New WWII and Modern vehicles released!

[Ithoriel]

Leon,

you can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but ... wargamers aren't people and are never happy

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Can the moderator give this poster a slap? 

I can slap myself if that helps!

[Techno]

I've done it for you, Will.

(Look back a page.  )

Cheers - Phil

[Rob]

 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Ow!

[fsn]

Oh dear! The new Field Marshall seems to have developed a taste for corporal punishment.

[Techno]

Far more fun punishing a Field Marshall, rather than a corporal. 
Cheers - Phil

[Sunray]

  If we did all the infantry now then we'd have a lot of people buying them .

From a manufacture's perspective that is a nice problem to have.  I rest my case.

Seriously Leon -  Perhaps the strategic approach is to set out the stall as to where Pendraken is going.  A few well sculpted figures to 'mark the turf' - 10mm 'boots on the ground' that makes a statement that Pendraken will have a modern range.  I know a lot of customers who would belay purchasing figures from other manufactures if they knew that Techno was turning his hand to a well sculpted figure of modern British soldiers with SA80, and the new helmet etc.   The token release of figures makes the statement that a comprehensive range is coming.

In the case of the Falklands figures - the infantry came first remember. You will find that gamers will skirmish with a few figures and whine  like hell for the AFVs.  So what?  In business its called 'creating demand'.   

Korea has scope for a shed full of generic figures in summer uniform with loads of Third World applications 1950-70s - and most of the AFVs/softskins are already out there.

Meantime the paypal account keeps churning as those figures fly off the shelves.

[Rob]

The elephant in the room is that Minifigs do passable SA80 British and Eastern block + Arab infantry.   Pithead does Chinese infantry for Korea.  

I originally was going to spend a lot of dosh on Minifigs modern kit but they did not provide SLR type British inf. I got fed up with waiting and now though I could use Pendraken Falklands Brits the urge has passed and I don't want to buy Minifigs tanks. Having compared the Pendraken T55 to the Minifigs T55 there is no contest. I will wait for Pendraken tanks.  

This is not always the case; I bought some Bend Sinister Nappy artillery because I got fed up with waiting for the delayed Pendraken artillery.   They fit in fine with the now available Pendraken artillery and it got me started, which also meant I was able to progress and buy more and more Pendraken Nappy figures that were available. This process continues as I use other manufacturers for Austrian shako infantry and French skirmishers, which all mix in well with my preferred Pendraken figures. The only problem is Austrian Kurassiers as I don't like the Pendraken figure and I can't find any others I like on the market.  

I think the point I am making is that you can go ahead and spend money on Pendraken tanks (as I have done) because the open market can provide the missing bits if you are desperate.  

[Sunray]

Hi Rob - has Pithead actually got Korean Chinese on sale yet?  Its not on the website. The North and South Korean figures are yet to appear despite  a listing !   To be honest Pithead figures don't do it for me.  They might have passed muster a decade ago, but now we expect more in 10mm figures.

Minifigs have had a modern range for years - some sculpts  suffer- in my opinion - from Dixon syndrome big heads.

My point is that Techno's Falklands Range raised the bar.  They were accurate in detail and they looked human without the large Troll like chinless heads.  Only Minifigs Vietnam (especially the finely sculpted Aussies )range comes close.  In fact they are interchangeable with Pendraken Falklands. 

Everyone is different, but I am at the stage in life where I will wait - as you have stated you are doing where AFVs are concerned-  for quality assured Pendraken.

The point I think we are both making - if Pendraken modern British * or Korean figures , sculptured by Phil Lewis were available- we would both be clicking Paypal right now.

* Plus a few Iraqi 1990s era Republican Guard for Red Forces - Soviet helmets, caps and AK47s, RPG7s - they would rock a lot of boats.

[Rob]

It certainly looks as though they are as they are listed in their order form under North Korean.

As for everything else I think I agree with all of your points.  

[fsn]

To be honest Pithead figures don't do it for me.  They might have passed muster a decade ago, but now we expect more in 10mm figures.
...

The point I think we are both making - if Pendraken modern British * or Korean figures , sculptured by Phil Lewis were available- we would both be clicking Paypal right now.

Agreed and agreed.

What is old Phil doing anyway?

[mart678]

Ok the method behind the madness

1/ when the Btr40/60 Brdm Bmp saladin,  ferret ,and Saracen, also the pig, FV432 and Chieftain then I can forget about Britian and Russia for a while
2/ M26,M41,M47,M551 and M60 I can forget the US for a while
3/ Leopard 1, Marder, Luchs  Jadpanzer Kannoe I Forget about Germany and most other nato countries for a while
4? Amx 30 and an Apc and ERB that's them done for a while
Artillery Last as if you need a gun that can fire 7 miles plus on table you are mad unless you are Soviet and then they are part of the advance
Then everything else
Do you want some Helicopters as well?
I am currently going through CWC rules to see what needs to be moved up or down the list WILL BE

[Techno]

Agreed and agreed.
What is old Phil doing anyway?

Talking to some complete oik in Runcorn, to give him some 'verbal'.   
Cheers - Phil

[barbarian]

I'm stripping a die cast helicopter to it's bone, making hard cuts, open doors, new windows...
I may share the result with you once done.

[Westmarcher]

If you need any help, don't ask Phil. He's good at stripping stuff to the bone .... but not in a way you would like.   

[Techno]

If you need any help, don't ask Phil. He's good at stripping stuff to the bone .... but not in a way you would like.   

You should have seen what I did with a small screwdriver this morning...That was very close to the bone.
I was trying to pry the back off my dear old Dad's clockwork stopwatch, which had stopped working for some reason.......and I slipped....OOPS ! 
(Sadly this is true...again  .....I seem to be going through a period of self mutilation, after months of relatively injury free sculpting, etc.)

'Least I didn't fall off the ladder, cleaning out the gutter on the big barn yesterday.

Cheers - A Muppet.

[Rob]

Do you want some Helicopters as well?

My experience with metal copters and other aircraft is dire.    (I have a still-born Vietnam project where I was attempting to build a U.S. cavalry unit. I have around 8/9 Minifigs copters and found them difficult to say the least.
1. The stands they were provided with are metal and almost useless. A better approach has to be thick wire stands.
2. I found them very difficult to paint, so much so I couldn't be arsed to persevere. (I am the world's laziest painter! I only like it when I have finished.)
3. The solid metal makes for a very top heavy model very prone to toppling over.

If they are available I would always go for a Revell type model, but Leon says they are packing it in. Hind, Hip, Lynx, Puma and Gazelle models are needed while the U.S. stuff would always be available from 1/144 manufacturers.

Not a definitive answer I know. 

[Sunray]

It certainly looks as though they are as they are listed in their order form under North Korean.

 

Yes, Rob you are correct.  I have seen the actual figures on 'the forgotten war blog' -  and despite not being on the catalogue they are indeed listed on the Order Form - not that I will be ordering any.  Apart from the caricature cartoon style sculpts they are in 'winter clothing'.

Bad marketing decision; for gamers like me who have no interest  gaming Korea - the topography means that figures need bases with Velcro to handle the gradients - worse still,  the cocooned   nature of the winter clothing precludes any application of the figures for other more interesting post war games. 

Now if Pendraken sculpt and cast South Korean (ROK) and North Korean figures in summer uniforms that can be used for a host of Third World armies (1960-80) I will be sending Leon an advance order tonight.... 

ROK - Basic American uniforms with field caps, M1 Carbines , grease guns, Brownings , bazookas - North Koreans with distinctive field caps, and Soviet kit like  DP28s.....

[Leon]

Seriously Leon -  Perhaps the strategic approach is to set out the stall as to where Pendraken is going.  A few well sculpted figures to 'mark the turf' - 10mm 'boots on the ground' that makes a statement that Pendraken will have a modern range.  I know a lot of customers who would belay purchasing figures from other manufactures if they knew that Techno was turning his hand to a well sculpted figure of modern British soldiers with SA80, and the new helmet etc.   The token release of figures makes the statement that a comprehensive range is coming.

I think I've said a few times on here that we're focussing on the vehicles first as those are more time-consuming.  Once we've got a good selection ready and released, adding a load of basic foot would only be 6 months worth of sculpting in theory.  Doing it the opposite way around, with a token release of figures, brings in more queries/requests/frustration as we don't have the required vehicles to go with them and folks are having to wait years rather than months for their chosen request to arrive.

Also as mentioned earlier, Phil is busy with the Warband expansion for the foreseeable and won't have any spare sculpting time until early 2016 I'd expect.