Miniatures News
Zvezda - 2012 News
Was considering buying numbers of their Japanese mini-sets, but the fact that they can't can't even be bothered to make them compatible with their existing excellent Samurai sets (by around 3mm or more, according to PSR) means I can save my money...
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bilsonius
- Posts: 661
- Member since:
08 Feb 2009, 02:31
I think PSR's reaction to the Art of Tactic series has been interesting.
Though they give their usual high praise for the sculpting they're not giving number scores, and the Soviet Paratrooper Set review has a critical comment about scant number of figures/set:
"There is not much that modellers can do with just four figures, still less wargamers, but while few in number these are very nice figures nonetheless."
Does the PSR decision to offer only a partial review have any influence on Zvezda's future plans.
Probably not?
Though they give their usual high praise for the sculpting they're not giving number scores, and the Soviet Paratrooper Set review has a critical comment about scant number of figures/set:
"There is not much that modellers can do with just four figures, still less wargamers, but while few in number these are very nice figures nonetheless."
Does the PSR decision to offer only a partial review have any influence on Zvezda's future plans.
Probably not?-
Marshall Nay
- Posts: 248
- Member since:
04 Mar 2010, 01:29
It would be useful to see the two sets of Japanese compared ie old and new. It would also be interesting to see how the new 25.5mm figures compare with Wargames Factory 28mm figures
If they are incompatible with their previous figures then a massively huge cannon shot in the foot for Zvezda.
Over 6 foot tall is ridiculous for Japanese of this period.
The sprues with all that plastic gaming stuff are not very clever as they could have had alternate heads and arms instead of strange flags and "sushi trays". The Wargames Factory sprues are more like what I would expect and they sell 25 figures for £17 or less.
see:
http://wargamesfactory.com/webstore/rising-sun/ashigaru-yari-troops-spearmen
I prefer Zvezda's sculpting but.....
David
If they are incompatible with their previous figures then a massively huge cannon shot in the foot for Zvezda.
Over 6 foot tall is ridiculous for Japanese of this period.
The sprues with all that plastic gaming stuff are not very clever as they could have had alternate heads and arms instead of strange flags and "sushi trays". The Wargames Factory sprues are more like what I would expect and they sell 25 figures for £17 or less.
see:
http://wargamesfactory.com/webstore/rising-sun/ashigaru-yari-troops-spearmen
I prefer Zvezda's sculpting but.....
David
- David O'Brien
- Posts: 628
- Member since:
27 May 2008, 19:53
Zvezda have been shooting themselves in the foot for years now with their slapdash attention to achieving an accurate or even consistent 1/72nd scale. At times they have reminded me of the old Russian joke "The Glorious Soviet Microchip is the Biggest in the World!" 
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bilsonius
- Posts: 661
- Member since:
08 Feb 2009, 02:31
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Forum AdminIf one really wanted to get into actual theories of warfare of the 20th century, in particular the German method used in WWII had its origins in WWI. Blitzkrieg was just an adaptation of the earlier German tactics used by the storm troopers, ie the infiltration methods by small highly mobile infantry units designed to find weak points in the enemy front and exploit it to the maximum depth with speed and cause as much confusion and paralization among the enemies command and control network, advances in tank development and more portable radios made advances on the scale achieved in early WWII possible. So as far as Blitzkrieg was brand new theory in 1939 I would say no the newness was in the advances in technology and not theoretical thought.
It's just that phrase in the above piece 'it was not used in WWI' just bugged me, no it was not used like it was in 1939 but the theory and its practical application was , as far as technology would allow in 1916-18. Whew glad I got that off my chest.
It's just that phrase in the above piece 'it was not used in WWI' just bugged me, no it was not used like it was in 1939 but the theory and its practical application was , as far as technology would allow in 1916-18. Whew glad I got that off my chest.
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musketier
- Posts: 3517
- Member since:
21 Dec 2009, 16:11
Thanks for sharing, Panzer!!! 
The heavily criticized Zvezda AoT sets are a great enrichment for our hobby imho.
One can buy as many Vickers machine guns or 3-inch mortars as one needs/wishes for example.
Sculpting is top notch - as always with Zvezda, no matter if done by a sculptor or by CAD. The poses are authentic & lifelike, the uniforms & equipment will be detailed & correct, the crews are in action & actually operate their weapons and lastly their anatomy is precisely true-to-life.
I prefer the high quality they offer although I may have to pay a few cents more per figure. Because for my taste I own far too many awkward ballerinas and crippled-looking nothing doers or somewhere pointers... .
Finally affordable & realistic 2 pounder AT guns and Bofors 40mm AA guns in 1/72 & plastic!!!
Two kits many of us wanted for eons in this scale, material & quality.
This figures & kits will sell quite well I guess, early WWII is still a neglected area.
Well, at least I will order several of them for 2,69 Euros per set (just for those people who keep moaning about the prices...).
After all, Zvezda won't deliver anything below the usual insufficient Hät or Airfix standard (see some of their latest WWII sets on the same topic in comparison - real disappointments again).
Only negative aspect (from my point of view of course) is that the Matador truck & the Matilda I tank will come in 1/100 which makes them rather useless for me. I'll stick strictly to 1/72, it's the scale I favour since the 70's & that won't change anymore.
The heavily criticized Zvezda AoT sets are a great enrichment for our hobby imho.
One can buy as many Vickers machine guns or 3-inch mortars as one needs/wishes for example.
Sculpting is top notch - as always with Zvezda, no matter if done by a sculptor or by CAD. The poses are authentic & lifelike, the uniforms & equipment will be detailed & correct, the crews are in action & actually operate their weapons and lastly their anatomy is precisely true-to-life.
I prefer the high quality they offer although I may have to pay a few cents more per figure. Because for my taste I own far too many awkward ballerinas and crippled-looking nothing doers or somewhere pointers... .
Finally affordable & realistic 2 pounder AT guns and Bofors 40mm AA guns in 1/72 & plastic!!!
Two kits many of us wanted for eons in this scale, material & quality.
This figures & kits will sell quite well I guess, early WWII is still a neglected area.
Well, at least I will order several of them for 2,69 Euros per set (just for those people who keep moaning about the prices...).
After all, Zvezda won't deliver anything below the usual insufficient Hät or Airfix standard (see some of their latest WWII sets on the same topic in comparison - real disappointments again).
Only negative aspect (from my point of view of course) is that the Matador truck & the Matilda I tank will come in 1/100 which makes them rather useless for me. I'll stick strictly to 1/72, it's the scale I favour since the 70's & that won't change anymore.
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Erich von Manstein
- Posts: 1072
- Member since:
03 Jan 2009, 21:31
-=panzer=- wrote:
The 3" Mortar team are a bit 'meh!' but the Vickers and team, the infantry figures and especially the 2 Pdr are the bees knees! Looking fowards to these a lot. The Bofors will go down a storm. Very nice and I may even consider buying the game.
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steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1261
- Member since:
20 Jun 2010, 19:56
oops that's not 1/72 but the silly 1/100...
That pegasus set is quite good
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Hi Chris,
It is a simplistic view of history, that`s right. But sorry, the german army broke through the Maginot line - and not only one time.
First they did at Sedan (river Meuse crossing), at the beginning of "Fall Gelb" (First part oft the western offensive).
After that, within "Fall Rot"(second part of WO)on June 16th, the german 1st Army started it`s attack in the Colmar area and crosses river Rhine. on the 17th of june the broke trough the Maginot lines.
Some engineer units did the breaktrough more than once.
cheers oke
and I didn't knew german broke the maginot line...it's a simplistic view of history...
It is a simplistic view of history, that`s right. But sorry, the german army broke through the Maginot line - and not only one time.
First they did at Sedan (river Meuse crossing), at the beginning of "Fall Gelb" (First part oft the western offensive).
After that, within "Fall Rot"(second part of WO)on June 16th, the german 1st Army started it`s attack in the Colmar area and crosses river Rhine. on the 17th of june the broke trough the Maginot lines.
Some engineer units did the breaktrough more than once.
cheers oke
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GumSmith
- Posts: 376
- Member since:
09 Apr 2009, 16:38
GumSmith wrote:Hi Chris,
It is a simplistic view of history, that`s right. But sorry, the german army broke through the Maginot line - and not only one time.
First they did at Sedan (river Meuse crossing), at the beginning of "Fall Gelb" (First part oft the western offensive).
After that, within "Fall Rot"(second part of WO)on June 16th, the german 1st Army started it`s attack in the Colmar area and crosses river Rhine. on the 17th of june the broke trough the Maginot lines.
Some engineer units did the breaktrough more than once.
cheers oke
You're totaly right
it's just that when you read zvezda line about 1940 it seems that the all maginot line was broken by germans and that was the only real fight of this campaign...
Chris
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Chris
- Posts: 811
- Member since:
13 Oct 2009, 17:52
I truly hope that Zvezda will add the french army to their 1940 "Blitzkrieg" AoT game.
That could mean we finally get some detailed, affordable & customized Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns, Schneider 105mm Mle 1913 howitzers, Hotchkiss 25mm AA guns, Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun teams & Brandt 60mm mortar teams in 1/72 plastic.
And I wouldn't mind to integrate some new Zvezda infantry grunts to my 1940 french army which mainly consists of the excellent Pegasus & Caesar figs so far.
That could mean we finally get some detailed, affordable & customized Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns, Schneider 105mm Mle 1913 howitzers, Hotchkiss 25mm AA guns, Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun teams & Brandt 60mm mortar teams in 1/72 plastic.
And I wouldn't mind to integrate some new Zvezda infantry grunts to my 1940 french army which mainly consists of the excellent Pegasus & Caesar figs so far.
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Erich von Manstein
- Posts: 1072
- Member since:
03 Jan 2009, 21:31
Honestly, I'm looking forward to building and painting 1/100 Matilda and I think that's a great piece of news. The Matador truck as well. And don't be sad about Zvezda's new tactics- there are other figure makers who'll do their best to make interesting goods for you. It's their business, isn't it? I'm pretty certain they're very keen on filling their pockets with your money.
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DanV.
- Posts: 185
- Member since:
24 Aug 2010, 13:24