Introduction

MK 35 Editions the French manufacturer of resin figures has released three figures for use with a Stug III. The figures have been packaged as two offerings which are a twin figure set for adding figures to the fighting compartment hatches, the other offering is a single figure shimming up the barrel to add or remove a cover on the muzzle break. This review looks at the twin figure offering from MK 35 Editions for the Stug III.

Review

This offering of two German figures to crew a Stug III by MK 35 Editions is packaged in a Ziploc plastic bag with a card insert showing the figures assembled and painted. The figures themselves are each packaged inside their own Ziploc plastic bag. To the best of my knowledge MK 35 Editions products are only available direct and so the packaging that MK 35 Editions utilise is the only real protection against the postal services of the world. This sample arrived in nearly perfect condition inside a cardboard container travelling from France to the UK.

The first full length figure I looked at is offered with three arms, a torso and legs, head, boots and binoculars. An examination of the various parts reveals that the moulding quality is good but some of the connecting elements are damaged which do not however affect the visible elements of the figure. Starting with a look at the torso and legs reveals a nicely represented jacket with good proportions, the slight twist in the waist has been well represented and the crease detail looks natural enough for me. The belt is a standard buckle offering and so the eagle plate emblem is not present. A pistol holster is moulded as part of the figure, but I am reluctant to guess which side arm it should contain. The negatives of this area are that a pin is missing for attaching right boot and the locating hole is filled in.

Moving onto the arms, the left arm is straight and positioned to support the raised torso of the figure. The two options of the right arm offer a pointing hand or an arm with a hand moulded to hold the binoculars. The creases in the arms are good throughout. The arm with the pointing hand has the moulding point on the elbow, this is a shame as MK 35 Editions has shown they are very capable of placing the connection point at the mating surface. Finger detail is good on all of the hands but the thumb detail could be better on the pointing hand. The locator pin for the arm with the binocular grasping hand has no pin present.

The boots provided separately are clearly left and right offerings. The sole of the boots have not been provided with any tread detail, a shame as this will be seen in this case, but the raised arch area between the heel and the sole is well defined. The upper portion of the boots has been well defined with only the lace detail needing a little help from the modeller to define them.

When news of these products was announced the cap depicted on this figure received some critique from members and so I went on a reference search of the internet. I did find a suitable match for the one provided on the figure including one without a peak, but if you are still unhappy with what is provided the head could easily be replaced with a Hornet head offering as MK 35 Editions also use an elongated neck as a connection point. The face detail is good as you would expect with resin figures, but there is no obvious expression present. The binoculars offered are as good as any I have seen.

The standing figure only has four parts in the form of a full body with separate arms and head. The jacket of this figure is very good and has very nicely moulded insignia and ranks moulded in place, lapels and epaulets are also very nicely moulded and with careful painting will add a lot to the finished figure. The belt on this figure does look to be of the type with the eagle belt buckle however the eagle is not present on the buckle, this can be easily overcome with a decal that are available from many sources. The baggy trousers have a reasonable level of detail and I particularly like the fly detail replicated. The boots on this figure have excellent upper detail and that includes the lace detail.

The arms have pin connectors present and reciprocating holes on the torso of the figure, these are not sufficient to hold the arms in place but it does make accurate placement of the arms an easy prospect. Detail on the arms in the form of creases is good and looks natural, but the hands will greatly benefit from a little work by the modeller to define the fingers better. The head of this figure has a nicely represented officers peaked cap with all of the detail present that is on the real thing, even the sides are slightly drooped down as happens due to the wearing of headsets. The face of the figure has all of the relevant detail that should be there with the eyes being the only aspect that bothers me.

Conclusion

These two figures are a nice offering with a lot to highlight about them, but as with all things in life they are not perfect. Despite the issue with the eyes the standing figure is my preferential offering in this set as I like every other aspect of it. The other figure does have a lot to recommend it, in particular a very pleasing pose that makes it an interesting offering. With some work by the modeller to help with the refinement of the figure this offering will make a great addition to any vehicle let alone a Stug III.