Introduction

MiniArt is one of the main go too producers when it comes to figures, especially so if it is World War 2 period figures you are seeking. In this review I am going to take a look at one of the latest figure releases from MiniArt in the form of a set titled ‘Totenkopf Division Kharkov 1943’. This is a five figure set offering featuring German troops in a series of relaxed poses.

Review

This five figure set from MiniArt is packaged in the usual manner of an end opening card box containing a plastic bag with the sprues inside. This offering also has a single sheet of instructions present. An examination of the sprues does reveal a couple of issues in the form of quite a lot of flash on the figures that will need to be dealt with and which I was not expecting to find on a new release. Also present is a broken rifle on one of the weapons sprues which while not an expectation is a case of one of those things, due to the way that MiniArt protects its name I am sure they would happily replace the damaged parts, but due to the wide selection that is available with this release it is not something that bothers me in the slightest.

The figures can be thought of as five individual sprues with each figure on its own specific branch. The figures each break down in the usual manner of separate arms and legs and the torso with separate heads; an aspect I like to see now due to the number of modellers who swop injection moulded heads for resin offerings from the like of Hornet. With these figures representing troops wearing cold weather gear the hood portion of the jackets is supplied separately in the case of four of the offerings, the fifth figure has the hood up and this has been supplied in three different parts not counting the head itself. The four figures with the hood down have a separate steel helmet which is another aspect I like.

The figures themselves have a mix of gloves and mitts and so the hand detail looks a little bulky as indeed it should. The bulky cold weather uniform make this offering a little different from the norm and has been well tackled by MiniArt having a nice look scale wise and very well done crease detail. I am not an expert on the type of boot worn, but they look pleasing to me. The helmets are an especially pleasing aspect of this model as six are supplied and they have interior detail that I cannot recall having seen before.

Supplied on a separate sprue that the helmets are attached are the:
5 Gas mask holders
5 Bread bags
5 Water containers
5 Mess tins
7 Entrenching tools in 2 styles
1 Entrenching tool out of its holder
1 Open mess tin with separate lid
1 water container with the drinking portion separate

There are three sprues of which2 are duplicates covering the weapons in this offering from MiniArt and it is one of the duplicated sprues that has the damaged rifle and a lightly damaged bayonet on it. The contents break down as follows:
4 Kar 98 rifles
4 MP 40 mg with separate folding stocks that can be assembled open or folded
2 Lugers
2 Flare pistols?
6 holsters 2 of which are open
4 Bayonets out of their scabbards
2 Binoculars
A mix of ammunition pouches and ammunition boxes
MG42 with separate breech and a choice of closed or open bipod
A two piece ammunition box with a separate belt of ammunition
MG42 spare barrel
MG42 drum magazine

Conclusion

I cannot recall MiniArt having supplied this amount of support equipment with one of their stand alone figure sets previously and so I am very impressed with what is on offer. The figures themselves are excellent being in poses that would make them excellent as tank riders or even around a fire trying to get warm. I will admit to being disappointed in the amount of flash present on the figures with this being a new product. Going back to the equipment and I can forgive the damage present as it is one of those things, but when you look at how much MiniArt has supplied with the figures you cannot help but be impressed. The only thing I can think of as being needed to make these figures complete is some decals and I am kind of surprised that MiniArt has not produced some generic decal sets to be supplied with their figures. I will be looking at for more of this figure set as it has made it into my top ten of injection moulded plastic figures.