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...