introduction

Miniart are a 'newish' firm from the Ukraine, that are chiefly known for producing some very nice buildings in styrene. They've now however, turned their hand to producing 1/35th figures......... and on first impressions they look very nice too!

contents

Beautifully illustrated end-opening box, with painting instructions on the back that also serve as building instructions. Inside there is one large sprue, cut into two, to fit the box, and sealed in a transparent bag. You will also find a small parts map of the sprue, since there are no numbers whatsoever on the sprue itself. The styrene itself is neither too soft nor too hard, about on a par with Dragon's.

Closer examination reveals a small amount of flsh, but nothing too heavy or difficuilt to deal with..... very minor indeed. The mould halves were ligned up correctly, and although seams were evident, again, they looked easy to deal with. Detail is good. We are obviously not talking Generation 2 standards here, but the detail is there..... and well-sculpted too. A test for detail I always use on injected figures is whether or not I can use the hands, without too much extra work..... and I'm happy to say that the hands on these figures are perfectly useable, albeit with a little clean-up.

There are 5 figures included in the kit. The box art show the figures seated on a Panzer IV G, but obviously they can be used for similar vehicles. All the figures are depicted wearing reversible Parkas and leggings, and although on the box art they are shown wearing white out, there are small squares on the rear of the box showing examples of camouflage which might be used if you decide to show the other side of the clothing being wore 'out'.

Out of the five figures, the commander and one other are shown wearing headphones, but there is only one set of headphones included, and these are a little on the 'heavy' side. The Commander is depicted in a standing pose, as are two of the other figures, whilst the remaining two are shown seated. Again, curiously three of the figures are shown wearing sidearms, but only two are provided in the kit. These are very minor gripes, as most people will have loads of these items in their spares box, but it is worth mentioning, that what you see on the box art, especially when it forms the instructions... is what you should get!

All the figures are supplied with the folded-down hood of the parka consisting of a separate part, which allows for far better definition and detail, and all heads are moulded separate from their headgear, which again, allows for better detail, and can also allow you to'swap' around a little. The faces on these heads are among some of the best styrene ones I've seen. They are not 'generic', they are different from each other. Remember, they are styrene, so don't expect well-defined ears, but the faces look good. Four of the figures are wearing M43 Field caps, whilst the commander is wearing a peaked hat and an arm patch signifying his rank as 2nd Lieutenant............ again this is not included in the kit though!

in conclusion

A good low cost set of figures that would look great on one of the new Dragon Panzer IV's, but can also be used for many other vehicles. Good detail & moulding. Recommended.

My Thanks to MiniArt Ltd for the review sample.