Hanomak - Toy Soldiers

Latest edit: German and Soviet Infantry 'Confrontation', German Nebelwerfer, Soviet Naval Infantry 'Baltika'

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Hanomak is a recent entrant into the 1/32 Plastic Toy Soldier space. They are based out of Russia and they seem to be mostly focused on WWII figures. I only became aware of them last year, 2021, but they seem to be moving quickly in the production and release of their sets with at least 6 or so released so far and a few more in the works. Aside from WWII, they have also released a set of Celts/Ancient warriors. Their presence online is sparse. I mainly keep up with their releases through an Instagram account and third party posts on Facebook groups. This also makes it a bit hard to purchase their figures. You might be able to find them on eBay, or you need a direct connection with a dealer in Russia. The material of their figures is soft rubber, which means that weapons bend very easily. I suspect that will present a bit of a challenge when painting them and making sure the paint stays on, but nothing that can't be solved with a coat of Plastidip. A few of their sets also require gluing of hands/weapons/equipment, which is not as simple with their soft rubber as it is with harder plastic, but it is doable. In terms of their choices of sets, so far they favor less common aspects of the Eastern Front. For example, mountain troops or NKVD troops. Hanomak also seems to have made some type of deal/partnership with Vympel, another relatively new manufacturer, and they have purchased/released their set of Das Reich German soldiers under the Hanomak brand. This made it a bit confusing for a while as it was not clear what brand to search for if you were looking for those figures.  I recently received several of their new sets so let's take a look at them.

Hanomak Soviet Mountain Troops - Part I

This set represents the Soviet Troops that were deployed to take back Mount Elbrus, during the 1942/43 German offensive into the Caucasus. The sculpting and level of detail does deliver what you would expect from a set addressing this subject. Starting with the poses, I really like that they are not just climbing, but they are actually engaged in battle. The bases and the equipment that they carry takes care of conveying the setting, from the obvious ropes and tools, to the more subtle crampon shoes, woolen socks, googles, etc, you can tell where these guys are fighting. I also like the rugged appearance of the men. Whether those beards are to keep warm, or reflect the complexities of maintaining the dress code at high altitude, they fit these guys very well.

Hanomak Soviet Mountain Troops - Part II

Across the six figures you can also see a nice range of weapons in use. We have a few PPSh-41 sub-machineguns, a sniper rifle, and a very welcome Degtyaryov machine gun on a bipod firing across a valley. Then there's also the grenade pack suggesting more intense close quarter combat, as they struggled to occupy and retain the high ground. My only concern at this point is the fact that I will only have six poses to man the defenses. Overall, a nice set, representing a unique subject, executed pretty well. Worth adding to the collection.

Hanomak German Mountain Troops

And these are the worthy opponents to the Soviet Mountain Troops. They are also a nicely detailed set, with plenty of mountaineering equipment on them. Crampons, ropes, pikes, googles, backpacks, as well as a good variety of fighting weapons. In terms of poses, I prefer the five on the left a they are actually doing something and can be used in a battle context. I particularly like the kneeling machine gunner. The man fending off an attack with his pike is also interesting, although I wonder why he is not using his sub machine gun. Maybe out of ammo, in which case he might be better off letting go off it and pulling out his knife? Another interesting pose is the man throwing the grenade. I like how he has two bags hanging around his neck full of grenades. And then there's the guy on the right. He gets a 10 for the level of detail, but I wish he had been posed doing something more than just standing around. I think he is supposed to he smoking a pipe. I chose not to glue it. It would just make him appear more relaxed than he already is. BTW, as I just implied, this set also requires the gluing of several weapons/accessories. Nothing too complicated, except for the fact that the rubbery material bends a bit too easily. Anyhow, all in all a pretty nice set which will complement the Airfix figures well. 

Hanomak Soviet Infantry - Defenders of Brest

A good set to add to your ranks of Soviet infantry. By itself, it does not really give you enough of a fighting unit, but they are good 'character' figures to enhance your Red Army. The most interesting figures here are the female medic helping the wounded soldier, while firing a pistol, and the wounded man holding (or throwing?) a grenade. They are made to fit nicely with each other. The downside is that they don't really make much sense without each other. The bugler firing his pistol is also interesting and unique. The officer and the man firing his sub machine gun on the go are both nicely sculpted and useful battle poses. The wounded man standing around is the only pose that I think could have been used for a better purpose, particularly because we already had a wounded man in the set. But I suppose the idea was to convey the desperate situation faced by the defenders of the Brest Fortress. 

Hanomak Waffen SS - Das Reich Division

This is an interesting set for a couple of reasons. Originally, when the pre-release pictures came out, they were published by company called Vympel, but later it seems that Hanomak purchased the rights and began distributing it. This caused a bit of confusion. Also, the original pictures had 6 figures in it, however one of them was of a slightly larger scale, so Hanomak decided to not release it as part of this set. Probably a good decision. These five poses are true 1/32 scale, meaning, smaller than the 'Big 1/32' scale that Hanomak uses for their other figures. In terms of the figures themselves, they are all nicely sculpted, and good action poses. My only criticism is that they also require you to glue some of the hands/weapons to the figures. The molds have pins and holes in them to help with this but the rubbery material makes them useless because the pins bend when you try to put them into the holes. So the only solution is to slice off the pins and glue them as best as you can line up the arms with the hands. The other criticism is that the hands that come wit the weapons are smaller than the hands that come attached to the arms. Not very noticeable, but not great either. What I really like is the cammo foliage on the helmet of the second guy from the left, in addition to his overall stance. A great pose. And the machine gunner is also very nicely done. A unique variation on the pose. The sandbags are a separate piece so you can place your machine gunner behind a wall or any other protection you want. Lastly, the fact that most of them are wearing cammo smocks -even the commander- means that when these guys are painted they will look even more interesting. 

Hanomak Soviet NKVD - Border Guards

At first glance these figures could be thought of as regular Soviet Infantry. Upon further inspection, I there are a few clues that confirm the name of the set. The first one is that they are all wearing a cap with a visor. I don't know if this is because all member of the NKVD force were officers, but it seems that when I see pictures of them, they are all wearing such cap. Then you have the guy with the dog, and also the machine gunner. If you watched enemy at the gates, those machine gunners are hard to forget. And then there are also the two guys standing around, likely detaining or interrogating someone. Two of the poses do seem to represent the political officers who were attached to front line units, to influence and monitor them ideologically. These officers would also fight alongside them and one can only imagine that either to demonstrate the strength of their political convictions or due to them, they would have led by example and tried to inspire their men, as the man with the flag is doing. In terms of the sculpting, no complaints. Nicely detailed, well proportioned, good poses. Similar rubbery material as the other sets, but in this case you only have to glue the shield to the machine gun. 

Hanomak Soviet SMERSH - Liquidation Set

Another niche topic SMERSH was the military intelligence unit of the Soviet Army. In this set they are supposed to be hunting German sympathizers in liberated territories. Given that the three sympathizers are shown in more active fighting poses, I think it would have made sense to have the SMERSH guys display a little more intensity. The officer firing two pistols is OK, but the other two seem too relaxed. I am actually planning to fold the three civilian figures into my unit of partisans, and maybe use the SMERSH guys to enhance the ranks of my Soviet Infantry. I would not have enough of them to create a meaningful unit of SMERSH men. The three civilians are much more interesting. These guys may actually be former Soviet soldiers who aligned themselves with the Germans (notice the uniform under the coat, or the padded jacket and hat, and the German sub machine gun), or they could also be  Germans who ended up behind enemy lines (notice the boots and the field cap). All nicely detailed and sculpted. And nothing to glue with this set.

Hanomak German Infantry Officer
  Hanomak has produced a few extra figures that you can purchase separately. This is a German officer who is surrendering. H is nicely detailed, wearing gloves, spectacles, and his briefcase is lying at his feet. Note that he is also wearing a Y-harness, typically worn by the infantry men to attach and carry their kit/gear. So maybe this guy was a frontline officer, but he looks a bit too polished to me. More like a staff officer who would hang out at the rear, where he would not need to carry around a kit. What do you think? There are three other individual poses that I did not buy. All of them are German casualty figures (one of them a Mountain Troop), lying flat on the ground, too neatly for how you would expect a body to fall, so I took a pass.

Hanomak Soviet Partisans

This depicts the wide range of folks who took arms against the German invaders behind enemy lines. You can see fighting age men in Soviet army attire who are likely men who got encircled and left behind the German advance. There are older men fighting with farming gear, there are women who may have been civilians or maybe also Soviet army regulars, and there's even a teenager who is cursing and ready to throw a rock. And there's also the guy operating the radio which allowed them to coordinate their operations with the main Soviet forces. A good set from Hanomak which will complement well the other partisan sets that came before. 

Vympel Germans In Search of Shambhala

I believe this set represents the German expedition led by Ernst Schaefer in 1938-39 to Tibet. The Nazi regime was interested in all things mystical and Shambhala, located in Tibet, is at the center of such mystical prophecies. I mainly care about this set because it has a few figures which can be used to enhance my unit of German mountain troops, particularly the two German men in the front row. The one figure that I don't have much use for is the one who appears to be a Tibetan holy man. It is nonetheless nicely detailed and interesting. BTW, I am not sure if this set is now owned by Hanomak, as was the case with the "Das Reich" set, or if Vympel remains a standalone firm, so for now I am listing them in this post. 

Hanomak German Nordland Division

This is an interesting set representing the SS division made of volunteers from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. Some of its figures could be used as Mountain Troops, or in general as Winter Troops. The Nordland Division fought primarily on the northern flank of the eastern front, so their outfits are appropriate for that climate. The two figures that I don't care much for are the female which appears to be a camp guard, and the cameraman. The former seems unrelated to a combat panzergrenadier division. The latter might have been there documenting the fighting, but in a set of just six figures I would rather have another fighting pose. I might probably use him if I ever setup a scene of Mountain Troops climbing Mt Elbrus. As far as the sculpting of the figures, the level of detail is nice, but they feel a little stiff for me in the sense that they all are standing very straight.

Hanomak German Penal Battalion

Hanomak's interpretation of a penal battalion seems to be one in which troops would be heavily engaged in hand-to-hand combat. As you can see, several of these guys are fighting with knives and one of them is even wielding a wrench. I do find it odd though that one of them would be carrying his knapsack at that time. My favorite man in this set is the machine gunner, although we'll need to find the right wall/foxhole/sandbag position to place him so that he can rest the MG. The other two figures are not my favorite ones. The officer's pose and his attitude do not match that of the other figures. You'd expect that if the men are engaged in heavy fighting, the officer would be directing the action and most likely also participating in the fighting. And then there's the casualty figure. I've never been a big fan of those guys. I'd much rather get another action pose. 

Hanomak Soviet Penal Battalion

The Soviet penal battalion set is similar in nature, in the sense that several of them are also engaged in hand-to-hand fighting, but I think I like this set better than the German one as all the poses are consistent with the level of action and useful in both a defensive and offensive scenario. I also like the sculpting and level of detail. For example, notice the bandaged hand on the man on the far right, which BTW is carrying a grenade cluster that comes off, so be careful not losing it. Note also the expression on the man firing with the captured German sub MG. You can even see his teeth individually! Another interesting bit about this set is that it comes with a traffic sign. Not a bad addition, but I would not have minded a seventh pose instead. Anyhow, all in all, a good set, which can be used really well for close quarters fighting against the German penal battalion set. 

Hanomak German Cossack

This is a figure that may not be too exciting for some collectors given that it is not much of an action pose. The appeal for me came from the fact that it is a mounted Cossack. The only other German Cossacks that I am aware of are the ones released by Mars a year or two back, but all of them are on foot. So this guy is great at representing their origins riding horses in the steppes of eastern Europe, and it will also make a good commander. In terms of the sculpting the figure is reasonably well done. It has some nice touches like the luger, the hat with the German insignia, and the pelt cover under the saddle, even if the detail is not the sharpest. 

Hanomak Soviet Partisan

I had similar feelings about this figure as I did regarding the German Cossack. This guy is showing a bit more action firing or at least aiming his subMG, however the horse is way too relaxed. But if you want to give your partisans some variety so that not all of them are on foot, this is a decent figure to add to your collection. I wonder however how often partisans relied on horses as they seem like they would be much easier to track down. In terms of the sculpting, the figure is fairly average with a few interesting details like the bags on the horse or the rider's googles and mustache.

Hanomak German Tank Crewmen

This set represents dismounted tank crews in intense close quarters combat. Well, except for the officer who seems to be taking in the action. I am not sure why they depicted him like that. This set will be a good complement to a similar set from Mars, although I am not sure that I need that much volume of dismounted tank crews. What is interesting about this set is that it was produced using digital sculpting. That's why the lines are so smooth. You notice this specially on the clothes. I have to say that I prefer the hand-sculpted figures better, but I expect that this technique will continue to improve. In fact, the 3D printing is already quite impressive. As far as the figures, they are well posed and I do like that their bodies reflect the urgency of the situation.

Hanomak German and Soviet Tank Crewmen fighting

Here is a picture of how the German guy is supposed to be combined with its Soviet counterpart. The German guy has his pistol drawn, while the Soviet guy is about to stab him. Who do you think will prevail? BTW, notice that the Soviet guy is also a tank guy, which suggests that these two crews disabled each other's tanks, which would have had to happen at very close range for them to end up fighting hand-to-hand or were part of a larger tank battle and ended up running into each other while evacuating from the battlefield. Neither scenario seems very likely to me, but hey, everything is possible in the world of plastic toy soldiers...

Hanomak Soviet Tank Crewmen

This is the counterpart to the German dismounted tank crew. Similarly to that set, these guys are engaged in intense close quarters fighting, except for the guy who is holding his binoculars while his comrades struggle for survival. The poses are fairly decent, depicting the intensity of the moment. The only guy that I don't quite like is the man firing the subMG. His body is too stiff. You would expect him to be crouching slightly, even if only to brace himself from the recoil of his weapon. The detail on these guys is also fairly smooth -few creases on their uniforms, hardly any wrinkles on their faces-, due to the digital sculpting. These guys will join forces with some other dismounted tank men from Engineer Bassevich. 

Hanomak Finnish Lapland Army

This is a very interesting and unique set from Hanomak. It represents the Finnish troops who fought the Germans after Finland stopped fighting the Soviets. The set is organized around a small anti-tank gun. The gun comes in multiple pieces and requires some assembly. I had to glue my together so that it would stay in place. The figures are all well posed and relevant to the situation. What is perhaps most interesting about them is the variety of uniforms. The man kneeling with the ammo is wearing a double-breasted jacket, the man firing the pistol seems to be wearing some kind of smock over his uniform, while the other three are wearing the more traditional Finnish uniform for enlisted men and officers. The set comes with an extra box of what appears to be armor-piercing ammo, as well as a few lose shells to place in the box and the guy's back.

Hanomak Soviet Arctic Troops

Even though this set is supposed to represent troops fighting in or around the Arctic Circle, there are only two guys who seem to be dressed adequately for the occasion -the officer and the man sitting on the ground seem to be pretty snug, but the other guys would be freezing. Or perhaps they are fighting in the summer months and we now have figures to defend the Arctic year-round? Jokes aside I actually bought this set to get my hands on the four naval infantry figures. I also don't have much use for the officer who is just standing around. But the three guys on the left, are in very nice action/fighting poses and will be a good addition to the unit. The guy who is aiming his handgun upwards is nice in terms of the sculpting and detail, but will also have limited uses on the battlefield. 

Hanomak German Allgemeine SS Troops

These figures are meant to represent the non-combat branch of the SS. These guys in particular seem to be the ones that might be found guarding the Nazi headquarters or standing at attention during the military parades. In the early years of the regime, they would have likely worn black uniforms for ceremonial purposes. One thing I wish had been done with this set is to provide two or three guards with the same pose. That way they could be placed guarding a door or lined up next to a parade observing the same stance. I would have gladly traded one or two of the officers for more guards. And the female guard, that one seems like she could be working at a concentration camp for women. Not a scene I care to recreate, so I really don't have much use for her. Overall a decent set that will give me a few more good poses for a parade scene. These will be the guys around the podium. In terms of scale, these guys are closer to true 1:32.

Hanomak German Infantry 45th Division - Part I

These guys are certainly a unique set. The only other German troops in a raft that I am aware of are the ones that came with the Revell Combat Engineers. These guys can now join them in their river crossing. About the figures themselves, all three fit very well in the contours of the raft. The raft itself feels a bit narrow. They could have probably made it a bit wider and allowed a fourth man to sit in the middle. But I am not complaining. Definitely a nice addition to the German troops!

Hanomak German Infantry 45th Division - Part II

These are the other three figures in the set. I am not sure what they have to do with the raft. We already have enough firing rifle men, or prone guys. And I don't care much about dead poses. So I would have been happier with another raft and a slightly different crew. Or just the raft and crew at half the price. But well, sometimes you have to get some filler figures to get the special ones. 

Hanomak German PAK Gun with Crew

This is a nice set overall. It includes the PAK, the crew and even the sand bags/wall protection. The gun came in several pieces which have to be put together. It does require a good glue to do so, but once it's put together it will stay nicely in place. The crew comes with two loaders, a gunner, and one officer. You can place them in a variety of configurations, although the gunner needs to be sitting and I could not find many places for him to sit while being able to reach the gun. You also get an ammo box which will give the loaders a focal point in your scene. About the wall, I think I would have preferred just the sandbags. The wooden wings seem to be cut off too abruptly and leaves you feeling as though it should be part of a larger trench. Not a big deal and definitely a nice set. 

Hanomak Soviet Infantry 'Citadel' - Part I

This is an interesting set from Hanomak. I am pretty sure it represents the defenders of the Brest Fortress, as Hanomak also made a set to represent the German 45th division, which is the unit that led the attack on Brest. Another clue is that most of the men are wearing what appears to be officer caps. That's because the fortress was defended not only by regular army troops, but also by NKVD and border guard units, who also wore such caps. In terms of the sculpting, it is OK for the most part, although I wish that the two poses on the right were leaning a bit more forward, consistent with their momentum. If you feel that something is missing from the second man from the left, that's because he is meant to be striking a German lying beneath him. He comes as part of the 'Dogs of the Reich' set, which I don't have yet. 

Hanomak Soviet Infantry 'Citadel' - Part II

Here's the view of the two men behind the fortress walls. One of them is simply firing his rifle from the waist in a kneeling position. The other one, is a shirtless man running/jumping over the wall, using a wooden door as a ramp and ready to engage in intense hand to hand combat with his entrenching tool. Something to know is that most of these guys -except for the prone man and the one striking with his rifle- must be glued together. Not a problem if you have a good glue. These two guys while a bit bulky will look quite good if/when I get around to painting them. All in all a nice set. 

Hanomak German and Soviet Infantry 'Confrontation' Set

Sets in which figures can't be set up on their own are not my favorite as they limit their usefulness. These guys however seem useful for hand to hand combat scenes and there aren't that many figures like these available. What's most interesting about these guys is that there are two pairs in which there's a Soviet guy stabbing a German and their knives can actually fit into a cavity in the Germans' bodies. In terms of the sculpting, I think that the German man standing on the right, seems to relaxed and straight for the situation that he finds himself in. In that situation he would be leaning forward with bent knees and perhaps his torso also writhing in pain towards his left as he just got stabbed. More like the German guy on the left side who is responding more realistically to the blade sliding into his gut. The guys in the fistfight are fairly decent, although I also think that the Soviet feels a bit stiff. He could be swinging his upper body more. 

Hanomak German Nebelwerfer with Crew

This is a very well received set from my perspective. I only have one other nebelwerfer in my collection and that one does not have a crew. What's interesting about this one though is that it appears to represent the nebelwerfer 42 which had 5 barrels as opposed to the nebelwerfer 41 which had 6. However, the ammunition being depicted is the one for the nebelwerfer 41. The ammunition for the nebelwerfer 42 had a pointed warhead, as opposed the the phallic shape of the 41's ammo. But given how unusual it is to have such a set, I am not going to get too picky about the ammo mismatch. In addition to the 3 crew men, the set also comes with a sandbag emplacement. I am not a big fan of it. I would have rather had more figures or a lower price point instead of the sandbags. Also, be mindful that the nebelwerfer requires a bit of assembly and gluing, but nothing complicated.

Hanomak Soviet Naval Infantry 'Baltika' Set 1

I am not sure why Hanomak has released their Naval Infantry figures in two sets of 3. Here are the first 3. The two men standing are OK. The man on the left is a bit too straight for my taste, but his redeeming quality is that he is actually firing a captured German light machine gun - looks like an mg 34. The man on the right is just right as far as his stance and I like that he is wearing a helmet to give the unit a bit of variety in terms of head gear. And that leaves the prone guy. I think he is the most interesting guy in the set. If you look closely, he is holding a cluster of hand grenades, the kind that you might use to blow up the tracks of a tank. Is that the reason why he is crawling? It is also a nice detail that he is wearing two full ammo belts across his chest which will give him some good color once he is painted. I really like Soviet Naval infantry, so I am happy to add these to the ranks and I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on part 2 of these 'Baltika' guys!

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Introducing the 10.5 cm Recoilless Gun - Leichtgeschütz 40/42

The 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40 was the evolution of the 7.5 cm recoilless gun which had been used successfully in Crete by the German paratroopers. The reason why this was a good weapon for the airborne troops is because it could be taken apart into 5 separate pieces, and dropped into the operating theater where it could be assembled quickly and give these troops much needed firepower. Alternatively, it could be dropped fully assembled with the aid of a special container equipped to absorb the impact. Ironically, after the heavy losses suffered in Crete, the German Fallschirmjaeger were not used again in airborne operations, so the versatility of this gun was not leveraged to its full potential. The LG40, which was manufactured by Krupp, weighed about 855 pounds and it was built using aluminum and magnesium alloys. Its successor, the LG42, was manufactured by Rheinmetall and weighed about 1200 pounds (40% more!) as it had to be manufactured using steel given that alloys became a priced resource as the war went on. The LG 42 could be taken apart into 4 pieces, which likely made it easier to assemble, but some of the parts must have been considerably heavier relative to the LG40. Both the LG40 and the LG42 had a range of about 8km. 

Mars German Paratroops w 10.5 cm LG 42 Tropical Uniform

This is a nice and original addition to the existing German Para units produced by other manufacturers which so far have lacked any heavy weapons support. The set includes two guns, each with its respective crew. They are meant to be painted in the tropical uniform. I actually purchased two sets, and plan to paint one crew in the early war (Crete) colors and the other one in the cammo scheme. The recoilless gun is interesting. The wheels are meant to be off the ground when it's deployed, but the plastic is a bit hard to straighten so that it looks even. I may actually use these crews with 21C Pak 40s. As far as the figures go, the poses are all good, but I do feel that the sculpting detail could be sharper. 

Mars German Winter Paratroops with 10.5 cm Gun

This is a really nice set to complement the Mars German winter paras. Each crew consists of 5 men and you actually get 2 crews per box. I bought two boxes, so I now have 4 guns/crews, so I will likely assign 2 to the paras and 2 to the regular winter infantry. Those who are into conversions could replace the helmets to make them fit better as regular infantry. The best part about this set are the figures. The gun itself is made of softer plastic which bends quite a bit and needs to be straightened so that the gun stands evenly. A minor criticism is that the shells look wider than the gun's barrel. Looking at some pictures of the real equipment online, I think the shells are the ones which are too large. But let's not get too picky and instead be glad that we have this unique set to give our winter units some well needed firepower!

Click here to see a post about the PAK40

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Publius - Toy Soldiers

Latest edit: Publius WW1 Russian Infantry - to be used as WW2 French Infantry

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Publius is a Russian manufacturer based out of St. Petersburg. They are not very known in the west, but apparently they have a good range of metal figures in 40mm, which they have been producing since 2009 or so. These figures cover sets like Vikings, Saracens, Normans, Saxons, Tatars, Germanic, Pirates, Knights, etc. And of course, they also have some WWII Soviet troops. At least two of these WWII sets have also been released as 1/32 plastic sets. The sculpting for these figures is among the best in the industry. Unfortunately, they have only made a limited number of sets. What I heard as the reason for this is that the molds deteriorate and only support a limited number of casts. Therefore it is very hard to find these figures in 1/32 plastic and they have become very pricey. But if you can get your hands on some, they are well worth it. Let's take a look at the two sets which I have managed to locate.

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part I

These guys are a great complement to the Pegasus figures and add much needed variety to this service branch of the Soviet Army. As I mentioned, they are really hard to find. I got these guys courtesy of my friend and fellow collector, The Plastic General. He discovered them and managed to obtain some from a contact in Russia. The level of detail and fluidity of movement in the sculpting is among the best I've seen. They are so well done that leave you longing for more poses. 

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part II

I also like the fact that every pose is an action pose, as opposed to having some marching or standing guys, which tend to have a more limited use. And as you can see, there is a nice variety in the weaponry and outfits of the figures. I also like the fact that the bases have some detail and texture, but they are not bulky as has been the trend recently in the hobby. 

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part III

These are the same figures as above, just as a group and in a different shade of color. I must admit that I forgot I had already posted them, but the picture turned out nice, so we can repost them :-)

Publius Brest Fortress Soviet Infantry - Part I

Again, these are some of the best figures I have seen. I love the action-packed poses, how the movement and intensity of the fight is captured, and the great level of detail. For instance, look at the figure on the left, standing on a German helmet. I also like the man on the right firing the MG with the circular ammo drum from the hip. 

Publius Brest Fortress Soviet Infantry - Part II

Great sculpting. The attitude of the man in the middle is totally consistent with the the weapons he carries. Throwing himself into a close quarter combat situation. The woman on the right reflects the important role that women played in the Soviet army, not just as nurses, but in many combat functions. The only things not to like about these figures are that there are only six poses and that they are really hard to find. 

Publius Stalingrad Soviet Infantry - Part I

Publius' third WWII set is just as good as its predecessors. The uniforms emphasize the winter season of the campaign. The poses are loaded with action and movement. When you look at the man in the middle you can feel the tension in the situation that he might find himself in. 

Publius Stalingrad Soviet Infantry - Part II

The only pose that seems a bit stiff, compared to the rest is the sniper woman, but even she is well sculpted. The man on the right is an interesting pose. If you look at him closely, you will notice that he is wearing body armor. I've seen some pictures in which you can actually see the dents left by bullet impacts, so it seems that they were reasonably effective.

Publius Battle of Berlin Soviet Infantry

Another nice set from Publius. Great sculpting, with lots of action and emotion packed into the poses. The only figure that I am not very excited about is the signaler. Not just because it is not a combat pose, but also because Engineer Bassevich had just released pretty much the same pose in its latest set. Also, note that the set comes with a wall section. I would not have minded if that had also been replaced by another combat pose. Forces of valor has given us many factory-painted wall sections that look even more realistic. One thing I like about this set is that these guys can be combined with their earlier sets to get more poses. For instance, there's a naval infantry guy who can be mixed with their first set. The guy with the smock can be mixed with the Stalingrad guys, and the regular infantry guys can be combined with the Brest Fortress figures.

Publius Soviet Infantry - Winter 1944

This is another really nice set from Publius. I often wonder if this sculptor is the same as Plastic Platoon's because the level of detail, quality, and sense of action in the poses is also exceptional. And compared to Plastic Platoon's figures, they are slightly less expensive. And a bonus is that this set actually contained 8 figures. This is supposed to be a winter set, but I like that the figures are outfitted for either a late fall/early winter, or a late winter/early spring weather, making them more versatile. The uniforms included coats, padded suits, and a Plash-Palatka rain cloak. In terms of weapons, they also have a nice range. From a flamethrower, to a captured panzerfaust, passing through all the standard Soviet small arms. Their weaponry, along with the poses make them very usable in a wide range of combat situations. Overall another great set from Publius.

Publius WW1 Russian Infantry

Are these guys not a great fit to add to our WW2 French army? I did not realize that the WW1 Russians had worn similar equipment as the French, so I was quite pleased when I saw these guys. Other than the older man on the left, who is wearing a cap that I haven't seen among the French, the other 7 guys can definitely pass for French with their Adrian helmets and puttees. Even the officer could pass, even though he is not wearing the more traditional kepi. In terms of weaponry, one liberty I will have to take is to allow the Lewis machine gun carried by the man in the middle as a piece of WW2 French equipment. While the French did use the Lewis gun during WW1, by WW2 they had phased it out. But I will pretend that this unit hadn't been upgraded yet. What I really like about these figures is the exquisite sculpting and the intense action poses which is something that we do not have in any of the other French sets available. So these will become the cream of the crop of my French army.  

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Plastic Platoon - Toy Soldiers

Latest edit: Added Plastic Platoon German Winter Infantry Mortar Team

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Plastic Platoon is a relatively recent entrant into the 1/32 Plastic Toy Soldier world. Founded by Mikhail Glikin, a fellow toy soldier collector and enthusiast, they are based out of St Petersburg in Russia. Their first sets came out around late 2017/early 2018, and were focused on the Vietnam War. In 2019, to my good fortune, they expanded their range to cover WWII and since then they have added other topics and periods, such as pirates, US revolutionary war (American &British), US Cavalry, Indians, and I am sure there will be more to come. From the beginning they came out swinging, setting a new standard for realism and creativity in their sculpting. When I first saw their figures I experienced the same level of excitement and enthusiasm as when I first held my first Conte soldiers, and more recently my first Publius figures. They are truly detailed and historically accurate. The only thing not to like about their figures is that they are pricey, around $60 to $75 a set. Apparently that's because their molds can only produce 25 sets before they have to be replaced in order to maintain the level of detail and quality, which is also why they only release limited runs of about 300 sets. I just wish my budget would allow me to get more of them, or that they could get their molds to last longer so that they could lower the price point. Even so, I am very happy that they have joined the hobby and I truly look forward to all the amazing sets that they have yet to conceive of and produce. Without further ado, let's take a look at what they have produced so far regarding WWII!

Plastic Platoon German Paratroops Set 1

Plastic Platoon brings sculpting and action poses to a new level. Their German Paras are supposed to represent the early war troops which were dropped on Crete, and are for sure my favorite German Paras. You can tell that they were just dropped on the island because most of them are still wearing their knee pads, and at least one of them is still wearing his harness. Can't say enough about the level of realism of these figures. 

Plastic Platoon German Paratroops Set 2

Here are another six poses released as part of a second set, also representing the Paras involved in Operation Mercury, the invasion of Crete. What's most interesting for me is that several of them are wearing same life jacket worn by the Luftwaffe pilots. It took me a bit of research to figure out what I was looking at, but you can actually find photographs depicting men in this outfit. It makes sense when you think about the fact that they were flown to jump into an island, so if the plane was shot down or, if they were blown out to see during the landing, a Schwimmweste would have come in handy. 

Plastic Platoon German Paratroops Set 3

This third set was a bit unusual. We got two more Paratroopers, three drop containers, and one Greek Partisan. I suppose this is useful and original, but if you ask me, I would have preferred if it had come with more German figures and the containers were extras or could be purchased separately. Also, I am not a big fan of figures that are so coupled together that you can't deploy one of them in a separate situation. What's interesting about this set is that one of the figures can grasp the handle of one of the containers so that it looks like he is pulling it. Also the level of detail, even on the containers is very nice. Each container is labeled with a different letter or symbol, and the contents are rich and diverse.

Plastic Platoon British Infantry

This set is meant to represent the British defenders of Crete who fought against the German Paras. Again, characteristically well made, with lots of action and intensity. You can tell that these guys were involved in close quarters fighting. Worth highlighting is who I think might the the Sarge, holding a pistol on one hand, and brass knuckles on the other. A feisty bunch to come up against, although as we know, they were eventually subdued, although at no small cost, which is one of the reasons why German Fallschirmjaegger were no longer used in drops after that. 

Plastic Platoon Greek Infantry

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with this set. It was great that they chose to make Greek troops, which until now, had not been paid attention to in the hobby. But it would have been good if they had made at least eight poses or so. Instead, PP chose to release three other figures representing Greek Partisans to round up the set. That essentially gave us too little of both. As far as the three Greek infantry figures go, they are well made and I do like that one of them conveys the emotion that must have overcome them as an army of Paratroopers suddenly dropped on them.

Plastic Platoon Greek Partisans

This is the second half of the set. Plus the partisan figure of set 3 of the German Paras. I just put him next to his comrades in the picture so that you can see how it fits with them. What's nice about these figures is to see the men in their local garb. I don't know if that's what they would have worn going to battle, but it certainly makes them look more authentic. There's also a partisan woman. She is dressed in more 'modern' clothes of that time. Interesting to see that these guys seem more determined to fight than the Greek infantry figures, although it stands to reason that these guys lived on the island and the Greek troops were most likely sent there from other parts of Greece to defend it. That would certainly influence their level of resolve.

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry - Defense of Leningrad, 1941

Another superb set from Plastic Platoon. The details on the figures is exquisite. Worthy of note is the carriage for the Maxim machine gun that one of the men is transporting on his back. It is simply amazing. Note also how the man is also carrying the front shield for the gun on his left hand. And the gun itself, carried by the officer is also quite nice. The other figures are also very well done. One of them carrying a capture German submg. The only thing not to like about them is that the plastic is very soft and the bayonete of the man on the right is simply impossible to straighten, even with the tried and tested hot/cold water technique. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet Naval Infantry - Defense of Leningrad, 1941

A great set depicting the intensity of close quarter combat happening in an urban theater. These naval infantry figures would be equally at home in Stalingrad or Sevastopol, and they will be a great complement to Publius' and Pegasus' naval infantry troops. Again, the plastic is a bit soft, and that makes the tips of the weapons point in odd directions, but other than that, the sculpting -level of detail and action- on these figures is exceptional. I can't wait to see how realistic they look with some paint on them!

Plastic Platoon German Infantry - Battle for Leningrad, Winter 1941

These guys look like they are going through a rough winter, but at least they have coats. The officer is definitely not freezing. The details like the scarf wrapped around the head, and the helmets wrapped in white sheets give these figures a very authentic winter fighting look. Particularly nice in this set is the two man team operating what appears to be an MG 34. Very well done. Probably the best German winter troops that have been made. 

Plastic Platoon German Paratroopers - Battle for Leningrad, Winter 1941

These guys not only get points for being well done, but they also deserve extra credit for uniqueness. I don't think anybody had made German Paras in a winter setting. I am glad that we got some poses in this set that are better suited for close quarter combat, as the other Leningrad Soviets needed some opponents to fight in the rubble of those buildings. The desperation and urgency displayed by the guy who is using his helmet to balance the fight is palpable. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet Assault Troops - Stalingrad, 1942

Another beautiful set from Plastic Platoon. I love how well you can see the dents on the body armor of these guys. Of course, a good range of fighting poses, and weaponry represented, including a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, a Degtyerev DP light MG, and of course, the popular PPSh-41 subMG. All of them sculpted with extreme detail. The poses are also versatile enough to be used in a variety of urban warfare actions. 

Plastic Platoon German Infantry - Stalingrad, 1942

As is customary, Plastic Platoon has treated us to another beautiful set. And while German Infantry is a set that has been made many times before, I love to have them in a set of this level of quality and detail, and in fact, I wish there were more poses to go with them. You can tell that these guys are still in the early stages of the Stalingrad campaign, at the end of summer when it still made sense to roll up your sleeves while fighting. As far as the type of poses, other than the wounded guy who is having to defend himself, the other guys do not seem to be under much pressure. Another clue that this was still early in the campaign, before things got bad for them. The highlight of this set is probably the mortar team.

Plastic Platoon German 'Hunters and Prey' - Stalingrad, 1942

Here's another nice set from Plastic Platoon depicting German snipers as well as some of the German men who would be likely targets of the opposing Soviet snipers. The poses are highly reminiscent of the characters in the movie Enemy at the Gates, where you see Vasily Zaitsev and his fellow snipers take out German soldiers doing things like laying down phone cable, going on a food run, or the officer taking a shower... The set also contains a military policeman, which is might be a first in my collection. The sculpting and detail on the figures is exquisite, as usual. The equipment on the back of the soldiers is quite elaborate, and I also like how the officer has been sculpted a bit overweight, hinting at the inequities in the distribution of supplies, particularly at this time of the Stalingrad siege. The wrapping on the seated sniper's rifle is also very well done. All in all a great set to complement the ones that came before. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet 'Hunters and Prey' - Stalingrad, 1942

This set is the complement to the German Hunters and Prey figures that are so reminiscent of the characters in the movie Enemy at the Gates, where you see Vasily Zaitsev and his fellow snipers take out German soldiers, as Vasily dukes it our against German sniper ace Major König. Note how they have accurately included both a male and a female sniper. The other figures, like the officer or the phone operator, I suppose represent the targets for the German snipers. It is also noteworthy that optionally, the wounded man and the fighting medic on the right can be placed side by side, with bases that have been specifically designed to fit with each other. As always with Plastic Platoon, the level of detail is top-notch. A great set to display in the ruins of Stalingrad.

Plastic Platoon Soviet Scouts

If you are looking for a tough and daring raiding party look no more. Plastic Platoon's Soviet Scouts are full of grit and intensity. Are they engaged in a fighting retreat or are they springing up an ambush on an unsuspecting enemy? Whatever the case may be, these guys seem ready for it! These guys' outfits are relatively simple by Plastic Platoon's standards. All of them are wearing the typical Soviet cammo smock/suit, which should make them look quite interesting if you chose to paint them. In terms of weaponry, they are packing a good amount of heat. With the exception of the officer, they are all firing automatic weapons. From a German Maschinenpistole to the more ubiquitous PPSh-41 with its different ammo magazines, and then there's the guy firing off the hip what appears to be a 'conscripted' German MG34. Of this set, my favorite pose is the man throwing the hand grenade. Not only is his stance just right -which is not always the case for grenade throwers- but what about that mustache? I think that gives him bonus points. All in all a really nice set, representing a branch of service rarely depicted. 

Plastic Platoon Japanese Infantry

This is Plastic Platoon's first set outside of the Eastern Front, and even though we already have a nice range of Japanese Infantry released by previous manufacturers, it is definitely a welcome set, given the exquisite level of detail and sculpting typically delivered by their figures. Take for instance, the writing on the flag attached to one of the rifles. I can't read Japanese, but it feels like it's real! But even beyond the little details and the action-packed sculpting, these poses are also nicely diverse, covering a good range of weapons, headgear, and equipment. The only thing that I noticed which seemed a bit odd to me is that the flag that we just mentioned would be 'floating' upwards. As fast as that man is running, I have a hard time imagining that the flag would defy gravity that much. But let's not get picky. It is still an amazing set that should be charging at the US forces trying to take their island!

Plastic Platoon US Marines

The perfect complement to PP's Japanese Infantry set. These guys remind me a bit of Austin Miniatures' marines in the shape of the bodies and heads, slim and tall figures, but with nicer sculpting and detailing. The six poses are good fighting poses, and they cover a nice range of headgear (covered helmet, with netting, plain), clothing styles (tucked vs loose pant bottoms, rolled up sleeves, shirtless, ripped pants, etc.), weapons (Thompson sub mgs, BAR, rifle/bayonet, shotgun w/bayonet(!) and my favorite, the flamethrower) and equipment (backpack, pouches, bandoliers, etc.) I also enjoyed the facial expressions. I am not surprised anymore by the fury and intensity displayed by a couple of them. This time I was more impressed by how the BAR gunner seems so concentrated. Is he aiming at something in the distance, or is he simply laying down covering fire with determination? You'll need to figure that one out yourself when you setup your scene...

Plastic Platoon Japanese Naval Infantry

Until recently, the great majority of Japanese plastic troops available have been regular Japanese Infantry, so it is nice and refreshing to see a different service branch being depicted. The challenge now is to find enough other poses to form a substantial fighting unit. But that's a good problem to have. As usual with Plastic Platoon, the sculpting is superb. The poses are good action poses and the detail is crisp and rich. For instance, you can clearly see the insignia showing that these guys are marines, and a few of them also wear Japanese flags on their head/helmet. Another feature that is unique about them is that they all carry a gas mask on their back. I wonder why this has only been depicted with these naval infantry guys. And then you also have a man wearing a bullet-scarred breast plate, similar to those worn by the Soviet scouts. Speaking of that guy, I do think that he could have been sculpted with a wider stance. If you throw a grenade with your legs so close to each other, you are relying primarily on arm strength for the throw... then again, maybe he thinks that the can get pretty close to the objective given the extra protection that he is wearing? :-)

Plastic Platoon Japanese Fukuryu Diver

This guy was meant to be part of the Japanese naval infantry set, or at least he was released at the same time as them. I just got him separately. He is definitely a 'character' figure. Not one of which we will be trying to build a whole unit.  The challenge is also to find the right setting to pose him. The best scene would be to place him under water approaching the hull of a ship in a harbor. But that's a tricky scene to setup. And also when you think about it, I doubt they really had that many opportunities to perform such operations. Anyhow, the amount of equipment and detail on this diver is really intricate. Lots of hoses and straps, which make him a figure worth studying and taking a look at every now and then just to enjoy the detail. 

Plastic Platoon US Paramarines

These guys are a nice complement to the first set of Marines. Initially I thought that other than the fact that there's a 7th man with them who clearly is a pilot -maybe he crashed or had to bail out on the same mission that dropped the Paramarines- there wasn't much to indicate that these guys were paratroopers, but then it hit me that they are clearly wearing jump boots. I wonder if after the jump that was still a good type of footwear for tropical islands. Maybe it was better at keeping the sand out, but if it did get in, I would have hated having to undo the shoe laces every so often to empty the sand. Anyhow, great poses as usual, with good variety of weaponry. The machete guy is a nice touch. And in terms of detail, look at the ding on the helmet of the second guy from the left. Looks like he literally dodged a bullet! The pilot is one guy that I probably won't have a lot of use for. I might have preferred another Paramarine, but I won't complain. Another great set.  

Plastic Platoon Waffen SS / Elite Troops

By now it should be clear to anyone reading this post that I love Plastic Platoon's figures. They've set a new standard in the Plastic Toy Soldier world with their amazing level of detail and the energy and high level of action in their poses. That's mostly true with this set as well, except that in this set the faces have gone off the rails. They definitely over did them. I don't know if the intention was to depict these men as evil, but their expressions resemble that of possessed zombies or something along those lines. Other than that, this set is just as exciting as any of their prior ones. Just look at the man firing the machine gun a-la-Rambo. Or the man on the right with the Stg 44. Really well posed and detailed. The sniper is also very nicely done, although with that big rock underneath him, it limits the places where he could be posed. Still a great set and looking forward to the set 2 of PP's Waffen SS figures.

Plastic Platoon Waffen SS Heavy Weapons

PP's second set of Waffen SS Troops has not disappointed. It's only five figures, but they are all very well done. The faces are not as extreme as in the previous set, although still a bit in that sharp style, particularly the machine gunner. The machine gun is probably the crown piece in this set, and I am pretty sure that's why there are only five figures in this set. The machine gun by itself with its elaborate base was probably more work to make than a figure. That's how detailed it is. The man firing the gun, is actually cast separately and placed on the base by hooking up his hands to the machine gun's handle. The ammo holder is a separate figure, and the base of the gun has a notch that fits perfectly with the ammo box so that you don't have to guess where to place him. The panzerschreck team is also very well posed and detailed and it's definitely good to have a loader with it. The fifth man is interesting because he seems to be firing a captured Bren gun. In terms of gear you can tell that these guys were late war guys. They are wearing a mix of cammo smocks and regular uniforms, helmets with and without covers, most of them wear puttees and shoes, although the panzerschreck loader is wearing leather boots. And the ammo loaded on the MG team is carrying an StG 44 assault rifle, which as the model name suggests, came out in the last phase of the war. This set is now very hard to get, so I was very happy to be able to get my hands on one.

Plastic Platoon US Marines Heavy Weapons

This is a very nice set. It contains a crew for a Browning Heavy MG, a bazooka team, a BAR man, and an officer coordinating the action through a radio. The center piece of this set is the heavy machine gun itself, and not just the gun, but the base. I know that some folks prefer plain/neutral bases so that they can be placed in a variety of settings, but in the case of these marines, I do think that the heavily detailed base adds to the set. The other figures are nicely sculpted, as usual, with a high degree of action in them. A couple of them show bullet dents in the helmet, which is a nice bit of detail. The other creative touch is the trophy sword tucked away in the backpack of the BAR man. Lastly, the expression on the officer captures very well the intensity of battle without overdoing it as was the case with some of the prior German sets. Overall a great addition to the WWII range, and a great support unit for the other Marines.

Plastic Platoon Japanese Infantry Heavy Weapons - Part I

This is an exciting set for a couple reasons. The first one is simply that there are not that many Japanese artillery crews or artillery pieces out there. The Deetail recoilless rifle comes to mind, but that's it as far as I remember. And then there's the fact that the figures and the gun are so well sculpted and detailed. I believe this gun is a Type 92, 70 mm howitzer. The gun comes in several pieces which can be easily attached together. Glue seems to be optional. In terms of the figures, my favorite one is the man operating the sight and elevation lever.  The fact that he is straddling the gun gives it a nice touch. The officer and the loader complement the crew very nicely. 

Plastic Platoon Japanese Infantry Heavy Weapons - Part II

This MG crew is part of the same heavy weapons set. The MG is a separate sculpture itself and the man firing it can be seated on the base separately. The ammo feeder lines up just right to be able to feed the belt into the MG. This is thanks to a notch in the bases. As you can see, the whole set is rich in detail. From the bullet holes in the sandbags to the Japanese writing on the side of the ammo box. or the hobnails on the boots. The facial features on the men are also extremely well done. The only thing that is less than ideal on this set is the amount of flash on the figures. It is quite a bit and it is also hard to remove. You can still see some left on the leg of the ammo handler. Other than that. this set is a great addition to my Japanese troops.

Plastic Platoon German Infantry Goliath Crew - Summer Uniform

This set represents a Goliath and its crew. The Goliath was essentially a tracked, mobile mine that could be operated remotely. Plastic Platoon came up with a set that contains two such crews. This is the one with summer/non-winter uniforms. As far as I recall, only Revell had produced a Goliath with one operator as part of its set of combat engineers. The figures are nicely done as usual and the officer is done in such a way that he could easily be deployed in other missions without the Goliath. 

Plastic Platoon German Infantry Goliath Crew - Winter Uniform

This is the second half of the set. The main difference is that the crew is wearing long coats. Similarly to the summer crew, the officer, who seems to be intensely engaged, could be easily deployed to coordinate other missions. The Goliath itself comes in four pieces that can be snapped together relatively easily. I suppose that if you want you can glue them together, but in my case that was not necessary. All in all this set scores high both on uniqueness and sculpting detail. 

Plastic Platoon German Infantry MG Crew - Summer Uniform

These guys are half of the MG set. Similarly to the Goliath set, one crew is wearing summer uniforms and the other one is dressed up for the winter. Besides that, the MGs are also a bit different, at least the bases. For instance, this base contains some urban rubble, including a metal beam, which makes it well suited for a setting such as Stalingrad. Some will like this level of detail, but others will likely think that this constrains the set unnecessarily to a specific setting. In my case, I do have a few buildings like that, so they will fit just fine once they are painted. As usual, the figures are very nicely detailed, so this is a MG team that is worth incorporating into my army.

Plastic Platoon German Infantry MG Crew - Winter Uniform

The other MG team is bundled up for winter operations. In addition to the long coats, you can tell that they are wearing other layers underneath. A nice detail is the cloth cover (typically white) on the man firing the gun. Another nice detail is the fact that you can see his corporal insignia on the sleeve of his coat. Lastly, another detail that sets Plastic Platoon's sculpting apart is how he also has the collar of his coat turned up for a bit of extra protection against the wind. A great addition to my unit of German winter troops!

Plastic Platoon German Winter Infantry Kharkov - Set 1

And speaking of German winter troops, Plastic Platoon has recently come up with this really nice set! The level of detail on these figures is exquisite. You can even see the fleece lining on the hood of the coats, and you can make out the helmets' insignia. The uniforms are all very authentic, the thickness of the figures is consistent with all the layers of clothing they are wearing, and the captured subMG is a nice touch. The most interesting pieces in this set are the two guys making up the MG team. The reason for that is that the MG itself, along with the hands of the man firing have been sculpted attached to the man where the MG is resting. This means that when you assemble them together, you really need to make sure they line up perfectly. Luckily they do. The other implication is that you can never deploy them separately, unless you took the time to perform some delicate conversions. Another great set from Plastic Platoon!

Plastic Platoon German Winter Infantry Kharkov - Set 2

These guys are a good follow up complement to the previous set. The winter gear is just right. I really like the details like the sheepskin on the inside of some of the coats, or the cloth wrapped around their heads. Another interesting detail is the guy wearing the cap with the ear flaps. Initially I couldn't tell if that was a German or a Soviet cap, but upon closer inspection I realized that it has a German eagle insignia on the front. In terms of poses, I usually prefer fighting poses over wounded guys, but in this case, since these are part of the second set, I am OK with this wounded pose, particularly because it goes well with the medic moving towards him with the bag. Interestingly enough, the medic is holding a pistol just in case. The pose I like the most is the man exchanging the magazine. We don't get many of these, so it is a nice touch. The two other guys, are just good, solid firing poses. Overall a nice set.

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry Kharkov

These guys are a nice counterpart to the German winter troops. Their outfits display a good variety of styles, from the padded suits, to the long coats, the man wearing the balaclava, and the guy with the winter smock which I will likely paint white. One thing I really like about this set is that all the figures are in an attacking mode. Most of them are firing on the move. The only one who is standing, although still firing, is the commander. The squad is also handling a decent variety of weapons. The most interesting one is the grenade launcher. And the Molotov cocktail can always come in handy against German armor. Can't wait for these guys to face off against the winter Germans on the eastern front!

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry PTRS-41 Anti-Tank Rifle Team, Winter Dress - Part I

These guys will be a nice extension to the Soviet winter troops above. The set comes as several parts that need to be assembled: the base, the assistant, the shooter, and the shooter's rifle/arm. The assistant is wearing a one piece winter smock, while the shooter is wearing a two piece suit. The PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle looks big and powerful. The only thing that is not ideal is that it gets bent a bit easily. I will try to give it the hot/cold water treatment and see if I can straighten it out. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry PTRS-41 Anti-Tank Rifle Team, Winter Dress - Part II

Here's the look from behind, which makes it easier to appreciate the differences in the uniforms. One thing to be aware of is that the base bends a bit upwards so the manufacturer has glued a couple of bits of plastic under the back side. This keeps the base from rocking back and forth, but it will permanently lift up the back side. Which is why I pushed some snow close to the base. That hid it well. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry PTRS-41 Anti-Tank Rifle Team, Summer Dress - Part I

Here's the equivalent team dressed for the non-winter months - yes, why restrict them to summer! As was the case with the winter guys, the man firing the rifle requires minor assembly to attach the rifle and arms to the body. And the rifle itself may require some straightening. Other than the summer dress, what's different in this set is that you can actually see the assistant handing over the next round to fire. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry PTRS-41 Anti-Tank Rifle Team, Summer Dress - Part II

From this angle you can appreciate better how he is getting the next round ready. Another thing that you can appreciate is that the loader has a helmet in front of him, which makes you wonder if it's his and why he wouldn't be wearing it. Something you can't see because of how I cropped the picture is that the back of the base also bends upwards a bit, and has similar bits of plastic attached on the bottom to stabilize it. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker as you can simply place some rubble around it. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet and German Tankers, Battle of Kursk

One set with 3 tank crew members from each side. But that's not where the symmetry ends. Each side has what looks like an officer firing a pistol, a crew man firing a sub machine gun, and another crew man firing a light machine gun from the waist - a la Rambo. The poses are all in Plastic Platoon's usual high action style. One detail that I like from this set is how they made the Soviet commander bald. The Soviet tank helmets and the reinforced knees on the uniforms are also a nice touch. I also like from this set is how they made the man firing the machine gun step over a piece of tank track. You can tell that this panzer crew is definitely having a challenging time evacuating its disabled tank! These guys will go well with the Mars and Hanomak tanker sets.

Plastic Platoon German Infantry, Battle of Kursk

In retrospective, if these guys represent the units from the Kursk offensive, I should have probably placed them among countryside scenery when I took the pictures, but then again, these guys could fit in any other battle scenario. Note that this is a seven piece set, which is nice. My favorite pose is probably the prone grenade thrower. It resembles a picture I've seen multiple times, taken at ground level and looking slightly upwards towards the face/chest of the man throwing the grenade. If you know which one I am referring to, leave a comment. My least favorite pose has to be the man who just got shot. The way that he is falling feels a bit stiff to me. The other poses are all good action poses, and the man with the wounded/bandaged head adds a nice bit of realism.

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry, Battle of Kursk

Another seven piece set to fend off the German's summer offensive of '43 at Kursk. Six of them equipped with submachine guns and only one rifle man. The most interesting pose is the man carrying the flag, although I have to admit that I wonder how often they may have gone into battle carrying their colors. In any case, the flag is well-made, with several bullet holes piercing its fabric. I wonder how I am going to paint those holes, as the plastic is actually solid...  The pose that I find a bit intriguing is the man kneeling who is also handing over an ammo drum. Not sure who he is handing it to. My best guess is that guy that I placed next to him, but I am not sure, as he is not really looking at his hand and he is moving too fast to be able to pick it up on the run. Perhaps I am over analyzing this. But I like the pose, and I am sure I can find some other guy who is a better candidate to be getting extra ammo. 

Plastic Platoon German Volkssturm

Definitely a hodgepodge of uniforms and gear for this crew. Some of them are still wearing some civilian items. The most interesting character in that respect is probably the man with the brim hat about to throw a grenade. Others are wearing military issued gear, but definitely nothing standard. In terms of weapons, it is interesting to see how they have what looks like an old MG. Maybe left over from WW1 or captured and reissued? Another interesting bit is the female in the unit. She is handing over a canteen. I wonder if most were in such supporting roles, of if some of them actually picked up weapons. Lastly, the guy on the left with the glasses and the coat looks a little bit like he could have been a professor or an accountant before taking up arms...

Plastic Platoon German Infantry, Battle of Berlin

These guys will go well with the Volkssturm as they make a last effort to prevent the inevitable fall of Berlin. The first interesting bit is the presence of an Indian soldier, likely from the Indian Legion recruited from British POWs. This guy had to fight to the end or face tough consequences if captured. Another thing that they did well is the bases. I know that some folks find them too bulky or constraining in terms of the scene where the men can be used, but in this case, I find them quite appropriate. One of them is standing next to a grandfather clock, and another one is standing next to a broken gramophone, not to mention the several sections of brick wall. The weapons are all good choices for urban fighting, with a panzerpfaust and a panzerschreck, plus other automatic weapons. And similarly to the Soviet guy in the Kursk set, we have a guy handing over his ammo pouches with sub machinegun magazines to a Kamerad. Overall, a good, intense set. 

Plastic Platoon Soviet 76mm Gun with Crew, Winter Dress - Part I

This is a really nice contribution to the hobby. There aren't that many Soviet artillery crews and guns available. I can think of the Italeri set, but that's about it. PP has released this set in both summer and winter outfits. Unfortunately I have only been able to find the winter crew. The figures are certainly nice, as usual, but clearly, the highlight of this set is the gun itself. It comes in a few parts that must be put together - the wheels, shield, trail/carriage and the barrel, but it is fairly easy to assemble. The detail is all there. You can see many nice touches like the hinges on the front of the shield and the grooves on the wooden spokes of the wheels, as well as the firing mechanism of the gun itself.

Plastic Platoon Soviet 76mm Gun  with Crew, Winter Dress - Part II

As you can see from this other angle, you get an officer who is directing the firing of the gun, an ammo handler ready with the next round, a guy ready to fire, and another guy who can be placed in a couple spots to help operate or move the gun - he is carrying a side arm, so he might also be an officer. The uniforms are nicely detailed and show a variety of winter clothing. A couple of long coats, a padded jacket, etc. My favorite is the cap with sheepskin lining. And to round it all up, you also get a couple of ammo boxes. Ready to lay some supporting fire!

Plastic Platoon Soviet Naval Infantry, Defense of Sevastopol

For some reason I really like Soviet Naval Infantry troops, so I was very excited to learn that Plastic Platoon had come up with its own interpretation. The set does not disappoint. Perhaps the only thing to criticize is the fact that some of the bases are almost like the base that you would have for an actual sculpture, particularly the anchor, the cannon, and the steps, but even those elements are well done. I also like that we get a guy wearing a cape, as well as one wearing a helmet instead of the usual cap. We also get a good variety of weapons, my favorite being the light machine gun. These guys will definitely go very well with the rest of the detachment! BTW, The title of the set refers to Sevastopol, but I feel like deploying these guys within the ruins of Stalingrad... WDYT?

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers 82nd Division, Operation Overlord

US Paras are also some of my favorite toy soldiers. Plastic Platoon has gifted us representatives from both the 82nd and the 101st divisions, and you can tell which unit they belong to thanks to their nicely detailed shoulder patches. Regarding the troopers from the 82nd, there are several interesting bits, starting with the fact that there is a chaplain in the set administering the last rites to a wounded man. I usually prefer fighting poses, but given the uniqueness of the characters, I will take them. Another interesting pose is the man with the machete or whatever you call that weapon that he is wielding. I would not want to catch the sharp end of that thing! I also like the fact that among the weapons you see a grease gun being fired by the man on the left. Overall, lots of good detail and touches everywhere you look. 

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers 101st Division, Operation Overlord

The screaming eagles from the 101st are also ready to fight. Just look at the guy with the mohawk! That's a fierce looking warrior right there. His expression and the fact that he is ready to stab you and shot you simultaneously make him a fearsome opponent. Another interesting guy is the medic who apparently has taken up arms. You can tell he is the medic because of the big cross on the front of his helmet. And these guys have also liberated what looks like a German MG42 being carried by the guy on the right. The officer issuing the hand signals is also a nice touch. Lastly I also like how they gave us three different styles of helmet. Bare, with net covering, and with cammo inserted into the net. And speaking of helmets, there's also a German helmet with cammo cover on the base of the man carrying the MG42. Another great set!

Plastic Platoon US Paratroopers Heavy Weapons 101st Division, Operation Overlord

In case you are worried that your paratroopers are going to be outgunned, here are a few more guys to upgrade your squad! You get a bazooka man, a BAR, a rifle grenade, a 30 cal MG and then there's this guy who seems to be holding a mortar round, but there's no mortar to go with it :-) this had me a bit puzzled until it hit me that he is holding a bazooka round. I should have placed him next to the bazooka guy so he could assist him! BTW, another clue is that he has a bazooka rocket tube lying next to his right foot. Initially, I did not know what that was either. In fact in another picture that I found online, they had chopped it off the figure! Luckily, I left it there :-) One last interesting detail is the fact that despite their heavy weapons, all these guys have a big bad knife tied to their leg. I guess you never know when you are going to need it so better safe than sorry!

Plastic Platoon Soviet Infantry, Final Assault on Berlin 1945

Another nice set of Soviet Infantry courtesy of Plastic Platoon, all posed in good action poses, very appropriate for taking over Berlin. One of them is even carrying a Soviet flag. Is he going to set it on top of the Reichstag? The officer is also interesting. Not only because he is firing upwards, into the many upper floors of the city buildings, but also because he is one of the few Soviet figures wearing a cape. The bases are also definitely urban, littered with bricks and furniture. Notice also how a couple of them are firing German weapons which they have 'liberated'. One of them is firing an StG 44 assault rifle, the man next to him is about to fire a panzerfaust, and the man throwing the grenade is actually throwing a German potato masher. All in all, a good set to complement the other Berlin sets made by others like Engineer Bassevich and Publius, or simply to reinforce your Soviet army. 

Plastic Platoon German Winter Infantry Mortar Team

Here we have a 4-man mortar team in winter uniform to complement the two other sets of 'Kharkov' winter German infantry. Even though Plastic Platoon has produced other sets of winter infantry, like the Leningrad set, the thick parkas were not available until the second half of the war, so the Kharkov guys are definitely a better match for these guys. In terms of detail, I like how a couple of these guys have tears in their parkas. Could they be caused by bullets that went between their legs? If so, these guys are some lucky Landser! Another interesting detail is how the officer in charge is doing his best to protect his ears even though he only has one hand free to do so. A good set overall which will provide a very welcome heavy weapons support to my German winter troops! 

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