1:35 Figure Soldier with a shovel

Trench work in 1:35 scale

A scene where digging is going on calls for the one who does the digging. The figure captures a soldier in a working stance with a shovel, that is in an activity that takes up more time at the front than the fighting itself. It sits exactly into dioramas with field fortifications and forms a natural counterpart to sets of trench elements. Made by printing in resin in Ukraine.

Work with a shovel as a subject

The entrenching tool and the large digging spade belong to the oldest and least replaceable equipment of the infantry. The depth of a trench decides survival more than armor does, and a freshly dug position is built under the pressure of time. For a modeler this subject is a rewarding one: the dynamic twist of the torso and the distribution of weight on the legs give the figure a movement that a static shooting pose never has.

Advice on finishing

It is precisely with this figure that there is sense in dirtying the lower part of the clothing and the footwear with fresh earth; the contrast between the dusty lower half and the cleaner upper one comes across convincingly. Polish the blade of the shovel with graphite or a dark metal pigment, so that it looks smoothed by use. Leave the handle matte by contrast, so that the difference between the wood and the metal is obvious at first glance.

When to reach for the figure

• Into scenes of building a field position.
• As an accessory to sets of trench elements.
• For modelers looking for a working pose, not a combat one.
• For collectors of figures of the present-day soldier.

The figure is unpainted and before building it requires the print supports to be removed.