Are ICM 1/35 figures better than Tamiya?

There are many very fine plastic 1/35 figures on the market these days - and many poor ones too - but what do I think of ICM figures? How do they compare with Tamiya or Master Box offerings?

[@paulspinner1679]

I'm just building up the ICM WWII German Infantry set and I agree the detail is excellent especially for plastic figures. I'm looking forward to painting these.

[@ronaldmcdonald8303]

What detail, what an accurate paint job. These soldiers are very nice. I used to paint my WWII soldiers I got from a shop called Boyes in Yorkshire. But the solvent in the paint made the plastic brittle and fragile. I get a lot of my army men from BMC toys.

[@SchmidtJim]

Gorgeous painting and basing of that figure! Look forward to more! Subbed! Good luck with the channel!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Jim, I'll have more soon-ish I hope.

[@theblytonian3906]

Injection moulded figures have come a long way since Tamiya's groundbreaking offerings of the 1970s. Love their latest offerings. Although they only do a few, have a look at Modelkasten's "Rabaul Zero Fighters". In 1/48 to acompany the popular aircraft scale, they actually truly resemble the IJN aces from that theatre they depict so well they are recognisable. In 1/48th! Modelkasten also do a IJN & IJA pilots kit complete with waving schoolgirl. I'd love to see them release the Rabaul figurines in 1/32 as well to accompany the wonderful Hasegawa and Tamiya IJN model Zeros.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Wow, they ARE good! The Fine Molds pilots (1/32) are quite good too.

[@theblytonian3906]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie I haven't seen the Fine Molds pilots. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have a look.

[@myk6694]

Good insight into the details, what at the end of the day we long for

[@matthall143]

Hi from Oxford.....just found your channel and was intrigued by your content on this one. I have a number of ICM figure kits sitting in the stash and have never really compared them to others.....but, you're completely right about these points. Thanks and I look forward to seeing your other content.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Matt, great to have you here! Figure modelling is where this all started for me and maybe I get a little nit-picky about figures but I am aware how spoiled we are for plastic figures compared to what it was like in the 80s & 90s!

[@scograham]

Tamiya scans people to make their recent figs. The soft detail is a result of incomplete clean up. I thing the fabric on them drapes very realistically. So many plastic and resin fabrics over the years looked inflated on figs. I’ve never studied ICM figs up close. They look great. I will check them out.

[@SteveJonesScaleModellingSite]

Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to seeing more of your work

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Hi Steve, thank you! What a coincidence - I found your channel yesterday and binge-watched your M3 half track videos! Also subscribed...

[@rabidspace6951]

I enjoy using a mix of all three manufacturer in Dioramas. Personally I really like Masterbox, I find that once you get paint and a wash on them their figures pop really well. ICM figures are top tier as well though, I haven't painted many, but the details are very nice. Tamiya are fine with me personally, I just don't enjoy their face sculpts, they don't have good enough detail or definition. I replace them with Hornet heads when I can.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

I have some lovely Master Box sets but I do find their newer sets (like ICM's also, to be fair) are not quite as sharp as they once were. in my opinion Master Box has the edge on anatomy and interesting poses.

[@tilhon]

Fantastic video! And thanks for ruining Tamiya for me 😂. Jokes aside - in my opinion Tamiya’s strength in general is providing excellent kits for a decent price. The more I’ve built excruciatingly over-engineered vehicle models from Ryefield and Bronco the more I’ve come to appreciate Tamiya. Great kits - simple but realistic and you’ll finish before you run out of patience. With figures it’s obviously a different story. Assembly isn’t the hard part when it comes to figures . They can over-engineer a figure as much as they’d like and it’s never going to take more than gluing up a bunch of limbs to a torso. The extra detail on a figure is a nice gesture towards skilled painters than can just as easily be painted over by a less ambitious modeler. Extremely detailed chassis and what not a ATV is just unnecessary headache unless you’re one of the people who knows exactly how everything holds together on a kit by just skimming through the instructions (and I certainly cannot).

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you! I grew up on Tamiya & Airfix and I still very much appreciate what those brands bring to the market, in their respective positions within that market. I like their relative simplicity and that, as you observed, you’ll finish before you run out of patience. Excellent point! I'm coming at this from a figure-painter's standpoint (a figure painter who is trying- and struggling - to be a competent kit builder too!) so it does disappoint me when I see a favoured manufacturer falling short on what I'd like them to achieve. There's just no pleasing me :)

[@nickbutler7935]

Nice work on the Officer. I do like the ICM range and often mix them in with other manufacturers to give a nice mixed variety. Spotted your channel quite by accident but happy I have. i'e given it a sub and look forward to your future offerings.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Nick, I am happy to welcome you here!

[@jeffholt9437]

I'd also call out the boxing - ICM use a sturdy inner box (even if it looks empty when you open it!!!) which stack nicely, whilst Masterbox (and, to a lesser extent, Tamiya) are in flimsy boxes that look like they've been run over after a short while in the stash.....!😢

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes, Masterbox - what an irony that their boxes are anything BUT masterful!

[@Pqdt63724]

Thanks for the review! I have some ICM kits, but none of their figures. Now I'm looking forward to buying some of them as the quality really is very, very good. Cheers from Brazil!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

You are most welcome!

[@stephen-hc3qz]

i like and agree ICM 1/35 figures which is most detail than other brand

[@ScottysScaleStudio]

I agree 100%, very nice figures indeed. I've done the Seal Team fighter in 1:24, The trio of Luftwaffe pilots in 1:32 and have the MG 08 Machine gun team in 1:35, which I have yet to complete. Also, I have done a few Master Box and Mini-Art sets as well...overall, I like molding quality and details and the fit and finish. A nice alternative to Tamiya. I'm still teaching myself to paint better and would love to move on to some of the higher quality resin stuff.

[@martinoconnor4314]

That Officer is superbly detailed and painted. I have just recently completed the ICM Barbarossa set of three German figures and a captured Russian tanker and I was blown away by the detail on the figures. They are far superior to anything I've personally done by Tamiya although admittedly I've not done any of their newer stuff. Tristar (now boxed by Hobbyboss) are also excellently detailed figures but the worst that I have come so far are the Zvezda 1/35 Panzergrenadiers, they are just wrong, out of proportion and their ears are so big that you have to cut them down before you can get their helmets to fit.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

I have seen only a couple of Tristar/Hobby Boss figures and they look so very good to me. Is their quality consistently high across the whole range? If so, I'll need to buy more!

[@martinoconnor4314]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie I couldn't really say as I saw a couple of reviews for Tristar sets on here and they were so nice that I bought them. One of the comments mentioned that Hobbyboss were now producing them as Tristar went out of business but I don't think Tristar had a very large range anyway. As to Hobbyboss's other figures I don't know if they actually have their own range or just re-box others.

[@shawnpeterson3386]

I've always felt Tamiya must pass their figure projects off to interns. Their vehicles are so sharp, but the figures .. .😟

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

In fairness, parts of the figures are so sharp too. Just not all of them from head to toe. :(

[@spm36]

The latest Tamiya stuff is excellent imo

[@andrewm3934]

wow just recently bought some fairly new 1/35 Tamiya US infantry - but these look like they are really good !! i dont really want to pay a fortune for Alpine figures - so this could be a good option chhers

[@basicminiaturepainting]

Great review sent over by kits with Karen,just subbed I've never bought ICM before so I'll take a look at them

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you. I shall have to go over to Karen and say thank you to her!

[@iandeare1]

Many, many years since I did any modelling; I was greatly enamoured of Airfix multipose. I found the mouldings good, but their flexibility in assembly meant there was a considerable amount of scope for modifying, and detailing, that could be added by those so inclined. At the time I'm talking about, along with Historex (excellent, but expensive) Tamiya was probably the other main contender in 54mm figures, but I remember them being soft in detail, and engraving

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Ahhh yes, Airfix Multipose! How much fun were those? I also loved their 54mm Collector Series. And Historex were something else! A little wooden (OK, very wooden) in their poses but the detail was amazing. I still have some bits & pieces somewhere....

[@markuspemler3489]

I think that if someone will compare, never forget the age of the mould and the time it is in use.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes, that's why I compared the Tamiya tanks crew with the ICM German set - both a similar age in design and both were purchased by me when the moulds were a similar age, i.e. almost new.

[@Dontwlookatthis]

Very nice, I will give them a try again. Also, you can make Miniart and Master Box figures look much better with work like hollowing out places where jackets hang over the body and you end up buying them and find that the interior of the bottom of the jacket which is not supposed to hang out but does. It's something how well the Ukrainian companies are doing despite a war ravaging their country. About the draping of figures, if a figure is supposed to be wearing wool, wool does not crease unless you are sitting and then only around the bends in your knees.

[@dazronch5450]

I have been using tamiya since I was about 9 or 10 I’m now 56 I can honestly say they were made better then than now when it comes to figures I honestly think ICM ,Dragon and Masterbox are much better more detail .

[@markneal1175]

I also like ICM along with Masterbox and Miniart

[@martinoconnor4314]

Some of the older Miniart offerings can be a bit on the rough side, their Soviet Infantry At Rest 1943-45 took a hell of a lot of work to clean up and fill, each of the figures had a huge sink mark in the side of the head and the texture of the castings was as rough as a badgers back end.

[@torpedo19741]

Interesting video. I agree ICM and Masterbox figures are very nice. One thing that bugs me about reviews of the Tamiya Wehmacht tank crew is its always pointed out how soft the insignia detail is. Youre supposed to use the supplied insignia decals. The softly moulded insignia is supposed to be a base for the decals, not a finished detail. I get that modellers who prefer to handpaint insignia, the soft detail is not helpful but Tamiya intended for the decals to be used.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

I beg to differ. I understand that there are decals supplied but why would that mean that Tamiya would have to make the insignia soft? It's not just the details within the insignia that is lacking, it's the edges of the patches too. Even then, with decals applied the edges of the insignia will look rounded and soft. And not to overlook the soft edges of the belts, the belt buckles, the piping and the buttons also, for example - and there are no decal supplied for those parts. If the modeller is "supposed" to use the decals, why mould any insignia into the plastic at all? Would it hurt Tamiya to mould sharply detailed insignia (if they can) so that those modellers who prefer paint to decals are also catered for? Why would Tamiya deliberately make something LESS detailed and sharp than they are able to? Why would Tamiya take an approach on their figures that they absolutely DON'T take on their vehicles and aircraft?

[@torpedo19741]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie If Tamiya moulded sharply moulded insignia, the decals wouldn't settle down so easily, even with decal softener. Same with the belt buckles. If you look at the old 90s Tamiya German tank crew set, the detail and insignia is very sharp, so they can do it. Maybe there are shortcomings with the 3D scanning process they use these days. I think for the price, the Wehrmacht crew set is very good value with very useful poses.

[@oldbaldfatman2766]

August 31, 2023---Curious.....has anyone measured the WW 2 figures with a scale ruler? Found a BIG difference in height when comparing Tamiya's old WW 2 American figures vs Italeri's German figures. How about Tamiya's being 5' 8" tall, while Italeri's German is 6' tall? Google told me average height of Europeans/Americans was 5' 8" and my Dad who was in Patton's army was 5' 8". Haven't measured Japanese figures but think they were 5' 5" or 5' 6" tall. So not everyone is 6' tall/the same height.

[@stephenevans5648]

Hi Jonathan. Great job on the ICM figure. I like the new Tamiya sets, but I agree with you, their detail is soft. Nice to see you on You Tube. Steve

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Hi Steve! How are you keeping? Why haven't you got a KZbin channel? I'd subscribe in a hearttbeat.

[@stephenevans5648]

Hi mate. Thank you for the kind comment. I like to keep a bit private and learn from people who are better than me. I really respect your figure painting skills, and I am sure I will learn from you. It was really a nice surprise to see you on You Tube. Great to catch up again.@@TheLittleThingsJunkie

[@rattussapiens2854]

The ICM figures do look very good - also it looks like they have that ‘traditional’ 1/35 figure breakdown (head, torso, arms, legs, gear) which allows the modeller space to make subtly customised figures by swapping bits around. Tamiya’s recent sets have very good poses, but they’re fairly static in that they can’t be easily Frankensteined - apart from the drapery, which is suss af, I found the webbing on the figures to be a little in distinct in places, my experience on a couple of the Mid-War German Infantry set. Also, man, I’m glad I never bought that Tamiya Panzer crew; there’s only so much a modeller can do with Hornet heads, replacement hands, rescribing, filling, micro-sanding and the like - what a box o’crap…

[@marcosaugustosoares]

Very nice vid!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Marco!

[@davidballantyne7431]

Great video and very informative, I am an older model collector but with no experience (yet) with 1/35 scale. Can you answer a silly question please, should I be using Tamiya Extra Thin with these manufacturers, I use it all the time for 28mm Victrix, etc. I hope the answer is yes because I hate using superglue in general. Many thanks, David.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes! I find it best to use the standard Extra Thin rather than the quick setting because I like to be able to make small adjustments to the limbs and torso and head before the glue sets to make sure they all align with each other.

[@markneal1175]

Another cracking video my friend ! Please tell me your going to do a figure painting tutorial, your German officer is brilliant.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Mark! I will try to make videos about figure painting but it's really awkward painting and filming - especially as I know need to wear magnifiers that get in the way of the lights and camera! Oh for my younger days when I had perfect vision without optical aid!

[@bobsmytheable]

Thanks for the vid. I notice your blending is excellent. Are you using oils?

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

@@bobsmytheable Thanks Bob. No, I use acrylics these days. I began figure painting back in the days when oils were predominant but when hobby acrylics were developed to such a high standard I ditched oils and transitioned to the dark side 😁

[@bobsmytheable]

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you use very thin layers or retardant to assist blending? I find close up my paint is dry and pitted (using Vallejo).

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Very thin layers. I have tried using retarder but I can't get on with it. That's not to say retarder is a bad thing, just that it's not suited to my style or technique.

[@anthonycoffer3633]

I would say that tamiyas figures have gotten much better through the years I have some of their older & fairly new ones I also just bought last week some new masterbox ones too I would MOST DEFINITELY RECOMMEND both kinds to anyone

[@historex54tamiya]

Masterbox and ICM do think out the box on posing, but the new Tamiya figures can look as good as any resin figure with a hand swop and a good brush!

[@davidbenson3931]

YES ICM ARE REALLY GOOD and their range of subjects is excellent.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes, the more I see of ICM the more I like them.

[@markfrommontana]

Very informative; your close ups of the Tamiya and ICM unpainted figures were very helpful and reinforced your observations about the plusses and minuses of each brand. I have not bought ICM 1:35 figures because my impressions of ICM's 1:32 figures (Allied and British WWII pilots) was less than enthusiastic. Scalemates database indicted that my kits were new moldings in 2019 and 2021, but I was disappointed with how soft and ill defined the features were, especially the faces/heads. Uniforms/ flight suits were average at best. I haven't checked the dates of the ICM 1:35 offerings but clearly their soldiers and ground personnel are sharper and more refined than the 1:32 airmen. I have set of Master Box figures in 1:32; also a collection of WWII famous aces and I found the figures to be excellent.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thank you Mark. I have recently used a set of ICM Soviet tank crew which are an older issue and they are nowhere near the quality of the most recent offerings. Still pretty good compared to many others but a little short by ICM's own contemporary standards. I've not seen their pilot figures yet. Where in Montana are you? Your State was the very first place I ever set foot inside the USA (travelling by road down from Alberta back in '87) and I was knocked sideways by the majesty of the Rockies. Spent a few very happy and memorable days in Kalispell....

[@markfrommontana]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie I grew up in Kalispell and lived in Helena for almost 20 years after being away for 25 years while going to college and then working in Chicago Washington DC, NY, Hong Kong and Tokyo. I now live in central Oregon having moved here from Helena a year ago. I just finished a set of Tamiya (put originally ICM ) British Infantry figures Item NO 32409 which are quite good and I"m about to assemble and paint a set of British and German soldiers in combat in a small trench diorama... Master Box 35116. The latter look quite good on the sprue, so I hope they'll paint up pretty nicely. Are you in the UK? And if you don't mind me asking, where? I have modeling and slot car scratch building friends in Southend on Sea, Blackpool, Newcastle and a small town with a very long name not too far from Manchester. All the best.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Do you know Moose's Saloon in Kalispell? I still have a t-shirt from there, although I no longer fit in it! I'm in Nottinghamshire, between all those places you mention.

[@markfrommontana]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie Ah, Games Workshop land, eh? Yes, I'm well acquainted with Moose's. Founded by and operated by Moose Miller for many years. His oldest son was 2 years behind me in high school, and went on to play college football at Princeton. Moose's Saloon is still there on the north end of Main Street and still an favorite spot of good oven pizza and of course a lot of beer.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes! I live about 15 miles from Warhammer World and I'll often have a day out there, not to game (I'm not a player) but to wander around the exhibition, have lunch & a pint, then wander round some more. Have you been? I and 4 friends spent a few evenings at Moose's. We loved the sawdust on the floor, the carved names on EVERY square inch on the walls, the pitchers of beer, the good pizza and the overwhelmingly friendly crowd of fellow customers. We were staying at a campsite which, to the best of my memory was called 'Campsite in the Pines' - could that be right? There was another bar we visited, can't remember the name though. Maybe up by what is (or was?) a National Guard establishment? Seriously, I have SUCH fondness for Kalispell because of those wonderful few days I spent there all those years ago.

[@derf-vr1fc]

impressive painting!

[@derf-vr1fc]

I can't wait to see your other finished models/ figures.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

That's kind of you. I'm looking forward to making more videos and sharing. I know it's terribly self-indulgent to do this KZbin stuff but it is a lot of fun too! :)

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

I feel the same good video

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Thanks Scott, I'm of the same mind.

[@richardroberts6101]

Love icm figures only thing i found was some seated pilots in 1/32 scale are a bit oversized and dont fit in the cockpit 😢

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

I have zero experience of 1/32 aircraft nor ICM pilots so I shall defer to your knowledge. I do like the look of those ICM pilots though....

[@scottbuildsthemall5124]

Maybe it is just a matter of having built models for over 50 years, but Tamiya is about the last company I look at when I want to add figures in 1/35 scale. While they have been improving, I feel there are better options in plastic.

[@pittbrat7963]

These figurines even as good as they are, still take a LOT of work before they can be put in a scene, regardless the brand

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Yes, there's room for improvement in everything.

[@dongerber9791]

That is a very well-painted German officer figure - can’t wait to see more of your work and reviews! I have many sets of ICM figures, but have painted up only one of the sets: the Austro Hungarian WW1 Infantry 1914. I was also very impressed with the crispness of detail in the moldings. One somewhat negative comment I have gotten from others on the figures I painted was that their faces are too similar, making them look like a set of brothers, or at least relatives. I think this is a problem with many figure sets, though.

[@lesgl]

I bought both of those new Tamiya figure sets recently after reading about how great they are but when i got them i'm not really impressed with the detail..as you say very indistinct especially the belts and webbing..the ICM figures look a lot better

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

It's a real shame, isn't it? We know Tamiya can injection-mould plastic as crisp and sharp as the best of them - so why not get it 100% right on their figures?

[@lesgl]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie Not cheap either..

[@markneal1175]

I also think Tamiya are a bit underscale they always seemed on the small size to me.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

It's funny how within a manufacturer (or sometimes a box set of figures) the sizes will will be the same, with different sizes across different manufacturers. I'd much prefer to see a box of figures containing different sizes of soldier - just like real life contains different sizes of people!

[@ianstewartbrown5308]

Those grey Tamiya figures look melted!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

They really do, don't they? The faces and some of the drapery are pretty good but, yes, they look melted - and that's a good way of describing them.

[@paulfrantizek102]

Tamiya have been doing 1/35 figures for 50 years so comparisons can be a bit unfair. Their latest stuff may be a notch below Masterbox or Miniart, but still better than Dragon.

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Dragon are quite disappointing really, aren't they? Even the Gen2 boxes.

[@historex54tamiya]

The faults you pick up with Tamiya, are from the fact they are 3D sculpted, funnily the niggles you mention you don’t like are very common on larger 3D printed pieces and rarely bring criticism!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

I don't think it matters WHY the faults are there, just that they are there. I'm assuming ICM figures are not 3D sculpted?

[@historex54tamiya]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie ICM figures are hand sculpted then pantographed for injection moulding. I won’t waste my breath next time!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

@@historex54tamiya I don't understand the "waste my breath" part. Have I missed something?

[@historex54tamiya]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie I was trying to explain why 3D figures have less undercuts, but you said you were not interested. I am a uk figure manufacturer myself, was trying to offer an explanation!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

@@historex54tamiya You simply said the faults exist because they are 3D sculpted. You didn't explain (or attempt to explain) WHY 3D sculpting causes fewer undercuts. So please do try to offer an explanation but even if I then totally understand why those faults exist it doesn't change the fact that they DO exist, and having that understanding won't make the figures any better.

[@multipl3]

Why always compare to Tamiya? Tamiya sucks

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Because Tamiya has a reputation for not sucking, even when they do suck. I'm neither a Tamiya fan boy nor a Tamiya hater, so I do try to be objective and reasonable in any comparison.

[@theblytonian3906]

"russian marauders and rapists" (sic). My last box of MasterBox figures or for that matter ICM model has been purchased. NEVER again!

[@TheLittleThingsJunkie]

Why? That box is from Master Box.

[@theblytonian3906]

@@TheLittleThingsJunkie My mistake. I'll edit it. But ICM can stick it where the sun don't shine too with their blatant propaganda decorating their boxes.