"Generic 28mm SYW hard plastics?" Topic

A generic 28mm SYW plastic set or series of sets seems to be the last untapped historical market unless World War 1 is ever done. Wonder why nobody has done it yet?

Having worked on a SYW project I reckon its because the uniforms are not generic; they kinda seem like they are with the tricorn hats and coats with turnbacks, but there's lots of distinctions when you look at the details.

Austrians display a fair degree of similarity but even they have different turnback fastenings and pompoms and monograms in their tricorns.
Prussians, which are going to be the most important have a bewildering variety of combinations of lapels/no lapels, Swedish/Prussian/Brandenburg cuffs, collar/no collar, even before looking at lace decorations (though they can be painted.)
Russians are probably the least varying of all the nations, so might lend themselves to plastics.

You could do a generic set of blokes in tricorns with turnbacked coats, but in trying to look like everybody they'd look like nobody in particular. No more so than you could have generic Napoleonics.
Generic WSS troops sort of flies because there is a greater degree of similarity, but if you get picky there's all sorts of pocket shapes, types of cut, arrangement of equipment, etc. People are willing to overlook this sort of difference because records are somewhat patchy, giving a bit of leeway.
But for SYW comparatively we know a lot about the details, and its harder to ignore them to see mostly similarities.

That makes sense. I was thinking about the new Warlord Games WSS and how they are able to cover so many units with what looks to be one box.

Maybe SYW is just not very popular to game? Look at how many Napoleonic boxes there are from Victrix, Perry, Warlord and the rest. Some of those are actually the same sets too. Napoleonics must just be much, much bigger.

I have heard some producers of SYW metal figures don't sell very well.
While others sell well (like minden looks to be doing good)

If you want prussian plastic. The hessian AWI set from warlord is "close enough"

But then you are stuck with just some generic prussian infantry. With nk cavalry or enemies.

Y0u can always turn back the clock and look at the figures that got me started via "The Wargame."

link

It's too bad the Spenser Smith site pictures don't work on the site.

Generic figures would work well for those who like " Imaginations"; most of those seem to be vaguely SYW anyway.

@daler240D

The Spencer Smith images work fine for me.

link

Seven Years War armies were quite small – especially by Napoleonic standards – and as noted were quite variable in uniform

As well, there are lots and lots of good SYW figs out in metal – I have five large SYW armies of them; again the variability in uniform is clear, for example the Austrian Grenzers are useful as light infantry for exactly one army, the Austrians

I have used the Wargames Factory/Warlord games WSS infantry for generic SYW infantry – some units in white, some in blue – to flush out my existing armies

It's a brilliant idea because, well, I've been thinking about it for many years now. LOL LOL

Thanks Jim, it's working for me now. I got server errors before.
I actually think some generic sets might be viable. I'm not a button counter, and i think the period lends itself well to people starting in the hobby. It's actually how I got started. I must say years later I am still not interested in different pom-poms or monograms on tricorns. . YMMV though.

Given that there are now Baleric slingers in plastic. Why not?

I was talking to a manufacturer about this just a week ago who is seriously thinking of taking SYW on in plastic and starting with the French. Lets see.

Interesting! Perry, Warlord, or Victrix? LOL

This was discussed on the Warlord forums a long while ago:

link

I looked into this: limited market relative to other horse and musket, extensive variations of uniforms required making large investment needed. It was a no go for me.

That manufacturer who's thinking of SYW plastics – TMP link