Hi
I've just checked Hannants.
It's hard to keep track of everything!
I've seen the teasers but I didn't find anything on the in preparation lists.
Well, here's hoping, and saving, for them.
All this and Christmas too.
plenty too take our minds off Covid and keep us busy if we have further lockdowns.
Many thanks and stay safe folks!
Richard

Well, that's ... VERY disappointing. Strelets have shown us a lot of very nice WoSS masters and from the confusion with the RedBox set of British regiment of horse we know that the moulds for the French Garde du Corps (and probably the Musketeers as well) do exist. Yet still no release for a product that's been in the pipeline for over a year because for whatever reason the person responsible for the box art doesn't deliver. Unless it's because of bad health this is just such a letdown ... Just go and get the job done by somebody else! And set a deadline and don't pay in advance! Sorry for ranting ...

My, my what an exciting list especially the desert Italians and French. Also excited by Linear A's promises, particularly the next prehistoric set. Wow, just wow!

Congratulations to Strelets on releasing another huge batch in time for Christmas! It seems there’s a nice mixture of WW2/Naps/WSS. Although of course I’d love to have seen more of the WSS range being released, 4 sets is still a real achievement. Especially when it is considered they’ve already released 4 WSS sets this year plus the 2 last Christmas.

Is this the 2nd or 3rd major batch of releases for the year? I’ve lost track…

I'm like you Graham and Rich. I have to pinch myself; another fourteen new sets FOURTEEN!

That's on the back of 21 new and re-releases back in July and 14 in November 2020. So, we have been able to choose from 20–25 new sets of figures (plus assorted re-stocks; not to mention those still available from the back catalogue) for the past few years. Strelets are leading the way, but are not alone as you note Graham. It is remarkable.

I managed to find 14 boxes that I 'needed' (including multiples), despite 'only' three of those being from the latest batch. Oh dear...

I understand that you are champing at the bit to get hold of the coming early 17th century offerings Flambeau. I'm really keen to get my hands on those Austrian and Dutch cuirassiers. They will be worth the wait (and their weight), I have no doubt—I hope that Strelets produce enough of them!!!

Regards, James

"...the coming early 17th century offerings..."

I did, of course mean early 18th century. Apart from that I am perfectly all right...

(Don't worry, those responsible have been beheaded)

I agree with all these sentiments, well-said James!!:grinning:

I'm sure that the 'missing' Maison du Roi cavalry for the early C18th will turn up just as soon as the 'new' Strelets box-artist is able to produce a stirring image for these two important sets. Having said that, the new WoSS French Dragoon sets are a welcome addition to the range, and I'll be investing in a good number of these.

But in the meantime, reason to rejoice that Strelets are producing so many new sets, and keeping us 'seasoned veterans' excited by the range and variety of these new figures.

"I understand that you are champing at the bit to get hold of the coming early 17th century offerings Flambeau. I'm really keen to get my hands on those Austrian and Dutch cuirassiers. They will be worth the wait (and their weight), I have no doubt—I hope that Strelets produce enough of them!!!"

Agreed, the Austrian and Dutch cuirassiers will be the most useful of the WoSS cavalry sets yet to be released. The early war French dragoons are of course also very fine, though I do have some doubts regarding the late war version with tricorns. Perhaps if they can be mounted on other horses they might serve as French Line cavalry (Cavalerie Legere).
The WoSS sets are the most interesting for me, but for Strelets releasing a wide range of figures for many periods, that's great. I am just disappointed that two sets announced long ago and long before many of the sets in this release should be postponed again. Having the fruits dangling in front of your nose without being able to reach them is a bit frustrating.
However, as I had already feared for this outcome I managed to get hold of one of those RedBox sets as soon as the rumor about the "wrong" contents was out and before these were replaced, so I do at least have twelve Garde du Corps. :relaxed: And should Strelets fail to release these sets, it will be a collectors item! (Though I'd still mourn the loss of the Musketeers!)

I am missing more the next WSS infantry sets: the austrians and bavarians - and hopefully soon austrians firing+attacking too. I will cheer the older WSS dragoon-sets and the russian napoleonic jaegers in the next delivery batch.

It´s a fact, that the infantry was the main army body. and not quite rare horse guards. So I am missing still some more new infantry sets than cavalry in 2022.

And I think besides all WW2 desert troops some marching WW2-or WW1-sets would been wonderful for many collectors and diorama builders. Marching sets with a great variety of poses like the old Preiser ones which are unfortunatly not any more avaible.

You're of course right, the Elite cavalry was not the main force on any battlefield - they're just very nice to paint and look at :slightly_smiling_face:
The Cuirassiers however were a very important force and they are very difficult to obtain through conversions, while infantry of the period - except for grenadiers - looked very similar (uniform colors aside), so you can use almost any set and paint it as the army/nation you like (My Bavarians, Danes and Dutch are Zvezda GNW Russians).

Flambeau, I agree with you that these cavalry sets are very nice to paint - and the cuirassiers too.

I disagree with the simple reuse of Zvezda infantry sets for the dutch or austrians. Theirs hats and also theirs coats were quite different - especially the dutch ones which were using older hats before 1700 which would been wonderful suitable for the first succession wars of Louis XIV.

Agreed, converting these figures takes time. BUT....the WoSS range has already provided figures which we could have dreamt about even 5 years ago. If we add in the Zvezda GNW range of figures (and these cuirassiers are based on those) then we have a tremendous resource for the early C18th European wars. The forthcoming Strelets releases simply add to this.

#Minuteman
Where did you get the helmets from? Waterloo 1815 Ironsides?

#Sansovino
You're probably right about the hats, at the beginning of the war not all units were wearing the tricorne as we have come to know it. Perhaps Mars Saxon Army set comes closer to the real thing. At the time of Malplaquet however the tricorne was probably fairly common.
As to the uniform proper, with the exception of Hanoverians and Prussians who might have sported turnbacks, the coat was fairly generic (disregarding pocket arrangement), at least judging by contemporary pictures. The haircut might have varied. British troops are usually shown wearing their hair very short.

Thanks James. These Bavarian Cuirassiers (Regiment of Costa) became a bit of a 'labour of love' earlier in the year: I started them about 2 months before Strelets previewed their glorious Austrian Cuirassier set...and having started I had to finish them. It took a while though.

Flambeau: The heads are by Tumbling Dice (1/72 metal ECW Cavalry Heads set...most are 'lobster pots' or burgonet-style, circa 1640 vintage, but capable of becoming early 18th century 'zischarge' style; but the fiddly bit is adding the nose guard!! The horses and cavalrymen bodies are mainly Zvezda GNW Swedish cavalry (plus some Italeri 1806 Prussian cuirassier horses with added pistol holsters). The Zvezda figures need a little carving to form the impression of body armour, and Milliput (or green stuff) full coats as the Zvezda Swedes have turned-back coats. Fitting metal heads to plastic bodies requires an internal wire spigot (drilled into the figure's neck, and careful application of 5 minute epoxy. All in all a case of 1/72 surgery.

Buying boxes of the Strelets Austrian Cuirassiers when they come out will be a whole lot easier!!

Wow, those are fabulous conversions Mark.

Great. We have a back-up plan in the unlikely eventuality that 257 Austrian Cuirassiers is not forthcoming; you go into commercial production and take orders!! :grinning:

An amazing part of the early 18th century armies to me is the near equality of foot and horse (sometimes more of the latter), so we 'need' both. I'm not certain whether 260 Austrian Infantry on the March is in the release. It was not in the list from my supplier, but is on Hannants, so I chucked a few on the order, for justin'.

If not, better save up big time for the next release with likely Austrian and Dutch cuirassiers, Austrian and Imperial (nominally Bavarian) infantry, not to mention the German field kitchen and, of course, more Russian Napoleonic infantry that I just know Strelets will be producing! [Plus, goodness knows what other beauties they have planned...]

Oh dear, I am intending to be slowing down the collecting...

Fabulous work indeed on those cuirassiers! But there's an easier way to go commercial with these: Look for someone with a 3D Printer, copy, paste, voila, you're in business! :relaxed: