1/72 Multiverse

Thierry la Fronde was a popular French TV show from the early 60s which I am only aware of due to the existence of a rare set of 1/72 figures representing characters from the show. The set was produced by an unknown manufacturer, and rumor has it that the figures were commissioned by collectors who were fans of the series.

English pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottoms,
you sons of a silly person!

I was able to obtain a small lot of these figures recently, but unfortunately it did not include a figure of the Black Prince.

The poses are not particularly exciting, but these toys are pretty difficult to find in my experience.

If anyone has a Black Prince figure they can trade or sell, please contact me.

The similarity between the dwarf minions from Phantasm, and the Jawas from Star Wars was entirely coincidence, but it should be noted that both Don Coscarelli and George Lucas drew inspiration from Frank Herbert's Dune for their respective films.

Coscarelli makes several references to Dune in Phantasm, while early iterations of Star Wars were more noticeably influenced by Dune than the final version.

One of the references to Dune that remained in Star Wars was the Sandcrawler. However, the design by Ralph McQuarrie is completely different from the similarly named vehicle from Dune, and was modeled in part after NASA's Crawler-transporter vehicles.

Kenner made a radio-controlled version of the Sandcrawler to go along with its 3¾" action figures, which sells for a fortune nowadays. A subsequent Hasbro version without the radio-control features was given an exclusive re-release around 2004, and sells for a smaller fortune.

I have one of these later versions, which measures 16" long, and 8" high. It scales out to about 1/100 scale if we go by the commonly given dimensions for the Sandcrawler.

However, the Hasbro Sandcrawler doesn't look far off of 1/72 scale when compared to the appearance of the full-scale model that was used for filming.

One of the projects that I hope to accomplish someday is to build an interior, add an opening front ramp, and install lighting in this model.

HIQ Parts is a company that sells tools, decals, and aftermarket accessories primarily for Gundam kits. I became familiar with their products while searching for pastel colored number decals to use for marking ita-tanks.

TR Decal

They also make two styles of caution markings which I thought would be useful for sci-fi kits. I picked up some of the 1/144 scale decals, but 1/100 versions are also available.

RB01 Caution Decal

RB02 Caution Decal

I was originally going to just put numbers on the sides of my Miku Jagdtiger, but when I placed the smaller numbers from the decal sheet on to the tank, they didn't look very good. Luckily the decal film was very sturdy, so before they dried, I floated them off of the model and put them back into water to figure out to do next.

My solution was to create some race number tags out of some old decals, and apply the numbers on top.

I placed some of the caution decals on the tank as well. They go on very easily, and also hold up nicely to handling. I didn't use any decal setting or softening solution on them, so I'm not sure how the decal film reacts to chemical treatment.

I have no issues with the HIQ decals. I believe they are all silk screen printed, and come in a variety of pastel colors that are ideal for my purposes.

I don't remember food (or lack thereof) ever being a particular issue when playing tabletop RPGs, but it was often a mechanic used in computer RPGs (e.g., Rogue, NetHack, Ultima).

One of the methods of preventing death by starvation in the dungeon in rogue-like games was to eat the corpses of monsters that you had killed in the dungeon.

The manga Dungeon Meshi by Ryōko Kui is a humorous take on this concept.

The English language version of the manga is published by Yen Press, and I believe that two volumes have been released so far.

The translated name uses the original subtitle of the manga, "Delicious in Dungeon", but I would have personally used something like "Dungeons and Dining" as a play off of D&D, or "Dungeon Eats" which is closer to what "Dungeon Meshi" would translate as.

Some of the monsters cooked up by the adventurers include giant bats, giant scorpions, myconids, slimes, living armor, carnivorous plants, and basilisks.

In one episode, they kill a kraken, but unfortunately it didn't taste as good as Marcille envisioned.

The episode reminded me of an article by Bill Johnson printed in the Wyrm's Footnotes about cooking walktapus.

Walktapus is also an ingredient of the Everlast biscuits used as rations by the troops of the Broo King of Dorastor.

The walktapus of course, is a tainted chaos creature from Glorantha with a head like a giant octopus, and a man-like body. It has the ability to regenerate, and can release poison gas in the manner that a normal octopus would release ink.

I recently was able to complete my collection of walktapodes when I picked up an Archive Giant Octopus (Fantasy 5038) which was originally used as the head of the Archive Walktapus (RuneQuest 819).

I've had the body (which is the same as that of the Arduin Shadow Golem) for years, but was missing the head.

The following image is of the Archive Walktapus, the Martian Metals Walktapus (RuneQuest 7002), and the Ral Partha Walktapus (RuneQuest 18-402).

The Martian Metals miniature comes in two pieces like the Archive miniature, but the Ral Partha miniature is a single piece casting.

Lance & Laser also made a walktapus, but at ~2.5" in height it would have towered over my other octopodes, so I had no use for it. The Lance & Laser walktapus suffered the fate of the Archive walktapus, and now only exists as a [giant] octopus from Armorcast.

Models of vehicles that make up Israel's Iron Dome air defense system have been produced by Panzerkampf which is ostensibly a Chinese company, but seems to be based out of Spain.

I've seen references to these models announced as far back as 2015, but it's possible that they may have only been available in Israel until this month. Some background on how the models came into being can be found at ISRAEL21c.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the models, since I've seen some pictures where the entire models were fully painted, while others looked more toy-like because it looked like only the metal parts were painted.

In any event, the models I received seem to be of the fully painted type. The truck cab and some of the body are made of metal, the tires are made of vinyl, and the mounted units and remaining parts are made of different types of plastic.

The radar unit, control unit, and missile launcher are all mounted on identical RMMV trucks of some type. Translucent plastic is used for the colored dome lights on the trucks, but I think that they should actually be amber colored instead of red.

The radar unit is attached to the body of the truck, but is capable of elevating and rotating.

I'm not sure if the color of the radar unit is accurate though, since from what I've seen in pictures, it seems to usually be the same color as the trucks.

The control unit is fairly unremarkable. It has the Rafael logo on the side, which I'm guessing only appeared on demonstration units.

The launcher is of course the centerpiece of the set. The unit can elevate, but is firmly attached to the body of the truck.

The lights on the launcher are painted red, but should probably be one amber, and one red.

The launchers are sometimes described as having fixed or mobile capabilities, but it's not clear if mobile means that the launchers can be fired from the back of the truck. I have only seen video of the rockets being fired from a fixed position at any rate.

It would have been nice if the launchers were available separately or at least removable so that a battery of 3–4 units could be put together.

The following promotional video from Rafael shows how the system is deployed.

The paravane (aka water kite, sweep, tadpole) was developed during WWI as a countermeasure against underwater mines.

It had a secondary usage against submarines that was probably infrequently used, and even less often likely to be successful.

I became aware of this obscure piece of equipment because they were shown in the Haifuri anime from last year, so when I came across some 1/72 scale models while browsing through Shapeways, I decided to buy a couple of the more inexpensive models from the 3D Boats store.

Three sentence review of Haifuri from Himeuta Channel

The models I bought were described as early RN paravanes, but they also looked like certain types of USN and IJN paravanes as well. Unfortunately, I couldn't really find any references on the appearance and classification of WWII paravanes to verify any of this.

The models were printed with the Frosted Ultra Detail material, and require the addition of some bent wire to complete.

The resin used for the print allows a good level of detail. but is still unable to achieve the perfectly smooth surfaces of traditional models. FUD seems to be somewhat brittle, so care is needed when handling models made with the material (particularly with very thin parts).

The translucent properties of the material looks like it might have potential applications as well.

The models are covered with a sticky layer of support wax, and dust will stick to the wax and form a gooey mess on the surface if they are left on the desktop for any period of time.

To remove the wax, I washed the models with dishwasher detergent, then swabbed them down with 95% isopropanol.

I sprayed one of the models with a couple of coats of gray primer, hoping that the paint was sufficient to hide the layer lines of the print.

The top of the model didn't look too bad, but the lines on the underside of the model became a lot more apparent after the primer (I think they were a lot deeper to begin with, but it was difficult to tell until the model was painted).

I guess I need to add some smoothing epoxy to my shopping list for next month in order to finish these models.

From Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

The scarecrow has been used since ancient times to prevent the depredation of fields by birds during planting season and harvest season. It's use during harvest in particular has led to the scarecrow becoming closely associated with Fall.

The animated scarecrow is of more recent origin, with the earliest example that I can find being Feathertop from the eponymous short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Some may argue that Kuebiko (久延毘古) qualifies as an animated scarecrow, but since he is described as being immobile (though capable of speech), the point is moot.

In any event, both Feathertop and Kuebiko were entirely benign, and it wasn't until recent times that more sinister scarecrows became prevalent. The TV movie Dark Night of the Scarecrow (which I vaguely recall seeing, back in the day) is credited with popularizing the "killer scarecrow".

The D&D scarecrow appeared in the Fiend Folio in the same year as Dark Night of the Scarecrow, but the two scarecrows were quite different in appearance.

Scarecrows seem to fall into two main categories as far as looks go. One type has a turnip or gourd for a head, while the other has a sack filled with rags or straw for a head.

Do not confuse the two.
One is a Bram Stoker Award winner,
the other has an audience score of
26% on Rotten Tomatoes.

There are several companies that make scarecrow miniatures, but finding figures that are close to 1/72 scale is more problematic.

The first miniatures I found were the lesser scarecrows from Monolith Designs. Their website hasn't been updated in over 10 years, but the last time I sent an e-mail, they were still in business, and I was able to order a couple of packs of their scarecrows.

From Beyond Crow021

From Beyond Crow022

The scarecrows have old world jack-o'-lantern heads with straw bodies, and are armed with various farm implements.

I modified some of the models to look like the 28mm scarecrows from their Crow011 and Crow012 sets, and replaced the head on one figure with a new world jack-o'-lantern head.

I really like the Monolith lesser scarecrows, although I have one nitpick with the way they painted their samples figures.

If the stem is at the top of the head, the purple color should probably be painted on the upper portion of the head, not the bottom.

Another figure that can be used as a scarecrow is available from North Star Military Figures. They produce a Small Construct (center), which can pass for a sack-headed scarecrow.

The Northstar figure is not as good a value as the Monolith Designs figures, but it is part of a set (Frostgrave Bestiary FGV303), and comes with a Medium Construct that can be used as a wood golem.

A gallery of scarecrows created by "Rot" that you can use to fuel your imagination can be found at Pumpkinrot Works.

The Unimog is a versatile all-purpose vehicle renowned for its off-road characteristics. The platform has been used worldwide for civilian and military purposes since the end of WWII, but it does not have the name recognition of the Land Rover or Hummer in the U.S. because they are not sold here (due to regulatory compliance issues).

The naming conventions used for the Unimog can be rather confusing since they are sometimes described using the series number, and sometimes described using the model number, and sometimes just referred to as "Unimog" without any indication of series or model.

I will use the series number when referring to specific types of vehicles in this post since the model number reflects the horsepower of the engine, and can be identical for two Unimogs from different series.

All of the Unimogs that I currently own are diecast models. There are a number of resin and white metal kits of military Unimogs on the market, but since they are 3–10 times the cost of a diecast toy, I decided to pass on them for the moment.

One of the oldest diecast models of the Unimog is the Matchbox toy from Lesney Products (blue). It dates to 1967, and has no given scale. Next to it is the Tomica Unimog (yellow) which is listed as 1/70 scale and slightly smaller than the Matchbox Unimog.

These models represent medium-duty 406 series Unimogs (manufactured 1963 to 1989), and are ~1–2mm too long for a 1/72 model. However, any difference would probably be more apparent with respect to height rather than length or width.

The next Unimog is a fire engine version produced by Atlas, described as a 404 series VLF (Vorauslöeschfahrzeug) Unimog.

Not to be outdone by Altaya, Atlas also decided to attach the model to its base with a security screw system, but in this case I was able to remove them with a hex wrench.

The 404 series (manufactured 1955 to 1980) has the long wheelbase, and was apparently popular with European and African armies. The wheelbase measurement of the model is almost dead-on for 1/72 scale.

The side mirrors are very delicate, and I managed to break both of them while unscrewing the model. Luckily they were easily fixed with a little CA glue. The tow hook also fell off, and I only noticed because I found a small plastic piece in the carpet that looked like a model part. Definitely a display-only model.

The next pair are a Majorette Unimog with green camouflage markings, and a Hot Wheels Unimog in desert camouflage.

The Majorette model was packaged with a couple of knockoff Airfix German soldiers like the rest of their Series 220 Special Forces sets.

I'm not sure if these models are supposed to be the heavy-duty 425 series, 435 series (both manufactured 1975 to 1993), or 437 series UHN (Hochgeländegängig) ‎(manufactured 1988 to present). However, most pictures of military Unimogs that I've seen appear to be from the 425 (aka model U1300) or 435 series (aka model U1300L).

I've seen the Majorette Unimog described as being 1/82 scale (which sounds about right), so they're probably okay to use for 15mm gaming (though some might want to replace the monster truck wheels with something more suitable).

The models are about the same size as the Matchbox and Tomica vehicles, but really undersized in both wheelbase and cab size if they are supposed to be series 425/435/437 Unimogs.

The final models are Hongwell medium-duty 405 series UGN (Geräteträger) Unimogs ‎(manufactured 2000 to present).

Hongwell also decided to make these models hard to remove from the packaging by using a screw inside a tube that was too narrow for my regular screwdriver. The Phillips head jewelers screwdrivers (< size 0) that did fit into the tube were too small to turn the screw (~size 1), so I had to use a slotted blade screwdriver to release the models.

These are really nice models with metal cab on plastic undercarriage. The tilting bed with swinging tailgate is also made of metal. The wheelbase is ~52mm which scales out to 3.75m, but I'm not sure if there is a UGN with this length wheelbase, or if the model is off-scale.

Last is a comparison shot of all the Unimogs from this post.

Over the summer, Reviresco brought the old school McEwan Miniatures line of 25mm (and 28mm) fantasy miniatures back into production. I purchased a few of the 25mm figures hoping that they were similar in size to their 25mm Starguard figures.

This post is a short review of the miniatures that I received. The first figures are of a Demon Class I and an Evil Priest.

The Evil Priest is sold as part of the Evil Priest & Sacrifice set, which consists of the former Evil High Priest (Heros and Wizards WZ-11), and Alter [sic] of Chaos with Sacrifice (Fantasy Items AS-22).

The Evil Priest has the look of an Egyptian priest, and perhaps was modeled after Thoth-amon from the Conan stories by REH.

The demon is not the Type I Demon of AD&D, but I like it because it is not much bigger than a human, which is how demons are often pictured in medieval illustrations.

The next miniatures are a Sphinx Female and a Sphinx Male.

These are not colossal sphinxes like stone monuments, but they are of a size that reflect figures shown on ancient Greek pottery. They also look like they may have been modeled after the gynosphinx and androsphinx illustrated in the AD&D Monster Manual.

The final figures are from the Armored Goblins set. These figures were previously called Lesser Orcs (Heros and Wizards WZ-10). The set consists of six figures in two poses with shields and a mix of swords.

The figures appear to represent goblins (orcs) of Isengard based on the symbol depicted on their shields. They also remind me a lot of the old Citadel Red Orcs.

The McEwan figures match up very well with 1/72 figures. They are obviously crude in comparison to modern figures, but I still like them a lot. I wouldn't say it is due to nostalgia, since I wasn't even aware of these figures when I first started playing FRPGs. Perhaps it is their simplicity that makes me use my imagination to fill in the details when I look at them that makes them appealing. Who knows?

I plan on getting more figures from the line, and if others are interested, Reviresco is currently having a 20% off sale until Dec. 15 2017.

For various reasons, 2017 has resulted in my lowest post output by far. Still, as of today, the blog has received enough traffic to reach 500,000 hits.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog, and to those who've corresponded with me. I apologize for not always being able to respond as I would like to, but events of the past year really took away a lot of my free time.

I was able to get away for a couple of weeks at the end of the year, and now I'm back and ready to write more articles on our favorite scale.

Magaidou (マガイドウ) is a company that produces gashapon for capsule toy vending machines. Some of their more popular lines include junkyard cars [trains, ships, spaceships...], Medjed, and figures made in the style of green plastic army men.

Their first set from the Green Army Japan (グリーンアーミージャパン) series was of figures taken from Chōjū-giga, while their second set was of a sankin-kōtai entourage.

Sankin-kōtai (参勤交代) was a custom imposed upon feudal lords during the Tokugawa shogunate as a means to reduce their economic power.

What caught my attention about these figures when I saw them in Tokyo recently, was that they were 1/72 scale. The figures came out in 2016, so I didn't see them in any of the gashapon machines that I encountered, but they are available from a number of different shops selling gashapon toys.

The original price for one capsule containing two figures was ￥200, which is about how much I paid for them. Later, I found places on the internet selling them for under ￥800 for a complete set (before shipping).

The first two sets consist of peasant siblings and a dandy (百姓姉弟＆伊達男), and a lantern [carrier] and spear bearer (提灯＆槍持ち^[1]).

The third, fifth, and sixth sets consist of a standard [bearer] and archer (大羽車^[2]＆弓組み), a foot soldier and musketeer (御徒歩＆鉄砲組み), and a spearman and parasol [carrier] (長槍＆大羽車^[2]).

The seventh and eighth sets are of a forward attendant ^[3] and chest [porter] (先祓い＆挟箱), and a three part palanquin (bearing lord) (御籠（殿様)).

I was unable to find the senior retainer and horse set (御家老＆馬セット) to complete the entire series.

The figures are made of PVC and are definitely toy-like. The sculpting is very basic, with thick, over scale weapons and accouterments. However, I think this is understandable, since they were made to represent green army man figures.

Here's a Japanese video review that give a closer look at the full set of figures.

[1] The word used here is yarimochi, which translates as spear carrier, but I think that he is actually carrying a naginata, so the term may be more generic for soldiers with polearms.

[2] The word used here is daihaguruma (?). I don't even think the Japanese reviewer in the video is super sure of this kanji reading. The only definition that I was able to find of the word [haguruma] stated that it is a portable shrine similar to a mikoshi, which these are obviously not. I called one of the daihaguruma a standard, though I think its a big bunch of feathers, and the other one a parasol, though it's some sort of dome-shaped item wrapped in a cloth.

[3] I translated the word sakibarai as "forward attendant" because that is one of the definitions of the word, but the figure carries a monk's shakujō which suggests that another meaning related to "exorcist" may actually be more appropriate. I decided to go with "attendant" because the figure is definitely not dressed as a monk, but it's possible I made the wrong choice...

This post is a follow-up from my previous article on McEwan Miniatures, and covers several of the human and dwarf figure sets.

The first picture has figures from the Men at Arms set (left), and the Warrior Maid set (right). The Men at Arms set comes with 6 pairs of identical swords and shields. The Warrior Maid set comes with a mounted version of the figure (which seems to have been missing in my set), and a horse, along with shields and swords. A male footman in ring mail is also included in the set.

The men-at-arms are sculpted in a simple style, with high crowned helmets that make them appear to be taller than they actually are. The figures in the Warrior Maid set are more detailed, but the sculpting is on the chunky side.

The next image is of the Dancing Girls set (left) which were originally a Dancing Girl (HE-9) and Harem Girl (HE-3), and the Evil Priestesses set (right) which were originally a Priestess of Isis (WZ-4) and Sorceress (WZ-2).

The dancing girls are simple sculpts, and probably the sculpts that I like the best out of all the figures in this particular review. The priestesses have a lot more detail, but again the details are large and chunky, which detracts from the figures.

In the next image is the Fat Knight Sir Boars (left) formerly known as just Fat Knight (HE-18). The set comes with a mounted version of Sir Boars and a horse in caparison, as well as heater shields and swords for both mounted and dismounted figures. The second pair of figures (right) are the hag (formerly WZ-3) and hunchback (formerly WZ-5) from the Hunchback Servant & Hag set.

Sir Hubert de Boars is short and fat. The sculpt is nice and simple. The same goes for the hag and the hunchback. I like the later in particular, which seems to be modeled after Igor from Young Frankenstein.

In the final picture, the first two figures (originally HE-26 and HE-10) are from the Dwarf & Dwarfett set (left), while the three figures to the right are from the Armored Dwarfs set. Both sets come with a mix of weapons (mostly axes) and round shields.

For me, these dwarves are on the tall side. I suppose they could be used as mountain dwarves. There are three poses for the armored dwarves, but you get a random mix in the set. The first armored dwarf seems to be a modified version of the male dwarf from the Dwarf and Dwarfett set.

Overall, I'd say that the humans can pretty much be used as 1/72 scale figures, but they have the typical overly large hands and heads encountered with metal figures. The dwarves on the other hand, are a lot taller than the typical miniatures I use for dwarves, so are not particularly useful for me.

Advertisement for the 60mm Medieval Collection.

The Spanish publisher del Prado was established in 1988 and is known for its partwork series subscriptions that come bundled with collectible models. They are supposed to have had a presence in the USA at one time, but I have never seen any of their publications on sale anywhere. I'm not even sure if they are still in business, since some of their properties have apparently been sold off.

I was more familiar with their diecast fire engines, since they made them in 1/72 scale, but recently I found out that 1/72 Napoleonic and medieval figures were sold under the del Prado label.

I was a bit hesitant about buying any of the figures at first, since it seemed that some of the putative 1/72 Napoleonic figures might actually be closer to 28mm, but after finding a large lot of the medieval figures on eBay for a little over US$1 a figure, I decided to take a chance and purchase the lot.

When I received the package, I wondered what I had been sent because it looked as if the contents had been taped up in a tattered paper bag that was full of holes.

When I opened the paper, I saw that half of the figures inside had fallen out of their blisters. The plastic packaging contained water, and the backings were still all damp. It seems Deutsche Post somehow half drowned the package, and that the outer wrapping was originally a box, before being deformed by water damage.

Anyway, the figures all seemed to be there, and the loose figures didn't seem to have much in the way of damage to the paint, so I guess it wasn't a huge deal in the end.

Here are the figures I received, starting with castle besiegers in red and white livery.

AME001, AME004, AME007, AME008, AME010

AME012, AME015, AME017, AME019

AME021, AME023, AME026, AME028

AME036, AME038

Next are the castle defenders in gold and red livery.

AME003, AME006, AME009, AME011

AME014, AME020, AME024

Overall, I like these figures. They match up well with 1/72 plastics, and are well sculpted with good proportions. Some of the figures seem to be made of lead, so the metal is very soft, but others are made of a harder tin alloy. The paint jobs are not the greatest quality. It is a bit on the sloppy side, but at least they are painted (unlike the large part of my collection).

I may try to buy some Napoleonics to do comparisons at some point if I see them for cheap, but I really would like to complete a set of medieval figures. It is unclear how many figures were produced in the series, and from the looks of some of the poses, a siege engine may even be part of the line. I'd be interested to hear from people who have more information on these figures.

I became interested in mining trucks because of a vehicle that was part of the Barjack Army in the manga Battle Angel Alita. The truck in the manga is a 3-axle vehicle that looked like it was based on the typical Caterpillar or Komatsu mining truck.

The closest thing I could find in both scale and appearance was a 1/75 scale model of the 240 ton payload Caterpillar 793D mining truck produced by KDW (Kaidiwei; 凯迪威), aka Guangdong Kaidiwei Culture Co.,Ltd (广东凯迪威文化股份有限公司).

The model comes in two different colors, and is sometimes advertised as being 1/72 scale.

The truck is very heavy, with a diecast metal hopper and undercarriage. The tires and other various pieces are made of plastic and vinyl. The articulated front axle steering system allows the front wheels to pivot.

The markings are spurious to avoid trademark complications, but I don't think it would have hurt to spell "Truck" correctly...

The telescopic cylinders that allow the truck bed to be raised are fully capable of supporting the weight of the hopper without it sinking back down on its own.

Measuring the wheelbase seems to indicate that it is somewhere between 1/75 scale and 1/72 scale (80mm measured; 78.7mm if 1/75, 82mm if 1/72).

PSC released their first 1/72 modern tank model in the form of the T-55 as part of a "willstarter" pre-order program (200 pre-orders and they will produce the kit).

These are quick build models designed for wargaming, with three tanks in every box. Optional parts allow you to make the T-55 (Soviet or Polish), T-55A (Soviet, Czech, or Polish), or the T-55AM2.

The details on the parts are on the chunky side, giving the models a toyish look. Also, if you look closely at the parts, you can see layer lines, suggesting that the original pieces were probably created using 3D printing technology.

The tracks are pretty disappointing, and I'm not sure that there is any easy way to make them better looking. The rear drive sprockets also look to be somewhat oversized.

The turret is missing the ports for the coaxial machinegun and telescopic sight.

The rivets on the cupolas are enormous, and the DShK is very chunky. I also don't think that the T-55A loader's hatch is correct for the Czech version. In most of the pictures that I found, the hatch was more like the one designated for the T-55 in the instructions.

The loader's hatch cover also seemed to be rather unusual, being particularly thick, and with a lip around the edge.

The round shape seems okay, but most pictures seem to show that the cover is either flat or slightly domed.

For some tanks, the cover was also more "D" shaped, but there was no option for this type of hatch cover in the kit. Since my plan was to build a T-55A of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps, I decided to start off by modifying the loader's hatch cover to reflect this appearance. I used a circle template and etched an arc with my scribing tool.

The arc should have been wider, so I had to file it down to a flatter shape after I cut the cover in two. I also thinned the plastic down a bit, though it's probably still too thick.

After that, I assembled all the major parts of the tank (which probably took less than 10 minutes), and took some comparison shots with a Hobby Master T-55A (HG3315).

As far as the two tanks compare, the hull of the Hobby Master tank is about 1mm wider, but they are pretty much the same length. The PSC tank actually looks shorter, but this is due to the turret being set further back on the hull so that the barrel of the cannon is 2mm further back.

The Hobby Master tank has a rounder turret, while the PSC tank has a more egg-shaped turret. I do not know which one is more accurate.

Despite the various deficiencies that I mentioned earlier, I still think the PSC models are well worth getting. They are sturdy models that are great for wargaming, and definitely look the part of a T-55. There are a lot of spare parts, and the D10T barrel is particularly nice (it really comes in handy if you have any Ace T54/T55/Type59 models with their poorly shaped guns).

Modrons were introduced to AD&D starting with the Monster Manual II, and quickly earned a reputation among some players as being, stupid, useless, or both stupid and useless.

Their creation was supposed to have been inspired by the novella Flatland, in which modrons would probably be classified as inhabitants of Spaceland.

I became interested in them only recently, after listening to the audiobook version of The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt. In the story, a group of pulp era adventurers encounter an enclave of sentient metal beings in the Himalayas. The description of their city with marching ranks of metallic beings really evoked the imagery of modron society for me.

If I ever use modrons in a game, I plan on basing them after the Metal People from the novel. The three forms of the Metal People are sphere, cube, and pyramid (analogous to monodrone, tridrone, and quadrone).

The rulers of the Metal People are dubbed "The Metal Emperor" and "The Keeper of the Cones", and can be likened to heirarch modrons (although unlike heirarch modrons, they are just larger versions of the base forms).

The ability of these metallic beings to join together as a gigantic metal monster is a feature that I would add to the otherwise lackluster repertoire of modron special powers.

In any event, the D&D Miniatures line contains three modron figures - the Monodrone (Tomb of Annihilation #10), the Duodrone (Tomb of Annihilation #19), and the Quadrone (Monster Menagerie III #18).

In the Monster Manual II the monodrone is said to be small in size, and about 3½ feet [tall?]. The specifications are not clear, but if the stated size refers to the diameter of the body, it would be fairly close to 1/72 scale.

I decided to convert one of my monodrone figures by giving it the arms from a duodrone. It reminds me a bit of Atlas from Portal 2.

The original duodrones were rectangular in shape and stated to be 4½ feet long. The current duodrone is shaped like a barbell, and has a face that looks like the deckman robots from Battle Angel Alita.

I'm not a big fan of the duodrone in general, and cut the figure up to use as parts for conversions.

Quadrones are listed as being medium size, but typical illustrations show them being roughly similar in size to monodrones. This is also reflected by the size of the miniatures.

I took the duodrone that I cut up, and made it into a quadrone. The plastic that these miniatures are made of responds amazingly well to CA glue.

Based on canonical D&D art, I would say that these figures are too big for 1/72, and the monodrone is probably over-sized even for 28mm. It's not an issue for me though, since I am open to having modrons of different sizes, and will blend my modron backstory with that of the Metal People from The Metal Monster.

It looks like the 1/72 Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte from Modelcollect has hit the shelves and started making its way into the hands of modelers across the world.

I'm undecided about buying this model because on the one hand, it is just ridiculously massive, and on the other hand it is just ridiculously massive.

Video of moving suspension on Modelcollect Ratte.*

It seems to be priced between US$80 to US$140 from various retailers, and there is also a separate Weapon Set Pack running about US$60 that allows the addition of various wunderwaffe on the rear deck of this behemoth.

I've found one Korean unboxing review for the kit so far.

For the moment I'll postpone any buying decision until more reviews and build reports start to show up. I'm thinking that this model is just calling out for a motorization kit.

* For those of you who don't do the "Facebook" thing, you can find the video (and others) here at Toyland Hobby Modeling Magazine.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to reduce the amount of unpainted lead that I owned by challenging myself to finish one miniature a day. I was able to keep my streak going for about a week and a half, before the demands of real life took priority again.

The first group of miniatures in this post are my wood golems. The ones that I painted (left) are the Large Construct (FGV305) and Medium Construct (FGV303) produced by North Star Military Figures for the Frostgrave game from Osprey.

The two other wood golems (right) are the Mage Knight Wood Golem (Rebellion #063) and the Pathfinder Wood Golem (Maze of Death #13).

The next group of miniatures that I painted are produced by Alternative Armies for the Fightin' Fungi game from Ganesha Games.

The miniatures (from left to right) are the Master of Mushrooms (FIFU028), Zombie Fungus (FIFU011), Goblin Fungus Zombie (FIFU024), Sporeling (FIFU015), and Puffball Spore Bomb (FIFU032).

The majority of the miniatures from this line are big, but pretty much any of them can be used for 1/72 fantasy gaming, depending on your tolerances.

In the future, I might get some more of the small miniatures, and maybe some of the larger fungi without weapons.

The glass-encased Gyrosphere is a fictional amusement park vehicle used in the Jurassic World movies.

They remind me a lot of the Le Bar Cars (aka Leswing Car, Happy Car, or Leisure Car) produced in China for use in amusement parks (although I'm not sure if they're used in any actual amusement parks anywhere).

Anyway, Matchbox makes a toy of the Jurassic World Gyrosphere (MB1112) which I picked up at a local WalMart when I saw it on sale for 94¢.

The Gyrosphere measures about 33mm in diameter. It differs from the movie vehicle in that the dome is tinted blue, and the side doors are opaque instead of being clear.

I was unable to find any official dimensions for the vehicle, but it looked pretty close to being 1/72 scale based on pictures from the movies. Certainly the seats in the Matchbox Gyrosphere look okay for 1/72 scale passengers.

I did find out that the acrylic dome used for the movie prop was 87" in diameter, which would make the Matchbox Gyrosphere close to 1/67 scale. That's close enough for me.

If I can find additional Gyrospheres at 94¢, I will pick up a couple more to try some modifications. I'd like to see how easy it is to take one apart to add some passengers, and also to recreate the doors in clear resin.

The AT-105 Saxon is a cold war era armored personnel carrier. It was intended to provide rapid transport for troops from the UK to reinforce BAOR units in the event of attack by Warsaw Pact forces.

There have been several resin and white metal models of the Saxon in 1/76 scale, but up until a couple of years ago, there was nothing in 1/72 scale.

The first 1/72 scale model of the Saxon was a diecast car made by Toyeast Ltd. as part of their Tiny City product line. The particular vehicle was a Hong Kong Police PTU Vehicle.

This is the 2017 release of the model –
the 2015 release was PTU 90

Their most recent release from earlier this year is a Saxon in ISAF livery.

Armada Hobby has also released a series of resin Saxon APCs this year, but at over triple the cost of the diecast model, I'll stick with the diecast models for now.

Anyway, here is my lineup of Tiny Saxons.

PTU 94 (ATC64104) and PTU 91 (ATC64112)

PTU 94 is the second release of the standard HK Police Saxon. The first release has the markings for PTU 90, and is probably difficult to find nowadays.

PTU 91 is a Tiny VIP Club member exclusive, though it was available in retail at just a slight premium compared to the regular model. It has a platform over the roof, but I'm not sure what purpose it serves.

PTU 95 (ATC64110) and PTU 96 (ATC64384)

PTU 95 is a limited edition, and PTU 96 is a 7-11 exclusive. The models are identical except for their markings. The only other difference besides the roof number and license plate number, is that PTU 96 carries the HKPF emblem on the armored cowl over the radiator.

These models [counting PTU 90 which I don't own] account for five of the seven Saxons used by HKPF. The models are quite nice with decent detailing, though they are missing the spotlight and smoke grenade launchers that are mounted on the cupola.

The last two models are military vehicles.

UN (ATC64021) and ISAF (ATC64229)

These models are identical to the police versions, except they have a machine gun in place of the dome light on the roof.

Most of the pictures of Cold War era and UN Saxons that I have seen show them without the radiator cowling. The cupola looks a bit high, but it's difficult to determine when comparing to photographs taken from ground level.

My ISAF vehicle was defective, and was missing the rear steps. The plastic parts can also be a bit fragile, so it's best to handle the models by holding the sides. I think I cracked the ramming bumper when picking the model up by the front and rear, but luckily I have some extras of the ISAF Saxon since I bought them on sale for half off.

The models are put together using screws rather than the usual rivets found on diecast cars. This will make it easy to remove the hulls for stripping and re-painting.

Overall, these are nice diecast models that are entirely suitable for wargaming. I'm not sure how useful they are as a base for conversions for scale modeling, but there are some very skillful people out there who have done more with even less of a starting point.

Thierry la Fronde

Sandcrawler

HIQ Parts

Dungeon Meshi & Walktapodes

Iron Dome

Paravane

Scarecrows

Universal-Motor-Gerät

McEwan Miniatures

500,000 Hits

Magaidou

More McEwan Miniatures

Del Prado Medieval Soldiers

Caterpillar 793D Mining Truck

PSC T-55

Modrons

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Wood golems and fungi

Gyrosphere

4-Tonner in a Tin