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If I may cut in line here, I would like the horses to be the same color.
This discussion was brought up a couple of years ago and I recall there was consensus for multicolered horses. But honestly, I'm not keen on the khaki tan colored horses with terracotta riders.
If the horses were darker, say a super dark brown like the Boers, then maybe.
But still, now that I've seen S*R's sets, as well as many 54mm companies who produce multicolored horses, I still like the same color horses and riders.
As a nonpainter, I still like that thrill of opening up a box and seeing it all matches.
I think that since the horses are on a separate sprue producing them in a more natural colour would be the obvious choice. If the troopers are Scots Greys then the horses should be white or grey, if British Cavalry in the 18/19 centuries the horses were referred to as cavalry blacks. Then due to a shortage of blacks other regiments adopted bays. I am not sure of other nations but a nice dark brown would probably be a good choice.
The whole idea of an army being produced all in the same colour is insane. With Napoleonic British as an example the infantry and heavy cavalry wore red jackets, apart from the Oxford Blues (cavalry) and the Rifles (Infantry in Green) but the Artillery and Light cavalry wore blue. So if you produced this army the individual sets would be best produced in this mix of colours.
If each nation is reduced to 1 national colour the figures just look like game pieces from risk or any other board game.
Re: Srelets - FYI - Examples of Colors of Horses by Orion & Cannons
* Polish Winged Hussars:
http://www.harfields.com/SetPages/ORI72007.html
* Russian Civil War:
http://www.harfields.com/SetPages/ORI72011.html
Summary: Looking at these, as well as my own here at home, I have to prefer same color horses and men, but I would also prefer British Artillery in Blue, Infantry in Terracotta, Highlanders in Khaki, Terracotta and even Blue.
For Artillery Cannons, I would prefer Gray or Dark Silver. Cassion Sets look nice in Gray. I think the Russian Naval Cannons in Silver works well. I used them for a scratch-built ACW Ironclad. Here are examples of each:
* ACW Ironclad:
http://www.hat.com/Othr7/Hennen04P.html
* Boer War Conversions w/Revell Napoleonic Cassions etc:
http://www.strelets-r.com/Contrib/C0052/Page.html
Hope this helps by being able to see some examples - Cheers!
To have the 17th Lancers in Blue would be a dream come true.
As Uwe has shown us, in his Contribution for the Battle of Aliwal, these same figurines could be used for other campaigns too. Terracotta and Blue would be perfect:
I'm with Bono on the Indians for the AWI and earlier French-Indian conflict. American Civil War figures are always a safe bet and no firm has brought any new sets out in several years. Skirmishing, dismounted cavalry would be great.