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Roman Gladiator (16303) 1:16 ICM via Hannants It’s a well-known fact that Romans were a bit mad, and enjoyed some realistic and sometimes fatal combat between Gladiators, Gladiators and big cats and even Christians vs big cats on occasion. The professional Gladiators were often slaves that were expendable and were pitted against each other in amphitheatres for the delight of the bloodthirsty onlookers, and probably more than a little gambling on the outcome was involved. This is a new tool from ICM, and arrives in a shallow box with the usual captive inner flap under the lid. Inside are two sprues in grey styrene and another sprue and base in black, the latter being a staple of their figure range that you will see in other boxings. The instruction sheet is simple, and an additional print of the box art is included on glossy paper for your wall if you are so minded. It is a proper dyed-in-the-wool 60s era Spartacus figure that is dressed almost identically to the famous victor in the painting Pollice Verso. He is dressed as a Murmillo and is wearing a large bronze “Cassis Crista” colander-like helmet with full facial armour and a plume bristling from the crown. His torso is unarmoured save for his mighty six-pack, wielding a Spartha with a curved tip, while his sword-arm is protected by cloth Manica armour that is wrapped with leather bands. His legs are protected at the front by bronze Ocrea, with more cloth wrappings tied with leather thongs at the rear. In his free hand he carries a Roman “Scutum” shield that would be equally at home in the possession of a Legionary, and lastly his feet are bare. His stance represents a typical on-guard pose, with feet spread wide, knees flexed and his shield forward waiting for the next onslaught. He is wearing a loincloth around his waist that is held up by a large leather belt with bronze decoration and an oversized buckle at the front. The sculpting is excellent on the figure, and the accessories such as the metal armour are finely engraved with raised details, which were 3D scanned to obtain greater accuracy. There is also a smaller round shield on the weapons sprue with handle for the rear in case you feel like personalising your build a little. You’ll be pleased to hear that behind the helmet you are supplied with a complete face to show off if you can figure out how or if the helmet opens at the front. The de facto base for this range is moulded in black, and has a top and bottom plate to close up the fluted sides, and if you elect to add some groundwork that should make for easier creation and allows you not to avoid masking during the process. Conclusion He’s a big lad, and will look great with some sympathetic painting. With a few of these on a sandy base, you could tell the story of a battle. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of