Paratrooper Girl – the PRELUDE
Paratrooper Girl is one of a number of releases from Valkiria, a figure company created by Pawel Surowiec. This particular kit came in a sturdy black box, lid adorned by the rnder of the figure. The parts were secured in ziplock bags with layers of bubble wrap, everything was nice and protected. It is particularly more detailed and delicate than I had first imagined, cast in polyurethane resin at 75mm scale, the digital sculptor, Borislaw Kechashki has done a wonderful job! Each of the releases are based on the illustrations of Bartek Drejewicz. The kit comprises a textured base with a two part supply canister, 14 parts plus three plinth motifs depending on which version you wish to present: Combat Glider (Poland), Combat Parachute (Poland) or the Parachute Regiment (UK). First impressions of the sculpt and cast are very good indeed!
SCULPT AND CAST
The main piece of Paratrooper Girl consists of the head, torso and legs. The top of the head is cut at an angle to receive the choice of two berets.The sculpt is very close to likeness of the illustration, with delicate facial features and flowing locks of hair. There is a pin up feel to the sculpts but not in an overly crass way that seems so prevalent within our hobby and other forms of pop culture.
The detailing throughout is very nice, there are a selection of pouches and belts sculpted to the figures surface and the attention to detail is very high, with realistic looking folds and creases to the smock and combat trousers. The arms attach via large peg and hole assemblies and the fit is perfect, no need for any gap filling here.
The details show sharp undercuts where appropriate and the casting is very crisp. There are some very delicate details on show here, from the laces and heels to the boots, buckles, pockets and seams. The sculpt of the machine guns and the items in the air drop capsule are again very well done with a considerable amount of accuracy and detailing usually reserved for the historical genre.
The casting is nigh on flawless with minimal mold lines, no casting slippages or air bubble holes. There are a few casting plugs to the two halves of the capsule that will need cutting away and filing smooth. Clean up and preparation should be minimal, the casting done in-house with Valhalla is very impressive.
DESIGN AND ORIGINALITY
I really like the illustrations by Bartek and it is refreshing in the light of IP theft and recasting to see something original, is it not always curious that it seems the smaller companies are those that try to do things the right way? The design is well thought out and balanced with a nice silhouette. The kit works equally well as just the stand alone figure or as a more complex scene involving the capsule, the capsule has a nice balance to it also complementing the figure and not being distracting.
DESIRABILITY
I could easily see these figures developing quite a cult following, enhanced by the beautiful boxarts, normally painted by Krzysztof Kobalczyk. They offer a happy middle ground between fantasy pin up and historical/military painting. The design, sculpt and cast are all of a very high quality and with some advertising/promotion I think the brand can continue to grow. I hope our review will at least introduce the item to a larger audience.
AFFORDABILITY
The site states the price at 210 Polish złoty (theres about £5 to 1 złoty), I asked Pawel and he quoted €50 for this figure which I believe is there or there about when making comparisons with other figure companies and their releases. I also really like the inclusion of the plinth motifs and having a choice of at least three different schemes that the figure can be painted in.
Dates, Figures and Stuff
Cost €50
Material Polyurethane Resin
No of Pieces 20 in total
Release Date Available Now
Where Can I Get It? HERE
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