Thursday, March 5, 2020

1/43 Madness

I recently decided to check out 1/43 vehicles (hence the title) for my wargaming needs. A lot of vehicles just aren't available for the larger figures except in 1/35 model kits and I am not a model builder (I have little patience). Classic Toy Soldiers offers a very limited range of vehicles in 1/38. Those that are availabled in 1/50, are die-cast and cost an arm and a leg to ship to the States. While1/43 vehicles are delicate like 1/35 models, there is quite a variety avaialble, and they cost closer to toy vehicle prices.
 
Motorpark.
The Sdk. 222 looks good in this group, but is tiny compared to my 1/38 tanks (works fine with my 1/48 - 1/50 tanks, but I can't afford a t-34 in 1/50, let alone three or more of them. 1/43 is possible but I already have 1/38) . It's even small next to the Detail kubelwagen. I may mix scales when fielding a recon battalion - 1/32 armored car, 1/32 kubelwagen, 1/43 everything else..


Motorized infantry.
The above illustrates how the vehicles scale with the figures.

I could easily fit this combination into a 6" square with space left over, or with the infantry side by side but less extra room, for grid games. Placing the vehicle behind or next to infantry/guns facing forward or backwards could indicate statuses - like infantry embarked, gun deployed, etc, in non-grid games.

 Here's what the same vehicle looks like next to a CTS 1/38 PZ. IV .

Eastern Front German vehicles.
This works pretty well to my eyes - minus the windshield falling over on that half-track because it broke within a day (I did say they were delicate, right?). The transports will function more like markers in my games - they aren't units in and of themselves - and thus don't need to dominate the landscape.

16 comments:

  1. I'm with you. I'm not much of a purist, besides one sees fewer differences in size in the 'heat of battle (game)'.
    Lovely models too, as noted by 'Maudlin Jack'.

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    1. It always surprises me how the brain adjusts so readily once the game is under way.

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  2. I rather like my vehicles a little under scale (and pre-assembled and painted actually).These look good to me.

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    1. Thanks, Ross. I think I am sold on going this route. For now. Which is how these things go, isn't it?

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  3. I find I can get a way with mixing vehicle scales so long as they're not within the same unit, so I have the Deetail kubelwagen and motorcycles as a recon unit and use smaller scale vehicles for the heavier armour. I've used 1/35 kits on the table and while they look fine against the figures they feel too large for the space available.

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    1. I like the 1/32 vehicles I have but for the same reason as you mention for the 1/35, I don't really find them suitable for most games. They chew so much real estate. Maybe not an issue in a 1:1 game, but it becomes more of an issue with based units I think.

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  4. Works for me. I regularly use 1/32 figures with 1/48ish vehicles and 1/72 aircraft. As a bonus it annoys the self-styled 'proper' wargamers....

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    1. Fortunately there are no "proper" wargamers involved when I play, but I like the sentiment!

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    2. I never associated Tim with being proper!

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  5. What companies make the 1/43 scale models you are using.

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    1. That is a great question and could be better answered had I not tossed the packaging in the recycle bin already. However, I checked my ebay history and it looks like they are Atlas and Eaglemoss. Not sure about the Russian truck though

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  6. Come back 54mm. We miss you.

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    1. Thank you, Steve.

      I had stepped away from blogging / blogs and gaming a bit. I've been gaming a lot lately and hope to put either a series of blog posts or perhaps a PDF update newsletter of some kind (featuring 54s of course)in the (relatively) near future.

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    2. I put out an APB on the 54mm Proboard too. I wasn’t the only one who was concerned!

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