Rome wasn’t built in a day… and neither was this figure! John Pradarelli reviews MiniArt Ltd''s 1:16 Roman Legionary I Century AD.

Link to Review

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks John!

Blimey!
Ive been looking forward to this release, ive always wanted to do a Roman Legionary, but so far theyve all been resin at this scale.
The quality looks awesome, and for that price, well i think im gonna have to go get one!
Thanks for the review John!
Cheers

Echoing Dave's words, I've always wanted to try a Roman fig, but didn't want to fork out for resin. This just might be the fig for me. Great review, John. I personally love lots of parts in a fig. Is Miniart easily available?

Dave and David

I've been fortunate enough to receive this figure as well, and let me just say that John has hit it spot-on in his review. These figures are great for the figure modeller that enjoys assembly. They also have a very interesting range of historics in 1:16... like Dutch Musketeers... I don't think I've ever seen one of these in 120mm! Also, at USD12.50... what a bargain!

As a heads-up you guys can look forward to a few more reviews of MiniArt 1/16 figures in the near future

Rudi

p.s. Spooky, I'm not at the office at the moment, but I'll do some digging on vendors that stock MiniArt this afternoon. Let you know when I find what you're looking for

Having made their French Guardsman, I can confirm John's findings on this one. They are good, if a little anatomically naive, but do need more work than many modern modellers are used to. The end results are good.

Well durn burn it. . . . I hate to be the fly in the Preperation H, here. But I'm
working on MiniArts other 120mm figure kit of the Netherlands Musketeer.
I hope to post WIP pictures in the near future if I can find space in my
gallery photos. Unlike what John 17 and Dave Cox have said, the
Netherlands Musketeer is just a major bow wow kit, I am sorry to report.
The fit is the worst I have ever seen on a scale that large. It requires a
muddler of some experience to even bring this figure up to any acceptable
standards. Why they didn't make the head a solid piece of styrene plastic,
I will never know. The head come in three pieces so there are all those
seams to deal with if you're thinking about entering this figure in an IPMS
contest. The helmet took major modifications to become usuable, the
sword is a throw-a-way (you realize all these comments are only my
OPINION) and the torso doesn't even come close to fitting over the legs.

But I am sure MiniArt will learn. They have so much competition there in
the Eastern European region; i.e. Eduard. But they have decided to do
120mm figures from historical periods that DML and Tamiya have not
gotten in to. So in that regard, I commend MiniArt. They just need to
come up with molds that make it possible for the arm halves and leg
halves to fit together without all those huge gaps. And come up with a
head that is solid styrene.

Looking at your profile Rick, we must have started modelling about the same time. I grew up on kits that fitted like these do, so in my opinion the problems with seams etc are nothing that an experienced modeller can't handle, just not what's expected these days. It's worth the agro to get the different subjects. I also recommended using sprue dissolved in thinner or liquid cement - this is applied by brush and fills the seams a treat without too much work afterwards.
On the Guardsman the three piece head wasn't a problem, as the seams on the face are almost hidden by the hair.

Hi Rick,

I suspect the Dutch Musketeer is one of their early kits. In fact this kit has recently come across my desk. IIRC from my all too brief scan of the sprues, you get 2 faces? I guess that would explain the 3 piece head.

I am confident that in time MiniArt will improve their moulds and castings. They have some very exciting figures planned, including a range of 1/32 (54mm) historicals - in plastic of course. IIRC they are planning a Napoleonic 6 pdr with crew...

BTW, when do we get to see some progress shots of your Musketeer?

Rudi

Hello again Dave and Rudi:

@Dave: Yes, like you, I've been modeling a long time. Oh my, since 1965.
And the fact that an aircraft kit has large gaps, or a figure kit has poor
fitting parts is no major problem for me, either. I used to use the disolved
styrene bits in Ethyline Dycloride (sp?) as a filler and did so for years.
Now days I just use Aves Studio ApoxieSculpt and get good results. Re
the head in three pieces. I did notice how they engineered the three piece
head (no locating pins, unfortunately) that the seams would be covered
with the helmet metal chin straps or the pieces of hair. I bought the two
MiniArt 120mm kits at the IPMS Nationals in Kansas City, as I said and
after opening the Netherlands Musketeer kit, I purchased some 120mm
resin heads and am replacing the kit head with one of the resin heads.
(VLS, "Legends & Lore" 5 character heads. I'm using the one of "Clyde"
from the Bonnie an Clyde movie, . . . years ago, right Fay?) A friend at
our Show Me State chapter meeting this past Tues told me it was Clyde.
Oh well, . . . I'm kinda outa touch.

@Rudi: Whao Nellie, Rudi. I did NOT know that. MiniArt plans for the
future. Even a gun crew w/ figures set? Great. I like working with resin,
and feel more comfortable with it, than with metal. But I like working on figures in
styrene plastic the best. From all the years with aircraft kits, I guess. I
was hoping to post some WIP photos of the Netherlands Musketeer this week,
but didn't do what Larry the Cable guy sez: "Get 'er Done!" So I am hoping to
do so next week. Am driving to Wichita, Kansas USA for a contest over
the weekend, so we will see how next week goes. Glad to learn about
MiniArts plans; good news from a company that produces figures
that are not real expensive. Thus it doesn't cost a lot of money to "practice" on
a larger sized figure.

Thanks John for the great review. You have given me the incentive to do a figure not from the second world War. I will just hop on over to Cyber Hobbies and get one or two, Cheers.

i have several of their kits but right now i am interested in Ancient series so i have both Greek & Roman figures right and the only one i have started is the Napoleonic -Dragoon mounted which i had to stopped because i felt i was getting no where fast with doing it .

All of these comments are dead on right! I have the two Roman figures as well as the Spartan figure and I am waiting the Alexander era figures that the MiniArt website has shown but are not out as yet. I have done models since 1958 but I have used more putty and sandpaper on these kits than I have for a half a century! But that's why we are modelers!
The three parts for the head are no problem as they will be wearing helmets so who will see. Except for the shields the Roman figures are really the same figure/era. I would suggest that the modelers research the colors of tunics used by the Romans to give some interest to the topic. I did not use the plastic bases supplied by the kit--I used a wooden base. Overall I was "generally pleased" by the kit. I can't wait for more Ancient figures that MiniArt will do. Maybe Tamiya and other companies could do some--other thnt Wehrmacht/Waffen SS. (I have them too but need more Ancients)