Mars Swedish Infantry early XVII century

[Jesse]

There are Pictures of Mars new set of Swedish infantry for the early XVII Century at Hobby Terra:

http://hobbyterra.com/product/1-72-figu ... 72094.html

I don't know how to post the Pictures so just put the link. I'm a bit disappointed. Ok it's Mars (I have many sets already) but nothing new that you can't get from their existing sets. Their French Infantry for the late XVII Century/Louis XIV-era is still their best set of infantry figures.

[Paul]

[davbenbak1]

Thanks. I've been waiting for the PSR review for a while. A couple of interesting figures but a little short on pikemen and long on NCO's. No flag men either. Plenty of potential for conversion though. Still, as you say, ...it's MARS

[pipers]

For my the best set is the saxon infantry of gnw.
I use it for wss. Wss is a good idea for future releases.......

[steve_pickstock]

Against my better judgement I quite like these, and may have a box to investigate them more. They seem to have got round some of their pose issues by picking othe poses, and their sculpting style suits the clothing at the time. I will wait for the PSR pictures before deciding.

[Jesse]

I've been looking at the pictures a bit more now and perhaps I'm becoming a bit more positive than in my first post. I might purchase a box as well. They will at least mix well with their other 30YW stuff so don't go to waste. Another Mars favourite of mine is their Polish Infantry that they call "late" (as in late first half of xvii-century) set 72047. They are dressed in "german" or western style so suitable for most other western/northern European troops.

[tom s]

the pikes look good as well.altho i make my pikes out of broom bristles now,its good to see their not a lump of plastic for others who would like them included.

[steve_pickstock]

Well the PSR review is up and on the whole favourable.

More importantly good clear pictures and I am quite impressed. The figures are - as PSR says - ugly, but I reckon a regiment wouldn't look too bad. They'd certainly do for up until the first half of 1630's though the musketeer with the ruff collar wouldn't be seen much after the first fifteen or so years of the century, if ever - ruffs are high maintenance and not really something I would expect a common soldier to wear in the field.

[Jesse]

Yes quite nice for Mars And yes they could have skipped the ruff on the musketeer and perhaps the NCO as well. The musket rest on one of the firing musketeers; PSR doesn't know exactly what to think of it but perhaps it is intended as a so called "Swine feather" or "Swedish feather"? Don't know how common it was but didn't the Swedes use it to some extent?

[steve_pickstock]

I have seen an example, I don't know how many existing examples there are, just like that one. It even had an adjustable musket rest which could be fastened in place with a turn screw. The idea was to provide the musketeers with a musket rest and a protective stake at the time. Swinfeather is presumed to be a corruption of the words 'swedish feather'.

[davbenbak1]

The stocky style of this set seems to match well with the Imperial Mercenary set. I think by combining the two you could achieve some good units. As stated the figures with cassocks and ruffles might be more fitting to some elite units like Sweden's Yellow regiment or the Life Guard. I have also read accounts of the Blue Regiment wearing cassocks at Luethen.

[steve_pickstock]

There is a picture here of the Swedish feather I was describing - this is lifted from a blog which takes all its information from George Gush's out of print book about 17thC armies.



You can see the adjustable musket rest and the spear point that can be pointed at the enemy if you don't have a friendly pike block to hide behind/within.