1. Packing:

Side opening cardboard box

2. Type of kit:

Multi-piece, multi-option hard plastic figures , 1/72.

3. Quality:

Anyone familiar with the newer sets from Preiser knows that (apart being hard to get) they are just lovely. This set is no exception.

You get two identical sprues with the torsos and limbs, which sometimes can be interchanged. Heads are separate and you get 20 of them (for 12 figures), allowing for a personal choice of bare heads, helmets, peakless field cap, peaked field cap (old style), and the 1943 model. The latter items are separate and can be found on another sprue, which you get twice. On these sprues you also get a multitude of equipment: pistol holsters, backpacks, map cases, kar98k ammo pouches, Zeltbahns, mess kit, bottles, haversacks, entrenching tools, gas capes, bayonets, gasmasks and flashlights. The last two sprues are for the weaponry, giving a choice of kar98k (with our without bayonets affixed), entrenching tools (out of their scabbard, which were used as close defence weapons), stick grenades, knife, MP40 (with folded and unfolded stock and with pouches), MP44 (Sturmgewehr), MG34 and 42 (with different styles of folded and unfolded bipods) plus ammo boxes and cleaning container, the FG42 (I believe, because I‘ve only seen it with paratroop units), and (amazingly) two Panzerbüchse 39 (the first I've seen in this scale).

Quality of casting is extremely good, the only weak point being the sculpying of the ears on some of the heads. As teh figures mostly come in separate pars this has the advantage of being to mix and match to your hearts desire. The downside that you might need to fill some seems.

You might buy the set for the heads, weapons and accessories alone and still have very good value for money.

4. Instruction sheet:

Assembly suggestions on the backside and inside (!) of the box. Some figures allow for a choice of torso-limbs combination, although not everything is possibly. The figure with the half band of ammo on his right shoulder can only be assembled with an MG on his right shoulder.

You have more latitude with the personal gear.

5. Decals:

Nihil

6. General Impression:

One of the best figure sets around.

7. Note:

This set does not necessarily have to be used for grenadiers, but can represent any infantry MG group. The uniforms they are wearing all have the pocket pleats, so you are quite safe to use them in a 1939-42 time setting (when the M1942 uniform without these pleats appeared), but these could theoretically be worn until the end of the war, making this set very versatile. Of course, choosing an MG42 or the M1943 field cap can only be used in their respective time-settings.

You can also modify them easily, as they are in hard plastic. Below you see an example of one I modified with breeches to represent a Reiter.