German Captives 1944
Master Box 1:35 figure set No.MB3517
Review by Terry Ashley
Thr German figures all wear the standard field grey tunic and trousers with two having the tunic unbuttoned and another a greatcoat draped over his shoulder with a couple having bandages on various wounds and the poses capture well (excuse the pun) the look of the columns of captured German soldiers seen in photographs towards the end of the war.
The Russian soldier also wears the typical infantry uniform of the time with the knapsack on his back and bayoneted rifle.
The figures are moulded in light grey plastic with between 6 and 10 parts for the German figures and 13 for the Russian with the standard of moulding quite good but there are some quite heavy mould lines to be removed from many of the parts plus a bit of flash on other parts.
The detail on the figures is quite well done with features like the pockets, lapels and uniform folds all there as well as fine fabric seams on the trousers and arms but these details will benefit from careful painting to bring out the best. Some of the lapel and tunic flaps could be trimmed for a more refined look which will also help out with the final look.
Assembly of the figures was not that straightforward with a bit of trimming needed about the place for a good fit especially between the two part legs and upper torso on most figures. This was quite pronounced on the figure with his arm in a sling with trimming and test fitting before gluing being the order of the day, any remaining gaps can be filled with tube cement in most cases.
Unfortunately the worst fitting parts were the two German figures with field caps as the caps were slightly too small for the head and quite a bit of trimming was needed at the forehead and from inside the cap for a good fit.
The breakdown of the parts on the figures with open tunics and the greatcoat is well thought out and fit neatly together if you follow a logical sequence and trial fit for any adjustments needed. Just don’t worry about the upper right arm of the guy with his arm in the sling which is really skinny but this is so the tunic will fit neatly over the top of the arm and looks good after assembly.
The instructions consist of diagrams on the back of the box with the assembled figures and a plan view of the sprue showing part numbers, there are no part numbers on the sprues themselves so take note of these before cutting the parts from the sprue.
The colours used in the painting as given for Vallejo paints but equivalent colours form other paints would be easy enough to identify.
Conclusion:
While there are a few minor challenges during assembly the final poses are
very well done and are quite convincing in conveying the feel of the scene.
The varied states of dress with some having open tunics and other bare
headed also contribute to the overall effect.
The figures are not quite up to the current standards of Dragon and Tristar plastic figures but are not that far behind and with careful assembly and painting will come up very well. They will look good either used together to form a small diorama or separately with other figures and offer a very good alternative to the usual figure poses.
Recommended
Kit courtesy of my Credit Card and the excellent service from NKR Models.
Page created September 7, 2006