Lets open up that box
Details of the release
Title: British Soldier with Mongrol
Reference: C75-08
Scale: 75mm
Material: Grey Resin
No of parts: 13
Sculptor : Vladmir Danilov
Box Art: N/A
The model was received in a small box but all parts were safely kept in plastic resealable bags , with a unpainted picture on the box top .
Parts consist of : Main Figure , 2 arms , head , plume, bayonet lower part, weapon , water bottle and pouch , 2 halves of the dog , a lead for the dog
On opening the box 2 parts were missing ( the hand and the backpack which was unusual to say the least but I am sure a quick message to them will solve that or indeed any other issue.
Prep
As with other releases , this is an easy process , mainly removing small casting plugs , the largest being on top the shako itself. fit of the dog is good and all other parts are easy to located and put into place
Onto the resin :
The Main Figure
This is the full body less arms and head , our soldier strides forward on a long hot march his left leg forward , trousers torn at the knees and the thigh , patched at the knee on the other , the lower edges all tears and ragged , he has managed to keep the gaiters and thankfully the shoes ..but how long will they last I wonder!!
Good folds at the leg movement of the cloth on the trousers , with the correct fold down flap at the front .
Looking at the coat he wears , top and bottom undone , a small allowance for the harsh conditions but he still has the dreaded stock .
The equipment he carries is standard issues , the haversack looks full , worn at the edges , with the contents sitting well toward the bottom of the bag .
Crossbelts are really nicely sculpted sharp at the edges , cleanly cast , the water bottle strap shows a good bit of work with he strap end being held in a loop.
Tucked under the crossbelt we have a nice detail of the brush and procker needed to clear any fouling out of the musket .
The crossbelt has the regimental number of 51 who served in the peninsular ( facing colour was grass green in this case)
At the neck area nice work on the stock and I like the way the collar has been portrayed
All details are really sharp which makes painting a joy when on the bench.
Head
Wearing the stovepipe shako , battered in wear its a wonderful bit of sculpting , there is a neck cloth hooked up at the back .
The cockade and the bugle horn badge is of equal high standard with the number being seen in the centre , the plume is easy to fit by using the hole in the top of the shako
The face is a gem this is a rough guy weather beaten , straggly and ragged hair , , his teeth grinding together against the conditions .
These are again well sculpted with the wings at the shoulder , well textured , the sleeves are torn at the elbow along the seams on the right , which leads down to the cuff , very good lace detail again as seen on the torso , the hand which is well worked has the dog lead ( a rope ) being held which looks naturally held
The left also has the same level of detail on the wings and the folds of the clothing is very good again , I am unable to comment on the hand which would fit to the wrist.
Equipment/Weapon
The equipment to fit includes the water bottle and pouch as well as the lower part of the bayonet ( this fits nicely under the haversack ) , the retaining cords fro the stopper has been put on hanging well on the actual bottle , the strap that is also sculpted on has the retaining loops as well, the pouch is a simple rectangle but with great straps underneath as in the original
Obviously I cannot comment on the backpack but looking at the pictures further on it looks as good as ever with the mess tin in a cover on top and the cooking pan strapped to the pack.
The weapon is another very good area to look at the mechanism is all correct , trigger details are there , with the ramrod in place , the barrel has hole in the end ..saves you from drilling it out !!!
The strap has been cleverley cast on in the correct position to fit well onto the right shoulder.
The Plume is nicely textured with the lower bayonet lower being the basic shape , the rope lead looks good as well
The Dog
This is a true mongrol , , bit of a mix of breeds perhaps ..lol , walking along with what makes the piece one of the legs is in scratching mode ..trying to displace any fleas , the body is slightly textured and YES we have the vital parts for any male as well!!!
Base
A very simple circular base , textured with cutouts for the feet and the dog .
Final thoughts
This is a good piece and I can see it appearing in diorama's alongside other from the period , sculpting is good showing great character and thought with the series idea of a "Dogs Life" being interesting . I would like to see other periods being looked at ..perhaps a WW1 tanker with a cat or the like .
Despite the 2 missing parts ( which will be easily solved for me) a good addition to the range
For more details on this and other releases from Castle Miniatures why not go to the website:
www.castleminiatures.com
or of course there is the FB page at
www.facebook.com/Castle-Miniatures
or PM here on PF
Thanks to Alex at Castle miniatures for the review piece and for you all for looking in
Happy Modelling
Nap
Depicting a british infantryman with his ever faithful dog ...of dubious parentage no doubt , probably a bit flea ridden but never the less looked after by an already ragged soldier.
continued in next post
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