Space Rangers by em4

[Hauptgefreiter]

Following the links elsewhere on this forum, I ended up on the em4 page. Here, I found this set of Space Rangers, a unit of four troopers and one squad leader, including three optional heavy weapons of different design. As I now own a squad, I want to present them to you.

You receive:
Four troopers and one squad leader with backpacks, personal weapons and three extra heavy weapons, round bases included


Squad Leader:


Trooper with personal weapon:


My Opinion:
For Space Hulk – like or other alien hunting games, they’re as good as any official servants of the Emperor. I like the miniature design, although there’s only one body for the trooper and one for the squad leader available. Nevertheless, if you need some power armoured firepower for your future wars, you can consider these guys.

Compared to GW wh40k 2nd edition and "Macragge" snap-fit Marines:


Compared to GW snap-fit "Black Reach" Terminator and "Deathwing" Librarian:


Compared to GW 1st edition Tyranid and Genestealer:


Pro:
- easy to assemble
- cheap
- optional heavy weapons come with every squad

Contra:
- only one trooper body available
- only one squad leader body available
- conversions aren’t easily done, as the whole figure is one piece of plastic. Lots of sawing necessary
- building a bigger force will consist of “clones”

Cost:
I paid 2,50 GBP for this five man unit. You can find them here:
http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Science_Fiction.html
Compared to a three man GW snap-fit Space Marine unit, this is quite cheap.

Difficulty:
Easy. Assembly works fine, because they’re snap-fit. A little tricky is the removal of the mould lines. They can be easily filed off, yes, but as the material still shows them as colour shade, you can’t tell if they’re completely gone by just viewing. You have to rely on your touching senses.

Painting:
I have no experience in painting them yet. Guessing from their design, they should paint similar to Space Marines.

[rob_the_robgoblin]

I had some of these. I found they were not very sharp casts.
However, at £2.50, you cannot complain.

[Cosmotiger]

Yep, cheap, but a little on the boring side.  I've painted a few over the years.  My seven year old son is going to try his painting skills on them.

[TheMightyFlip]

They could do well as Enclave troops for Fallout.

[Curryman]

Good, looking stuff, Hauptgefreiter. Thanks very much for the review, and especially the comparison shots. It's very useful to be able to see just how their size relates to that "other company's" products.

[Hauptgefreiter]

Thank you, Curryman, I'm glad you like it. Guess, where I "borrowed" the inspiration for the review 
Thinking about the miniatures' possible use, the comparison was a most logical conclusion. And I put them between an earlier and a later design to cover the range as good as possible. I hope it'll be of use to someone 

[cheetor]

I am surprised at how much bigger these figures are than their GW counterparts: if I had been asked without seeing them side by side I would have thought that they were the same size.  Not that it really bothers me or anything but I am still surprised.

I like the Space Ranger figures.  They have a pulpier look than the legions of unpainted Space Marines that I have lying around that might mean that they get to the painting table earlier/at all.

Does anyone have any photos of painted Space Rangers?  I would love to see what people get up to with them.

[Oliver]

Nice, has persuaded me to order some of EM4's plastics for fun and at £2.50 its a bargain, probably 2 packs of their troopers and the command kit...

[Renfield286]

They could do well as Enclave troops for Fallout.

i was just thinking exactly that.

[Pil]

There are two painted piccies in the Combat Zone Chronicles:
http://combatzonechronicles.net/cozo4/xrangers.htm

I have one of those models which I got with a set of paints (by "HobbyGames" back then). Never painted it and I'm not really fond of their look either, but for some settings they are quite useful

[soulman]

Thanks to this post, i will dig out my rangers, to use for the nes space hulk when it appears, i have the big box set of them, not sure of the year, they are a red colour, 25 or 50..? not sure