One of the first sets dedicated solely to the commanders and staff of an army was that of Italeri, where Napoleon was the centrepiece. Napoleonics continue to be one of the most popular periods in this hobby, and Strelets have already produced one such set containing all dismounted figures, so this all mounted set is an obvious and very necessary companion.
The identities of the figures as specified by Strelets are as follows:
Top Row - General Francois Fournier (1773-1827)
- Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844)
- General Antoine-Charles-Louis Lasalle (1775-1809)
- General Louis-Claude Chouard (1771-1845)
Second Row - Emperor Napoleon (1769-1821)
- Marshal Michel Ney (1769-1815)
- Marshal Joachim Murat (1767-1815)
- General Jean-Marie-Pierre-Francois Lepaige Dorsenne (1773-1812)
Third Row - Emmanuel de Grouchy (1766-1847)
- Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessieres (1768-1813)
- Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout (1770-1823)
- General Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr (1764-1830)
While there is only so far that figures of this scale can go, these personalities are a pretty good attempt at duplicating their respective historical subjects. Where possible faces and hairstyles are correctly done, and the costume is fine in all cases. The detail is a little patchy in places, but good enough for most purposes, making this another of the better sets from this manufacturer. We thought that some of the swords and scabbards were much too short, and those figures that have a sabretache have been given a rather small example. However the authenticity is generally very good and as usual there is no flash to cause concern.
The horses are an unusual mix with a wide variety of saddles and cloths. For the true enthusiast some research is required to match the correct horse to the correct rider, so for example the animal skin cloth is suited to the flamboyant Murat but certainly not the Emperor! The duplication of horses means not everyone can have their ideal mount, but we liked the choice of poses, with most being standing or walking. However some of the horses do lean noticeably to left or right, which looks odd. The riders fit their mounts to varying degrees, but there is no particular problem there either.
The poses are mostly OK, although we were not keen on the Dorsenne pose with sword held by his right eye. Also the figures do have a slightly flat feel to them. Overall however this is a set that many fans have long been waiting for, and depicts well some very colourful personalities from the wars of Napoleon.