Esci Revell Italeri Vietnam War NORTH VIETNAMESE VIETCONG army 1/72 soldiers figures

Today I will make the first review of a modern era set, the Vietcong!

Here is the classic Esci box, quite nice, but a bit dull and lacking the force that theme deserves.

Same artwork, in the ERTL era.

This is one of those sets that has also been released by Revell. The artwork is interesting. It is a good idea to represent while fighting in a crop field. But the quality is quite low.

And well, this is probably the worst. I actually had to convince myself "forget the box, there are nice Esci figures inside", maybe, without counting the Caesar Trojans, the box that has put me more off buying something. Thanks to Plastic Soldier Review, I knew they were very nice figures. If you analyze it coldly, it's not a so bad artwork, but it seems more a modern Chinese army set, forgetting the deformed man in the foreground, which seems he has half a torso.

As a curiosity, in Italy it seems that many Esci sets were sold by A-Toys in this type of packaging, being exactly the same. If they were done with authorisation or not is a mystery.

THE FIGURES - 9.0 out of 10 - (50 figures, 16 poses)

I keep the innovation determined in the last review of separing the figure score;

Detail; It depends on what release you have. If you have the original Esci, it is standard high quality, but in the Italeri reissue the detail is slightly "blurred". Maybe it is the hard plastic used, or just the moulds are old. Anyway, all releases have a minimum quality, which is high still in our days.


Poses; Good, with some more imaginative than the typical Esci, but with several omissions and strange choices. We are lacking prone figures! Nearly all Esci sets have them, and curiously, this set that would need several has none.

Also, without explanation, we are just given one grenade-thrower, as if it was something very special. There aren't any mortar troops either.

Finally, at least two poses are very similar to others (the two men running are practically identical, just with differences of clothing/equipment.The same with the two poses moving with kalashnikovs) that could have given more exciting poses.


The man asking for help, and the man giving it, is a very unusual never seen again pose. Sure, Esci have done more or less the same thing (soldier helping wounded) a zillion times, but not in this way. However, it is not clear if he is being dragged, at the point of being pulled or what, but it doesn't look natural either way.

Anatomical proportions; As usual with Esci, nearly perfect proportions. Height is ok too (thank god they are not basketball players, as other oriental soldier sets). Maybe they are a bit fat, as some would be very skinny.


Execution (how the company has made the figures); simply perfect. Flash is absolutely non existant. Zones without detail are very few and perfectly tolerable.

Plastic used; it depends on the release. Esci has a very flexible plastic very bad for painting and gluing, and Revell and Italeri has a hard plastic very good for painting and gluing.


HISTORICAL ACCURACY - 9.0

This set is really a mixture between professional army of North Vietnam and the rebels.But really  needs much more representation of the rebel part.In other words we miss several civilians wearing various typical vietnamese  costumes.

Also, some man should have been wearing the big fisherman conical hat, and instead something similar is done but much more smaller and rounded.

ARMY REPRESENTATION - 6.0
"The army representation score is the potential of the soldiers to be used for other purposes different to the one originally intended"

They can be used for other oriental modern armies, or simply oriental rebels, but as many are wearing sandals or go bare-footed, only some will be ok to convert them into regular armies. 

With some modifications they would make good Cambodjan, Malaysian or Timor rebels, or North Korean troops.


FUNNESS - 6.0

"I feel that many reviews are oblivious to this point - there are fantastic figures, which you can´t say anything against, but they are just too "correct", maybe too static, and so just boring. So I feel that this is an important point when deciding if you buy a set"

The Vietcong is a fun theme, and Esci did very well to make every soldier different , but much more could have been done. Men digging tunnels , preparing explosives for sabotage, snipers, stabbing with knifes, opening their way through the jungle with machetes, setting up mines, even children with grenades! 

The subject allowed it and encouraged it all, and we get a very dull set instead.


WARGAMING VALUE - 6.5

Not very good wargaming value, they could have done at least a general, or some officials. All the men are fighting which is good, but we miss staff.

PRICE-VALUE RATIO - 8.0

"The price value ratio of this soldiers will vary between every shop you go, and the best I can do is judge by their average price on eBay and online stores"

At an average 10 € for 50 figures, the value is good. These figures might be old, but they are not any worst than the most recent releases.




OVERALL VALORATION - 7.7

If you were born before the 1990s, the Vietnam War was everywhere in series, films and books. It is an powerful and famous theme, such as Vikings, Cowboys or Spartans. This is a good set, above average, but not fantastic, and it was easy to get it right, better than what we have. But better not complain much, as there isn't any alternative made, and I can't see any manufacturer doing a set, as the Vietnam War is something quite forgotten now. We can only wait that HaT or a similar manufacturer gets interested in the subject and starts doing everything.

Conclusion; Good Esci set, but much more could have been done.

Would I recommend buying them over other alternative sets? ; Maybe, if it existed any alternative :) .


If you have enjoyed this review and want to say thanks, the best way is to click in one of the advertisings in the blog. Every little help will be appreciated. 






PAINTED EXAMPLES

I haven't painted mine yet, but if you do, please send me pics to tam_cob@hotmail.com and I will include them here!

Here there is some examples I found painted on eBay;

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next battle!

Revell HORTEN IX 229 (Gotha Go 229) 1/72 model kit Review nº04312 (04329)

Today we review a kit I've just finished to build (so I have fresh in my memory it's flaws and strong points) the Horten IX;

Let's see the box arts;




This is the first box art, in which it appeared in 1994. I remember at the time being very impressed, and considered impossible that this was something out of WW2. It certainly gives a very modernistic look.

Here is the new artwork, (the kit is the same, they have just added the decals). I don't find this artwork so appealing, basically because it seems that the artist has based on the model kit rather than on the real plane. This normally won't be a problem, but in this case the kit looks a bit different than the real thing. And, if you fix your attention on the wing on the right, you will see that the balkankreuz is "floating", having a different perspective than the wing. 

THE KIT - 7.0 out of 10.0 >>

The kit is made up to good standard and technology, as there isn't any flash whatsoever, and all detail is very crisp, panellings well detailed, good interior finishings, very fine and realistic undercarriage, etc. `

But I find that the overall dimensions of the central aircraft (the cockpit and engines) is slightly too small. If you compare with the pics of the real thing, the engines in the model nearly don't stick out the wing , and in the real aircraft they seem much bigger.

The instructions are not very clear as to how the undercarriage plates need to be glued, I have determined they have a slight inclination.

Besides this, the cockpit makes quite a poor fit, it seems that it has been made to build the model with the open cockpit. 

One of the strange things is that even if they give you some parts for the interior, they leave a gap behind the control panel, where there should be cables and other gear, it is just empty. the Interiors in kits are always  a bit neglected, but Revell having done some of the structure, it just looks strange from outside to see the control panel unplugged to anything.

One of the good things is that Revell gives you the option to build the kit without wings, as it was captured by the Americans. So it gives the detail of the cannons inside, but they haven't done the inside of the engines, so it is a bit "half-done".

EXTRAS - 6.0 >>

 

You could count as a extra the interior of the cannons, so not a too bad valoration here. 

A pilot is not provided, and the cockpit, as all modern Revell cockpits, seems made for 1/76 figures at best. Revell sells a set of german pilots with reduced dimensions to allow you to fit them, although this is a hardly realistic solution, and admits the problem. Worst is with the RAF Pilots, which are absolutely gigantic (more like 1/70). What I have done myself, is as I don't have yet the Pilots and Ground Crew: German Airforce WWII set, is to get a tiny old Airfix pilot, which is nearly absent of detail, and glue a head with mask from the RAF set which I've got, and it gives a nice result if carefully done.

POSSIBILITIES - 7.0 >>

Well, the real possibilites are limited; it is reduced to the prototype that flew and later crashed or the one that was captured. But of course such a theme sparks a lot of possibilites as "what ifs" the Horten had entered into full production and combat.

PRICE/VALUE RATIO - 6.5 >>

It costed me 13 € in a model shop, if you hunt through the auctions in site like eBay you can find it cheaper, but it will probably cost you around 10 £. Not too cheap for a tiny model.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE - 3.0 >>

The historical importance score is determined by how many were built, and how much operational service they had, and how much influence they made on the conflicts in which they were involved.

In WW2 it's impact was zero. But it probably affected the course of aeronautic history, as it was evaluated by the Americans and British, and probably it's revolutionary design inspired later aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229

OVERALL - 7.0 >> 

It is at least a kit of a airplane that did fly and was built, which is more than other Revell kits such as the Flitzer. And it certainly looks revolutionary compared with all other WW2 aircraft, before painting, it seems more a Star Wars Naboo starship than anything else. Before buying the kit, I was thinking it was quite bigger, and it ends up being a bit small, for the price you are charged.

Is there any alternative you will ask? just the Pioneer Models kit, quite old and with some heavy inaccuracies, although they have gotten better the proportions of the cockpit and engines, but they misplaced the later ones. And it is quite rare and expensive too.

In one phrase; the design says it all. A must  for aircraft enthusiasts.



If you've liked this tutorial and want to say thanks, one way is just to make a click on the advertising below, that will help me buy modelling materials and dedicate more time to the blog and less to work!

IMAGES OF FINISHED JOBS 
(What? you have built this model? I'd love to include the pics here in this section so everyone can look at it. Just email me at   tam_cob@hotmail.com    !)

Model kit made by myself. Pilot is a conversion of an Airfix pilot with a Revell pilot set head.
                                                     
  Until the next raid!!!

HOW TO MAKE WATCHTOWER Tutorial 1:72 Wargaming Diorama Scenario creation

This is my third video-tutorial, this time how to make a fast watchtower (it took me 15 minutes, with practice, and in factory mode, you can do them as fast as chips) and I hope I have improved about the other ones. I've made clearer, faster (x2 speed) and made sharper pics in the end. 


Thanks to the collaboration of the Byzantine soldier, the Varangian guard and the Alan archer who will remain anonymous to pose for the final pics :) . 

Hope you find it useful;

See finished pics below;




If you've liked this tutorial and want to say thanks, one way is just to make a click on the advertising below, that will help me buy modelling materials and dedicate more time to the blog and less to work!

GREEN JACKETS Italeri 95th Regiment Waterloo napoleon British Infantry review 1/72 Sharpe Bernard Cornwell

Today we review probably the better detailed set made ever in 1/72! the British 95th regiment or Green Jackets from Italeri;

The artwork is very good indeed. If these soldiers had a bad artwork, maybe I wouldn't have bought them. I am not an avid collector of Napoleonic era, and I just have basic knowledge about this era, so, without being able to actually see the figures (I bought them in a shop where I didn't even know if they would have soldiers) the artwork was very important. Congratulations to Mr. Rava, who makes nearly all artworks for Italeri, as this is a masterpiece.

These are the poses;

All 16 poses are repeated 3 times making 48 figures in total.

THE FIGURES - 8.0 out of 10 - (48 figures, 16 poses)

I've decided to innovate and speak separately of every aspect that conforms the figures;

Detail; Superb, wait, no, more than superb. Wonderful? no, more than that. Anyway, I can spot the triggers on the rifles, you could paint the eyes on the figures, it is just the best detailed 1/72 set I've laid my eyes on. And I have more than 10000+ 1/72 soldiers. They are, some of the few figures which have a very clear and distinguishable faces.


Poses; Very curiously, Italeri has decided to give you 3 men of each pose, 3 leaders, 3 sentinels, etc. Which is not ideal but not as bad as you could think. The poses are quite good and realistic, the only criticism is that they are very static, like if they were posing for propaganda photographs, they would look strange in a battle diorama, and they are supposed to be very fast and mobile troops who would be always on the move.

The first man in the third row deserves a special mention as probably the awkwardest Napoleonic soldier. He is holding the rifle as he would hold a baby.

The second man in the third row, is holding his rifle in a very unnatural way, as his hand reaches the end of the rifle. I doubt strongly that this is a confortable pose to fire.


Proportions; Very good, heads a bit big, but in overall quite correct. 


Execution (how the company has made the figures); simply perfect. Flash is absolutely non existant. Zones without detail are very few and perfectly tolerable.

These soldiers seem made to have their bases cut off, as they are very small and thin, which will desesperate people like me who doesn't like gluing them into big bases or dioramas, and many the fall constantly. The only solution is to glue bigger stands made cardboard or clear plastic.



HISTORICAL ACCURACY - 9.0

Besides some small errors in equipment, that as a non-expert I don't notice, these figures are generally right.

ARMY REPRESENTATION - 2.0
"The army representation score is the potential of the soldiers to be used for other purposes different to the one originally intended"

Detail is very good, so using them to make something different than what they are is strongly not recommended.


FUNNESS - 6.5

"I feel that many reviews are oblivious to this point - there are fantastic figures, which you can´t say anything against, but they are just too "correct", maybe too static, and so just boring. So I feel that this is an important point when deciding if you buy a set"

They are better than the Revell as they have many soldiers with the forage cap, which gives them a very different aspect, at least in my opinion, among so many Napoleonic soldiers which you can hardly distinguish if unpainted. 

But they lack a bit of life. They look tired. This set would be fine for a regular Napoleonic army, but not for the 95th regiment. For example, making a prone man as in the artwork would have been very appreciated. 


WARGAMING VALUE - 7.0

Many arguments said in the funness aspect comes here too. We can add there is no musician like in the Revell set.  

PRICE-VALUE RATIO - 6.0

"The price value ratio of this soldiers will vary between every shop you go, and the best I can do is judge by their average price on eBay and online stores"

They are more or less at 11 €, which is not very good value, considering the 41 men and all the flaws mentioned. Also, two sort of "sentinels", or soldiers just forming, are unneeded in this theme.



PAINTING AND GLUING - 10.0

To paint is excellent, it is a special matte plastic, very unusual (at least my example, I have seen others that look shiny as HaT figures). Gluing is also good.


OVERALL VALORATION - 7.5

In overall, I like very much these figures. They are different than the usual Napoleonic ones, not one of those 48 forgettable-if-you-don't-paint-them soldiers. The Revell alternative is also very good, and I just prefer these for the men with the forage cap and maybe I would say a bit for the proportions.

Conclusion; Excellent attempt at sculpting, weird pose selection.

Would I recommend buying them over other alternative sets? ; Yes, but merge both and you will have the perfect representation.  


If you have enjoyed this review and want to say thanks, the best way is to click in one of the advertisings in the blog. Every little help will be appreciated. 






PAINTED EXAMPLES

I haven't painted mine yet, but if you do, please send me pics to tam_cob@hotmail.com and I will include them here!

Here there is some examples painted by the MicroModels shop (although they are very well painted, for some reason you can't appreciate the faces correctly, probably due to too thick paint, don't be fooled by this pic, each figure has a very sharp and well defined face);

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next battle!

Tutorial; HOW TO MAKE A PALISADE FOR WARGAMING fastly diorama 1/72 miniatures figures stakewall wooden wall

Here I show another tutorial I've made, this time on how to make a palisade, by a fast method, basically for use on wargaming. 

I've used plain toothpicks to do the job, but could be done too with round ones, ice-cream sticks or similar. 

Hope you find it useful;

See finished pics below;




If you've liked this tutorial and want to say thanks, one way is just to make a click on the advertising below, that will help me buy modelling materials and dedicate more time to the hobby and less to work!

Zvezda THE SPARTANS 1/72 set 8068 Greek Army hoplites 3d modelling thermopylae 300 miniatures figures

Now we review a set that marks a new era in miniaturism, the Spartans!

The artwork is very nicely done, the composition is good and it has force. Some of the faces look a bit Assyrian to me, still, good artwork all the same.

Now, in the back box we see something unusual, the first signal of the revolution. 3D renderings of the soldiers?? yes, my fellow collector/wargamer, this figures have been sculpted by computer, not in any sort of clay. It has been the cold hand of a machine (directed by a designer, of course) who has given life to these figures. It gives the impression of buying a expansion of Rome Total War instead of soldiers! It serves it's purpose, but I would have preferred that somebody actually painted the figures.

Curiously, this is the first box of hard cardboard I have seen soldiers packed inside.

These are the poses;

THE FIGURES - 5.0 out of 10 - (41 figures, 12 poses)

The first thing that struck me while I was examining these soldiers is that they lack life, animation. The computer designs might be exceptionally accurate, flawless in nearly all aspects, but the poses lack movement, they are all like statues.

And if you don't agree with this view, which is completely personal, all these figures have diminute feet and hands. They are fat and unathletic, completely unlike somebody which has been trained nearly his entire life. They seem decadent Romans! 

The swords are utterly short. Yes, it is known the Spartans had very short swords, but I think this is disproportionate. 

And well, now we'll pass onto the positive side. Nearly all soldiers have separate arms with shield, which give a very nice sense of realism and profundity, something that manufacturers like HaT have never achieved (and forcing you to modify the poses if wanting to achieve full realism). 

The sharpness is total, absolute. Every detail sticks out perfectly, and you can say exactly what is everything without zones of blurryness or zero detail. 


And then comes the shields, which the 3d modelling gives them a very nice and sharp design, but the scorpion, wild boar and the bull head seem modern logos and not by any means ancient designs, as they are very sharp, simplistic and without rounded ends. Zvezda continues to engrave all shields, and in this case I would have appreciated that it made some without design so we could choose. All the same it is not too hard to remove with cutter.



HISTORICAL ACCURACY - 9.0

The other thing that struck me was the lack of the Lambda symbol, but after research this seems to be correct, or at least anybody (unless you were at Thermopylae) can't say otherwise. After so much time seeing the lambda symbol everywhere, it seems that now it's use is contested, and some historians even put in doubt that it was ever used.

Maybe two poses with the raised crest are a bit strange, but you can't say much against.

It puzzles me that there is no cloaks, nor anything else that marks them as Spartans to differentiate them from other Greeks (wonder how on earth they knew who was who in battle among themselves......). Zvezda has followed the historical certainties and has turned down doubtful possibilities.


ARMY REPRESENTATION - 5.0
"The army representation score is the potential of the soldiers to be used for other purposes different to the one originally intended"

The absence of the lambda symbol makes that these troops could really pass as any greek, so there is some scope there, but limited to the Greek polis of this era. They would need some heavy modifying to transform into hellenized peoples like Illyrians, or succesor states of Alexander. Sadly they are not very good for modification, as the plastic is very slippery and the figures are a bit fat and full of detail.

The figure of the Helot could be useful as nearly anything, from a herdsmen, subjugated auxiliar of an Armenian army to a just a poor trader.


FUNNESS - 6.5

"I feel that many reviews are oblivious to this point - there are fantastic figures, which you can´t say anything against, but they are just too "correct", maybe too static, and so just boring. So I feel that this is an important point when deciding if you buy a set"

Mixed feelings here. By one side you get the first representation of a Helot (at last!), and a little lamb to be sacrificed by a officer, a very nice touch by Zvezda. 

By the other hand, they are Spartans, they should look awesome, and they don't. They don't seem fierce at all. There isn't any cruel pose, or specially ferocious one, nor a challenging one. 

And, for once, Zvezda has become mad with the quantity of each pose. They give you two different musicians (which is not indispensable) and 9 figures of the same hoplite! and 6 men with their shield on the ground! they are Spartans, not idle Beotians!


Personally, I can't call them Spartans. For me they would be Spartan allies, something like a Peloponnesian league mix. 


WARGAMING VALUE - 6.5

Plenty of musicians (two!), and two different commanders, but these troops are just Spartan hoplites, forgetting all the peltasts, archers, and in a very minor role light cavalry (clearly done to represent the famous 300 Spartans). The 6 men with their shield on the ground won't help either. 

PRICE-VALUE RATIO - 6.0

"The price value ratio of this soldiers will vary between every shop you go, and the best I can do is judge by their average price on eBay and online stores"

They are more or less at 11 €, which is not very good value, considering the 41 men and all the flaws mentioned.



PAINTING AND GLUING - 4.0

Same Zvezda plastic as always. Clean it with detergent to paint it, and hope it doesn't break because you won't be able to re-glue it solidly.


OVERALL VALORATION - 6.0

This set has completely disappointed me. I thought from looking without paying attention to the details that this was an awesome set, but extracting the lamb and soldier ready to sacrifice this is a forgettable set. The Zvezda original "Greek Army", although the detail wasn't so sharp, is still by far the best Greek set ever made. 

Zvezda has earned a name for making flawless figures, and this set is just not in the level of their other figures.

Conclusion; 3d modelling starts a new era, but not necessarily a better one.


If you have enjoyed this review and want to say thanks, the best way is to click in one of the advertisings in the blog. Every little help will be appreciated. 






PAINTED EXAMPLES

I haven't painted mine yet, but if you do, please send me pics to tam_cob@hotmail.com and I will include them here!

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next battle!

Airfix Heller US MARINES World War II 2 u.s. infantry HO/OO scale 1/72 WW2 Set 01716 79616

AIRFIX 1:72 WWII US MARINES

The Box

The new box is the reuse of the artwork of the 1/32 figures, which is certainly very nice, very realistic. In the back they show you the actual soldiers and number of each pose, which is very appreciated. The second box is correct, although it reminds me a bit of Vietnam, more than WW2. Finally comes the Heller examples, which seems a modern soldier in North Korea or Irak more than anything else.

                         The Figures

SCULPTING - 8.0 out of 10

The sculpting is ok, these are old school 1/72, (originaly sold as HO/OO, which is 1/76) which come out to be quite small, even if you compare them with Esci soldiers they look small. Compare them with some Zvezda and you have a battle between Dwarfs and Elfs!

Sculpting is good, details are clear. My examples are Heller reissue, and some present a bit of flash. Probably the originals have no flash at all.


HISTORICAL ACCURACY - 7 out of 10

What you will see is that these men practically doesn't carry any equipment whatsoever, which makes them look strange while disembarking, but also is refreshing compared to some modern miniatures which are overpacked with absolutely all equipment that "oficially" was to be carried. If you consult some war photographs, you will see that most men in actual combat wore little more than their weapon and a pack of cigars. Besides this, there is some errors in the pouches and the disposition of equipment, but nothing too important.

By the way, the boat given is nothing else than a rescue boat, not a proper landing craft in any sense.

ARMY REPRESENTATION - 7.0

"The army representation score is the potential of the soldiers to be used for other purposes different to the one originally intended"

 All WW2 figures they are what they are, and you can only slightly modify them to change them of war theater or exact timeframe. These however, are so standard, and so lightly equipped, that they could be used with little modifications as a standard post-war army for many countries, like South American dictatorships, or in modern African conflicts. Painting and a changing a bit the helmet will be all you need for a quite convincing modern role.

FUNNESS - 7.0

"I feel that many reviews are oblivious to this point - there are fantastic figures, which you can´t say anything against, but they are just too "correct", maybe too static, and just boring. So I feel that this is an important point when deciding if you buy this set"

You get a nice boat, which is always fun, you get a man firing slightly up, a bazooka man, which I always like very much and is perfect to show him fighting against elevated coastal defenses, and you get plenty of prone poses which are perfect for the subject.

But we lack a general, at least a officer or just somebody giving orders, and maybe something else, something more special.

WARGAMING VALUE - 7.5

The wargaming value is good, they are actually in fighting and in very active poses. Just one man is not really fighting as it is just marching or walking around.

PRICE-VALUE RATIO - 7.5

"The price value ratio of this soldiers will vary between any shops you go to, and the best I can do is judge by their average price on eBay and online stores"

They're very easy to find on eBay, if buy lots is nearly impossible not to get some. And now with Airfix reissue you'll find them nearly in every store that can have miniatures. They are a bit few (44, because of the boat that eats the plastic of 4 figures!) but they are correct.

PAINTING AND GLUEING - 4.0

Luckily you don't have to glue anything, as it will be impossible with these so very soft plastic. As with most Airfix sets, their flexibility avoids breakages but is very annoying to paint.

OVERALL VALORATION - 7.0

A correct set, without much exciting things, their strong point are their very active fighting poses, their weak point being their dimensions (even between them, there are some big and others small) which makes them look feeble and weak.

Conclusion; their price and availability makes them a very nice addition, but they are not a first choice.

If you have enjoyed this review and want to say thanks, the best way is to click in one of the advertisings in the blog. Every little help will be appreciated. 






"If you have painted these figures, I would love to include the pics in here, so everybody can compare and use this blog as reference when painting their soldiers. So if you want, send me a email with the pictures to tam_cob@hotmail.com and I´ll gladly include them"

hI