I was at Gordon Harris in Newmarket this weekend picking up some cheap French curves and happened to drop into Modelair as well. As usual they had a sale table out the front and in a moment of madness I picked up a $20nz box of Dragon 1:35th Fallschirmjager.
On returning home my wife’s first comment was “you don’t need those”, which I thought displayed an alarming knowledge of the sort of toy soldiers I usually buy. My regular gaming mates are probably rolling their eyes about now too because I certainly don’t need these for gaming.
However since I started reading Model Military International last year I’ve been tempted to try painting something for display purposes in this slightly larger scale. For a crisp $20 note this boxed set of four figures seems like an excellent chance to experiment with this new scale. Particularly since, according to this review, the uniforms are accurately represented by the box art. I’m confident I can paint a reasonable light green cloth and there are a lot of handy 1:35th painting tutorials on the web.
Opening the box and I was met with no less than six sprues, a small etched brass sheet and some decals. From a parts count alone that represents pretty good value for money, particularly if you break the cost down by the figure count, meaning each 1:35th figure cost me $5nz.
From a modeling point of view it’s kind of an eye opener though, particularly when I examined some of the sprues in detail. I’m left wondering how on earth you get a tiny 1:35th grab handle off it’s sprue intact for example! Not to mention the incredible number of parts that must go into making up each of the four figures.
I was staggering around the garage in a daze wondering if I should just discretely pop the box up into the roof space (along with all my other incomplete projects) or put it up on TradeMe when I noticed the content details on the lid.
Ack! Over three hundred parts? For four figures? That’s 75 parts for each figure! It begins to dawn on me how dedicated 1:35th modelers must be. The age recommendation made me smile too – I’d hate to meet the 10 year old that is capable of doing models of this kind justice…
But heck, if some beardless youth is capable of assembling and painting these figures then surely I am too. Right?
Guys?
Related posts:
Three words Stu: Lack Of Focus.
Wait, is that a compliment or criticism?
This isn’t really a random purchase, but relates more to the current “Display Painting” poll that’s running at the moment. I’ve never really display painted anything and these models seem like an ideal time to try painting non-gaming pieces.
Here’s some inspiration for you Stu: http://www.onesixthcollectors.co.uk/clubforum/viewtopic.php?t=3989
Admittedly that’s 1/6 scale, but still!
Heh yeah I’ve seen that before :). Thankfully I’m not quite that far gone…
I had considered picking up a 1:48th or 1:35th vehicle to build up, but frankly I think that’s beyond my skill level at this point. 1:35th figures seems like an ideal place to start.
Criticism… ;o)
To be honest I don’t find lack of focus to be an issue for me. This is a hobby after all, a past-time if you will :)
Yeah, you’re probably right. I could be accused of having a lack of focus with my many ‘distractions’ that get in the way of painting and war gaming!
And lets be honest, every time we hassle you for making yet another gaming/model related purchase, it’s just because we’re all jealous of you!
Its all practice at the end of the day. Its worth trying other scales cause it helps you remember why you like your usual scale.
The last big model I made was a Hydralisk at about 1:20 but even then it got a simple dry brush to look like green glowing obsidian as it was an adornment for terrain… Maybe I should get another and a marine or two.
That 1/6th scale is awesome! Being a model railroader, I used to know some guys who did 1/6th and 1/4th scale trains. We used to ride them. Buggers to lift onto the workbench.
I see nothing wrong with doing a bit of other scales. I couldn’t have done this model when I was 10. The USS Coral Sea was hard enough for me to build back then.
I just finished building that exact kit.
yes it was troublesome getting that handle
out of the sprue even with my mini tools
I did not get it in one piece, super glue
fixed that.
I use to build 1/35th as a kid.about 20+
years ago…
I rediscovered my old love of WWII medeling back in 199 when I bought my first 1/6th action figure.But it is nice to rediscover 1/35th
price and space wise much more affordable than 1/6th by the way here is my 1/6th work http://www.fallschirmartz.com
Well it really is patience, .
So now 2 months later I have almost every
Dragon Fallschirm kit built. Minus a few
larger kits which are on the waiting list hehe.
I even managed to build a Vehicle Steyr 1500 command car. Which I am just in love with.
I think I will add my 1/35th figures to my 1/6th site :)
Happy modeling
Fallschirmartz, your site looks good. I’d be interested to see your Holland Fallschirmjagers painted up!
I was thinking of making a simple diorama in an old photo frame I have in the garage. Maybe not all four figures, but just a couple of them to start with, most likely crouched behind some cover.
Stu,
I’m still waiting on the Holland set.
I did assemble the drop tube from the Crete set. That’s the one I was talking about…
Can I send you some photos?
The new dragon sets are incredible, detail superb! You know what works great for getting the parts out of the sprue? A nail clipper : )
Yeap a simple nail clipper…
I’m working on the 80mm Mortar set and next will be the LG42 set (with a Tamiya Kettenkrad ). eventually I want to assmble the 75mm Pak FJ set and the 50mm set.
Happy Modeling
Hugo aka Fallschirmartz
Hi Hugo, by all means send me photos of your work! I’m always keen to see other people’s modeling. My email address for the blog is:
tabletop_terrain@fastmail.fm
Nail clippers is an interesting idea, I might just try that for some of the smaller details…