Like many in this range, these figures are made in a translucent plastic which makes them very hard to see with the eye or on the internet. Clearly they would need to be painted so they can be properly seen and enjoyed, so to help you see what these figures actually look like, we have primed a couple of poses, and fully painted another, which you can see below.
No one needs reminding of the troubled recent history of the Middle East, and Israel has long found it necessary to patrol many areas, both domestic and occupied, with soldiers of the IDF ('Israeli Defence Forces'). Such patrols are often attacked, and there are periods of mass unrest from the population, so the IDF has developed tactics and weapons that are constantly being tested and refined in real situations. This continuing situation has made these men and women amongst the most effective in the world, and Panzers vs Tanks has chosen this subject for several of their early figure releases. In this case the feature of the set is that all the soldiers wear an uncovered helmet, and they are in various patrol poses.
Given the narrowly defined theme of this set - the patrol - we thought all of the poses were superb. The soldiers are mostly walking along with weapons at the ready, but not in any apparently immediate danger (though constant vigilance is of course required). Several are kneeling, as you might when making a stop or if you think there may be some danger close, but every pose seems to exactly resemble the many photographs of such patrols. One soldier has raised weapon as if ready to fire, or perhaps is already firing or just using the sight, but the impression of patrol rather than combat remains the theme here. We particularly noted the kneeling man on the radio (last figure, second row) who is the only noticeably different pose.
Everyone wears standard IDF fatigues and the proper helmet mentioned in the title. Other sets deal with variations in headwear, so the lack of variety here makes sense. All the clothing, including the helmet, knee-protectors and boots, is accurately done.
There are three different weapons on display here. Eight of the poses carry the CTAR-21 rifle, which is a version of the TAR-21 with a shorter barrel meant for close-quarters action. This excellent weapon, in service since 2001, is mainly intended for special forces, so we were a little surprised to find so many here, but of course the weapon is still valid. Two further poses are carrying the GTAR-21 version of the weapon, which has a 40 mm M203 grenade launcher attached under the barrel. The last two poses carry a Negev NG7 light machine gun, widely used as an infantry support weapon since the introduction of this version in 2012. All these weapons are still in widespread service as at the time of writing (2016), and all are appropriate for this set.
These 3-D printed figures follow the usual remarkable standard of sculpting that we have come to expect from this manufacturer. The fact that they are printed rather than produced in a mould allows for perfectly realistic and natural poses and a very high level of detail, but the basic design is also flawless, with great proportions and a realistic look to the fabric of the uniform. Of course there is no flash or unwanted plastic, nor any assembly despite the very complex poses, so while it is not easy to appreciate these little beauties until they are painted, they are well worth the effort of doing so.
Once again we find a set of 3-D printed figures with nothing to criticise and nothing to dislike. The one slight annoyance is they do not come with bases, not even separate ones, so we had to provide our own for the primed/painted examples. The material our example is made from is very hard but good and strong, so if you are looking for some very up-to-date IDF troops then this set and its sister products can hardly be bettered in our view.