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Author Topic: Japanese with SMGs  (Read 1108 times)

Offline TacticalPainter

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 590
    • The Tactical Painter
Japanese with SMGs
« on: May 29, 2020, 08:51:00 AM »
The one missing piece of my 20mm Japanese infantry jigsaw has been figures with SMGs. In Chain of Command these are often an 'upgrade' support option for leaders but I've just been doing some research on the Milne Bay campaign in New Guinea and discovered that the SNLF infantry platoon HQ included two men with SMGs who accompanied the platoon leader. That was the final spark that pushed me to add some SMGs to my collection.

That was the easy bit. Actually finding the figures became something of a quest. I finally managed to track down some figures from Early War Miniatures. Judging by the pictures on their website they didn't look like great sculpts, but what can one do when you have no choice?

When the figures arrived they were disappointing but sometimes a decent paint job can salvage a poor figure, but regrettably not with these. I painted up a couple as section leaders in summer tropical shirts and another two in khaki shirts. Here they are before their bases were flocked.



I mentioned my disappointment on Facebook and someone pointed me in the direction of 172 Scale Miniatures, a company I had not come across before. They had a rather nice looking set of eight different poses with SMGs and when these arrived I was much happier. Some lovely sculpts that were crisply cast and a joy to paint. Quite a difference.







Here's a comparison to the EWM figure:





I've recently painted up some of the Wartime Miniatures Japanese and these are also great figures (but no SMGs I'm afraid).





EWM have a few decent figures that must have come from the hands of a different sculptor but overall a rather mixed bunch as you can see below. Anyhow the story has a happy ending, I'm very pleased with the 172 SMG men and so I suspect the EWM figures face early retirement and may never fire a shot in anger.




Offline Harry Faversham

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3988
Re: Japanese with SMGs
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2020, 03:15:15 PM »


Looking at that piccy, I must respectfully disagree mate. In my 'umble opinion 'a decent paint job has salvaged a poor figure'...
they both look smashing!

:-*
"Wot did you do in the war Grandad?"

"I was with Harry... At The Bridge!"

Offline wmyers

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 366
Re: Japanese with SMGs
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2020, 03:51:36 PM »
I’m not familiar with them in person, but they both look good in your pictures.

Offline TacticalPainter

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 590
    • The Tactical Painter
Re: Japanese with SMGs
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2020, 10:41:49 PM »


Looking at that piccy, I must respectfully disagree mate. In my 'umble opinion 'a decent paint job has salvaged a poor figure'...
they both look smashing!

:-*

Thanks. I think my problem is that I’ve been spoiled by Tony Barton’s wonderful sculpts for his 20mm AB Figures, so the bar is set high and it’s made me very fussy. I put more time into the paint job than I felt the figure deserved so I’m glad a more impartial eye approves!

Offline TripleBackflip

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 98
Re: Japanese with SMGs
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2020, 09:57:54 PM »
I recently bought some stuff from Eureka and I spotted that they also have WW2 Japanese now, I haven't seen what types of soldier they have though.

Offline TacticalPainter

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 590
    • The Tactical Painter
Re: Japanese with SMGs
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2020, 10:45:35 PM »
I recently bought some stuff from Eureka and I spotted that they also have WW2 Japanese now, I haven't seen what types of soldier they have though.

The new figures are 28mm, not 20mm. Lovely sculpts from what I’ve seen so far but the wrong scale for my Far East project. They have had a range of 20mm Japanese for some time now.

 

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