The End of An Era

Recent posts have sadly seen a few too many obituaries.This one is slightly different and is not entirely unexpected but marks the end of an era.

Empire Free Company

Bretonnian Men at Arms

Source: Games Workshop (2016)

This weekend the Games Workshop finally retired a large number of box sets as the Age of Sigmar moves forward and the Old World is consigned to memory. Two sets that will be missed are the Empire Free Company Militia set and the Bretonnian Men at Arms set. Even I can tell they're not going to fit into the new setting and so inevitably their time is up.

These sets have for so many years been the go-to henchmen across many games and gaming systems. For me they've been my first choice fantasy humans, not just in Warhammer but in Mordheim and potentially Frostgrave. Their latest use was as part of my Advanced Heroquest Reborn project as, you've guessed it, the henchmen.

I thought about bagging one more set however, with my last post in mind, I decided the let them go. I just about have enough spare parts for this project, but a future ones will have to feature models from elsewhere.

I've been brand loyal for many years but that loyalty is fading somewhat. The new Age of Sigmar models are a mixed bunch, the latest Dwarfs for example I feel are embarrassingly bad, which is quite an achievement given that the old Dwarfs weren't very good in the first place.

I feel, in particularly with the Empire set, that their demise is a bit short sighted. These sets went far beyond being basic foot soldiers in a Warhammer army, and they could be utilized in many different games, be they old Games Workshop games or those made by others.

All this means I'm finally going to start looking elsewhere. The new Frostgrave range looks excellent, and with the option of converting between sets to create henchmen, cultists and even undead.

Source: Northstar Military Figures and Osprey Games (2016)

So next time I'm in need of a few good men, I know where to to look.

New Box, Old Mould - The Pitfalls of Kit Selection

A few days ago I was involved in an on-line discussion regarding the re-issuing of old moulds which I thought I'd revisit on this blog.

The discussion started with a commenter's experience of building, in their words, the awful Airfix 1:48 scale Hawker Fury, which contains plastic from 1980. It then turned to whether or not it was an underhand tactic by model makers to sell kits that are well past their sell-by date and is such practice unfair on customers?

New Box, Old Plastic

To start with lets look at things from the model companies point of view. They have a product to sell, they exist to make money. Straight forward and to point I know, but that is the reality and I see little point in blaming them. It's easy for us to shift the blame to them, to call them underhand but in the end it's up to us, as customers, to make informed choices.  If we do then we won't be buying the inferior products and they will cease to sell them.

Certain companies seem to have different approaches to re-boxes, in my experience they are:

• Academy - For years Academy have been producing budget kits of a mixed quality. In recent years they've started releasing more expensive and higher quality kits but I've not yet seen any of their range retired. They've changed the catalogue numbers of some their older kits but released them exactly the same as before so I'm not even sure that counts as re-boxing them.
• Airfix - The near bankrupt Airfix of a few years ago quite obviously couldn't afford to do much else other than sell their old models. But now there's been a significant cull of older models. Although some still remain I suspect that there will be replacements in the pipeline.
• Eduard - A newer manufacturer with an emphasis on quality. There kits seem to retired fairly quickly.
• Hasegawa - It feels like Hasegawa never change. I've bought many of their kits and sold them all on, never actually building a single one. Alongside their steady range of new releases new box, old model seems to be what they do.
• Revell - The re-box kings. I rarely buy Revell models for the reason so many of them are so old, and in many case not even their models to begin with. I think their recent Star Wars licence will keep them earning for the foreseeable future along with the loyalty of the American market toward the old Monogram kits. But Revell just isn't a name that's associated with quality in my opinion. Which is a shame, because the few new kits they make are actually very good, if you can find them.
•  Tamiya - Like Hasegawa they never seem to change, we see a few new kits each year which are of a high standard. However their older models were years ahead of their competitors when they first came out so they seem to still hold their own against today's kits. Interesting in my preferred scale, 1:72, I have noticed a reduction in the range recently (mostly the Italeri kits they re-boxed for the Asian market) so they obviously feel some of the older kits are no longer of a high enough quality.

I do believe it's no coincidence that that model kits have moved in terms of quality so much in the last 10 or so years alongside the growth of the internet side of scale modelling. By participating in forums and groups, by writing blogs and posting photographs and so on, are we already driving the change so many of us desire?

And then there are on-line resources such as Scalemates. This site is a model kit database which gives a complete time-line of many kits, allowing us to see just how old the plastic inside that box is.

One counterargument I often hear is the argument that bad kits will put off beginners from continuing with the hobby. I can see the point, after the first kit I built for this blog you may wonder why I continued. Well I do believe this is a hobby that requires a certain amount of perseverance and patience anyway. Anyone who quits after one setback will never be a modeller, so that's one reason. Secondly the majority of model companies have already figured this out which is why we have the starter kit. These are the kits I always see younger modellers with in my local hobby shop. Interestingly this seems more common among companies targeting Western audiences, maybe those beginners in Asia have the character I referred to in my first point or maybe model making is more embedded in their culture?

So with all that in mind I guess it's time to wrap this post up. To finish I will say, if you really do want to build an Airfix 1:48 scale Hawker Fury from 1980 now's your chance. I very much doubt this kit will be around for much longer.

I Never Thought I'd See The Day When...

This last weekend I decided to have one of those moments we all have when we suddenly realise the stash is getting a bit large and maybe something has to go. Naturally I thought this would involve a selection of "vintage" kits being put to one side ready to be listed on eBay. But something unexpected happened.

If you're a regular reader you'll know that I've not really had a bad word to say about Tamiya kits and to a certain extent that's still the case. But this weekend the unthinkable happened and one of my pristine Tamiya kits ended up on the "for sale" pile! The kit in question is Tamiya's 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4/7.

Tamiya's Bf 109E-4/7 Trop

 
Sometime ago I wrote an in-box review of two Bf-109 kits, one from Airfix, the other from Zvezda. I didn't include the Tamiya kit because I figured it would be a forgone conclusion that it's a good kit. And that's the thing, it is. I'm sure it'll go together well, the three colour schemes are interesting  and the addition of three spinners is typical of Tamiya's attention to detail. OK so the fuselage shape is a few millimetres out, not noticeable to the naked eye, but that's forgiveable in my opinion.

Why is it going? Well it is better than Zvezda's offering, but the more I think about it, the more impressed I am with the Airfix kit. And it's not just their Bf-109, they just keep on delivering excellent kits with each round of releases. And when you also consider my first ever review (titled: "The Worst Kit You'll Ever Build?") was of an Airfix kit, I can't help but be impressed by the continual improvement from Airfix, so all credit to them. (Revell take note, it is possible to invest time and effort into producing high quality budget kits, rather than buying up other people's old kits).

So there you go, I never thought I see the day when I'd sell a Tamiya kit over an Airfix one.

Kickstarter: Many Ways To Spend My Money - November 2013

I've recently been spending a bit of time searching Kickstarter for a miniatures or gaming project and thought I'd share a few finds.

In my experience when looking at in the games category there tends to be a mix of smaller companies and indie projects and then there's the established companies who are using the platform to generate pre-sales for a project they would have done anyway. While there's nothing wrong with this I want to focus on those smaller companies and their projects.

First up is Journey: Wrath of Demons a first time game by a Hong Kong based company, Marrow Production. Now I have to admit the subject area isn't something I'd normally go for but seeing the resin miniatures they had to offer certainly got my attention.

It appears that these miniatures will be 1:35 scale and the resin models will feature in the higher funding options, they really do look good! However in the standard game option the miniatures will be plastic although Marrow Production did post that they would be similar in quality to models produced by Dragon, who will be familiar to the military modellers amongst you. I don't know if that means they have an arrangement with Dragon or not, but it certainly sounds promising.

Next up is Aliens vs Predator, the Miniatures Game  by the English company Prodos Games. What can I say, Aliens, Predators, Colonial Marines, in resin. Who could say "no" to that?

They're 28mm scale models and as with the previous project, they look outstanding. For the purpose of this Kickstarter the figures will be polyurethane resin before switching to plastic for general release. However this Kickstarter seems to have had a shaky start. Numerous complaints about being overpriced, too little in the box, all stretch goals being paid for add-ons and so on. But I have to say, £75 for (at the time of writing) for 20+ aliens of various sizes, 3 predators, 5 Colonial Marines, all in resin would seem like a good deal for figures alone!

So which to choose? I've been going back and forth between the two, the one thing I do know, my model budget is only going to allow for one.

If I want a complete product, both miniatures and game then it's probably going to be Journey: Wrath of Demons. Marrow Production have a done a fantastic job of showcasing both the game and the miniatures in such a way that I want to play it. I want to learn more about the setting and experience a game that I wouldn't have normally considered.

Prodos, sadly, haven't yet showcased their game system (although they say they will soon) and so I can't say it feels like anything more than a collection of miniatures. But what miniatures they are! As an Aliens fan I've been waiting a long time for figures like this.

Tough choice...

In Box Review – Eduard Spitfire Mk.IXc Late Version (8281)

The Spitfire may be a British icon but it's certainly one that has not been as well represented in 1:48 scale as it could have been.

While there's plenty of kits out there they are largely plagued by inconsistencies or lacking the production standards that more experienced modellers demand these days.

With the Mk.IX we've most recently we've seen releases from Airfix (in 2007) and Italeri's American Aces release (from 2010). In my opinion both these kits are simple and lack the finer details but should not be discounted, especially if you want a straight forward build or if you're a novice modeller.

Elsewhere there's ICM's release from the late 1990's which if I remember correctly featured an interesting VVS, (Soviet), version but was an absolute nightmare to build and the Hasegawa's release a few years later which was unfortunately too short in the body meaning you needed an after market conversion kit to get it right.

So over to Eduard, can they finally give this legendary aircraft the kit it deserved? Recently my business took a delivery of Eduard kits from our wholesaler and I couldn't resist taking a look.

Well, upon opening the box my initial response was, "is that it"? Eduard's profipacks are usually packed with sprues and yet this box was only half full, containing four grey sprues and a single clear one.

However my initial response was a misjudged one, there's everything packed into this kit. The surface detail is beautiful, fine panel lines, rivets and they all look great, even the exhausts have been hollowed out.

As with all Profipacks there are photo-etched parts, mostly for the interior and these look to be the usual Eduard high standard. In addition the clear parts aren't too thick and there's an option of either opening or closing the canopy. Either way you should be able to show off that nice photo-etched interior.

Shape wise it looks good, add that to that the detail and it makes this the obvious choice over the Hasegawa kit which was it's nearest competitor.

Now if that wasn't enough this is also going to be one of the kits that has the option of Eduard's own resin Brassin extras. Already there's tyres, drop tanks and an incredible cockpit which I'd consider painting on it's own as a side project.

For the marking options you have a choice of six. Naturally they're all RAF markings, and five of the six are standard camouflage schemes. However there's a good choice of pilot nationalities to choose from, for me the aircraft flown by Pierre Clostermann stands out as the one I'd probably want to build.

Manufacturer's finished product shot

So back to my earlier question, can Eduard finally give this legendary aircraft the kit it deserved? In my opinion, it looks like the answer is a resounding "Yes." However I would say while it appears this kit does go together rather well it's still probably one for more experienced modellers. For the beginner out there I'd personally recommend the Airfix release mentioned above, I have an unfinished one somewhere and it's not such a bad kit.


Overall In Box Score: Outstanding. The perfect Spitfire!

Vintage Kit Build #1 - The Worst Kit You'll Ever Build?

I’m going to start by saying I have fond memories of Airfix kits, I grew up making them. So imagine my surprise when I found out that this kit was exactly one of those kits I built as a child, it hadn’t changed! By today’s standards it’s a really bad kit, much as I like a bit of nostalgia I have to wonder why kits like this aren’t retired.

I would imagine that given its pric of £5.99 (I actually got mine for £1.99 a few months ago) it would be picked up by novices and I have to wonder how many would continue with the hobby after trying to build something like this. Airfix are producing wonderful kits with their recent releases (some of which we’ll be looking at soon) and I feel it’s such a shame for the brand if someone chooses this one and misses out on one of the others.

So what is it like? It’s basic, really basic. The cockpit consists of just a seat, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue given the thickness of the clear parts, you’ll never see inside this one.

The fit is deplorable, the base of the tail just doesn’t exist and so you’ll be sculpting it yourself. The wheel wells seem to contain plastic wedges which are presumably there to support the ill-fitting wheel covers should you choose to do an in-flight version. Add to this an instruction sheet that fails to mention adding weights to the nose to prevent it becoming a tail-sitter and the landing gear down  option is an equal recipe for disaster.

Next up, the marking options. The box clearly shows a P-39N (with guns mounted in the wing, not below as they were in the P-39Q). The marking diagrams also clearly show two options for a P-39N but the parts are for a P-39Q. I think this lack of attention to detail is just unforgivable.

 

Now despite this I’m not going to completely right off this kit, the decals look to be good quality and the colour schemes are interesting if you want to attempt a P-39N conversion. If you want a basic but inaccurate build straight out of the box then it can be done.

 

Mine will be pressed into service in my "Experimental"s, a special unit whose duties will include being painted and stripped, over and over. A task this one will perform admirably, I’m sure.