There are some people who feel there can never be enough figures sets, and the more diversity the better. That pretty much holds for us here too, but when MIR announced this set we have to admit some surprise at such an unusual subject. The Indian army performed valuable service on many fronts during the First World War, including France, the Middle East and East Africa. Several of these regiments were Baluchi in origin, that is to say deriving from the Baluch area which is now in Pakistan on the Iran and Afghanistan borders, though why this group of soldiers were specifically named is a mystery as the set could cover many Indian troops.

Welcome though they are, what is to be done with this set? Four of the eight poses are dead (top row), and the other four are lying prone on the ground. Whilst singularly reasonable, as a set there is little that can be done with them as to date no one else makes any standing figures to place along side them.

The figures certainly have quality, all of it poor. A very rough look to the sculpting seems to suggest construction of the figures rather than an original piece of work, as in various places there are gaps or depressions between feet and legs, bodies and heads and so on. The detail is pretty meagre, and there are plenty of places where the resin has failed to completely fill the mould. Though this is mostly confined to the bases, there is also some damage to the figures themselves. Though there is a lot of undercutting, which is simply not possible with the steel moulds of plastic figures, there is still a fair amount of excess material in hard to reach places like under the men's heads.

The accuracy is not too bad. All the men wear the turban, and many sport standard British equipment, though the Indian regiments tended to be well down the list when it came to resupply. The arrangement of some elements on some figures suggests this is the 1937 pattern webbing - hardly correct for a First World War subject. However the poor standard of sculpting makes it difficult to achieve a complete view.

Those who know the quality of MIR sets will not be surprised by this one - it is up to the usual MIR mark in terms of pose and overall quality. It is to be hoped that one day a major manufacturer will produce Great War Indians so that these figures can then play a role, even if only to litter the battlefield with the broken bodies of those who paid the ultimate price.