I received today the CTS Chinese Communist Soldiers. The set contains eight different poses: officer firing pistol , grenade thrower, kneeling firing rifle, kneeling firing sniper rifle, charging bayonet rifle, standing firing rifle, advancing and standing with submachine gun. I like the advancing pose as it has the figure reaching for something on his belt. Some will like the grenade thrower having two grenades ready to used.
The figures are nicely detailed.
The surprise is the figures are 60mm not 54mm like their previous offerings. Some people will be annoyed that they will not work with their 54mm Marx figures.
The figures are not perfect. some of the faces are disappointing and legs on several figures are out of proportion with the body.
Even with these weakness the Chinese Communist figures are welcome addition to area that has been poorly served.
CTS should be commented for taking the risk of doing a period that has not been covered instead of being compliance to do more civil war or World War II.
Agree they should be WELCOME big time as no one dare to come with this in over 50 years. Other that TIM MEE that were more Russian than Koreans and aurburn US infantry for KOREAN war period.
About scale, I really in may opinion don’t worry too much as I had personally say before, last Germans and US infantry sets of 2012 were close to 60 mm not as first done in true 54 mm.But the sculpt work of latest German, medical team and GI’s was way more better that these figures. I’m wondering why they change sculptor for these figures!?.
I can see the same old problems of first Germans and Japanese were arms/legs are not proportional, same type of weapon look smaller in other poses. Uniform and weapon accuracy as historical is very good ,they are all using the heavy winter Chinese type ,not Russian Manchurian winter clothing. Often supplied to KOREAN renewed army after Chinese offensive.The weapons even correct depicted are not in scale with figures.Sample,PPS41 Chinese copied is way too large and cannon barrel look to big too; hand grenades are too small. The poses are very well done in dynamism and action chosen poses.
In my opinion the figures come close to latest CTS but not enough to match quality. It should be considered in next figures if the line continued and I encourage and thanks CTS for their advance in the new line as off other so repeated eras like admin mentioned.
Keep the good job!!!
I could do without the footprints on some of the bases but at least there not the Mini mountains some figures have been posed on lately.Maybe they’re so tall because they are supposed to be Manchurians,LOL.Hope CTS will put out some add on sets but will need more Burp Guns eh for an attack on Combat Kelly’s and Combat Casey’s platoon.
Nice poses with the exception of the guy with submachine gun. He looks rather clunky to me, otherwise I like them. It always seems the guy with the coolest weapon has the worst pose, Austin Marines were the same way, the guy with the BAR was horrible. I especially like the two running guy in this Commie set.
In the UK both Cherilea and Charbens made Chinese troops of this period.
The Cherilea, as well as single figures, came in box sets – some fighting the Russians, Some the Indian/Sikh Infantry and others taking on the UN troops. Obviously depicting the boarder skirmishes of the late 50s early 60s
I remember finding them in my local Woolworths for 15Cents a figure.(Those were the Days).I was glad to get some “Enemy” forces to go against my Lido/Marx GI’s which was all that was available to me.Even then the poses didn’t do much for me especially that prone Russian machine gunner WTF and as I had them in combat outside in the back field their paint work didn’t last long.The Russians and the Sikhs were the only 2 sets that were available I didn’t know about the other sets till I started “Collecting” and finding guide books.Wouldn’t mind re-pro clones of those sets done in the same style but with improved poses.One can Dream.
I’m referring to “Crescent” figures,DUH.I did have some of the Fur Hat Russians at the time as well.
In my opinion and by looking the uniform of most British and post Korean war weapons barely depicted in the cherilea and charbens Chinese/Indian; the figures, included the rare Russian with parade post 50’s uniform and Cossack “not furry” hats that look more Egyptian .Do not match the Korean conflict in uniform or era. Not to count the poses in many are very odd and sculpture ugly. I will say they are or were done more to depict the mid 1959 to 1962 border and sino-india conflict. More than KOREA war 1950-1953/54* . Only us companies did true KOREAN era GI’S with right new type 52-58 uniform in summer campaign and time Russian with winter parkas look more Chinese /Korean with ww2 weapons than any other.
I mean aurburn GI’s and tim mee Russian.
They look like WWII Winter Soviets to me and shall be used as.
Да сэр.любые пути, не совсем правильные.
Yes Sir … any way, not quite right.
Erwin
I have added the English translation
Now you and Christian can debate whether the CTS Chinese Communist troop as Russian troops. The readers would like to hear your reason for using or not using them as Russian troops.
Christian
An interesting thought because of the ethnicity of various Russia republics could these figures be used as WWII Russian troops? What do you readers think?
I will use them as Korean War at least.
The facial Asian features are very well and could very well used as for soviet/Russian army personnel on CTS ,that is correct
But the post 1945 parkas full dress uniform and hat are Manchurian style, very different to ww2 soviet/Russian Mongolian style of ww2.That is were the difference is shown clearly.
Now if paint is used over ,they could be converted as any as paint cover all as many in this forum had show with very well done job.
Now my answer was base in the last comment as for Tim mee Russian ,not CTS.
I believe ALDO was referring to Tim mee Russian that original were made as Russian but were used by many in the 50 as only close NKA and Chinese for Korean war and it was my point in the above comment. Reason been Russian parkas were supplied from 1944-1947 to Chinese communist army together with PPS41 and others ,.China from 1949 start making their own version. Chinese PPS41 had small caliber and magazine(as way too heavy for most small and short Chinese soldiers),the full winter style parka uniform differ from Russia as having more pockets and full inside one line button line with hood separated. Chinese winter hat as 4 flap not 3 as Russian and Chinese used band cover boots. Chinese bag pack are rectangular metal framed mountain style shape(CTS Correct depicted all this)
Russian in most ranks used high mark leather boots, small cross backpack style and not hood, unless special camo fall winter different coat sniper style uniform.
Once again is up to collector how accurate want to be in the fleld.The CTS were done for Korean/Chinese soldiers and uniform is very well detailed and copied.
I do recognize the slight uniform differences, but I’m willing to over look them.
I’m sending them to join my Soviet winter forces.
I collect WWII and I’m willing to cheat with these new figures.
Sorry to upset your sensibilities Erwin.
Like I say before is up to collector to use figures as they like ,same as CTS did Italian to be used as Rumanian(That was not correct).But fun!!
No upset at all, neither I do have any sensibilities for plastic-material- LOL!!. In fact as I mentioned don’t even know if was related to TimMee or CTS your comment. But yes I could use some korean conversion and put the CTS as Russian too, any ways we got so many in the field with errors like those German Airfix with (light sub machine odd gun) or matchbox wrong done MP40 ,BMC deformed figures and so on .
And as many of us as children we even used civil war soldier for ww2 figure in our games as back in the time not much was done or in my personal case not available at all.