Strelets Forum

Welcome to the Strelets Forum.
Please feel free to discuss any aspect of 1/72 scale plastic figures, not simply Strelets.
If you have any questions about our products then we will answer them here.

Strelets Forum
This Forum is Locked
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Re: The best set of the year?

My vote is for Zvezda French Old Guard.

In second place is Guard Of Peter I and Swedish Reitars of Charles XII from Strelets.

Mb i will also vote Swedish Trabants, but i haven't seen them yet.

And third place for Saxon Cuirassiers from Zvezda.

Yevgen Chernov

Re: Re: Re: The best set of the year?

Hi Donald:

I think PSR's criteria is a pretty good guide. But we don't need to go through a formal analysis--pose numbers and all. We can just post and share what we think subjectively is the best set. Reasonable minds can differ.

The best set of the year?

Dear Dominic
I find it difficult.

I look at the Nappy Zvezda set you think is the best set and I think it is magnificent but I haven't bought the set. Is the choice therefore aesthetic or collectors seeking completeness (filling the gap)? If it was aesthetic I would have cartloads of them but I don't collect Nappy stuff so these assured masterpieces do not register with me or get nominated. Maybe if I said the quality of this set is one that others would do well to emulate maybe that lets me off the non purchase hook.
To muddy the water further, stretching the technical boundaries has a a great appeal to me. Caesar's moulding is the best for me and Pegasus's Berlin45/ Downfall set oozes character with their multi part figures that fit together so well.

I have also purchased some weak, poor sets because I know I could make them better with head swaps etc.

I suppose the quality of all of this year's abundant offerings has been such that I can see something of merit in all of my acquisitions.

If pushed for my best then :
PSR perfect 10 Emhar Crimean War Russian artillery and Larry's, again perfect 10, California Mission Indians.

Absolutely no turkeys except the ones in the excellent Imex Pilgrims set ( another 10 - runner up?).

Re: Re: Re: Re: The best set of the year?

OK but I want a second & third place nomination, too.
2nd place goes to (drum roll) HaT Nap French Line infantry 1808-1812: I love these figures.
3rd place goes to Strelets French staff set.Fun to paint & with so many useful figures.
Yeah, know, all Naps. I do have some of the others but my ove of the Napoleonic era blinds me a bit.
cheers & good collecting, donald

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The best set of the year?

I like the Zvezda French Old Guard. Italeri French
Command set is also very good. Since I am biased to the
Napoleonic era, my opinion is tainted.

and the nominations are...

We thought it would help if you could see a list of this years production so far. 74 sets, although it is really too early to be doing this sort of thing since there are others due before the end of the year. Still, this is the list (formatting isn't great, but you get the idea):

A Call To Arms - 65 - British Infantry 1775
A Call To Arms - 66 - Netherlands Infantry 1815
Armourfast - 99010 - WWII German BMW with Sidecar
Armourfast - 99011 - WWII German Zundapp Motorcycle
BUM - 5001 - Republican Army
Caesar - H004 - Ch'in Dynasty Army
Caesar - H005 - WWII German Infantry with Winter Gear
Caesar - H006 - WWII Underground Resisters (Partisans)
Caesar - H007 - Assyrian Army
Caesar - H009 - Egyptian Army
Caesar - H017 - Medieval Knights (Crusaders)
Caesar - H018 - Saladin with Saracen Cavalry
Dark Dream Studio - 72004 - Landsknechts (Pikemen)
Emhar - 7206 - Saxon Warriors
Emhar - 7207 - Charge of the Light Brigade
Emhar - 7208 - Russian Artillery
Emhar - 7209 - American Infantry
Forces of Valor - 83096 - German Panzergrenadier Regiment
Forces of Valor - 83097 - US 7th Infantry Division
Forces of Valor - 83098 - British 6th Airborne Division
Forces of Valor - 83099 - US 4th Infantry Division
HaT - 8064 - Imperial Roman Extra Heavy Legionaries
HaT - 8066 - Imperial Roman Auxiliary Cavalry
HaT - 8067 - Imperial Roman Praetorian Cavalry
HaT - 8085 - Gothic Cavalry
HaT - 8086 - Late Roman Cataphracts
HaT - 8087 - Late Roman Heavy Infantry
HaT - 8094 - WWI Ottoman Artillery and Machine Guns
HaT - 8095 - 1808-1812 French Line Infantry
HaT - 8099 - Russian Militia
HaT - 8109 - WWI German Artillery
HaT - 8110 - WWI German Heavy Weapons Set
HaT - 8115 - WWII Polish Infantry
IMEX - 521 - Pilgrims
IMEX - 529 - Korean War US Army
IMEX - 530 - Republic of Korea Troops
IMEX - 531 - Chinese People's Liberation Army
IMEX - 532 - North Korean KPA
Italeri - 6060 - American Infantry
Italeri - 6061 - Indian Warriors
LW - 08 - Swiss Mercanaries
LW - 2004 - Portugal Artillery
MiniArt - 72006 - Burgundian Mounted Knights
MiniArt - 72007 - French Mounted Knights
Odemars - CF01 - Spanish Infantry
Odemars - CF02 - Portuguese Infantry
Odemars - PF08 - Carpentum
Odemars - PF14 - Wellington's Staff
Orion - 72008 - Roman Siege Troops
Pegasus - 7051 - California Mission Indians
Pegasus - 7202 - Waffen SS - Set 2
Pegasus - 7204 - German Mortar Teams
Pegasus - 7228 - Germans in Berlin 1945
Revell - 02525 - WWII German Navy
Strelets*R - 011 - Allied Chiefs of Staff (2)
Strelets*R - 013 - Napoleon's General Staff
Strelets*R - 030 - Scots Greys
Strelets*R - 031 - Guard of Peter I
Strelets*R - 032 - Russian Naval Artillery
Strelets*R - 033 - Zouaves
Strelets*R - 034 - Crimean Russian Hussars
Strelets*R - 035 - Reitars of Charles XII
Strelets*R - 036 - British Lancers
Strelets*R - 039 - Russian Grenadiers
Strelets*R - 040 - British Light Dragoons
Strelets*R - 041 - US Cavalry (1)
Strelets*R - 042 - Artillery of Peter I
Strelets*R - 043 - Artillery of Charles XII
Strelets*R - 044 - Lieb-Drabants of Charles XII
Strelets*R - 071 - Medieval Britain
Waterloo 1815 - 011 - Dervish Infantry
Waterloo 1815 - 013 - Anglo-Egyptian Army
Zvezda - 8030 - French Imperial Old Guard
Zvezda - 8036 - French Knights

My vote goes to...

1st place: Zvezda - French Imperial Old Guard
2nd place: Italeri - Indian Warriors
3rd place: Strelets - Napoleon's General Staff set1

My 3 Favorite Purchases for 2005

My Purchases for 2005:

#1 Strelets 17th Crimean Lancers (Master Pieces of this hobby in every way - with Mates to-boot!)
#2 Strelets Crimean Naval Cannons (The finest artillery pieces produced in years since Revell) I like accessories too.
#3 Orion Roman Seige Troops 1 (Great looking ancients in a nice soft plastic to go with other popular sets in so many colors / I can't wait for next set #2)

Heeee Haaawww - What a great year! Ain't we hav'n fun? !!!!

Re: My 3 Favorite Purchases for 2005

Hi, David,
I've begun painting my Strelets' Crimeans....slowly.
Yes, it's hard to imagine it getting better.
BTW how did the camera purchase go?
Did you see my not-too-focused pictures in Contributions? Blame me for picture quality not the camera.
regards, donald

Re: Donald Brown's Contribution

Dear Donald:

I sure did see your contribution and I am really impressed. I love your conversion of the mounted officer. He looks so natural I had to look twice before realizing, he's a Strelets figure on horseback. Nice job! The other Staff officer in the background and the four Strelets figures including the bannermen do a swell job of leading your army into battle. I hope I am correct in saying, "Very nice diorama!" Great painting job. And thank you for sharing it with everyone.

I'm now looking forward to your next project of Crimean men in action and in full-color splendor.

P.S. Re: camera, I want to look for one, but I may be better off buying one next year in the U.S. with English operations and at 1/2 the price. Gawd, I hate waiting. Anyway, "Happy Collecting!"

Re: Re: Donald Brown's Contribution

Well thank you David.
I think the paint job is OK but not of the standard of the 'Masters' who put their work on the Contributions Page.
I don't diorama: its a brigade about to march off and meet the Russians on a wargames' table.
I'll work on my photography skills.
regards, donald

Re: and the nominations are...

My favourite set, if we can consider it a new set, is Medieval Britain. Rarely has a set in this scale put so much character into its figures.
My biggest disappointment was the Emhar Saxons. Not the worst set ever, but the poses were not useful (shields all facing the wrong way) and many were copied from the Revel set.
Also, I don't like the Zvezda Saxon Cuirassiers. Having all the men lookig sideways completely spoils them for me.

Emhar Saxon shields

surely the point is the bendy plastic means you can have the shields facing whatever way you like?

Re: The best set of the year?

Greeting from Estonia .My ultimate favout set is ...
Zvezda's French Old Guard - i bougth this set 5 box.second is the ultimate ITALERY Indians 8 box
third place is Strelets*R British Lancers 5box and Orion Roman siege troops 5 box .THEY are absolutley superb sets.I recomend those to all.

Re: Re: The best set of the year?

Hi,

I just bought both the strelets napoleon's and allied staff sets and I am trully impressed by the detail, the usefullness?...They look far better than on PSR (where they looked great)

So on 1 strelets Napoleons general staff
2 strelets allied staff II
3 zvezda French grenadiers of the guard

Re: Re: Re: The best set of the year?

1) Strelets*R - 013 - Napoleon's General Staff
2) Zvezda - 8030 - French Imperial Old Guard
3) I wanted to say,Zvezda Samurai Cavalry Warriors because I bought them earlier this year but it seems they were first made in 2004.

To Strelets*R Team

Your fans and followers have spoken and there is no doubt that in addition to your super Crimean 17th Lancers, you have a huge Napoleonic Collectors base. These guys clearly have insatiable appetites for anything Napoleonic. Even I am getting swept up in the tide of enthusiasm for you to make more sets for us "Napoleonic Junkies" (Dear wife, just 1 more set and then I'm going to quit collecting cold turkey - I promise!) So, I will repeat myself, please consider giving us a fix of Napoleonic British Highlanders in Square Formation (as we all enjoyed debating a while ago) who should be repulsing your next set of French steel-plated Currasiers. Neither set has yet to be done up to your standards (Crimean Highlanders and Light and Heavy Cavalry sets). Thats my personal Napoleonic wish.

And to all of the Strelets*R Team (all sculptors, designers, researchers, and their wives and kids and pets) a heartfelt congratulations on meeting your incredibly ambitious and successful schedule of releases for 2005. Thank you!

Re: To Strelets*R Team

Thanks for your support, Dave!

And you got it right: I swallow anything Napoleonic.. even those rather weird casualties stuffs from MIR.. :)

Re: Re: To Strelets*R Team

Dear Andreas:

It is my pleasure to give you and the others my support. I have always been a Napoleon and Napoleonic Wars fan. Before coming to Japan in 1993, I read every book David Chandler (Head of the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, at the time) wrote on him. I sheepishly admit, I am totally overwhelmed by the complexity of the Napoleonic Wars. But I love to study the man himself under a microscope - totally fascinating and totally eye-opening in daily practical advice. I recall, he said, "Plan your strategy 80%, but leave 20% to chance, for situations will always change." I came to Japan 80% prepared, just no job! That was my 20%. But it did work out. "Thank you my Napoleon. Super advice. What a guy! His echos still deliver winning strategies and freely bestow confidence into any person willing to read up on his legacy he left for us. Anyway, I'm getting excited now . . .

If you have the chance, find and read the book "The Military Maxims of Napoleon" by David Chandler. It is pocket-book size, but monumental in pleasure.

Best wishes to you

Re: To Strelets*R Team

Correct Dave,it seems the Napoleonic era is still the most popular era among collectors. Like the most of us all I would buy anything that wears the name Napoleonic. Some releases of essential units from the Waterloo campagne are very disappointing to me.
Do we have decent French Cuirassiers? Polish lancers in different poses? Scots Greys with bearskins? And what about the Prussian cavalry? Who likes the terrible sculpting of Häts Prussian Dragoons and Prusian Uhlans? For the same reason we need other sets of French Lancers and Line Chasseurs.
Recently the ultimate set of French Imperial Guard was given to us,but just another set of Chasseurs would be nice.
And last but not least never released but very wanted: Prussian Hussars and Belgian Carabineers.

Re: Re: To Strelets*R Team

Hi, Danny,
exactly. But with the current scope of production all these requests may well appear soon.
regards, donald

Re: Re: Re: To Strelets*R Team

Let's hope so,Donald.
Emhar's previeuws of Peninsular War are looking promising. I hope they do more Napoleonic.
Till so far I didn't bought any set of Emhar but after seeing the painted Vikings on Plastic Soldier Revieuw....wow,they look so great.

Napoleonics

Dear all
In addition to 1/72nd scale plastic the Napoleonic period has been well catered for in metal (all scales just about) and diorama/competition models in 1/35th (and larger) resin, metal and plastic.

I wonder how many people collect figures of different media and scales, other than 1/72nd, but loyal to the Napoleonic period?


I pose this question because somebody used the term insatiable but this could be because nobody has attempted to define the 1/72 plastic figure "appetite". Are the appetites that of the gastronome or gourmet or both combined?

On the face of it when you look at the Napoleonic period on PSR there are lots of offerings but for example when you look at the figure comparisons of French Line Infantry there seems to be nothing for 1815 or none in overcoats. It almost needs a ground up stock take is what is needed to help satiate the appetite.
More, more seems to be the cry but shouldn't we also help and offer advice to manufacturers to upgrade and fill the glaring gaps in plastic figures for the Napoleonic period as well.