This misleadingly named two figure set actually comprises one NCO of the Soviet Naval Infantry and one Red Army Officer. The Officer is casually loading his pistol, wearing a greatcoat and helmet. The Naval Infantryman is posed heroically with one foot on a box (supplied with the set) gripping his PPSh-41 sub-machine gun while gazing into the distance. Although this pose is slightly contrived - more like a statue than a natural stance - the figure is nevertheless appealing and interesting. He wears a knitted cap and the characteristic navy blue and white striped shirt underneath his quilted Telogreika jacket. Jodhpurs and riding boots complete this slightly incongruous uniform combination. As far as I can tell, the shoulder rank pennants identify him as a junior sergeant.

Both figures are moulded in Verlinden's familiar green-grey resin. Casting is up to Verlinden's usual high standards with no pin holes or casting flaws. Detail is very crisp - perhaps not quite as crisp as Jaguar and Warriors, but still very good. As is usual with Verlinden figures no instructions are supplied, so refer to the box art regularly. The main parts can be removed from their large casting blocks with a Tamiya razor saw, and cleaned up with a sharp hobby knife. The fit of my Naval Infantryman was good, but I had to position the arms and boots carefully to ensure correct alignment. A few wipes of Squadron White Putty over major joins will ensure no gaps.

The figure was painted mainly with Tamiya acrylics. I first hand-painted all sharp demarcation lines (eg hand to sleeve, trousers to boots) then sprayed various shades of mixed browns and khakis for the uniform. I sprayed the hands and face a mix of Tamiya Flesh, Dark Yellow and White. A thinned wash of Raw Umber oil paint was used to emphasise shadow detail on the uniform. Burnt Sienna was applied in a very thin wash to the face and hands of the figure. I sprayed a coat of Gunze Flat Clear acrylic to accelerate the drying process, then picked out the facial and uniform details with a fine brush, once again using Tamiya acrylics. Finally, I polished the boots by rubbing them between by fingers.

The Naval Infantryman is 53mm high, which scales out to 185cm (or approx. 6' 1"). Given that the build of this fellow is stocky, he looks a little too tall. However, it is probably not enough to interfere with the correct impression of scale if the figure is used with vehicles.

These very good figures are sure to find their way into many vignettes and dioramas based on the recent plethora of excellent Soviet tank models.