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Re: Re: Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

I have to agree with Andreas. I'm a bit concerned too about quality. I haven't got all the (recent) Strelets sets.
Partly because output is a bit to high and I cannot be interested in everything.
Partly because not all sets look good.
I'm fine with the Imp. Romans-style and I think I'll buy the medieval crossbowmen, perhaps mongols and rus.levies too.
But the Nap. French and Dacians are not the normal Strelets standard.
Like most Nappy collectors I normally buy several French inf. sets, even if I don't really need new ones. Now zero.
And I need Roman enemies a lot, but now I'll be patient 'till some other company produces them.
(And not because PSR reviewed them badly only: I never judge a set by one picture or one review!)
Hope Strelets will return to the normal standard, I've got patience enough.
Good luck and regards
marc z.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

My main problem with Strelets sets is the sculpting of arms, which are invariably little more than stumps barely half the correct length.
This makes them easier to sculpt, but makes the figures look deformed and stunted, especially set beside more proportionately correct figures such as Italieri and Zvezda.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

It's not the figures that are my problem as people come in all shapes and sizes, it is what they are carrying. The muskets look like planks of 2 x 4 with six inch nails stuck on the end. Not only are they crude, but for the most part over scale. Sorry Strelets, your figures are wonderful, but these horrible, chunky, unrealistic weapons really let them down. I enjoyed painting and basing my 1812 Russian Grenadiers, but the look completely out of place next to my Zvezda figures

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Replying to:

My main problem with Strelets sets is the sculpting of arms, which are invariably little more than stumps barely half the correct length.
This makes them easier to sculpt, but makes the figures look deformed and stunted, especially set beside more proportionately correct figures such as Italieri and Zvezda.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

I'll have to join with both Marc and Andreas. With the cuirassiers and dragoons in the Borodino box set, in order to get the troopers to sit properly on their horses I had to trim, paint, re-trim, repaint, etc., until every horse had huge furrows of plastic removed from their flanks and of all the riders had their legs halved from the inside. This was even after I test-fitted them all on various mounts right out of the box. The end result was still pretty good but after about the third re-do I was ready to throw them out the window.
With that experience in mind I've not made any effort to buy the other cuirassier sets.

Cheers,
Kurt

measure twice, cut once

Dear Strelets fans

I often use the Strelets figures as a base as sometimes the body proportions are exaggerated but not beyond correction. Some seem to be sculpted very nicely but others have missed that critical eye in the final stage and should have been rejected. I remark below on the proportions of two figures for the Narva to Poltava set with my corrections they look fine - the heads are too big and the thighs too short. The magic of Photoshop allowed me to alter them and confirm what my first impressions signalled. The finished figures unfortunately do not and it is a more complex, broader version of the saying; "Measure twice, cut once" that springs to mind. The process of making plastic figures is not easy so it is fair to recognise this and well done to those who have a go.
I think the essence is knowing your strengths and playing to them rather than trying to predict what will sell well. If Strelets critically evaluated their, for example, Crimean infantry figures, certain strengths would emerge which could be incorporated into new sets. I think this may be the case with the proposed sets M029,M030. The Dacian sets seemed like a jump in the dark to me and very unwise. Expedience is not a fair trade for expertise. It seems from Hank's postings that the Turks hit the mark and they definitely play to Strelets' strengths (though why shunted into a big box ).

David

Re: measure twice, cut once

HI Professori, good to read. yes CW turks the figures are good and painting up okay.not as difficult as napoleonics thankfully . the three sets and command give me much thought.

so far i have 18 sets turn up.thats 72 s-r boxes by time i get 25 st903 is 100 stes.maybe the saving is in teh art work .That goves me 9 battalions of usable infantry 100 figs each.Thta sfine i happy dellighted to have so many rouskies also.doubling my rus inf collection

Again teh same cw question Artillery and cavalry.
however i fear this talked of set s-r saw guns at portsmouth /fort nelsom will just make english guns though smaller represented than teh french.so maybe no french obus 9 or 14 pdr something for the turks too please to consider.

CW Turks re helping sell those other figures .Maybe sardinian do the same ,we will see.

Re: Re: Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

Andreas,
I completely agree with your assessment. I just got
my first box of Russian Peasants, a box I was really
looking forward to and man, I am VERY DISAPPOINTED!

These figures are terrible! Flat, poorly sculpted indeed!

Quality over Quantity any day!

Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

I would have to agree with Andreas and the others on this. However surely this is about costs and making money, which much be increasingly difficult these days. The quality has gone down but also they are doing more sets on popular themes rather than filling gaps like they used to. After all, we dont NEED another set of French Cuirassiers, particularly with Zvezda and Legio products due out this year (OK I accept some people always WANT more cuirassiers!)

If Strelets stuck to completing ranges (like Crimean) and making Napoleonic, Roman and other sets that have NEVER been done by anyone else I think their sales would benefit. I wont be buying any Strelets cuirassiers until I compare them with the Zvezda and Legio sets when they appear, and probably not even then.

Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

Pictures speak for themselves, I'm going by what i see at PSR, and there are the arm lengths on the Russian Peaseant figures.

I won't try and defend them, but the recent lowering standard seems endemic throughout the industry. Redbox, Hat, Italeri and many others have either scrimped on posses, short-cutted sculpting, mal-molded, or missed the proper scale It is troubling.

Strelets figurines are art

and I consider myself an art collector.

Unfortunately, I'm also an army builder and I'll just buy one box as a collector, but might have bought 2,4,6 or 8 boxes of those Russian peasants or Dacians had they been sculpted better.

The currassiers I can highly recommend though. They're nice figures.

Re: Strelets figurines are art

Yes I agree, all figures are a doubley a work or art. In sculpting and in casting/molding.

Although some of the new figures give new meaning to the term "small arms", others are nice and the Vikings have a better assortment of emeies to plunder

Re: Re: Strelets figurines are art

You may consider to set up some ranks of 300-400 densely packed Strelets' Romans. The view is very impressive, almost like a painting.

Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

the dark age figures are excelents
idem the crusades and nevsky
most of the romans are nice(i like the auxilary)
i like all the ancients cavalry(dacian too)
dacian infantry and russian levy are not the best
but napoleonic cavalryare so good for me
so dark age is the winner

Re: Strelets: Quality over quantity, please...

Unfortunately I think the Dismounted Mongols are another poorly sculpted set with short arms, skinny waists, flat, ballet-dancer running poses (when will plastic figure makers learn that people don't run sideways with feet raised at ridiculous angles??), ring-holes that pass through the torso and thick, clunky weapons. Plus moulded-on shields for which there is no evidence for light cavalry.

Sculpters, please acquaint yourselves with basic stuff like Eadweard Muybridge's photos of animals and humans in motion and Gray's Anatomy...