BTSS: News!

Apparently there's been a bit of a question mark hanging over this year's Birmingham Toy Soldier Show, a question mark concerning firstly whether it's going to be held at all and secondly concerning the venue for it, should it be going ahead

I've been completely oblivious to all this and my attention was only drawn to it thanks to the K&C UK Collectors Club newsletter that dropped through my letter box a few days ago

Thankfully, according to the newsletter, the show is back on, albeit with a different organiser at the helm and located in a different venue

The show has been taken over by Patrick Adams of the British Toy Soldier Company and will be held at Edgbaston Stadium on Sunday 12th October. In addition to this, the show will be sponsored and promoted by Bachmann Europe PLC, the new distributors for William Britain's toy soldiers

You may find the following information, which appears on the following website, [http://toysoldierfairbirmingham.com/] of some interest

Maybe I'll see you at the show in October, and in the meantime.....

Happy Hunting!

JJD: May Releases

All the very latest releases from JJD, available now for pre-order and due for shipment in May

Happy Hunting!

First Legion: Latest Releases

Following hot on the heels of the latest figures to be released for their ACW and Samurai ranges, here are a few more figures from First Legion due to be shipped in early May

First, sets GERSTAL050-GERSTAL053 are two summer Germans at rest and two winter Germans at rest.   We like to think of these figures as essentially being the same two men showing how they would have appeared at the start of the battle [Stalingrad] and how they appeared closer to the final German defeat.

    

Next we have sets DAK025-DAK031 “Fighting” DAK Infantry. 

Up to now, the range has showcased moving and resting DAK figures. These are the first true combat figures for the range which means of course that an enemy/allied release is not too far off! 

   

Finally, following up the success of our multiple figure vignette sets “Death of Lannes” and “French Camp Life” we are extremely pleased to commence the pre-order of NAP0443-NAP0448 “Holy Virgin of Smolensk” vignette sets. These figures depict the evening before the battle of Borodino when the Virgin of Smolensk Icon was paraded before the Imperial Russian Army to steel their nerves for the horrors that would come the following morning.    

The DAK, Stalingrad, and Napoleon Europe vignette are pre-orders shipping early May in just a few short weeks.  

And if that wasn't enough, how about a couple of 'sneak peaks' to get you salivating even further. First up, an utterly majestic looking Russian Uhlan officer for their flagship Napoleonic range, followed by the first regiment in yet another new range of figures just announced

First Legion is extremely pleased to present our newest figure range, the Anglo-Zulu War!!!  Part of a larger plan to cover the wars of the British Empire, we are launching the range with the iconic Great British 24th Regiment of Foot.   

Elements of the regiment were heavily engaged in the desperate and heroic defense at Rorke's Drift where less than 150 British soldiers held off a Zulu force numbering close to 4,000. In this action, the 24th Foot were awarded more Victoria Crosses than any other single regiment in a single action in British military history.    

Around the same time, the bulk of the regiment was decimated at the Battle of Isandlwana where over confidence led to the annihilation of the British and allied forces. 

Happy Hunting! 

Collectors Battlefield: Updated!

Interest in this new venture certainly seems to be hotting up. The TT forum thread is currently running at 60+ posts and there is now a companion thread running on TMP, or to give its proper title, The Miniatures Page

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=342979

One of the contributors took some photos of the figures whilst visiting a local toy soldier show and kindly posted three of them up on the forum

More is sure to follow, and in the mean time.....

Happy Hunting!

Collectors Battlefield: Update

Figures and vehicles for the new 28mm wargaming venture from Collectors Showcase are starting to become available and, by all accounts, first impressions are very promising

Sierra Toy Soldier over in California have a number of the first releases in stock and there is a thread devoted to the new range on the Treefrog Treasures toy soldier forum if you want to keep an eye on what punters are saying about the figures

http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?48127-NEW-RELEASE-PRODUCT-RANGE-Collectors-Battlfield!&p=637205

Collectors Battlefield

From Collectors Showcase a new collection of 28mm War Gaming figures In Stock Now! A complete line of 28mm gaming miniatures with accompanying rules. Collectors Battlefield is an exciting fast play 28mm war-game system. Complete with a range of hand painted 28mm figures and vehicles. We've included quick reference cards with every set that provide all the stats needed to begin game play immediately. Our game manual is geared towards easy to set up and play skirmish games. Whether you're a collector, history aficionado or devout war gamer Collectors Battlefield has something for everyone!   Happy hunting!

King and Country: April Dispatches

Here we go again with the latest round of releases and retirements from K&C. It just so happens that last month I spent quite a lot of money adding 13 retired sets to my collection so I'm delighted to say, strangely, that there's nothing this month I want. Chances are the same won't be true for you. Enjoy!

King & Country April 2014 Releases!

Cannons for the Crimea This latest "Crimean War" release shows one of the coastal Artillery pieces utilized by the Russians to defend their mighty fortress of Sevastopol, the home port of the Tsar's Black Sea Fleet. For month after month British and French forces laid siege to this great port city. Opposing them were many batteries of defending cannon among them these large guns mounted on heavy steel swivel carriages firmly ensconced behind the high, thick walls of the city's many fortresses. CR015 -- Coastal 8 inch Cannon - This swivel-mounted gun comes complete with its semi-circular angled stone base. CR016 -- Russian Artillery Officer - Wearing a traditional forest-green frock coated uniform this Russian officer observes the enemy positions before giving the order to CR017 -- Battery Pennant Bearer - This Russian gunner proudly carries the battery's pennant. CR018 -- Gun Crew Set #1 - Two Russian artillerymen in action! While one holds a cannon ball the other prepares to ram it home. CR019 -- Gun Crew Set #2 - An additional pair of Russian gunners - One with the lighted fuse pole and another with the moving spike to help rotate the gun. Crimean War 1854-1856 "Little Battle at Little Big Horn" Here's another great little two-figure "action" set portraying the life and death struggle between one of Custer's corporals and a Cheyenne Dog Soldier. TRW053 -- Fight to the Death  Battle of Little Big Horn June 25/26, 1876. Russian Front One great little tank and three great looking girls...pity they are all so lethal - at least to Germans! RA054 -- Russian T-70 Tank - These small, recce, tracked vehicles were perfect for scouting in advance of the heavier T34's and Josef Stalin tanks. Introduced in late 1942 and early 1943 captured versions were also utilized by the Germans. Our model comes with a partial body tank commander. RA055 -- Standing Guard Female Sniper - The Russian Army of WW2 was the only army to employ women in a full combat role. This female sniper with her hessian-camouflaged rifle edges closer to the enemy. RA056 -- Steady, aim...Fire! - These two female soldiers are working as a sniper team...The sitting woman observes the enemy and selects a suitable target...Her comrade takes careful aim and gently squeezes the trigger! Russian Front and Berlin 1945 Russian Front  1941 - German "Operation Barbarossa" erupted in the June of 1941 Hitler issued his infamous "Commissar Order" that authorized German troops to kill every and any Soviet political officers that fell into their hands... WS270 -- Goodbye Commissar - A Wehrmacht officer, pistol in hand, pushes a "political officer" towards his unfortunate fate...the Russian, still defiant, already suspects the worst! WS273 -- German Sniper - This standing Wehrmacht rifle expert takes careful aim. WS274 -- German Officer being shot! - Elsewhere, a officer reels backwards...A female Russian sniper has found her mark - "One bullet...one dead fascist!" Russian Front and Berlin 1945 D-Day 1944 DD125 -- US Military Policeman - An always useful USMP directing traffic somewhere near Normandy, June 1944. DD225 -- US M20 Armoured Car - Fast, agile and always ready these speedy, lightly-armed vehicles were often the eyes and ears of battlefield commanders throughout the European Theatre of Operations. This "summer" version of the M20 comes with a standing vehicle commander plus a partial body M20 driver. DD226 -- Sitting Machine Gunner -  In support of the reconnaissance vehicle the infantry have provided the heavier .30 caliber machine gun. DD227 -- Tommy Gunner - Backing up the machine gun is a standing U.S. infantryman with the Government-issued M1928 Thompson Sub-Machine Gun. D-Day '44 British Commandos On yet another covert mission somewhere on the enemy occupied coast of France... DD231 -- Dead and Gone - A commando has "taken-out" a lone German sentry...Here he drags the body away to conceal the evidence as other Germans wonder "What happened to Fritz?" DD232 -- Kneeling with Rifle - Crouching down, this Commando is on the alert for the approach of any other German sentries or patrols. DD233 -- Kneeling with Sten Gun - One more Commando, kneeling this time, with the ubiquitous Sten gun at the ready. DD234 -- Sten Gun with Silencer - Commandos used all kinds of weaponry...One of the most useful was the Sten Gun equipped with a "silencer". DD235 -- A Quick Knee to the Groin - The polite way of saying..."a swift knee to the balls!" Fighting in a non -conventional manner demands utilizing all methods of hand-to-hand fighting...none of them nice...as these two figures amply illustrate. British Commandos

King & Country - Being Retired

BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH Ancient Greece AG001 Standing Hoplite AG002 Hoplite on Guard AG003 Hoplite Officer w/Sword AG004 Hoplite Soldier w/Sword AG005 Hoplite w/Long Spear (Horizontal) AG006 Hoplite w/Long Spear (45 Degree) AG007 Hoplite w/Long Spear (Vertical) Ancient Greece Australian Light Horse AL008 Turkish Soldier Standing Firing AL009 Turkish Soldier Kneeling Firing AL010 Turkish Soldier Kneeling Loading AL011 Turkish Soldier Standing Ready Australian Light Horse Orient HK160 Shrine Offering HK185 Celebrating Chinese New Year HK186 Forbidden delights HK187 Gleesome Threesome Orient Napoleonic NA243 French Line Infantry Standing Firing NA244 French Line Infantry Biting Cartridge NA245 French Line Infantry Loading From Pouch NA246 French Line Infantry Standing Ready NA247 French Line Infantry Prepare to Repel NA248 French Line Infantry Kneeling Firing Napoleonic Remember the Alamo RTA007 Mexican Pioneer RTA023 Juan Seguin, TX RTA028 John Davis, KY - Standing Firing Rifle RTA035 General Manuel Castrillon Remember the Alamo Nouveau Normandy Village SP047 Bomb-damaged French House Nouveau Normandy Village Retirements Happy Hunting!