Master Box Ltd

1/35 Somewhere in Europe 1944

Kit Number: MB3538

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $30.95 Imported by Dragon USA www.dragonmodelsusa.com 104 tan injection molded parts complete a farmer's 4 wheel wagon with 2 horses, farmer and pig tailed granddaughter and two Germans on a food run during 1944. This is my third set of the Ukraine's 1/35 Master Box (not to be confused with any other "MB" company) figures, and while I've completed the others, this one is simply an 'on the sprue review." Three sprue trees come in a resealable poly bag which is a nice touch to keep the parts together during the building process. Again, Master Box Ltd. has lived up to their words and "… aspires to create multifaceted, emotionally charged products, which will be of interest to a broad range of modelers." MB sculptor A. Gagarin and illustrator A. Karaschuk have brought the figures dramatically to life, and allow you some leeway positioning the parts. One thing they do especially well is create individuals, rather than twins. It's easy for figure companies to fall into the trap of creating an excellent face and then, perhaps unintentionally, repeating it on other figures - or close enough resemblances that they are "family" if not twins, triplets, etc in the same box. These two Germans are distinct individuals, including their dress as one wears a reversible winter smock (with the white inside, but exposed at the collar) while the other wears a long overcoat. They are carrying an extra load of canteens and what in the US looks to be a large food-thermos container along with numerous binocular size/shaped containers (I could be wrong). One is smiling while the other seems about to smile. Two Kar 98k rifles are provided. They are depicted being passed by a wary looking grandpa and his curious pig tailed beret capped pre-teen granddaughter, slowly driving their 4-wheeled farm wagon. The horses are also not clones, being posed slightly different than one another. I couldn't find one ejection pin mark that needs to be cleaned up, though my kit did have some very minimal flash.

The back of the box shows a front and rear color photo of the painted Germans, and an overall photo of the civilians and horse drawn wagon. The paint is color coded for Vallejo, Tamiya, Lifecolor, Humbrol and Agama paints. The black and white instruction sheets shows the sprue trees and part numbers, and two easy to follow exploded views of the wagon. Decide if you're going to hitch the horses or just want to pose it in your diorama abandoned. An overhead drawing shows you missing harness straps and where they go so you can easily create your own from thin plastic stock, foil or your favorite material. If you've watched WWII film footage or looked at the many photos you'll have noticed this style wagon seemed to be everywhere in Europe, throughout the war. In fact it would be seen casually on a farm as farmers fill it with their crops, or if POWs were hiding in the hay hoping the Germans wouldn't skewer them with a bayonet, or it would be part of the refugee traffic jam clogging the roads slowing an attack or retreat to a crawl, or even "drafted" into the German Army as one more means of military transport for a nation that relied more on horses than horsepower to conquer Europe and Russia. The wagon alone sells separately for $18! All the figures are dressed for mild Fall or Winter weather. The civilians are "pluses" that have been mostly ignored by injection molded companies and though some are available in resin, one figure could cost as much as this kit! The girl may be a pre-teen with her beret, scarf, skirt and jacket and as I mentioned a curious, even friendly look on her face. Grandpa has an unmistakable frown accentuated by his bushy mustache and is wearing a hat rather than the beret illustrated on the box top. This could be France, Belgium or anywhere in Europe! MB has spoiled me by including waterslide decals in other kits, a first to my knowledge and long, long overdue but welcome feature! The only decals that might be appropriate in this kit would be for the Germans - for their rank and unit insignia, on collars and sleeves, as well as stenciling that would have appeared on their gear. However though, no decals are included. Hardly any figure company provides open hands awaiting placement of reigns, and MBs Grandfather too has closed hands necessitating a little work on your part to make them look natural. So there are no real complaints from me when you consider what other mfrs provide! I recommend this set for most modelers as an excellent value for your money. Brush up on your horse painting skills and you'll have a horse and carriage for your dioramas that goes together with virtually all of your armor, European theatre, and a touch of imagination. Thanks to distributor Dragon for the review sample. Visit Master Box Ltd. at www.mbltd.info. Master Box has raised the bar for choosing previously ignored subjects and poses. I hope MB includes decals in all of their future releases and keep construction as simple as they have. Their site shows some of the next sets to come.

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