Hare reports to Boyar: Fascists spotted

While visiting my usual plastic crack dealer (Fasma Models in downtown Athens) I came across the new Zvezda Art of Tactics kits. Russian and German Recon teams and German motorcycle combinations. They are truly excellent kits and especially the Russian recon team covers a subject not seen before in plastic. All are multi-part models (the figures are 3-4 pieces each) and have exceptionally life-like poses. One minor peeve is that they are all armed with PPSh submachineguns. No rifles, scoped or otherwise, or machineguns. The figure with binoculars (perhaps the best of the whole bunch) could have any kind of weapon placed on its back, so a sniper conversion would not be too hard. Still, some variety would have been welcome. The figures were painted in one of the "Amoeba"-style camouflage pattern as seen in kamouflage.net. You can also paint them in white or the other available Amoeba patterns. Lovely figures and highly recommended.

If the figures are great, the bike is truly a masterpiece. The sculpting is the best I've seen from Zvezda and everything fits together perfectly. Some Mr. Surfacer was used to hide seams, especially where the arms join the body) but that's a minor problem. HaT and Italeri have also motorcycle combinations (although the Italeri ones are more suited to the African theater of operations) but this simply blows them away. There is nothing more I can say about it. For a bit over 3 euros, they are a steal.


So, thank you Zvezda for some more excellent models. I can't wait for the Russian motorcycle and the Naval Infantry set due to come out soon. I'll be sure to get these as well. Now, if only they would make a 1/72 Aerosan model... But that's wishful thinking.

That's all for now from sunny yet chilly Athens and the Greek Geek household where everybody is (once again) ill.