[Open-Box review] BERSERK by Kevin

Hi to everyone, What better way to start my review year than to go a little berserk and there could be no more suitable piece than the latest from Nuts Planet , I am of course referring to the Viking Berserker bust that they recently released late in 2014 .

During the Viking Age, these “warrior-shamans” typically fell into two groups: the berserkers (Old Norse berserkir, “bear-shirts”) andúlfheðnar (pronounced “oolv-HETH-nahr” with a hard “th” as in “the;” Old Norse for “wolf-hides”). The berserkers and úlfheðnar shared a common set of shamanic practices, with the only substantial difference being that the totem animal of the berserkers was, as the name implies, the bear, while that of theúlfheðnar was the wolf. These names are a reference to the practice of dressing in a ritual costume made from the hide of the totem animal, an outward reminder of the wearer’s having gone beyond the confines of his humanity and become a possessed predator warrior. On the battlefield, the berserker or úlfheðinn would often enter the fray naked but for his animal mask and pelts, howling, roaring, and running amok with godly or demonic courage....... As the Ynglinga Saga puts it,

Odin’s men [berserkers and úlfheðnar] went armor-less into battle and were as crazed as dogs or wolves and as strong as bears or bulls. They bit their shields and slew men, while they themselves were harmed by neither fire nor iron. This is called “going berserk.”

Looking for the definition of the word berserk in the Oxford English Dictionary we find :

Out of control with anger or excitement; wild or frenzied

Books are many , including tales of myths and legends from the Vikings times as well of course from the equiptment and lifestyles

For me though I would recommend this book (available on Amazon) great references and colour .....from the Europa Militaria Special series (No 6)

The period is a favourite among reenactors as well :

As you can see a very interesting subject and it’s hard to imagine a grislier or more frightening thing to encounter on the battlefield.

Into the fray we go........ Lets see what we are looking at in this little review: Title: The Viking Age - Berserk Referenece: NP-B012 Scale: 1/10th Material: Gray Resin No of pieces: 13 Sculptor: Jun-Sik Ahn Box Art painted by: Myeong-Ha Hwang As with the previous releases I have shared with you all the packaging is really well done , the instantly known blue box of NutsPlanet , the distinctive logo's and of course the excellent colour representation of a finished version by the talented Mr Hwang .

The parts are safely held together inbetween 3 foam layers and consist of a total of 12 resin and 1 wire(for use as the cords for the amulets and charms) , the resin parts consist of the main torso , the bearskin head , the shield , 2 bear claws , 2 hair braids , the bears teeth , 2 charms and the sword hilt and of course a base piece.

Any prep needed will be dealt within each piece I look at . Beginning with the larger of the pieces the torso , we have a carefully placed casting plug on the undersides to deal with , easy to do leaving a super clean area and super smooth on the undersides ...and that is all that is needed. Our fellow wears a bearskin and is naked underneath this , the body sculpture is 1st class , good muscle tones on the stomach and arms, the bearskin is nothing short of awesome , this is what this piece is all about textures , the smoothness of the flesh contrasting with the rough fur , fine work by the sculptor , the pictures tell all you need to know I feel .

Across the shoulder we have a belt , lovely work again particularly on the buckle and the end metalwork , beautiful skill is shown. On his left arm we have a armlet , again nicely worked as is the brooch on his left upper chest.

The head now , this is a rather classy bit of work , full beard with braided pieces , there are 2 others to fit as well. the texture of the beard is great , the whole thing being braided and flowing on the chest , the mouth is slightly open with piercing eyes , nose style is good , all areas are designed to work on easily IMO.

On the back we see a smooth are of the head ready to receive the bearskin headwear and a round piece of resin for the shield to fit on , both when fitted will need a swipe of filler.

Onwards we go..... Now to the headwear ...the bearskin , a casting plug needs to be taken off , again as before well positioned , there are the teeth of this beast to fit into the recess provided on the undersides of the jaw, suffice to say the textures are the same very high standard as seen on the torso , the nose protrudes forward , eyes and ears are good ..this was no cute teddybear when it roamed the land!!.

No bear would be complete without his paws and we have 2 rather good ones in the box , for both the casting plugs need to be removed , excellent textures again , the pads on the undersides are well done , the claws are sharp so heavan knows what the real ones are like ...these add a nice dimension to the bearskin , a slight swipe of filler when fitted but again nothing drastic.

The hair pieces have small casting plugs to remove , nicely detailed and they add a movement to the bust , slight swipe of filler when fitted .

The bears teeth and the 2 charms are all on one resin block , careful when taking them off , the teeth are great fun ...this bear certainly looked after them!!! , the 2 charms are small so be careful they don't get ate by the carpet monster!!! , finely detailed , use the wire provided for the cords or you could also use a fine cord if you wish .

The sword handle is another area of nice design the handle grip has a very fine casting line to deal with , the pommel and cross bar are both area's which show the scu;ptors skill off . , remove the casting block and fit on the lower right side .

The shield now , there is a casting block leading to 5 formers on the underside edge of the shield , all easy to get off , this is a 3/4 piece , the wooden make up of the shield are excellent on both sides , good definition between the planks of wood , battle damage is evident on the face , and the boss on the middle as well as the rim , you have the potential to do your own thing here , wood, metal boss , leather rim or metal , the choice is yours , no design is on the shield a great opportunity to put your own stamp on the piece.

Finally we have the base , this is the normal rounded but shaped pedastal type as with previous releases , fit onto a well positioned area on the torso undersides is clean and effective , as always I suggest pinning should you use the resin piece.

Final Thoughts: This is all about textures , the skin , the fur , the hair , the teeth , the wood , the aggression of the subject .....all are there , all are finely sculpted , presentation is great as usual with NutsPlanet , well cast with well thought out casting plugs. This is another WINNER from them a great end to 2014 and a pleasure to review as my first of 2015.