1/48 scale military modeling seems to be an area that has often been neglected. True, there are not that many kits available in the scale, but there are even fewer aftermarket items and accessories for those who enjoy building in 'quarter' scale. North Star has come to the rescue with a full line of figures cast in pewter. These are not only good for the diorama builder, but also for those who enjoy board war gaming.

These particular figures are part of North Star's SS 'Das Reich' set and are from the 1944 time frame. It includes riflemen, machine gunners and NCOs. These sets are usually 10 pieces, though only five were sent for review. The detailing is very good, and were I smart, I'd have primered them to make them easier to photograph, but hopefully you can get an idea of the level of detail from the close up image of one of the figures.

The figures are pretty clean right from the mold with only minor mold lines to have to clean up. Painting should be quite easy using an auto primer as a base coat. It seems that Floquil makes or made a very nice white primer in a spray can that was perfect for doing metal figures. For those without the skill to paint these figures, North Star offers a painting service at a reasonable rate.

If you have a need for diorama figures or just like to work in this scale then I suggest you check out North Star's web site for additional items in their ever-growing catalogue.

Review items courtesy of North Star. Please visit their website for more information