PRODUCT REVIEW:

Soldiers of the World Ski-Trooper

(World War II 1941-1945)

by C. Martin

Normally, I tend to stick to collecting modern-era figures. But, I bought the ski trooper for two reasons: I wanted another arctic uniform and I thought this was one of the new body-styles Formative Int'l announced they were going to release in 2001 (with articulation equal to 21st's Super-Sam)

First off, it's the old body style, but with soft hands and a new head sculpt. So, once I've stripped the uniform off, I guess the figure'll become another bad guy for my better figures to decimate.

Overall, the ski trooper is really limited with accessories. He comes with skis, an M-14, and ski poles. Where're the goggles? Who skis without goggles? Where's the ammo belt? Where's the canteen? As soldiers go, this guy is seriously lacking in equipment. And his M-14 doesn't even have a sling- what's he supposed to do with it while skiing?

As for the uniform, I did get a surprise- the ski trooper is actually wearing TWO uniforms: a plain OD green fatigue pants and shirt, then a really nifty set of snow pants and parka top. The fatigues are typical SOTW- thin material held in place with velcro closures. However, like their desert storm series of uniforms, SOTW has impressed me with the quality of the snow suit.

The snow pants and parka are made of a coarse material, perfect for 1/6th scale. The pants and parka have elastic in the cuffs, and the pants seal with velcro. But what's really nice is that the parka has an elastic band around the waist, and has to be pulled over the figure, with no front or rear opening. Both pants and parka are oversized- easily fitting over whatever uniform a figure might be wearing beneath.

However, for all its quality, the snow suit does have two big drawbacks. First, the parka hood is lined with brown fur (?!). Maybe this is accurate with the era, I don't know. Secondly, the mittens are horrible! No thumbs! They're more like socks!

As for the equipment, the skis are very nice. They have a good set of bindings that should fit most boots.

My only complaint with the skis is that they have a square hole in the bottom, under the foot. As I bought my ski trooper after our snow had melted, I haven't been able to try out the skis, but I believe these square openings will create a lot of drag.

The ski poles seem pretty flimsy, but look good in pictures. And, let's not forget, every SOTW comes with a plastic figure stand.

So, overall, pretty good for $7.99 at K-Mart. The figure isn't very poseable, and it may not have enough accessories, but with a little kitbashing, it should look good on the shelf.