PRELUDE
Nuts Planet continue to raise the bar with what is possible with a resin kit. With new releases coming quick I have decided to cover these two at the same time, predominantly because the scoring for the review would have been identical and so therefore a lot of the information would have been redundant. Both kits come with extensive scenic bases in particular the Advance Guard release!
The kits came in their typical blue boxes, parts secured in ziplock bags and nestled between layers of shaped foam. Both kits contain a wealth of highly detailed, expertly cast parts with each telling it’s own narrative. The two kits are sculpted by Joo Heum Yoon with the boxarts by Ki Yeol Yoon, both are incredibly talented artists in their own rights and continue to collaborate on the Trigger Series.
First impressions, need I say, are very good indeed.
the two kits in full
SCULPT AND CAST
Let’s begin with SHIELD. Once more this kit follows the premise behind the series of a near future, global apocalypse of one kind or another and pits our protagonist in a dark, dangerous alleyway in New York City. The base consists of four parts, the wall section, the down-pipe, floor section and the discarded mattress. It is the attention to detail that stands these kits out from the rest of the market. The down-pipe looks like a scale replica and is attached via two pegs that align with the holes in the wall section.
front view of the two figures, SHIELD on the left
The wall itself has nicely rendered and accurate looking brickwork, along with a control/fuse box and cabling. The base of the wall has two holes that align and attach to the floor section. There is another nice touch on the floor, with the man-hole cover, etched with N.Y.C. SEW….. The two other pins on the floor accept the sagging section of mattress. The detailing to the mattress is nice, replete with the buttons, handles on the sides, seam and the tear to the fabric revealing the interior fibre.
The main piece of the figure constitutes the legs, torso and hood. Looking at assembly, each part fits via a square peg and hole and dry assembly shows there will be no need for gap filling. Synonymous with this series of figures, there are plenty of details to the clothing, the trousers in particular.
The combat trousers have stunning detailing throughout, including pockets, strapping, seams, along with a bandage, evidence of the hard-times for survival, with what looks like knee length gaiters. The right knee is protected by a heavy duty knee pad, the straps showing sharp undercuts. The creases to the clothing are natural looking, realistic and not over worked.
rear view showing the level of detail to the clothing
The jacket has nice zip detailing and flat surfaces to practice freehand designs, you can see the hoodie poking from underneath the bottom of the jacket and the hood is pulled up, jacket zipped nearly to the top. The gas mask shows nice detailing with the single, frontal canister and eye lenses.
Both arms more or less, hang down to the side in an almost relaxed pose, yet the equipment and weapon hint that he is still alert and on the look out for danger. The right arm again shows nice creases to the jacket and you can attach a hand either wielding an axe or a sub-machine pistol. The detailing once more to both weapons is fine and intricate. Strapped to the left arm we have the support to carry the perspex or hardened, bullet proof plastic riot shield, ideal for protection in close combat within the urban environment.
Next we have ADVANCED GUARD and the scenic base for this figure is a step up again. It consists of a short set of stairs, section of alleyway flooring and the corner to some sort of tenement or warehouse type building. The wall section sits immediately next to the stairwell and there are holes to attach the tubular handrail. I really like the attention to the wall, with missing, worn and chipped brickwork. At the top of the wall section we have two pegs to attach to a further, smaller section of wall that comes complete with air grill. A discarded wooden pallet and security camera complete the scenic base.
thte gas mask fits tight into SHIELDS hood, the head for ADVANCE GUARD can easily be set up with the targeting system
If the first figure represented a civilian type, looking to stay safe in a bad neighbourhood, this figure is definitely kitted out as a high tech military figure of one description or another, from the night vision goggles and helm, to the slung sub machine gun and protective suit. Just like the first figure, arms and head need attaching via square holes and pegs, the fit is perfect. This guy is seriously kitted out with a plethora of pouches and pockets containing tools, ammunition, knives etc. The padded jacket is so intricately detailed and everything boasts sharp undercuts and crisp, solid lines.
Once more the clothing has naturally occurring creases and folds, seams and micro detailing to buttons and zips etc. The left arm carries a pistol, relaxed but in a ready position, the right arm I believe is carrying a stick of dynamite. The figure is posed, in full alert, stepping off the final step and edging closer around the corner of the building. The night vision goggles are a work of intricate engineering and the kit is completed with a sheathed “bowie” knife there is also a length of fine wire to “wire up” the security camera.
The casting on both figures is exceptional, with no mold lines, air bubble holes or casting slippages. Preparation will consist of removing the excess plugs of resin from the casting process, filing them smooth and washing the parts prior to assembly and priming.
DESIGN AND ORIGINALITY
Design and originality are two key words that describe these figures from the Trigger series. I can not think of another alternative to NutsPlanet who produce 75mm post apocalyptic figures of such diversity, detail and dynamism. Each tells a narrative, from it’s pose and how it is dressed, the design is well considered with a balanced and dynamic composition. The level of detailing is unrivalled in anything else on the market offering the figure painter quite the challenge. I regularly see these figures in vignettes depicting scenes from movies and video games.
close up of the weapons for both kits
DESIRABILITY
These figures are obviously going to appeal to figure painters who have an interest in post apocalyptic or alternative histories, these can easily be incorporated into a scene that include such diverse subjects as zombies through to modern warfare. I think that is another reason why they are so popular. The freedom given to the figure painter means there is possibly a greater audience for these figures.
AFFORDABILITY
Shield comes in at $65 whilst Advance Guard will set you back a further $5 on top. For me this would represent an investment that would be at the top end of what I could afford. Although I title this section Affordability, I guess what I generally refer to is value for money, so when you consider, the quality of sculpt, cast, packaging along with the sheer scale of the scenic base means the kits from Nuts Plaanet offer great value for money.
Dates, Figures and Stuff
Cost $65 and $70
Material Polyurethane Resin
No of Pieces Lots in both kits
Release Date Available Now
Where Can I Get It? HERE
[ABTM id=3764]