It would have been marvellous had Airfix produced a mixed set of Cuirassiers and Lancers - say, 6 of each - back in the '70s as their 'Waterloo French Cavalry'. They might then have also released a mixed set of British Hussars and Heavy Dragoons to the same style and scale!!

In fact, converting Airfix cuirassiers to Polish lancers - through the expedient of trimming the helmet horsehair plume to something like a czapka shape, cutting away the sword and inserting a pin as a lance - was my very first attempt at plastics conversions as a 10 year old. Happy days indeed!

I don't know how it works with Strelets' model, but I've had the privilege of speaking with others who make toy soldiers in both 1/72 and 1/32 scale who have had problem getting artists to follow instructions on box art to the point they give up sending an illustration back for correction - after all their customer base wants the set - yesterday!

I used to use box art as painting guides when I first started painting my figures back in the 80s. I remember having to go back and repaint an entire army when I bought my first uniform guide books (this was back before we could look stuff up on the internet) and discovered the box was wrong!

The box art is nice, but I ran out of space to store my boxes years ago so I don't keep them. I do love the figures and figure (no pun intended) when I get a set or two or three I'll be able to use them and paint and modify them as needed.

Not necessesarily a prolem. The landwehr cavalry also used lances. These fit that picture perfectly.

Russia clearly admired the use of the lance as a potent weapon not only did the Cossacks use it, it was also issued to most Hussar regiments.

Russia in December 1812 converted seven Dragoon regiments into Uhlans. These new units were called by some as the “Dragoons with Sticks” as they didn’t even receive their Polish Styled new uniforms until the end of 1814.:grinning: