Product Review: Tannenberg Fusiliers

Hey everyone! So I'm going to do something that I haven't done before. A product review. Basically I want to talk about the new models I got from Victoria Miniatures, the Tannenberg Fusiliers. I went pretty balls deep into it, as I started out ordering 4 sets and got 40 guardsmen. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or just a bulk order thing, but I also got a pair of kneeling legs in with the bundle, bringing my total up to 42, with enough extra torsos and heads to make some extra guys if I get more leg bits. 

Now first up, let's talk about what you get. In this particular set, you get enough bits to build 10 guardsmen, including a sergeant. You get enough lasgun arms for a full squad to have them if you want, but you also get 2 swords and 2 pistols, as well as the Vic Mins version of a meltagun. You also get a bunch of pouches to put on them, as well as a whole bunch bayonettes that you could attach to the lasguns. Personally, I wouldn't put the bayonettes on, as I think that they would just break off, but it might be ok. My only complaints about the kit is that you only get the one special weapon option, when really it would be nice to get one of each thing you can have in a squad (the models are very clearly meant as counts as Mordians), or at the very least have an option when you order them to have whichever special weapon you want. While meltaguns are great, I would have liked to have gotten some grenade launchers and plasma guns in there as well. The other vital piece that is missing is a vox caster. This one makes a little more sense as they don't make a radio bit or anything, but it's definitely something that I would throw into the kit. My next beef is regarding the sergeant and meltagun arms. Neither of them have the epaulets that the rest of my guardsmen have. Now these bits are generic ones meant to go with any of the guardsmen they make, but it does make for a bit of greenstuff work, which I suck at. The last complaint I have is that the arms don't always got very well into the torsos, meaning that I had to fill a lot of gaps with greenstuff, which I did simply by just putting a blob in between torso and arm and then just trimming away the excess, but that meant that I had to have the arms on for painting, which has made getting into recesses with different colours much more of a challenge. 

Now as for the actual quality of these guys. The models are all resin, as are most 3rd party models in my experience, but there were almost zero flaws. There were a couple of tiny bubbles, but I've had more major problems with GW plastics. The resin is also a lot more durable than most other products I've seen, with much less bend, and no warping that I've seen. The detail is also fantastic. The faces are amongst the most detailed I've ever seen, and there are little imperial symbols here and there to keep the models looking interesting. I also really like the look of the lasguns over the GW ones. 

Overall, I think that Victoria Miniatures is doing a great job, and they fill a niche that nobody else is really doing right now (that is, alternate Imperial Guard Regiments). I'm hoping that they will continue to expand their range to include command squads and the like, but as it is, I would heartily recommend them to anyone looking to add some cool models to their armies.