Valiant Miniatures, UK

1/72 WWII British and German Infantry

Kit Number: VM001 British Tommies Kit Number: VM002 Classic German

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $17.95 ea Injection molded, 68 grey hard plastic figures ea set 1944-'45. If you model small scale armor or dioramas you have had to live with the frustrating soft vinyl plastic (SP) figures that have grown to become beautifully sculpted, posed and inexpensive - but in a medium that makes it difficult if not impossible to clean up any mold seams or flash, or to glue and reposition body parts, much less paint them without the paint flaking off. I've heard of people freezing figures then trimming flash, and Cookie Sewell claimed some success when his wife suggested beauty department (a good source for tools, BTW) cuticle cutters. There have been some hard plastic figure (HP) sets, and various mfrs of resin (R) and white metal (WM) figures (Steve Zaloga does wonders with some WM brands), but most are 1/76, on the other side of the pond and hard to get here. The awesome Milicast resin line is one that especially caught my eye with their armor crew figures, a niche they've dominated for years. But they're 1/76 and expensive ($1 to $2 per figure when you figure out how many men you get in a set) like their other European brethren. Presier has some 1/72 HP figures that fill the bill but there's not enough different sets yet (and about $1 per man). ESCI produced some really nice HP figure sets years ago but are hard to find. FINALLY, Valiant Miniatures, a new company from the UK, has entered the fray in a big way to, in my humble opinion, humble the competition! Valiant is marketing (via Stevens Int'l) to modelers and Rapid Fire wargamers; this explains the composition of both British and German infantry formations during the appropriate time periods. They include all the weapons required and are only 26 cents each. Let me talk about the Brits first, then the Germans. The WWII British Tommy is oft-neglected and so makes a great first release. Here are 14 different poses providing you with 68 figures - far more than typical SP figure sets. You can use every pose provided, and with nominal effort make simple changes so no two are the same. The actual sculpting is nicely done in a distinct style unlike most others. They measure up nicely to the old ESCI HP men. The Plastic Soldier Review (a "must-see website for small scale figure modelers) had issues with the style being somewhat like what you see in WM figures. I would hasten to add, "like the finest" WM figures! The poses include an officer with a map and two with binoculars: one standing and one kneeling. Everyone wears the older Mark II helmet with netting and scrim (as used 'til war's end). My set had hardly any flash or seam lines but I went and cleaned up a little bit anyway just for the thrill of working with good old hard plastic! Aside from the box pictures there is a two sided printed sheet that explains that these figures represent Tommies serving in NW Europe from D-Day thru to the end of the war. I'm no uniform expert so I'll defer to the PSR which states "all the figures wear the standard British battledress (I painted Humbrol #26 khaki) and 1937 pattern web equipment (much lighter Humbrol #121)." I'd bet you could use them on the Italian front as well. Simple instructions tell you to "glue components using ordinary polystyrene glue" and "paint with either enamel or acrylic paints." What sweet words to my ears! You'll need glue for the figures with a choice of an arm holding a .303 Lee Enfield, a Bren gun, a bomb case, or a PIAT. The Vickers .303 Mark I heavy machine gunner comes in two halves. His MG is separate with an attached water hose that connects to its water cooling can, molded on the tripod part. The separate ammo can has an ammo belt to be connected to the MG feed. A PIAT or Bren gunner can be cemented to a base with a thin stack of rocks upon which he can brace his weapon. A 2" mortar man with mortar is included, as well as a 3" mortar (both need to be, and can be, drilled open). The radio is molded separate from the radiomen and some haversacks are also provided separately allowing you an unintended added-value option to use them on your vehicles. AND there are lots of extra sets of heads: one wears an officer's peaked cap, another a bare Mk II helmet, another wears a beret, and one is bare headed. These allow you to change your poses exponentially! PSR points out that none of the riflemen are posed firing. I disagree as you have riflemen, Sten and Bren gunners advancing, possibly firing from the hip. What's missing is the usual cliché firing positions with the butt raised to the shoulder, eye to the sight. Because this is hard plastic, you can get out your razor saw, plastic cement and A&B putty and voila, cut and replace or reposition to your heart's content! Regardless, with war comprised of 90% inaction and 10% action, I don't have a problem with Valiant's poses. I'm planning vignettes with infantry advancing along with armor models, or clearing Caen, or marching German prisoners to the rear. The German set is titled "Classic German Infantry 1944-45" on the box but the enclosed instruction sheet states, and explains 1943-45. OK, OK, you German modelers can delight in knowing these figures offer more options than the Brits! While the basic field grey uniforms may be correct, check your references before modeling something depicting 1943. War shortages made the ankleboot and gaiter, worn by these 68 figures in 13 poses, the norm by 1944. PSR "…found these soldiers far too neat and regulation … although it must be pointed out that the set title refers to 'classic' infantry, which implies the sort of neat appearance movie-goers expect." But these war hardened vets aren't textbook, fully clad either: "…few have the bayonet and entrenching tool," for example, which is more realistic for Germans in retreat and poorly supplied. Valiant learned from their experience producing the first set, so this German set has greatly benefited by the fact you can easily glue parts to customize your men. Twenty men are molded without arms, but you have 56 arms to chose from, ranging from different empty hands (truly "armless"), to arms carrying binoculars, an ammunition box, a Mauser KAR 98K, an MP40 Schmeisser, MP44 assault rifle, a Panzerschreck, a Panzerfaust and a mortar bomb. Again, PSR states their preference for 'action' posed fighting figures, but it strikes me that no matter what Valiant intended, you've got all the flexibility in the world to pose your Germans conquering - or trying to keep what's left of - their world. With 40 spare heads (bareheaded, wearing peaked field caps, sidecaps and helmets with covers) and extra spare Mausers, Schmeissers and grenades, I believe these figures could be doing anything on any front in any season aside from winter. Crews firing an 81mm mortar and the MG42 mounted on a Lafayette tripod (with ammo belt feeding from its can) are included, as well as an MG42 gunner striking the typical machine gunner pose draped with an ammo belt. Both sets' extra heads have long necks, and instruct you to drill a hole in the figure to set the neck in, and then cement. You could just as easily get lazy and simply cut the neck shorter, then glue it to his new body. Turn peoples' heads by turning heads different ways to create some unique soldiers. A combat tested patrol would march 'rubber necked,' looking every which way for a potential enemy ambush.

Take even greater advantage of the separate arms and the arms they carry! I'm going to slice thin strips of masking tape and use them for gun slings for that 'extra touch' on a few of the figures. The largest weapons (i.e. mortars, beg to have the barrels drilled, an impossible feat on other SP figure sets). I like the thick bases that make it easier to hold the figures while you paint them or handle them in wargames - you can either hide the base under ground work or cut the feet away when ready to cement them in permanent position. PSR has reviewed most of the small scale SP figure sets. In sizing men up they figure the average modern height is 26 mm (= 1.87 m) and state that "these figures are between 26 and 27mm tall, which at 1/72 scale makes the average man about 1.91 metres tall." I have a Murphy's Ruler which measures my Tommy Officer at 6'3" to the top of his helmet (don't count the thick, sturdy base). The weapons are well defined and look right with their figures. PSR shows different mfrs' figures photographed next to each other for Mark I eyeball comparison and it is very apparent that Valiant's men 'have more meat on their bones.' I took my own comparison photo and you can see the ESCI HP men are of similar height and build. Some WM men have that heft and can mix it up just fine with Valiant too. Line up a platoon in any real Army and you've got guys of all different heights and body builds. Most SP figures will appear to be too thin and can't be used alongside Valiant's in a diorama. Nor can they be used with model tanks and vehicles labeled '1/72' when in fact they're 1/76. I took a photo with two Valiant Tommies next to Academy's new 1/72 Half-Track and they look OK outside, but would be too big to try to fit inside the vehicle. I don't know how true to scale the M3A1 is, but I'm talking "appearances." I think the primary qualification YOU should make is to take care what other manufacturer's figures and models you pose them with. I'd say this is totally inconsequential to War Gamers. With all the men included in one Valiant set, and all the weaponry and separate parts, you don't need to use any others! Be aware that this criticism is 'out there,' but for your sanity and modeling enjoyment, don't get hung up over height!

What don't I like? I would have preferred if Valiant hadn't molded the helmet chin straps right onto the faces just like many 1/35 mfrs do, instead leaving them off, letting you decide whether to paint them on or have them hanging unfastened. I hope newer sets also continue to have a lot of armless figures, spare weapons and equipment, allowing you to decide. Valiant really should cut newer guys down to size, thinning them down a little bit - or having a mix, some thinner, some the same as these, to overcome modelers' resistance to change! If Valiant really wanted to cause a stir, it would be awesome if they included a waterslide decal sheet with rank and unit insignias for all the figures. That would be a first in small scale and would raise the bar to an all time high, enabling you to finish your figures to an exceptionally realistic level. That said, I highly recommend these new figures from Valiant Miniatures. They're a lot easier to work with and paint than soft vinyl figures, the sculpting is excellent and a great value for your money (one side of the box even has signs and ruined walls you can use)! Valiant has announced they will release "American G.I.s 1942-44" and "Germans in Normandy - Summer 1944" next. I hope they'll consider a set of "WWII U.S. and U.K. tankers and Self Propelled Artillerymen" after that but these especially have to "look right" standing in tank hatches and crewing vehicles! Thanks to Stevens and Valiant for the review samples and this Valiant effort to break into small scale plastic soldiers indeed! Welcome!! See Valiant's web site at: www.valiantminiatures.com or contact them (Julian Blakeney-Edwards and Colin Rumford) at info@valiantminiatures.com. They're available at better hobbyshops or Stevens International, PO Box 126, 706 N White Horse Pike, Magnolia, NJ 08049 (www.stevenshobby.com).

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