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Yep they do, me included sometimes.
It all depends on how much of a improvement a new set is over an old one. If its only slightly better than maybe not. But if the new set blows the older one clean out of the water & fits in to what you want to use it for then yes.
For example, Strelets ACW range compared to perhaps Imex.
Problem is when you see a new set painted up by someone and then look at your older version and think...."oh". Even if it has been painted up to the best of your ability. Even happens when I look back at sets I first painted and compare to newer paintwork. They often have to get repainted. Suppose its a sort of plastic soldier OCD!!!!
Can be very deflating. And the more you try and ignore it, the more you keep feeling an urge to buy the new set!
I can see the figures now, lovely thanks.
Great figures, and a great innovation with the extra civilians. Strelets deserve 10/10 for these new Prussian cavalry sets!
A thought: For future cavalry sets (of nearly any era) a really useful pose for both diorama-builders and also wargamers would be a 'Cavalry in Advance' pose. This was once known (by the likes of 25mm metal manufacturers eg: Hinchcliffe, Minifigs etc) as 'cavalry at rest'. It is in fact a pose with the rider with drawn sabre resting on his shoulder (or lance held vertically), with his horse trotting forwards (ie: not galloping, or charging, or attempting take-off). This compares with the batch of Prussian cavalry sets which are, perhaps, described as 'Cavalry at Ease'??
This 'Cavalry in Advance' pose is extremely useful both for building dioramas, and also to create realistic table-top units. Cavalry of almost any era would spend much more time standing in ranks or moving gradually rather than charging, and yet so many sets in 1/72 have horses which look as if they are in the final stages of a Grand National horse race! Not really very realistic.
Would be great to see some future sets in this 'In Advance' pose from Strelets: More Prussians? Austrian Napoleonic cavalry?; WoSS French Line cavalry and/or dragoons?; Seven Years War Cuirassiers? The list goes on....:smiley:
Absolutely, yes.
I am trying to avoid sounding like a grump but these Prussian cavalry aren't much use to me for wargaming.
That's not to say that they aren't lovely figures or that people shouldn't buy multiple boxes but they're not for me (personal opinion).
Minuteman & Roger are correct. I'd buy boxes of Nap. cavalry in the classic sabre on shoulder pose (not to mention SYW cavalry if Strelets ever moved in that welcome direction).
donald
BTW poor Strelets must get sick of people like me complaining. I reiterate: Strelets are doing a marvellous job.
I too agree about the "in advance" pose as preference to the charge but I'll take whatever I can get.
The suggestions for filling the gaps in Napoleonics are also great, but I'm not sure if even strelets can cover everything. Certainly the British KGL Hussars need looking at, h a t has promised us Netherlands carabineers so who knows.
As for changing figures as better ones appear, I'm afraid that's me all over. The only Airfix I have left from all the various types I collected in the seventies, are the British Horse Artillery. They have their problems but have no competition in plastic. Last year I made the difficult decision to retire all my Airfix British infantry and replace with Strelets British/Highland in advance. It keeps me out of the pub at least.
Indeed some of the old Airfix sets remain in my army too.
The British Infantry set and Horse Artillery being the most numerous, the Infantry mainly due to the fact that there still isnt a good British 1812-1815 infantry "action" set out there in my opinion. Sure Strelets have done their excellent sets, I have some marching, and attack boxes with the odd at ease etc box, but they cant be formed into squares or firing lines. And so the Airfix sets continue. The Revell set was good but that is long long out of production. Italeri's newer 1815 British is ok but a lack of fixed bayonets and mixing the box with a load of poses which only represent the 28th, wasnt a sensible idea.
As mentioned there is no other real British horse artillery in plastic. The old esci/Italeri set was ok but the figures tunics had tails when none existed. Then of course there is no horse team or limber.
But the obvious "golden oldie" is the Airfix Prussian Landwehr. If you want these guys in various action poses, this is still the best set. The Hat action set is good, but with mostly advancing poses within it, it doesnt lend itself to a close quarters vicious and bloody fight within Plancenoit.
Yes, the story with late Napoleonic Wars British infantry is somewhat similar to that of French infantry ie: no-one has yet quite managed to make the perfect set(s).
I did like the Revell British infantry set, but as with many of the Revell sculpts the heads were way too small; when I decided to re-use my old Airfix Waterloo British infantry (rather than HaT Peninsular set) I realised that I had plenty of HaT Belgic shako heads left over...so my British Guards Brigade is now Revell figures with HaT heads; it distinguishes them from the 'ordinary' British line infantry! And the HaT heads make them look more 'normal' and in proportion.
I'd say that the challenge is there for Strelets to take: A couple more British (and Highland) infantry sets for 1812-15. One, 'In defence' (for modelling squares); and one 'Firing Line' (for seeing off those pesky French columns with massed musket fire)....2 x sets of Line infantry in Belgic shakos; 2 x sets of Highlanders.
PS: Yes, the Airfix Landwehr were great, but very small: such a shame they were not produced as 23mm or 24mm figures.
Agreed with the British (& French) problem of no real good set for 1815 and i'd also agree with the set ideas of defence/square and firing line that you suggest.
Cavalry at the walk, British in square & firing line, you certainly have the right ideas Minuteman!
Yes the Airfix Landwehr do come up a bit smaller which is a shame, but its the only set with such a active range of poses which suits a fight in and around Plancenoit.
Agreed on Airfix Prussian animation, and lack of height, but for me their equipment was too perfect, and of course bayonets in scabbards were never seen. The arrival of "H" sets of Landwehr prompted a huge project to replace 1800 Airfix. I haven't yet convinced myself that these need replaced again by a further 1800 strelets :0s
It also seems that a lot of 1815 British Infantry sets have wings on their shoulders and thus represent flank companies. To my knowledge only the Airfix and Revell sets show the center companies, though I could be wrong.
Yep they dont have any wings.
Ideally any set would have both centre and flank companys represented in the correct ratio.
I think British red coat light infantry all had wings though.
Hi James
Do you mean the British Light Infantry (such as the 51st & 52nd) had tufts as well? Ive only seen images of the light regiments with shoulder wings for all companys.
I am aware of line regiments having tufts for center companys and the Grenadier/Light companys having wings. I thought Light regiments were different.
Or have we got our wires crossed? As when i made my comment about no wings, I was referring to the Airfix & Revell Waterloo British Infantry sets as per a previous comment.
If someone could indeed confirm whether the British Light regiments had just shoulder wings or also had companys with tufts, id be greatful as I plan on painting the 52nd Oxfordshires soon. Also some images show them with white belts, some with buff. Does anybody know which it is supposed to be?
Thanks
No worries. 👍
I too have a large contingent of Airfix figures, most are still usable & dont look out of place with newer figures.
The only Airfix sets i wouldn't use anymore is the french cavalry & Line infantry as they are looking well past their sell by date,though i do like the cavalry man standing holding the horse & I have a stand of ten of these poses & are looking out for more.