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Take One More Grenade! (MB3564) 101st Airborne (Air Assault Division, Europe 1944-45 1:35 Masterbox via Creative Models The 101st were the elite light infantry of the US forces on D-Day, and were amongst the first in and last out, earning their reputation as "the tip of the spear", and their exploits were documented in the HBO series Band of Brothers in some detail. This figure set from Masterbox depicts four Screaming Eagles in an urban situation about to chuck a grenade into a building while stacked up outside it. Arriving in a de facto standard figure-sized box, there is one sprue of grey styrene inside, and the instructions are printed on the rear of the box along with a paint chart and sprue layout. Sculpting is fine as you would expect from Masterbox, and figure breakdown is intended to add as much realism to the set as possible, with separate heads, torso, legs and arms, plus the lower parts of their smocks, bags, pouches, weapons, and helmets all being individual parts to maximise customisation of the figures' look. One figure is holding open the door with his rifle in the other hand, but he can alternately be posed ready to smack someone with the butt of his rifle, which is poised high in both hands. The grenade thrower has legs planted apart for stability and the pineapple behind him ready to go, with a lightweight folding-stock M1 Carbine in his free hand. The other two are ready to pile in with a Thompson and BAR to one side. As well as the aforementioned bags and pouches, there are also pistols, water bottles, first-aid kits, entrenching tools, bayonets and even helmet straps with chin-cups for the mesh-netted helmets. The instructions on the rear of the box cover construction, but as the figures are printed in a sepia tone, they're not much use when it comes to painting, other than by the inclusion of the paint chart in Vallejo, LifeColor, Tamiya and Mastercolor. There is a QR code printed above the chart, but that's a generic URL to visit their site, and drilling down to information on this set doesn't yield any further information. It's a minor complaint on what is a good set, added to which is my perennial wish that figure sets in general would include decals for rank and unit badges more frequently. There are plenty of references out there for uniform colours however, and if you really want badges etc., they can be sourced from Archer, or other companies. Conclusion A dynamic set of four figures with all the gear that a paratrooper would carry once landed in France to begin the liberation of Europe. If included in a diorama they would give a human scale as well as a dynamic feel to any building they're assaulting. Add some straps from tape or foil and you're away! Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of