Warfare: Merry Christmas

It's fast approaching the end of December and sad to say I've been suffering with a really nasty cold and cough over the past few days. So much so I haven't felt inclined to do very much apart from sleep and dose myself up to the eyeballs with painkillers and glucose syrup. Thankfully, I'm starting to feel a little more human once again and am taking the opportunity to do a bit of catching up with news and announcements I have neglected to post about over the past couple of weeks

Apologies for failing to post a Christmas greeting. I sincerely hope you all had an enjoyable day and that dear old Santa brought you everything you wished for. He brought me a few new additions to my humble collection and I will be sharing those with you in the not too distant future, all being well

On the subject of Christmas greetings, here's what landed in my inbox a little while ago from the team behind Warfare Magazine

Happy reading!

William Britains: WW1 Germans

I don't currently own any Britains figures and I'm not a fan of their more traditional looking glossy toy soldiers. I prefer more realistic, matte painted models and, since I specialise in models representing German military men, I guess it comes as no real surprise to learn that the following figures caught my eye whilst flicking through the pages of the latest issue of Toy Soldier Collector

I've recently started putting together a small collection of late war WW1 stormtroopers and am wondering whether these chaps would make suitable recruits to add to the K&C and TGM figures already purchased. The K&C and TGM figures go quite well together, in respect of both size, proportionality and painting quality but at the moment I have no idea how these soon to be released Britains will compare

Suffice to say, I will have to do a little more research before coming to a final decision! In their own right, and judging from the super size images available on the company website, they look to be very nice figures, well sculpted with plenty of equipment and other interesting details and painted to a pretty high standard, especially when you factor in the price which is set at £25.99 for each of the individual figure sets and £59.99 for the two man flame thrower set which is without doubt the one 'stand out' piece in the series

The pictures give the impression that in terms of their overall appearance they might be a little too 'grey' to stand all that convincingly alongside my existing purchases, but pictures on websites, and in magazines for that matter, can often be deceiving when it comes to things like that. I'm looking forward to seeing them 'in the flesh' so roll on February and I can pop along to my local dealer and make a more accurate appraisal

Until next time, happy hunting!

A Date For Your Diary

Next year, Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th February to be precise, sees The British Airsoft Show and The British Shooting and Countryman Show coming together for what promises to be an epic two days of 'gun fun' and 'shooting related shenanigans'

Two airsoft buddies of mine, who used to shoot with me regularly as part of the team I'm in, and both of whom have recently moved down south due to work commitments, mentioned that they were planning to come up for it so chances are I'll be there along with the rest of 'the squad'

Both partners in the enterprise have a website you can easily check out. Take a look at the screenshots below and see if you're tempted to find out more

Not that I'm wishing my life away or anything silly like that, but I can barely wait to be there! See ya!

Airsoft International Goes Digital

Yes, that's right folks! For those of you that don't already know, and for all I know there might be one or two of you out there, Airsoft International, the UK's most popular and widely read Airsoft magazine, is now available digitally thanks to a hook up with PocketMags

The new and improved digital version is compatible with all mobile devices and desktop systems so you can 'pick up' and read AI quite literally wherever you are in the world! [As long as you have a device of some sort handy!]

Finding your digital AI couldn't be easier. If you have an i-phone simply go to your Newsstand or visit the App Store and search for Airsoft International. Follow the on-screen prompts and away you go. Alternatively, visit the PocketMags website, search for AI and then follow the equally straight forward registration process which you are guided through each and every step of the way

You can buy the mag one issue at a time for £3.99 or purchase one of two subscription bundles. The first costs £10.99 and allows you to buy 3 issues and the second costs £17.99 which gives you access to 10 issues. In each case you can choose whether you buy new issues or back copies and there are no time limits. Not sure whether you like the idea of reading the mag digitally. Then download the free 'try before you buy' issue and see what you think, just like I did this morning when I signed up!

Beau Geste Digest

Ana and the team over in Buenos Aires are back this month with some good news and some bad!

The good news is that they have elected to add to one of their most popular ranges of figures and announce the release of a handful of French Foreign Legion medical corps figures set at around the turn of the last century and perfect for all you BG WW1 enthusiasts

The sets are pictured below and are available in the UK from the company's sole UK distributor, Piers Christian

The bad news is that they have also announced the demise, for personal reasons, of one of their lines, The Four Feathers range of figures

Here are those FFL figures I mentioned and very splendid they look, too!

Here are three original images showing the FFL MC in action

The 'camel ambulance' will be admirably supported by the following ground crew and, as you can see from the final image, together they make a formidable team!

Until next time, happy hunting!

Thomas Gunn Miniatures: December Releases

Hello again and welcome to this my second post of the festive period. In it you will find information from TGM relating to their December releases, some of which arrived in my inbox in November as a 'November update'. Anyway, read on and hopefully you will find something of interest

Dear All

 

We started shipping November's releases Thursday just gone, all orders should be completed by the end of this week. It became apparent that the new Napoleonic infantry were destined for a swift sell out and in fact the whole shipment was pre-ordered in just under a week. Quickly following these guys out the door were the Nebelwerfers and the crew figures, now all sold out and no longer available here apart from a couple of loose winter launchers and a few of the Desert version of course! It may be prudent if you require these pieces to contact your dealer and see if he has any left in stock, if you have not already reserved these as of yet

 

For those of you who missed the French Napoleonics this time I have attached a picture of our next piece which will look great in multiples marching towards the British or Russian lines. NAP022 will be available next month and once more will be limited to 65 sets with 2 figures in each box 

 

 

 

 

  

On a final note, December's show in London will see the Australian Light Horse Officer, our new WW1 vehicle, and a new range of figures making an appearance! Something for everybody I hope!

 

Kind Regards Vicki Lucas

Marketing Manager TGM

 

 

The above mentioned Napoleonics are also available 'all in brown' and as Imperial Guard figures complete with bearskins!

 

 

 

 

  

Other figure sets due out this month 

 

 

 GC012 Rommel kicks off this month's release as one of our last Gunn Club figures in the current format, more news to follow next year. Rommel started off his military career during WW1 in France. He later saw action in Romania and Italy and was awarded both classes of Iron Cross and Prussia’s highest award, Pour Le Merite, for his part in the capture of a large Italian force at Mount Matajur

Rommel was wounded 3 times during the war but survived the conflict to later rise to fame as the Desert Fox in WW2. This worthy adversary of the Allies committed suicide in 1944 after being implicated in the failed July attempt to assassinate Hitler

Our A version comes with Rommel in a privately purchased sheepskin coat aiming his Luger as he goes into action and the B version comes with Rommel wearing his gas mask. Either version should enhance your WW1 range very nicely! Available now and priced at $32 with each version limited to 120 pieces

 

 

 

 ATW007 Bar Gunner giving more firepower to your Airborne troops! Firing from the prone position our A version wears the famous screaming eagle insignia of the 101st Airborne and the B version sports the unit markings of the 82nd Airborne

Priced at $33, available now with 120 of each version being produced

 ATW009 ‘Shush’ was inspired by a scene from the film ‘The longest Day’ in which a US Paratrooper lands inside the greenhouse of an old lady during the early hours of the Normandy campaign. As a child I always used to laugh when the Paratrooper put his finger to his lips and whispered ‘Shush’ which seemed to frighten the old lady no end, before she scurried back inside!

We have modified our version with 2 young French girls instead of an old lady,
who have just come across a Paratrooper as he dashes off to find his comrades

The A version comes with the US soldier wearing a helmet and the markings of the 82^nd Airborne (ATW!) and the B version comes with our soldier sporting the uniform markings of the 101^st Airborne and a Mohican haircut! Available now and priced at $64 with each version limited to 120 pieces

 GW/LOA005 Stokes Mortar Set features two Allied soldiers launching another round towards the German Lines. Our GW version is suitable for somewhere in France with two Tommie’s in soft caps, the LOA versions will be suitable for a Middle East setting. The A version of our LOA set features for the first time Ghurkha soldiers who appear to be giving the enemy hell! Lawrence of Arabia used Ghurkha and Indian army soldiers in his raids against the Turks, it therefore seemed fitting to include these elite fighting troops in our latest release. The B version features British troops in Pith hats also giving the Turks hell! Priced at $75 each set, limited to 100 of each version and available now!

 GW/LOA006 Allied Officer WW1. A super looking figure that can be used in any number of dioramas. Will definitely look the part kneeling next to our earlier Hotchkiss MG team or new Stokes Mortar set. The GW version is titled Australian officer Western Front and wears the uniform indicative for an Aussie officer serving on the front line during that period. Moving East our LOA A version figure wears a Pith hat with tropical dress and our final LOA B version wears the uniform and headdress of the now famous Light Horse Regiment. Each piece limited to 100, priced at $32 and available now. The Light Horse version has already been heavily pre-ordered and I would recommend an early reservation if you require this figure

 

That just about wraps it up for TGM this month so, until next time, be lucky and happy hunting!

 

King and Country Dispatches

Well, here we are in December and the season of good will is upon us. I wonder what Santa will be bringing you this year? Maybe some of the following. Without further ado we'll get straight into the business of perusing some of the offerings available form the team over at K&C

As usual, all of the figures previewed in last month's post are now available to purchase, namely the Chinese frontier fort, three additional figure sets for the Streets of Old Hong Kong range, the three Australian Light Horse camel riders, the first seven items for the new Custer's Last Stand range, and eight Horse Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard for their Napoleonic series

So, what's coming up in January? Read on and find out

First up, some dusty, battle-hardened Eighth Army Brits for all you desert war collectors out there. All the figures pictured below will be available together with a second vehicle, pictured separately

A. Desert Dust-Up!

EA078 Valentine Mk.III Tank

The Valentine was the most produced of any British-designed tank during WW2. More than 8,000 were built in 11 different marks. They accounted for over one quarter of all British tank production between 1940 and 1944

In addition to serving with both British and Canadian army units large numbers were supplied to Soviet Russia under lend-lease

This is the first K&C Valentine (two more are planned) and is in the markings of the 1st. Army Tank Brigade, stationed in Tobruk, Libya in 1942

Our model “HECTOR” wears the unique “splinter” three-colour camouflage and comes with a vehicle commander

EA079 “Attacking Officer”

EA080 “Sergeant Tommy-Gunner”

EA081 “Lying Prone Bren Gunner”        

      EA082 “Lying Firing Rifleman”

      EA083 “Charging w/Rifle and Bayonet”

EA084 “Standing Firing Rifleman”

In addition to the figures mentioned above they will also be releasing this diminutive, but nonetheless very handsome, little vehicle which definitely looks like it's seen better days!

EA066 “Desert Dingo”. This is the third and final version of this little British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. Dingoes saw wide and varied use by British and Empire forces throughout the war in North Africa. Our new one belongs to the 7th. Armored Division “The Desert Rats” and has been “christened” MORECAMBE. The vehicle includes a driver and separate Bren Gun

Next in line, K&C have chosen to return to a series of figures that proved very popular when the initial release was announced a few years ago, and there will be more to follow later in 2013

B. Return to The Crimea

Under a hail of Russian shell and shot the British infantry make their tortuous way forward during the siege of Sevastapol

CR003 “Kneeling Firing”
CR004 “Standing Firing”
CR005 “Pointing Corporal”
CR006 “Drummer Boy”
CR007 “Loading Rifle”
CR008 “Advancing w/Rifle at the Port”
CR009 “Advancing Forward”
CR010 “Crouching w/Rifle & Bayonet”
CR011 “Marching to the Front”

Travelling a little further east, and much further back in time to the days of the Crusades, K&C will also be releasing six new Saracen warriors and I've picked two of my favourites to show you here

C. Saladin's Saracens to the Rescue

MK097 “Saracen Sergeant-at-Arms”
MK098 “Advancing Cross Bowman”
MK099 “Charging Saracen Spearman”
MK100 “Advancing Saracen Spearman”
MK101 “Kneeling Saracen Spearman”
MK102 “Mounted Saracen Officer”

Last, but for me at any rate by no means least, three more SA figures for their Streets of Berlin range, this time in the shape of three marching bandsmen


D. On the Streets of Berlin

LAH166 “S.A. Drum Major”
Mace in hand this veteran “Musik-leiter” leads his men on parade
LAH167 “S.A. Trumpeter”
LAH168 “S.A. Drummer”

E. Heading for the Hills!

And so to the retirements and, I'm happy to say, nothing for me here this month. Nevertheless, with any luck Santa will be bringing me everything I want from last month's retirements list, about 7 pieces in all! Here's hoping Santa will be just as kind to you!

AK060  Water Supplies Set

AK061  Soldier Drinking From Jerry Can

AK062  Fuel Transporter

AK063  Field Marshal Albert "Smiling Albert" Kesselring

BBG018  Winter Scout

BBG020  Waiting and Smoking

HK172  Happy Family

LAH058  Marching Algemeine SS Man

LAH059  Marching Algemeine Officer

LAH060  Marching w/ Standard

LAH063  Wehrmacht Mounted Officer

LAH064  Wehrmacht Marching Officer

LAH065  Wehrmacht Marching Flagbearer

LAH066  Wehrmacht Marching Drummer

LAH067  Wehrmacht Marching Rifleman

Until next time, happy hunting!