This package represents a small unit in Vietnam, including a commander, M60 gunner and two riflemen, all in typical jungle fatigues as seen in the 1960’s. A second sprue provides additional equipment, with suitable weapons and an assortment of headgear, including covered helmets, two types of boonie cap, and Marine visored “covers” for each soldier. All figures feature additional arms and heads to vary the poses. In a very real sense, this kit is designed to offer the modeler anything from a standard infantry patrol (either Army or Marine) to a Special Forces patrol. Therefore, these figures are a lot more versatile than the title suggests, and could be used in scenarios ranging from jungle duty to fighting in the streets of Hue.

All four figures come in the traditional figure breakdown for plastic figures of this type – legs, torso, arms and heads, although additional parts are used to create separate jacket skirts and even the large thigh pockets for the pants. Each figure is supplied with a large quantity of gear so you can load these down for an extended patrol in “the bush.”

Personally, I’m very impressed with the intentions of this kit. These figures should prove useful in almost any Vietnam-era scenario I can come up with, and will look terrific. That being said, I have to say that the weapons in the kit, for the most part, are not as well molded as the figures themselves. In fact, one M-16 was even a short shot. However, these weapons are all easily obtainable from other sources, so replacing them should not pose much difficulty. The figures themselves are certainly worth the extra trouble.

For this build I went with the standard Vietnam-era infantrymen, and the only real use of filler was around the jacket extensions, which were not a particularly well-engineered fit. However, the addition of the typical equipment for a patrol effectively masks this nominal issue. As can be seen, the figures lend themselves well to paint and look good when complete. Now I just have to decide what scenario to place them in.

Despite the issues with the weapons, I highly recommend this kit.

My thanks to Masterbox and IPMS/USA for supplying the review sample, and as always, my best wished to Masterbox and its employees during this difficult time in their nation’s history.