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Strelets

Set M006

Medieval Levy (2)

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All figures are supplied unpainted    (Numbers of each pose in brackets)
Stats
Date Released 2007
Contents 48 figures
Poses 12 poses
Material Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours Dark Grey
Average Height 25 mm (= 1.8 m)

Review

As can be seen by the title of this set it represents the second product from Strelets to represent this subject, so our observations on the Medieval levy from that review apply equally here.

While the first set contained a wide variety of weapons, this one is much more focused, with most men carrying a spear. Spears were cheap and relatively easy to use, and as the Scots and Swiss demonstrated, a mass of spearmen could defeat even the finest knights in Europe. Most of these poses are holding the spear forward to varying degrees, depending on whether they are in the front rank or further back. Two men are on the march, but the rest have the appearance of being in battle and while not a particularly diverse selection they combine to give a fair impression of a block of spearmen in battle. Two of the men have an axe instead of a spear, which is a reasonable choice of weapon as axes were an everyday object that could easily be used in a military context when required. Both the axe poses are also reasonable.

Strelets have long been known for having a great deal of variety in the costume of medieval figures, and these are no different. A variety of jackets and armour is being worn, which between them cover most of the medieval period. While some have mail or even scale armour many have quilted armour, which would seem to be more likely for such lowly folk. One man has a strange tunic with horizontal lines which we could not identify, but in general the costume is fine. Many wear hoods or caps, but some are lucky enough to have acquired a helmet, which in all cases is quite simple and perfectly appropriate for these men. Many have an axe as a sidearm (swords were expensive), while some have a knife, so again no problems with accuracy.

The sculpting is pretty good for Strelets, with a fair amount of detail, although some is rather larger than we would have liked. Four of the figures come with separate spears, which as usual take some effort to remove and tidy up. These require gluing to the hands but do not make a secure or comfortable fit, and a little filing is advisable to improve this. The faces are nicely full of character and there is a low level of flash, but the figures are a little too tall in our view.

This is another reasonable effort from Strelets and includes a lot of poses that should find favour with most medieval modellers. It is by no means entirely representative of all such levys, but it clearly is not meant to be. Another welcome antidote to the many sets of knights that have been made, although the style and quality of these figures will not mix well with some of the best knights made by other producers.


Ratings

Historical Accuracy 10
Pose Quality 9
Pose Number 8
Sculpting 6
Mould 8

Further Reading
Books
"Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300" - Wargames Research Group - Ian Heath - 9780904417432
"Medieval Costume, Armour and Weapons" - Dover - Eduard Wagner, Zoroslava Drobna & Jan Durdik - 9780486412405
"Medieval Military Costume" - Crowood (Europa Militaria Special Series No.8) - Gerry Embleton - 9781861263711
"The Hussite Wars 1419-36" - Osprey (Men-at-Arms Series No.409) - Stephen Turnbull - 9781841766652
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