Packaging: The box has a front cover with a Confederate Flag. The inside front cover lists the achivements of the 57th Virginia Infantry and some highlights of their campaigns during the American Civil War. The window into the box shows the Confederate Soldier and his equiptment. This box is easy to open, the goods are on a tray with only two twist-ties. This is a set that you can take out of the box and still keep the box in mint condition. similar to the Dragon sets.
Headsculpt: Similar to the Union Sharpshooter, this Confederate Soldier has a very expressive and stoic face, but there is too much of a woodstain look and he almost looks like a wooden model soldier. Similarly, the beard is sort of weathered and that is just a bad paint job for a beard. It looks like a chunky beard as opposed to well trimmed. In spite of these observations, the Confederate Soldier is interesting and unique. Just the kind of face that makes the others look more realistic. Not being a fan of the Civil War History, I stripped CS down and plan on putting him into World War II, in which CS will fit in nicely also. CS has the classic war face that you could put into many war movies, or westerns too. A cool character-actor face.
Outfit: Nice velvet hat, grey shirt, maroon shirt under it, and white pants. This outfit is not fancy, but then I guess it is accurate.
Gear: The gear is the same as what the Union Sharpshooter has except for the bedroll and the map-case. Considering that these figures were in the $30. range each, I would have hoped that each one would bring different gear. A friend suggested that the Confederate Soldiers probably preferred Union gear due to the quality being better. That may or may not be historically accurate, but the figures should each have had distinct gear. The same canteen, the same ammo pouch, the same bayonet and scabbard, all adds up to a sense of under-achievement. The belt on the figure is faux leather and looks a bit thin. This outfit is built for standing inside an acrylic case or remaining within the box. Any kid would have dismantled CS in less than 30 seconds!!!
Overall: Using the same gear for both the Union and Confederate Soldiers is not a plus, and shows some cost-cutting measures went into the design of this product. For $27.50 you get an interesting figure that needs to go shopping for authentic gear.
Grade: C
