Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Harry Faversham on 15 August 2016, 07:10:36 AM
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Recently I decided to swop from 20mm to 15 for my WW2 stuff, but no very little about the quality and availability of soldiers and vehicles. I want to concentrate on the British (kilted Highlanders would be nice?) and Germans, France 1940, who makes the best stuff to get me going?
???
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Kilted highlanders would look at PP WWI or these from FIB
(http://www.forgedinbattle.co.uk/image/cache/data/WWII/British/EWB-4-HIGHLANDERS-400x300.jpg)
For EW Germans its hard to go past these from Plastic Soldier company
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/1614590_360089187488802_3739991151068720125_o.jpg)
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The Brits & Germans are pretty well catered for (as demonstated by Truscott Trotter) by The plastic Soldier Company, Battlefront/Flames Of War, Forged in Battle, Peter Pig & Zvezda - they all make good products that are certainly up there with 20mm wargaming models. I'm not sure about the French - I think that BF might be the only one with much for early war (they cover a fair bit, armour, artillery & tows etc) - they're generally good, but pricier than PSC or Zvezda.
Hope that helps!
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I can't help you on the 1940 bit, but if you can proxy a it ad like plastic rather than metal, Battlefront now do a range of infantry figures in plastic, but they re late war. They do German, Soviet, U.S. And British, plus German Grenadiers with their plastic half tracks and they do a starter set (called Open Fire) that is very competitively priced that has tanks, anti-tank guns, German infantry and U.S. Paratroopers.
I know this is all out of your time frame, it just depends whether plastic is an important consideration.
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Recently I decided to swop from 20mm to 15 for my WW2 stuff, but no very little about the quality and availability of soldiers and vehicles. I want to concentrate on the British (kilted Highlanders would be nice?) and Germans, France 1940, who makes the best stuff to get me going?
???
A caveat about kilts.... Highland regiments were ordered to wear standard battledress in September 1939. There was some 'foot dragging' over implementing the order, 1 Gordons holding out until December and the Camerons (both regular 1st and TA 4th battalions) serving in kilts through to the letters surrender at St Valery. My dad was on parade at Borden in January 1940 when the CO of 5 Gordons burnt a kilt in protest in front of the assembled battalion. After Dunkirk kilt wearing was sporadic and often down to the more individualisic members of the Army, although regimental pipes and drums always seemed to have hung on to their kilts. So if such detail concerns you, you may need a little research for a kilted infantry platoon etc.
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Full pre-Dunkirk Kilty goodness here
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f105/kilts-dunkirk-32146/
From here http://www.davidrowlands.co.uk/gallery/gal_detail.asp?varPaintCode=054
(http://www.davidrowlands.co.uk/images/full_size/1cha.jpg)
and if you are in Scotland you can see one of those kilts here
http://www.clancameronmuseum.co.uk/exhibits.html
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xCnL2xUCbxw/VFitLcVMrEI/AAAAAAAAA6k/_wLSILpNRbsIN06CkWnsFtP2FT8cwlULgCL0B/w400-h533-no/IMG_2832-001.JPG)
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Thanks for that chaps, I'm going with the Forged in Battle Highlanders, I've got some of their Ancients so have an idea as to the quality. I'll add a few Carriers, some 25pdrs and them little tank thingys and the job's a good 'un.
;)
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PSC have just brought out 25pdrs, including early war gun carriage.
I think they do Carden-Lloyd carriers too.
Peter Pig have French and Dutch troops
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Forged in Battle do some really nice little 2pdr ATG also
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Personally, my fav 15mm Early war figures are the Command Decision (skytrex) Germans (best shaped German helmet i have seen)and they also do really good early war French, but dont go with their vehicles.....terrible.