Polish Regiment Representative Officer
ICM is offering an injection-molded kit of a Polish Regiment Representative Officer in 1/16th scale. The figure is well dressed and well-armed, with a sword and scabbard in hand, and a pistol strapped to the waist belt on the back side of the figure.
The figure consists of 26 parts on two runners. The larger runner holds 20 parts, all of which will assemble into the figure and weapons. The smaller runner holds 6 parts making up an impressive base. In its final form, the base will consist of only 3 of those 6 parts. The base “frame” is a rectangular part that gives the base its height as well as a flat, untextured surface upon which 1 of 3 textured “walking surfaces” can be affixed. The first option resembles a textured surface of bricks, in the traditional staggered, straight row pattern. The second option is, again, a pattern of bricks, this selection featuring the bricks laid out in curved rows. Lastly a surface of large steppingstones is provided.
As shown on the Box Art and on the broadside sheet provided inside the box, the figure is holding a sword scabbard in his left hand and the sword in his right hand. Note that the part numbers are shown in black font and the color-callouts are shown with a red letter shown inside a small square.
There are no decals and there is no “step-by-step” instruction sheet, but then the images provided on the box art broadside sheet and on the color-callout artwork are sufficient instruction when studied carefully. The color-callout lists 12 colors to be used and includes the I.D. numbers for Revell and Tamiya paints to be applied. The plastic is rather soft. I found that a micro-saw carefully applied to the gates did not leave marks on the parts. In the few instances in which some sanding was required, a medium or fine grit sanding stick did the job quickly.
I was somewhat puzzled by some lines on the pants and boots. I was not sure if the lines were mold seams or if they were “detail”, intended to represent seams on the fabric and on the leggings of the boots. I decided to remove those lines by gently scrapping off the “seam” with an X-acto blade. I found that I did not need to apply putty to any surface on the figure. In some cases, a gentle scraping and application of liquid glue did the trick.
When assembling the figure, it is reasonable to consider the legs as a sub-assembly, and to consider the torso (the jacket) as a sub-assembly. It is logical to begin by assembling these two sub-assemblies. I did not glue the two sub-assemblies together until I had applied a primer coat to all the parts. Note that the jacket has 5 parts, with Part C19 being placed along the “spine” of the jacket in the gap that you will notice when test-fitting Parts C8 and C12 around the waistline.
You will notice that the fingers are separate from the hands. This is a clever tool used by ICM to help the builder get the proper “fit” of the scabbard and sword into the hands of the figure. The positioning looks quite natural and realistic. You will also note that the figure has “locked” his knees into an “attention” position, giving the figure a life-like posture and position.
I am not an experienced figure painter, but I found that the detail molded into the figure’s face and the various patches and medals on his uniform were immensely helpful. The uniform cap consists of two parts, Part C2 and C3. I found that the way ICM chose to mold the cap made painting the cap much easier than had it been a single piece.
I found this kit to be of high quality as evidenced by the excellent “fit” of the parts. The lack of step-by-step instructions was not an issue in the least. The artwork showing the placement of the various colors not only served as a guide for painting the figure, but also as a logical and reasonable approach for assembly.
Well Done ICM! Thanks to ICM for providing this review sample to IPMS/USA.
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