"1/72 plastic SYW Prussians" Topic

Prussian SYW figures: worth buying?

Specifically, this set, which has re-appeared in the shops:

link

These Zvesda "Grenadiers of Fred. the Great" certainly look good.

My SYW Prussian infantry, thanks to HaT, is in good shape & I've cobbled together enough converted cavalry & artillery to make a viable army.

When I saw this set in the LHS, I thought of adding more units…..as you do.
But there's issues:

*From Kronoskaf, I find only two, mitre wearing units carried flags. I don't have either unit but it cuts down the options

*Size; they're evidently giants

* box composition. My SYW Prussian infantry battalions generally get a whopping 24 figures per unit. This still means lots of unused figures as each battalion needs a command stand. Of which there is one (officer, musician, NCO & ensign).

* Pose. To get sufficient figures for a unit, they'll have to be firing (kneeling, standing & loading) as I won't mix'n'match marching, advancing or firing poses in the same set & there are insufficient of any other pose. Indeed, the above is a stretch.

Opinions, especially from members who own the figures, is canvassed.

Beautiful figures indeed, but my experience with them is trying to get a decent attachment of the arms. I've tried different types of epoxy & glue with dismal results.

Therin lies the biggest problem for me using plastic 1/72 for other than skirmishes. Multi poses just look wrong to me in formed regular units!

Not a problem, Herky, if you're buying multiple boxes to create many units.

That way, all the marching, firing etc can be grouped into units. Also not a problem with HaT's & Strelets single pose boxes (MAC in HaT-speak). You buy a box of marching HaT Prussian infantry & two boxes of Command, for instance & hey presto! 4 uniform battalions.

1/72 are still preferable to 15 mm in terms of detail.

My issue with the Zvesda box is that I can really only create 1-2 units. Lots of leftover figures…..but of course they cost a fraction of what you pay for 15mm.

What exactly are all these "leftover" figures? Casualties, command figures, what poses?

If you look at the sprue & note I mentioned using command & firing poses, the leftovers are standing at attention, marching & advancing.

I am finding more and more often that the so called leftover figs are becoming more important than in the past.

How so?

Left overs, I feel your pain.

Yesterday I spent over an hour working out the cheapest way to buy four units of metal French Napoleonic infantry to finish a collection off.

Using 'reinforcement packs', as the base of the order, to save about 5% on the figure cost, and with the 10% for an order of £150.00 GBP, I though I was doing rather well.

Then I realised that in saving around £7.00 GBP buying reinforcement packs I had simply bought four figures (in the reinforcement packs) I will not need, cost the world valuable resources, and saved only £1.80 GBP. Whoop-de-doo!