This guide offers an overview of the Del Prado Relive Waterloo partwork that was released in the UK in the past few years. It lists the issues in order detailing the booklets, figure packs and additional items that were offered. It will be of interest to existing collectors looking to fill gaps in their collections, to new collectors who may have missed the partwork first time around, to military history enthusiasts seeking bite size chunks of information offered in the booklets and to wargamers interested in picking up the figures to recreate Waterloo on their tabletops. Last Updated 08/10/07

Relive Waterloo followed on from Del Prado's successful release of several 70mm toy soldier partworks, namely Men-at-War, Napoleon-at-War, Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars and Medieval Warriors. In each issue you got a 16 page or so booklet from respected military history publishers Osprey together with a high quality figure. Relive Waterloo was similar in that the Osprey booklet aspect of the offer was maintained but this time the figures were 28mm painted metal figures suited to wargaming as well as collecting if desired.

Over the course of the 125 issue partwork collectors were able to build up French, Anglo-Allied and Prussian forces. Infantry, cavalry, artillery and command figures were all present to give a balanced force. It is worth mentioning that as with their 70m figures Del Prado did not stint on the quality and generally the 28mm soldiers were of a high standard and good value. In addition to the figures a 12 piece "map" of the Waterloo battlefield was also included in various earlier issues as the series progressed - Del Prado's idea being that collectors could form their own diorama on this map. More laterly model Hougoumont pieces were also included in higher number releases, together with a localised two part diorama "map".

The Relive Waterloo booklets were all numbered and it is this numbering that I have followed in my listing below. The subtitle to the booklets was Great Battles of the Napoleonic Wars so collectors got a lot of information on the period, not just covering Waterloo. The pieces that accompanied each booklet usually came in quantities of 2, 3 or 4 normally spanning different nationalities or service arms or both. Many sets were repeated as the partwork progressed enabling units of similar posed figures to be created which most collectors and wargamers would wish to see.

Subscribers could either pick up their copies in local newsagents like WH Smith or have it mailed to their homes. As is common with partworks some issues are now more highly sort after than others and hence the prices they attract on eBay are correspondingly varied. The Diorama booklet issued early on is particularly useful as it covers What is a Diorama? What Happened at Waterloo? Which Units are Represented in the Del Prado Diorama of Waterloo? and How to Create Your Diorama. Crucially it also lists all the figurines released sorted into their army units with code numbers and names given.

Finally on a related note I believe that Del Prado also issued at least a couple of other partworks offering more 28mm painted metal soldiers. One covered Austerlitz and came with Osprey booklets in French and the other was on D-Day but I do not know if this was perservered with beyond the initial issues.

WORK IN PROGRESS - There are still some gaps to be filled, especially with linking figure packs to booklets. I will complete this in due course.

The Issues:                                 

(I have listed the Issue number, the booklet title, the figure pack code and any additional items)

01 The Road to Waterloo Booklet. DWA001 Figure Pack. Diorama Booklet.

02 Waterloo: Wellington's British Forces. DWA002.        

03 Waterloo: Napoleon's Plan and Commanders. DWA003. Diorama piece H.

04 Waterloo: Wellington's Foreign Contingents. DWA004.

05 Waterloo: Napoleon's Forces. DWA005. Diorama piece F.

06 Waterloo: Blucher and the Prussians. DWA006. Diorama piece E.

07 Waterloo: Opening Moves. DWA007

08 Waterloo: Quatre Bras. DWA008

09 Waterloo: The Battle of Ligny. DWA009. Diorama piece G.

10 Waterloo: The Fighting at Hougoumont. DWA010.

11 Waterloo: Attack and Counter Attack. DWA011

12 Waterloo: Attack and Counter Attack DWA012

13 Waterloo: The Prussian Advance DWA013

14 Waterloo: Wellington's Crisis DWA014

15 Waterloo: The Attack of the Imperial Guard. DWA001

16 Waterloo: The Final Advance and Aftermath. DWA002

17 Europe in 1805. DWA003. Diorama piece C

18 Austerlitz: Napoleon's Grande Armee. DWA004 & *DWA000. *Originally scheduled for inclusion in Issue #9

19 Austerlitz: The Austrian Army. DWA019. Diorama piece J

20 Austerlitz: The Russian Army.  DWA015.

21 Austerlitz: The Ulm Campaign. DWA016. Diorama piece I

22 Austerlitz: The Opening Moves. DWA008.

23 Austerlitz: The Battle in the South. DWA009. Diorama piece K

24 Austerlitz: The Battle in the Centre. DWA010.

25 Austerlitz: The Battle in the North. DWA017.

26 Austerlitz: The Attack of the Russian Imperial Guard. DWA018. Diorama piece L.

27 Austerlitz : The Defeat of the Allied Left. DWA012.

28 Austerlitz: Retreat and Aftermath. DWA019. Diorama piece B.

29 Jena: Prussian Plans and Forces in 1806. DW001.

30 Jena: Napoleon's War Plans. DWA014.

31 Jena: Prussian Uniforms in 1806. DWA002.

32 Jena: Napoleon's Grand Armee 1806. DWA003. Diorama piece A

33 Jena, 1806: The Prussian Collapse. DWA004.

34 Auerstadt, 1806: The Prussian Defeated. DWA005

35 Jena-Auerstadt: 1806 The Pursuit. DWA008.

36 The Grand Armee in Poland, 1806-1807. DWA016

37 The Grand Armee in Poland. 1806-1807. DWA015.

38 Eylau, 1807: Opening Encounters. DWA010.

39 Eylau, 1807: The Great Cavalry Charge. DWA017.

40 Poland, 1807: Heilsberg and the Sieges. DWA018.

41 Friedland, 1807: Opening Actions. DWA020.

42 The Piece of Tilsit, 1807. DWA021.

43 The Path to War 1808-09. DWA014.

44 The French in Portugal: 1807-08. DWA022.

45. The Anglo-Portuguese Army of 1808. DWA023.

46. The Battle of Vimeiro, 21 August 1808. DWA024.

47. The Corunna Campaign: Winter 1808-1809. DWA025.

48. The Road to Talavera: 1809. DWA026.

49 Busaco:1810. DWA005.

50 Wellington's Liberation of Portugal, 1811. DWA016.

51 Guerillas in the Peninsular War, 1808-1814. DWA027.

52 1809 Campaign: The Austrian Arm. DWA028.

53 1809 Campaign: Napoleon'c Army. DWA015.

54 The Battle of Eggmuhl:1809. DWA017.

55 1809 Campaign: Aspern-Essling, Day 1. DWA18.

56 1809 Campaign: Aspern-Essling, Day 2. DWA020.

57 From Aspern-Essling to Wagram, 1809. DWA023.

58 Wagram, The First Day: 5 July 1809. DWA022.

59 Wagram, The Second Day: 6 July 1809. DWA029.

60. Wagram, 1809: The Aftermath. DWA018.

61 The Grand Armee in 1812. DWA014.

62 The Russian Army in 1812. DWA030.

63 Russia, 1812: The Path to War. DWA031.

64 Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, 1812. DWA032.

65 Russia, 1812: Smolensk to Borodino DWA033

66 Borodino 1812: Opening Moves DWA034

67 Borodino 1812: A Hollow Victory. DWA025.

68. The Burning of Moscow. DWA035.

69. Russia, 1812: The Retreat Begins. DWA016.

70 The Retreat from Moscow: The Berezina DWA015

71 Russia 1812: The Retreat Takes It's Toll DWA036

72 The French in the Peninsula, 1812 DWA037

73 The Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, January 1812 DWA038

74 The Siege of Badajoz, Spring 1812 DWA017

75. Wellington's Forces in the Peninsula, 1812-14 DWA039

76 The Road to Salamanca, 1812 DWA022

77 The Battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812 DWA023

78 Wellington's Retreat, 1812 DWA029

79 The Vitoria Campaign 1813: Forces and Dispositions DWA040

80 The Battle of Vittoria, 21 June 1813 DWA018

81 The Battles of the Pyrenees DWA031

82 Peninsular War: The Advance into France DWA016

83 The Peninsular War in Eastern Spain DWA033

84 Napoleon's Forces om 1813 DWA041

85 Allied Forces in 1813 DWA042

86 The Battle of Lutzen, 1813 DWA043

87 The Battle of Bautzen, 20-21 May 1813 DWA044

88 1813: The Road to Dresden DWA045

89 1813: The Turn of the Tide DWA046

90: 1813: The Battle of Liebertwolkwitz DWA047

91 Leipzig: The Battle of Nations, 1813 DWA048

92 Leipzig: An Allied Victory, 1813 DWA049

93 Leipzig 1813: The Aftermath DWA050

94 Napoleon's Forces in 1814 DWA051

95 Allied Forces in 1814 DWA039

96 The 1814 Campaign Begins DWA022

97 1814 The Six Days Campaign DWA023

98 France 1814: The Austrians Close In DWA055

99 1814: The Campaign for France DWA 056

100 1814: Defeat and Abdication DWA057

101 Hougoumont DWA016

102 Hougoumont: Opposing Forces DWA058

103 Hougoumont: The Battle Rages DWA 059

104 Hougoumont: The Conflagration DWA060

105 Hougoumont: A Hard Fought Victory DWA061

106 Wellington's Redcoats DWA062

107 Napoleon's Infantry DWA063

108 Wellington's Highlanders DWA064

109 Napoleon's Old Guard Infantry DWA065

110 The British Foot Guards DWA066

111 Napoleon's Young Guard Infantry DWA067

112. Wellington's Riflemen DWA068

113 Napoleon'c Carabiniers DWA069

114 Wellington's Line Cavalry DWA070

115 Napoleon's Dragoons DWA071

116 The King's German Legion DWA072

117 Napoleon's Light Cavalry DWA073

118 British Artillery DWA074

119 French Artillery DWA016

120 The Russian Guard DWA053

121 Napoleon's Specialist Troops DWA075

122. Prussian Cavalry DWA076

123. Napoleon's German Allies DWA077

124. Portuguese Light Infantry DWA078

125. Napoleon's Polish Allies DWA079