There are many option out there for people looking to collect an Imperial Japanese Army for Bolt Action. West Wind Productions: Berlin or Bust range is readily available at their online store from those in the UK or from Old Glory 25s in the US. Each pack comes with ten figures and cost about $16 a pack. Additionally, if you join the Old Glory Army ($50 annually) you get 40% off all orders. This makes the Berlin or Bust range one of the more affordable range of figures.
I picked up three packs of Japanese from Berlin or Bust; two packs of infantry with rifles and one pack of command. The command pack came with NCOs, officers, a bugler, and a flag bearer, while the infantry packs came with enlisted men with rifles.
The figures are average. Some have odd proportions or unnatural poses and remind me of many of the other figures you find in the Old Glory 25s ranges. The bayonets seem a bit short, and the details are rough on some of the figures. Lastly, the figures are very 1940s cartoony and stereotypical. They remind me of the many of the propaganda posters of Japanese soldiers made during the war. Figures with squinty eyes and buck teeth. I don't know how much I like this about the figures.
Even though I have a list of criticisms, the figures are a great value when compared to other ranges, which makes up for their rough details. If you need to fill in the ranks of your army fast Berlin or Bust is worth checking out.
I give these figures a 6.5 out of 10 1940s propaganda posters.
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“Craig Baxter is the Director of the WWPD Northern Research center in Anchorage, AK. When he’s not contributing to WWPD.net he is busy blogging, painting, modeling and rolling dice. You can find more of his work and articles at frozengamerak.blogspot.com.”
