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Toy Soldier Collector New Releases Part 1 May 2013

New Releases Part 1

Reviews of new metal figures to arrive in the hobby by George Phillips

Reviews of new metal figures to arrive in the hobby by George Phillips

Figarti Miniatures
Various new releases


Since Figarti Miniatures burst onto the manufacturing scene in 2003, the scale, quality and ambition of the company’s output have been simply staggering. Although the set is now retired, I remember my jaw hitting the floor when I saw the company’s highly detailed 1:30 B17 Flying Fortress at one of the London Shows. Figarti has been pulling out the stops every year since, and a number of new releases hit the market recently. The pieces for this review were kindly provided by Grey Goose Collectables.

Hats off to the Wang family and designer Shi Hong for tackling unconventional toy soldier subject matter in the form of a V1 Buzz Bomb and accompanying equipment and personnel. The basic weapon on a small section of launch rail retails at £125 but this is part of a modular set that enables you to add more sections of launch rail, along with a launch crew, refuelling technicians and transportation cart and crew. The quality and historical accuracy of these pieces are to the high standards we expect of Figarti and with the right combination of modules and some additional scenic pieces, an impressive launch site diorama can be constructed.

For collectors interested in WWII character figures and their aircraft, Figarti has produced a model of the extraordinary Henry ‘Hammerin' Hank’ Elrod – a US Marine Corps aviator who was killed during the heroic defence of Wake Island – along with his Grumman Wildcat fighter bomber.

Elrod flew the highly compact Wildcat in the defence of Wake Island, downing two Japanese aircraft and sinking a destroyer before taking part in the ground defence of the island. The Figarti rendering of the aircraft is nicely detailed and bears the battle scars of Elrod’s ferocious sorties against the invading Japanese forces. The figure itself shows Elrod in the latter stages of the defence of the island in which he was using a captured Nanbu machine gun to lay down heavy fire on enemy positions, before being mortally wounded as he sought to protect a group of his men ferrying ammunition to forward positions.

Elrod won the US Medal of Honour posthumously for his valiant actions, and the new Figarti set pays a suitable tribute to the man. The Elrod’s Wildcat set costs £250.

The remaining Figarti sets feature US Marine defenders pitched against ferocious Wake Island attackers. Die Yankee Dog features a three-piece Japanese assault team, with one figure charging with the imperial Japanese flag wrapped around his bayoneted Arisaka rifle. The second figure is taking aim authentically from a kneeling position and the third is advancing with his rifle held at the waist. All three figures are well-rendered and businesslike, and at £70, provide excellent options to beef up your attacking Japanese army.

Eat This is a mini hand-to-hand combat diorama in which a Japanese infantryman is defending himself against a US Marine knife attack with a shotei uchi palm strike to the jaw. A realistic little piece – with an authentic karate technique! – retailing at £70.

The third item is another Marine-on-Imperial infantryman two-man set, a little misleadingly entitled Chop to Face. In this set, a Wake Island defender has side-stepped a Japanese bayonet thrust to deliver a hefty belt with the stock of his Springfield rifle. Again, the posing and action is realistic but I found the paint job on the example I saw a fraction under par. This set retails at £70.

The final review item is another two-man, hand-to-hand combat set entitled Desperate Fight in which an unarmed US Marine is struggling to wrest control of a Japanese infantryman’s rifle. Also priced at £70, it can be combined with the sets above to produce a truly gritty looking close-range encounter.

Review by George Phillips

Contact:
Figarti Miniatures
Building 1, No. 268
Gao Guang Lu
Shaghai 201702
China

Tel: +86 21 3981 3383
www.figarti.com

In the UK:

Grey Goose Collectables Ltd
Sparrow Wycke Farm
Maldon Road
Mundon
Essex
CM9 6PB

Tel: 01621 743815
www.grey-goose.co.uk

MG_3072) V1 Flying Bomb
MG_3074) Captain Elrod’s Wildcat
MG_3081) Die Yankee Dog
MG_3082) Chop to Face
MG_3083) Eat This
MG_3084) Desperate Fight

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