FoW in 1:72 plastics

[Gungnir]

Older members may remember that I started putting together FoW-style forces from 1:72 plastics.

Everything till now is in my blog/forum/thingy:

http://gungnirsstuff.messageboard.nl/fo ... m.php?f=36

Here are the two latest additions.

This little jewel is from Zvezda's pocket change priced boxes, meant as expansions for their Art of Tactic game.

The gun itself consists out of only a few parts, but obviously they suffice in creating an effective model.

The two crew members are nor the best detailed I've ever seen, but more than adequate. They consist out of 4 pieces each, allowing for a very life-like pose, as is especially clear with the man peering into the Richtschützbediengerät. The uniforms are early war.

The base has a hole for the markers that go with the game, but can easily be filled in, or used for a tree, for instance.

Nice bit of fire power for the 1939-'41 German infantry, and I will definitely try to get a few more.



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Last month I bought a bunch of plastic Soldier Company stuff at the Antwerp Crisis wargames show. I was happy to get it, I saw a lot of favorable reviews and I've yet to find a supplier in the Netherlands.

The T-70 tanks come 3 to a box.

They can be modeled with one or both hatches open, crew is included. For the first one I decided to do a buttoned up one.



It's a very easy and straight forward model, but with still plenty of detail. I was especially impressed with the three part track/roadwheels sections, a nice middle ground between a one piece unit and one with a handfull of separate wheels and a soft plastic track.

An easy build, good fit of all parts.

[Sigur]

Pretty stuff. So Zvezda's Art of Tactic is 1/72th? I thought it was 15mm (1/100th) or did they make that to fit either scales (because they sell both after all)?

[Gungnir]

Yes, they do both, but judging by what i found so far nor everything in 1:100 is also issued in 1:72.

[subedai]

Gungnir wrote:

Richtschützbediengerät.

What the hell is one of them! Don't tell me you actually know that word off the top of your head. If the answer is yes then you've just jumped to the top of the rivet counter lea.g.u...e.... Oh, wait a minute, rivets are your thing anyway. Er, how is that train project going anyway?

Like the plastics but don't do WW II apart from 6mm.

[Gungnir]

Subedai, I must confess that in my own of my many jobs I work in a plant that made that particular bit for the Leopard II. Gun laying device might be a good translation.

Train is standing next and behind me, but because of a biological oddity I only got two hands, and right now commerce demands that I wurruk on my paper stuff - pics later tonight, I think. I hope.

[Etranger]

Pretty stuff. So Zvezda's Art of Tactic is 1/72th? I thought it was 15mm (1/100th) or did they make that to fit either scales (because they sell both after all)?

It's a bit weird actually. The infantry & guns are 1/72, the vehicles 1/100 & the aircraft 1/144. Zvezda's explanation is that they're markers for their game rather than specifically miniatures but it's an odd choice. I've got a couple of their 1/100 kits & they're pretty good & very cheap.

[Sigur]

Oh yes, I got some of their 1/100th scale kits as well. The review for that should be up in a few days. (SPOILER: they're nice. ).

Interesting take on scales though. Surprising to see something like that from a scale model manufacturer.

[Etranger]

Yes. They've got a lovely kit of the 2 pounder ATG but sadly for me it's 1/72; otherwise I'd have bought a dozen in 1/100.....

[Duck Crusader]

Don't talk to me about FoW right now. They finally released a Japanese army for the game, after years of back alley playing by me and others.

And it's for Manchuria...

Bastards.

[Sigur]

Meh, FoW. Sure there are plenty of other companies doing 15mm japanese for that island hopping business or what you want to do with them.

[subedai]

Don't talk to me about FoW right now. They finally released a Japanese army for the game, after years of back alley playing by me and others.

I had a similar teeth gnashing back in the late 70's. I was well into everything Macedonian apart from figures and fancied a 15mm army. Went to a show in London somewhere, sidled up to the Mikes Models stand and started doing the 'he'll be okay for pikemen, he will do for peltasts etc. comparisons from existing ranges. Spent £30 on them (they were 2p an inf and 4p a cav back then). Got home, started painting them and guess what. Next months Mil Mod had a big advertising spread from Mikes Models about their new range...Alexandrian Macedonians. Racked off didn't even come close. Most annoying thing was they were lovely little models, so of course I spent another wedge on the new ones. Still got the Macedonian army.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I feel your pain, Sub. There are several projects I'd love to do in 20mm plastic (eg Crimea, 1806 Prussians), but the only ranges are either made by Strelets (and no, I'm sorry, I just can't...... ), or else are the ones HaT contracted out to the worst of their sculptors . Even more frustratingly, it seems that the crappier the figures, the more complete the range will be.

Oi, already!!!

[Jay Arnold]

Not to go off on a tangent or a rant, but does it seem to anyone else the American Civil War is underrepresented in 1/72 plastics?

The Samurai and Ashigaru Zvezda put in the box for Samurai Battles are lovely. A bit fiddly, though.

[Etranger]

There are plenty of 'Old School' plastics in the form of Airfix, Imex & Esci but I think you're right regarding 'modern' plastics for the ACW, in 20mm at least.

[Gungnir]

Jay, best of the more modern ACW sets is the artillery set with a six horse team, Italeri I think?

I have an extensice collection of 1:72 ACW - nearly all unpainted...

[Duck Crusader]

Oh, I have a ton of 15mm Japanese. It's the list. Too restricted, doesn't let me use my best kit like the Ho-ni. Always a nasty surprise for Jarhead players.

I speicalize in using despised armies like the Italians and Japanese to throttle SS tank companies and Rooskie infantry batallions you see. MUCH more fun, as the look of chagrin on the average 'super army' players face when you beat him with rattletrap armor and second line infantry is priceless.

[PatG]

Oh, I have a ton of 15mm Japanese. It's the list. Too restricted, doesn't let me use my best kit like the Ho-ni. Always a nasty surprise for Jarhead players.

I speicalize in using despised armies like the Italians and Japanese to throttle SS tank companies and Rooskie infantry batallions you see. MUCH more fun, as the look of chagrin on the average 'super army' players face when you beat him with rattletrap armor and second line infantry is priceless.

[Gungnir]

Finally had some time to build some Soviet stuff again, from theCrisis loot.

The swarm of no less than 3 T-70's is now done:



More observant members will notice that I did not yet put the driver's hatches in place, it makes more sense to do that after the drivers have been painted. My sincere apologies for doing something the rigt way around, I can assure you it wont happen too often.

Next in line was an AT gun. The kit has barrels for three different guns, I went with the M1937 AT gun, to go with my as yet unpainted early guys.



It's a nice little model, very thin parts to reflect the lightness of the thing. Only a few parts.

Very well executed crew too, natural poses. Each figure consists out of several parts. The only negative point is necks. The heads (two with helmet, two with field cap) all have rather long necks, that ought to fit in a hollowed out torso - only there is no hole. So, I had to shave a bit off the necks so the troops wouldn't look like a Peewee family reunion.

Each gun comes wih a four man crew, two ammo cases and several separate shells and empty casings, so it will be possible to dress up the bases nicely.

Since there are our guns in the set I might do two in this early version, and two in the 1943 version with a longer barrel.

[Gungnir]

Bought two Zvezda Soviet 37mm AA guns yesterday, just finished putting the first one together.



Some things have only been dry fitted, final assembly after painting crew and some fiddly bits.

Very delicate model, but I got the impression it was designed on a Friday afternoon.

For instance, the elevation cilinders under the barrel are extremely fiddly, and didn't fit in the corresponding holes, had to drill those out a bit.

The crew members consist out of four parts, but one of them you have to leave the separate leg half off, or he won't fit around the column supporting the hand wheels. Okay, it says so in the instructions, but a properly designed figure would have been my first choice.

The gun can be modelled in a few versions: first of all, with or without the base, in the latter case the support discs have to be added instead of the ones molded to the base.

I used the figures, see above, which are molded in one piece with their seats. The kit comes with unmanned seats as well, so you can model the Soviet version of a tea break should you feel that urge coming up.

In spite of the few critical remarks, a very nice model, but not for totally inexperienced builders.

[subedai]

There is definitely some nice stuff out there for 1/72.