this much more plausible.

I don't really see adding famous history figures. I wouldn't buy a set for that purpose. Must be something else, IF they choose to do so.

I like the Streltsi Bonus Figures and I have and do collect them since they started including them in sets in 2003.

The Strelets Team has already assured us any set we buy is complete in itself and the Bonus Figures don't reduce any sets completeness nor raise the cost or price we pay for any given set.

Two reasons Streltsi Bonus Figures work: (1) The Strelets Team wants them and since we all get what we want, why not? (2) The Strelets soldiers wore different colors of uniform so since The Strelets Team has graciously given us our requested sets in colors, various colors only add to the attractiveness of a free army.

So far, there are more than 71 of these figures. All are foot soldiers. If The Strelets Team continues including these, I would hope they would start developing "The Streltsi Line" (it is now a living, breathing, line) to include Horse Soldiers, Higher Ranked Officers, some Themed figures like in Big Box Sets, etc.

So I agree, it's time to do something. But I think specific personalities belong in their own ranges, such as Robert E. Lee should be in Gray, not Green, Custer in Blue, not Terracotta.

So if The Strelets Team wants to continue making more Streltsi Foot figures, they could at the same time start thnking of introducing other Bonus Figures that do not require one color, but can thrive with many colors.

I think most importantly, like the Streltsi Bonus Figures, it needs to be another theme that the Strelets Team finds interesting for themselves, and they would like to introduce something new to the hobby not generally known.


(Note to Bert - You and I posted only four minutes apart. We think alike)

An example of my thinking could be say, a release of six new sets, each with one figure to make a six figure group, eg six poses of 8th army tank crew , at rest or loading the tank, or a WW2 US gun crew, a British Para`s command, or heavy weapons, or casualties, any small goup that may not sell as a set, but would get us buying a few boxes just because we wanted the bonus figure.

i actually like them and look forward to new ones.

Two things for Strelets to consider:

(1) Maybe Strelets Team could consider re-using or designing another figure close to the pose in the set's link below to be released with a new WWI set:

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=871

(2) I love this color of blue. I hope their upcoming French Soldier wearing a Capote and a Pith Sun Helmet is released in this color blue. It not the lightest and not medium; it's just a shade darker than the lightest blue you've been using.

Thanks for listening - GC

I don't mind them really. In fact I've used many of them as Afghan warriors. Would like more shooting figures with rifles and pistols. Maybe some swords too. Cappy

The only real beef I have against the Streltsi figures is the time I misspent, after buying the Russian and Prussian Chiefs of Staff set, poring through books and the internet trying to identify the Prussian general called Strelets who obviously came from a remote region of Prussia where the inhabitants still wore archaic clothing and carried archaic weapons.:blush: I still haven't found him.

I realise these are a kind of trade mark and I really don't object to them, I see them as a bonus, something extra I get that I wouldn't normaly buy. I might even paint them for fun sometime or even find a use for them, (Cappy's mention of Afghan warriors is interesting).

But, on the other hand I don't actually need them and the idea of historical figures does appeal to me. Even personalities from periods that I don't collect figures for if the subject is well known enough. The joker figures in Orion sets were a cool idea too, I would have loved to get one of those but I never did (I only have 2 orion sets so far so I suppose my chances were not great). And I do sometimes buy a set to get just one figure if I want the figure enough (hence the two Orion sets).

Some that would interest me, just off the top of my head. Cherlie and Cumberland (but I'd want them mounted), Sgt. Friederike Kruger of the 10th Colburg regiment, Queen Elizabeth I in armour ready to fight of an Armada landing, Farmer George feeding his kangaroos (or talking to a tree), Massena's poorly disguised mistress, Florence Nightingale perhaps or any Corps commanders for the Hundred Days or the peninsula that I don't already have.

Mr. Burns would be OK too but he might set the hounds or the lawyers onto you.

I agree, Alan. It's run its course. Strelets are no longer a niche player...they are now the number one manufacturer of 1/72 plastic figures and don't need to bother with gimmicks.

That extra figure could be used to complement their (already wonderful) sets further. It could be directly, or indirectly, related to the actual set. e.g. add a British tank crew figure to the 8th Army Heavy Weapons set, or an LRDG driver, or a surrendering Italian soldier, or a shirtless artillery crew member with a shell for a 25 pdr, etc. etc.

I guess the problem with adding a historical figure, is that you'll end up with 4 of them. I'd like 4 British Desert tank crew (in fact, I'd like 20!!).....I don't want 4 Rommels :-)

The Streletzi figures are great for early Russians in the Great Northern War. There were nearly 40 000 of them at Narva! :grinning:

I had never really thought about this before.
I have bought at least 85% of Strelets sets so by now I have quite the collection of the red coated buggers.I will admit that I quite enjoy painting them up but perhaps they have run their course.
Perhaps we might see some inclusions like field hospital staff(any era) or field police etc.Dress uniform soldiers or famous generals,the possibilities are endless.

To be honest I am not bothered one way or the other about the strelets bonus figures I would not be upset if strelets continued to put them in if that's what they want, as long as the main sets continue to be as brilliant as they have been recently, they can put what bonus figures they want as it is their product after all.

I do agree about ceasing the streletsi figures but I agree with adding a civilian figure for that era ie an arab for north Africa
And so forth or even medical figures,supply figures,etc

Excellent discussion with some well-founded views. My two cents:

I plan to convert my Strelets bonus figures into Boxer War Chinese.

The idea to include one related civilian (or medic) into each set as bonus figures is brilliant.

Not interested in personalities, especially not in having four identical ones.

Sorry I am not a fan of the bonus figures I would much rather have an extra pose to go along with the set of soldiers I have actually bought, if it is a particular set of Napoleonic figures for example then I would expect an extra Napoleonic soldier to go with them and remember you could have 4 figures in each box.

Like wise if I did want to collect Strelsky's bonus figures I would be annoyed that I had to buy boxes of soldiers I was not interested in just to get the bonus figures and would probably choose not to buy them and miss out.

The Strelsky's bonus figures I have all go in a spares box with the intent of one day using them for conversion only or just maybe as part of a Napoleonic Ottoman army if only we had a full set of Ottoman Infantry (Nazam-I-Cedid) to start that army off Strelets.

I totally agree Brian, I buy a dozen of each Napoleonic set that comes out to make up my divisions and end up with loads of figures that are of no use to the period, I now also have 24 Napoleons to find a use for I wish that pose had been put in a command set which i feel would have been a better fit an replaced with another officer of lower status.

i love all the new sets but this little thing detracts from a really great product, Hopefully the new sets coming out will take views into consideration.

I had no use for them, so I wrote here on this forum that I would give them away to whoever needed them, and someone responded. I am still in communication with that person, and in fact it is the only person I know of in this country who collects like me. Without the Streletsi I might be more lonely in my hobby.

The company are called Strelets - it's like having a 3D logo - its a gimmick - I quite like it - when I have enough I might start a Muscovite army - Irregular do them in 20mm white metal...