Introduction

MiniArt has to be the first stop for every modeller, when it comes to looking for diorama elements or figures to add a back drop or story to their build. MiniArt has lately been releasing a lot of sets featuring civilians and military personnel, performing various tradesmen’s roles. One of the latest releases from them has been titled "German Repairmen", and features two figures one of which is performing the role of a blacksmith, and the other looking through a tool roll , with the kind of tools that would mark him as a mechanic.

Review

This offering from MiniArt, arrives in one of their end opening card cartons, and is one of the few aspects I would like to see change. On the front of the carton is an artist’s impression of the contents and on the rear it covers assembly and painting instructions. Inside the carton is a single plastic bag containing five sprues. An examination of the contents reveals no areas of concern.

The figure involved in the role of a Blacksmith is wearing typical work wear of the period of a shirt and trousers and a leather apron. He is wielding a hammer, and hitting a heated piece of metal. Also provided on the sprue with this figure is a log in two halves for supporting an anvil, which is supplied separately on a separate sprue. The second figure is kneeling on the floor, leant over an open tool roll. The clothing again is work wear of shirt and trousers but, the hat worn by this figure marks him out as military personnel, however with a little bit of work both of the figures could be military or civilian. Facial detail is good, and I am pleased to see the ears well replicated. Hand and finger detail is also of a high standard, and should not require any additional work.

Two of the five sprues are identical, and provides two wooden saw horses, and six lengths of timber to make up a table top. Wooden detail on these planks is good. Some of the elements of this offering will need to be assembled; this is in the form of a three legged jack, a paint stripping gun, the anvil as mentioned earlier, a tool box and an old type wood plane. In addition to these items, you get G clamps, hammers, hatchets and axes and some very large spanners. Last but not least is an oil can.

Conclusion

This offering from MiniArt is a very nice mix of elements, however due to one of the figures being identified as a blacksmith I can’t help but think that they have missed a trick by not including a forge. In all other respects this is a really nice selection, that if I am honest, I would  use separately rather than together.