Plastic Soldier Review - Italeri Highlander Infantry

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Italeri

Set 6004

Highlander Infantry

All figures are supplied unpainted (Numbers of each pose in brackets)

Stats

Date Released	1996
Contents	50 figures
Poses	15 poses
Material	Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours	Silver

Average Height

24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review

This set was released well after the set of highlanders from Airfix and the half set from Esci. However it does add to these sets, and includes a number of poses not previously seen. These include the private standing to attention, the sergeant and the ensign, correctly modelled without the kilt. All the poses are good, with all the old favourites included as well as more interesting ones like the casualties, the sergeant and the ensign. Uniforms are correctly shown, and detail is sharp throughout. The style of the figures is a little different from other sets, with every man having a somewhat rounded quality that is very difficult to describe. This makes the figures a little less attractive than, say, the Esci ones, but they are still more than useable.

The kilts have been moulded with a check engraved on them, which is probably meant to aid painting as well as suggest the tartan on unpainted figures. On balance we would have preferred the kilts left plain like the Airfix ones, but this is a very minor point.

The bonnets are somewhat disappointing. In reality these were drum shaped and about seven to eight centimetres deep. On top of this were 'mounted' a number of black ostrich feathers - normally about six or seven. Of course this arrangement is impossible to model perfectly, but Esci did an excellent job in trying and Italeri should had followed their example. In stead, their men have a fuzzy ball above the bonnet that is uniformly spherical and has no suggestion of being feathers - not even hanging below the top of the bonnet. Once painted black this is much less evident, and again the complaint is minor, but since Esci had already done so well there was no excuse for Italeri.

Even with the reservations about the sculpting this is a good set with many fine features.

Ratings

Historical Accuracy	9
Pose Quality	10
Pose Number	9
Sculpting	8
Mould	10