History

The war in Afghanistan has been fought by US Special Forces (SF) partnering with Afghan SF against the Insurgent and Taliban forces across Afghanistan. Many of these SF Operators grow beards and wear indigenous clothing to blend in better with their Afghan counterparts. US SF have been successfully working with indigenous forces in Afghanistan since 2001.

The Kit

Master Box brings us another figure set in their modern series. This one is a five figure set in poses that show a Special Forces Team in Afghanistan comprised of US and Afghan Special Forces with a POW. The set comes on one sprue with parts for the five figures and their gear. They are crisply molded in light grey plastic with no flash. The figures are highly detailed with natural folds in their clothes and are wearing a variety of uniforms.

The figures are broken down into the typical parts of two legs/lower torsos, an upper torso, individual arms, and a separate head. Further, for better detail and definition, the shirt tails, scarves, and ammo pouches are all molded separately. All five wear a variety of clothing and gear, typical of SF operators. Included are also alternate heads for three of the figures with heads wearing traditional pakols, wrapped in a scarves, and baseball-style caps.

Additionally, there are alternate weapons for the figures as well. The selection of weapons include; one AK-47 with folding buttstock, one AK-47 with telescoping buttstock, one standard AK-47 with solid buttstock, three M4s (one w/ACOG and M203 grenade launcher), and a PKM MG. The PKM also includes separate front bipod legs and an ammo box. There is also a selection of ammo pouches and packs including an assault pack.

The Figures

The first figure is the US Team Leader who is modeled after our own Rob Skipper (18Bravo on Armorama). He was instrumental in having the set made, thanks Rob. There is a picture on the back of the box of Rob and four of his Afghan SF team members to use as reference. Rob is standing with an AK in his right hand and a cell phone in his left, calling for pickup of the POW. He appears to be wearing a NOMEX CVC uniform. He also is wearing what appears to be commercial body armor with a chest rig ammo pouch set. Additionally, he also has an assault pack for his back and a pistol in a leg holster on his right leg. He is also wearing a baseball-style cap, which is popular with SF Operators, and has a shemagh around his neck.

The second figure is one of the Afghan SF team members. He is wearing a traditional khet (long tunic) over trousers and a light jacket. He is also wearing a chest rig ammo pouch. This figure has the choice of two heads; one wearing a pakol with a scarf and the other just a scarf wrapped around his head. He is holding an AK-47 in his left hand resting on his left hip and has his right hand resting on his right hip.

The third figure is another one of the Afghan SF team members. He is wearing desert camouflage trousers with one knee pad on his right knee and a solid shirt with a light jacket over top. He is also wearing a chest rig ammo pouch. This figure also has the choice of two heads; one wearing a pakol and the other a baseball-style cap. He is holding an AK-47 low across his body with the barrel to the left.

The fourth figure is another one of the Afghan SF team members who is kneeling with his left knee down. He is also wearing desert camouflage trousers and a solid shirt with a light jacket over top. He too has a chest rig ammo pouch. This figure also has the choice of two heads; one wearing a pakol with a scarf and the other just a scarf wrapped around his head. He has a cigarette in his right hand and is holding the PKM with his left hand with the barrel up and the buttstock on the ground.

The last figure is the POW wearing a khet and nondescript shirt. His head is covered with a bag, which very nicely shows the outline of his face underneath. His hands are zip-tied behind his back and he is kneeling on the ground. He is also wearing sandals.

Verdict

Overall, these figures are very nice. Master Box has done a great job of providing a few options and very fine detail. I like how there are separate pieces for shirt tails and smaller items such as the ammo pouches and folding buttstocks. The poses are natural and they match pictures provided by Rob very well. These figures are a great example of partnership with our Afghan brothers. These are definitely a win for Master Box and I hope they continue their Modern War series. I highly recommend these figures.