My six First Legion Stalingrad figures arrived today. I got 4 Germans (numbers 1, 2, 4 & 7) and two Russians (numbers 3 & 4), and when I opened the boxes, it was the first time I had ever seen a First Legion product in person. I examined each figure very carefully, observing each for quality of sculpting, pose, proportion and paint finish. I also took note of the bases of the figures, as well as the packaging they came in. I feel I can now render an educated opinion as to quality and value of First Legion WWII products.
I have a very simple verdict as to quality and value. The quality is as good as the few Russian "St. Petersburg" style connoisseur figures in my collection in all of the above catagories (sculpting quality, pose, proportion and paint finish), at approximately 40-50% of the price, rendering the figures an exceptional value.
I can remember thinking when I first saw K&C's original matt Arnhem set AN01 (The Battle for the Bridge) in September, 1995 that these figures were bridging the gap between (then almost exclusively) glossy toy soldiers and matt connoisseur figures. I got the similar sensation that First Legion was bridging the gap between the present higher quality matt toy soldiers and the exceptional quality of connoisseur figures upon viewing photographs of the First Legion figures, and my initial impression was confirmed when I examined them closely this afternoon.
The battle worn appearance of the figures warrants special mention. The figures are gaunt - a style perfectly suited to the privations of "the Cauldron" - and are sculpted and painted in torn and dirty uniforms. Surprisingly, my favorite figure was the #4 Russian, who is pulling a pin on a potato masher grenade. I expected to prefer the Germans because of the typically non-descript Soviet uniforms, but First Legion's interpretation of Stalin's troops is the most eye-catching I have encountered.
The bases of the figures were also exceptional, with rubble, bricks, even, in the case of the German lying prone reloading, a shattered piece of wood for him to shelter behind.
The packaging, which involved the figures being wrapped in small pieces of paper and then inserted in foam with laser cut-outs in the shape of the figure (identical to the packaging used by John Jenkins Designs) is first rate, and all six figures arrived without so much as a bent gun barrel or single paint chip.
As both Matt and George correctly indicated, these figures are simply not compatible with any of the other present matt WWII manufacturers' figures. In addition to being considerably shorter than the figures produced by K&C, Honour Bound and Figarti, and much, much thinner, the hands and, most noticeably the heads, are substantially smaller. I was sorry to see this, as I believe that the superior quality of the First Legion figures and their very "gritty" realistic style would have appealed to collectors of other matt WWII Toy Soldiers, to be used in the foreground or focal point of dioramas, had the size of the figures been compatible. My only recommendation to Matt would be to size future figures a bit larger so they could be targeted by collectors whose budget does not permit them to buy enough figures to populate an entire diorama at $50 a piece.
That being said, as Matt expressly intended, I will be creating a stand alone display of only First Legion figures and vehicles for Stalingrad. I will start small, with a Russian patrol ambushing a StuG and its supporting infantry (all I can afford for now - while an exceptional value, First Legion products are nobody's idea of cheap).
Regardless of the econimic realities, in my opinion, these figures are too good to pass on. I only hope the StuG is also as good as the photographs. I need to find out, so . . .
Matt, please put me down for the StuG, as well as the Tank Rider figures. Also, if you have a Russian anti-tank team in the works, I would like to order one of those as well.
The last word: top marks, Matt!