Rubicon Tiger

[Shahbahraz]

Rather lovely kit. Painted it up and decided to do it as a 'homage' to one of the better known pictures from 'Wacht am Rhein'. The actual numbers from that iconic image are included in the Rubicon decal sheet, but I decided to do something more generic.

Modifications to the original kit, basically; replacing tow cables, adding weld seams with stretched sprue, replace engine deck grab handles with wire, and removing some of the skirts. It's a very nice build.



 

[Digits]

Did you do the internals?

[Captain Blood]

 Very nicely done 

[Shahbahraz]

Did you do the internals?

I did the internals other than the engine, which I am saving for a diorama. You can't see much through the open hatches, but I know it's there. The rear turret hatch can open and close, but all you see there are the ammunition racks.

[Ragnar]

Great work!

[Truscott Trotter]

Very nice work Doug, like the camo as well as the carefully limited snow 

[tomrommel1]

very nice indeed

[Shahbahraz]

Very nice work Doug, like the camo as well as the carefully limited snow 

Thanks TT. One of the reasons was that I reasoned that completely snow covered vehicles mean you need completely snow covered terrain. Whereas partially covered vehicles meant you could use various degrees of snow cover.

[brunei35]

This is not helping my 'you do not need one'. Looks excellent

Cheers

[Shahbahraz]

This is not helping my 'you do not need one'. Looks excellent

Cheers

But you do! 

The only thing I felt could have improved the base kit was a replacement gun barrel like they have for the later Pz IV. Don't get me wrong, the one in the kit is excellent but a turned barrel would be even better. The etch is great and really easy to work with, decals are extensive and good quality, the interior is adequate as is, and would be a good base if you want to superdetail it. The tracks especially are really good. Overall it's great value.

My only gripe is that as always the crew are correct in scale but look very underfed  compared to our usual chunky figures. Easily replaced with other figures.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice painting and weather.

[OSHIROmodels]

Great 

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

My only gripe is that as always the crew are correct in scale but look very underfed  compared to our usual chunky figures.

Wouldn't that be more accurate for late war Germans?  Great modelling, though but.

YMMV, obviously, but I have to say that I not only prefer the more Heath Robinson nature of early war vehicles, but also find it difficult to derive an enjoyable game from late war encounters - you are left with either accurate force disproportionality (with only one outcome), or artificial force equality (also with only one outcome, but the other way).

[Shahbahraz]

Wouldn't that be more accurate for late war Germans?  Great modelling, though but.

YMMV, obviously, but I have to say that I not only prefer the more Heath Robinson nature of early war vehicles, but also find it difficult to derive an enjoyable game from late war encounters - you are left with either accurate force disproportionality (with only one outcome), or artificial force equality (also with only one outcome, but the other way).

I do actually agree. I much prefer the early war encounters, some of the most fun games I have had have been Early War French vs Early War Germans, but in real terms, armour was actually much more dominant in early war scenarios.

In one game - an armoured car ran riot because there were simply no effective anti-tank weapons available to infantry forces. Later war, with PIATs, bazookas, Panzerfausts etc, never mind much more effective AT Guns, the humble infantryman and his supports was a much more potent threat to armour than at any time up to then.

And I am only collecting the Late War Winter Germans for completeness, I already have 1940-41 Forces for Germany & France, Soviets for 1941, Late War (1944) Soviets, Late War Germans, US & British (summer), Airborne US, British & German, Italian, German and Commonwealth Desert forces, Japanese, USMC and Early War (Malaya) British. Some of them are even painted

In all reality; given my favoured set of rules (Chain of Command), - this bad boy may get to see the table once - accompanied by Green Volksgrenadiers, and crewed by a Green crew, but it's much too nice a model not to have in my collection, even if it is just scenery.