Wednesday 1 September 2010

Alpine Miniatures' 1:16 Fallschirmjäger Sniper (Review)

Manufacturer: Alpine Miniatures
Item Code: 16010
Medium: Resin
Review Publication Date: September 1st 2010

In their bold operations in Western Europe, Scandinavia, Crete, Italy, and the first exhausting days of the Normandy landings, the German Fallschirmjäger fought with distinction and honour, in spite of substantial losses. Frequently on the verge of annihilation they regrouped and continued to fight with heroism until the final days of the Reich. Their devotion to their unit and comrades and doggedness on the front lines earned them the respect of friend and foe alike.

16010 – “Fallschirmjäger Sniper” is a 1/16th scale resin figure sculpted by Taesung Harmms, the owner of Alpine Miniatures, depicting a young German Fallschirmjäger(paratrooper) sharpshooter. Released during August 2010, the box-art is painted Sang Eon Lee, his second such for Alpine Miniatures.

This was the first 1/16 scale Alpine Miniatures figure I have had the opportunity to review, and I must say that I am impressed with the level of detail the sculptor presents us with. Only his third figure in this scale I am happy to say that Taesung Harmms delights us with the quality of his sculpt – if one is amazed by the level of detail in his 1/35 scale figures, then this figure is truly a treat. This figure is yet another fantastic of the various aspects of German WWII uniformology, with the nuances picked up upon in only the way Taesung does.

For the painter, there are unfortunately not a great many ways in which to paint this figure, with this model of the jump smock being produced in a limited variety of camouflage schemes. That said, Jaume Ortiz Forns’ (who has done many box-art commissions for Alpine Miniatures) and Daniel Alfonsea Romero’s “Modelling Fallschirmjäger Figures”, published by Osprey Publishing, is an excellent reference and resource for those modellers interested in this subject.

I cannot fault this figure: the accuracy is spot on; the pose is very well captured and figure well proportioned; and the casting is impeccable. Recommended.


Click here for my full review on Historicus Forma