Overview
Displaying models is often left up to the last moment, and it invariably results in a simple wooden plaque, if that. Italeri has decided to open things up a bit beyond that with a new series of display bases that are designed to be detailed yet simple to build, and will help place the finished model in its element.
The Kit
While providing a PSP base would, on the surface, be pretty easy, Italeri has decided to enhance their base with some extras, so there actually is a bit of assembly to this. In the box you get a large base piece and some sprues that contain detail bits & pieces. Molded in light gray plastic, the detail overall is very good, and right off I can tell that this set will need some attention when it comes time to paint.
The PSP base is pretty much complete and just needs painting, the accessories present some chances for assembly. Starting off with the simple, there are 52 sandbags that can be assembled in any sort of fashion, and thirteen pre-assembled sandbag walls. There are also twelve individual pierced steel planks that can be laid around as well. Other simple parts include a clipboard, a pack, fourteen small fuel cans, and two rolled bags.
For accessories that need assembly, there are four US-style oil barrels that have separate tops and bottoms and a split barrel. There are also a couple wooden crates that have separate tops. The biggest assembly, though, is the tower. This is made up from a framework structure, with a separate ladder attaching to one side. The tower assembly is made up from a floor and five wall pieces, four separate posts, and a separate angled roof.
All of these items, along with the base, will benefit from some careful painting and weathering. Given the generic nature of the base, it would not be difficult to adapt this to any setting from World War Two or Korea, or even a helibase from Vietnam.
Conclusion
This is a very versatile base that can be used in any number of ways. By keeping the models unattached, it would be easy to repurpose it for different models as well. My thanks to MRC for the review sample.