Some thoughts from a set I got from a friend (not freebies for review)...
-Weapons are spongey... There are better versions out there, but this line gives you some things you didn't have. K98's with slings, MG34 ammo belt around the ammo loader, and ammo can for MG which isn't unmade but only InToyz made one so most don't have that tiny but important piece for any Machine Gunner...
-Heads are... different... They aren't bad headsculpts, to me, so much as they're very slightly different from one another and apparently all Germans look basically the same.
They could've used some variation to the hair/eye colors I think, and a little finer work with deco to give the "cropped" sides a little fuzz/stubble would've helped too. Basically every guy looks VERY similar with a slightly different facial feature to each. Their haircuts are all identcal, as are the hair color and eyes... It's this company's first time doing removable headgear though, so I give leeway here somewhat. They're not on FOV/BBI/21st levels in terms of quality, but I think Hiya toys shows they can adapt, listen to consumer opinion, and grow/improve.
-The articulation is pretty outstanding... Superior, really, to most other military toys in this scale, adopting GI Joe levels of articulation including ball joints at the wrists, torso, hips, and double-hinged knees. I'm personally not a HUGE fan of that style articulation (GI Joe style) and prefer something a little more toned down akin to 21st, BBI, and FOV... I like articulation, but I could do without a hinged torso for instance, and I don't really NEED a double-hinged knee.
-Uniform deco... Overall deco of the figure is pretty basic. There's a shine to the figures but nothing that can't be fixed a little. They're not getting a "wash" to make them a little more realistic and heighten what was done right with the sculpting, but deco is an area where toys are getting cutbacks anymore because it's hyper expensive from a labor standpoint. IE: It's not just this line but all action figures are seeing deco cutbacks these days.
-Accessories... Other than the plastic used, everyone comes with some good stuff. Stuff like working holsters for Lugers on the guys who need them, and a good deal of gear is included. Pretty typical stuff they need like a gun, helmet, etc. They all had grenades too, and that kind of extra stuff is cool to me.
-The Y-harness/belt is a separate piece, but glued to the torso, and unfortunately something occurred where the Y-Harness/belt does NOT want to rest in the "groove" on his waistline that it should. This was my only major disappointment I had with my set... This stands out, and can't be fixed easily that I'm seeing. If you have a gripe, it is here. I like the idea of removable belt/harness/gear, but if it's at the overall cost of the figure's aesthetic, especially if there's an issue with manufacturing where the harness system doesn't FIT properly? Yeah, just sculpt the belt/ammo stuff to the figure's torso (and again, I could do without the ball jointed torso if it fixed this issue).
-Some of my figure's ammo/holster/belt box stuff fell off... Nothing a little glue won't fix, just be cautious.
-Helmets are made to fit these figures very snug, and won't fit other figures I don't believe.
Summing up...
-The Y-Harness/Belt issue is my only major gripe. A difficult thing to fix, but possible I suppose. Annoying though, and because the belts were glued down (which I think at one point they wouldn't have been, till they saw they weren't going to rest in their waistline groove properly), and even more difficult fix IMO. If one thing will piss you off, it's this.
-If a 2nd thing will piss you off it's going to be the headsculpts... They're ok, but if FOV/21st is your benchmark, these fall below it. Again, this company's new and these were their first attempts at removable headgear. Keep that in mind. They need to work on human head proportions somewhat and increase the size of their buckets then a tad, I believe, but I find the new headsculpts as adding some diversity since I have so many Germans already.
Beyond that they're a neat addition. Better than In Toyz by a mile, better than SOME 21st figures here and there. Falling short of FOV/BBI to me in most respects.
I like having some "Spring Offensive" Germans with their sleeves rolled up like so many looked during Barbarossa and things. It's something different on my shelf, and that shelf hasn't seen much different in many, many years. For a set for $60-ish I won't gripe much then. If these were $20 though each? Yeah I'd be out.
Hiya's a small company, just starting out it seems. They've got talented sculptors, but sculpt to manufacturing is a big leap and not everything goes as you wished. I feel like that harness was a bridge too far for them. The headgear being removable though? Some tweaks and they'll be knocking that out of the park IMO.
I'd love to see a more rigid plastic for accessories, like 21st/BBI/FOV did. I think that's a better way to go on those. I'm used to soft rifles and stuff for action figures though, from Star Wars and other lines. That's just the way it is.
I think anything these are nice, but I can easily see some folks turning their nose up at them too. If you want perfect, these will infuriate you. If you want something slightly different, and can overlook some flaws or fix a few things that need fixing, these are up your alley.