I note that PSR have done their usual thorough and measured review of the LRDG and LRDG At Rest sets. Both reviews are complimentary, and the sculpting and historical accuracy of the sets is praised, deservedly. PSR particularly like the 'At Rest' set, and I have to say that this is my favourite of the three LRDG/SAS Desert War sets so far produced.

However, with respect to the LRDG set (the one not 'at rest') they ask the question 'what are these men doing?' and the score for pose quality is therefore marked quite modestly.

I have to say that I have not yet purchased either set, but for those who have, any views? Indeed, what are the men in the LRDG set doing? Or is the purpose to use this set sparingly, and simply have two or three figures posed together, saving the others for later diorama(s)/unit(s)?

One box of each might 'go a long way' as the saying goes. In the case of the LRDG, this might be a very long way; but on wheels, not on foot.

They leave you wanting more, raiding on foot, as per Sea of sand maybe. But whilst not wanting to sound greedy there are still needs, crews for vehicles being most obvious, figures carrying out road watch, probably the most common recon they did, and a real omission from these sets. Plus others, digging a truck out, etc.

Crews for vehicles, certainly. Ideally these will be a set of crews (and passengers) which can be used for most 8th Army purposes, not just LRDG. I could use dozens of standard infantrymen, seated, to populate the various soft-skins in my collection which are currently empty of passengers.

Road watch: Surely that is what some of the figures, especially the kneeling and prone figures, are doing in the LRDG set?

Digging: My vote would go for a set of 8th Army sappers. I don't think an entire box of LRDG 'diggers' is justifiable: This might however justify a mini-box along the lines that Linear A/B are trialling with their ancients.

After all (and it is not intended as a joke) "How many men does it take to dig out a Chevy?" Answer: a couple, and a chap to make the tea...and we already have him in the LRDG At Rest set!!:grinning:

Road watch would usually be two guys hiding at a good vantage point, watching the road, one with binoculars the other with pen and paper recording every bit of traffic both ways, usually some distance from the trucks (miles) , and often unarmed, this was so if they were discovered they would attempt to pass themselves off as escapee`s, thus giving the rest of the patrol time to move and relocate. The sets lack both poses.

Something like this? Apologies for the somewhat small and grainy image....

Very good, most descriptions have the guys hiding away from the road in scrub etc prone, minimal kit, as it would need carrying both ways and slow them down and it would blow the cover story of being escaped POW`s. One of the first figures ever made is close, the first series 8th army prone figures with binoculars , bring him up to date, lose the helmet and take off his back pack and perfect for one of the pair.

If I was still doing this era and was after these sets (still debating whether to buy them anyway!!), i can imagine finding use for many of the poses. Yes the set designer hasnt quite thought through what the unit did and how it operated but i feel it is a tad harsh to say that hardly any use can be found for them.

On the subject of set designs however, as a Nap fan, i have at times wondered about the decision making with some of the sets released & think that sometimes more thought in its design was needed. All flanking company figures for the French infantry sets, Prussian Dragoons and Hussars mostly playing around with their carbines yet not really looking like they are on picket duty or reconaissance. This put me off these sets.

The sculpting is 1st rate for sure, but if the poses chosen are of limited use then that sculpting counts for nothing.
Eg, I havent bought any of the French on the march nor do I intend to. Why? Well because 1-they are all of flank companies when a few in proportion with the main fusiliers would of been more beneficial, and 2- they arent even in good marching poses when compared to the British and Prussian marching sets.

So while i think PSR is a little bit harsh on the LRDG set being of little use, they do have a point on set designs.

I think the PSR review of the regular set is too harsh, though I understand that the reviewer is focusing on what these men did rather than on what they could be portrayed as doing. So if the focus is on potential uses outside the narrow context of the early Desert War, most of these figures are spot on for the Israeli War of Independence period - for both sides. The figures wearing a mixture of Arab headdress and British uniform work perfectly for Arab irregulars and Palestinian guerrilla units, while the men in cap comforters, berets and such work perfectly for Jewish units (especially the Palmach, whose look was equally scruffy to the LRDG). With a head conversion of the kheffiyah-clad figures -or a figure from the many desert Arab sets - on top of the body of British soldier in battledress you get the Jordanian Arab Legion (who also wore standard battledress with Brodie helmets. Figures from LRDG with berets can also represent the Egyptian Army of the period, whose uniforms were otherwise British in style. Lastly, the Syrians and Lebanese can be represented fairly accurately with the Esci WWII French.

It may not have been the intention, but Strelets have not allowed an entirely new conflict to be modeled in 1/72 plastic!

That is a very interesting insight, Samogon, thank you. I am assuming that the 'not' is 'now' in your post. The Israeli War of Independence is not a conflict I know much about, but I will now look at these figures in a different way with a view to them being useful post-1945.