Reinforcements have arrived!

Reinforcements have arrived in the mail! So, I wanted to show off the new goodies, let you see some early pictures and give you a review of these two new fine additions to my army.

First up, the 150mm SIG 33 Artillery Gun by JTFM Enterprises (aka Die Waffenkammer).

I order this a few weeks back and finally got it in the mail today. When I inquired about my order about a week ago, it was pending to be cast and put in the mail at the end of the week. So, once it got in the mail it was here within a week which is good. The worst complaint is that I had to wait but this is such the life of a one man company, so as a word of warning be ready to wait for product if it isn't cast and waiting to ship already. Next time, I may even email in advance to ensure he has enough time to cast when I place the order so things can go quicker.

What you get.

The packing was solid, well packaged and packed to ensure the model was not damaged. I give JTFM an A+ here on packing. When I unboxed the model, the flash wasn't bad and the resin quality is the typical standard for the industry when it comes to resin. I was able to clean it up while watching some old Star Trek Voyager to entertain me and the model itself went together fairly easy. Of course with resin there is always some warping of the model, some bending and such to get it back into shape. I snapped one wheel peg but was able to glue it back on as it just didn't balance right to me. It still has a bit of a resin wobble but once I base it that will resolve any issue with that.

The quality if the model is well done and had a nice packing slip telling you of the items inside. The gun kit does come with mechanized metal wheels and the old time wooden wagon style wheels for horse drawn weapon packages. I like that they give you that option and the kit also had a couple of rifles and boxes to help fluff up the base when you make it. The crew of 4 are well done sculpts, one guy has a slightly weird pose but I can work with it (he has his arms/hands like he is holding something but there is nothing there). The crew do seem to be a tad smaller than the Black Tree and Warlord figures but then again, once I get them on bases, I should be able to balance them out.

Some of my future thoughts is how to base this 150mm gun and the 40mm PAK I have and if I should add the gun crews to the base or keep them loose on separate bases for easy removal when they take hits.

Finished with everything at this point. Just need to base it and paint!

Overall, I recommend this kit to those looking to add some heavy artillery to your army, but also be ready to get a SDKFZ 7 Half Track or the Land-Wasser Schlepper as they are the only two TOWS that can haul the heavy artillery around. It may be also a good idea to talk with your group about how to deal with artillery and such if it requires a TOW but has to start off the board and you don't have one in your list. In theory, it can't move but for the most part a majority of the Internet feels you should get a basic 6" move on and then that's it, you are stuck there.

The other goodie was a FJ Motorcycle with a sidecar MMG from Black Tree Design

I forgot to take the component shot and started to assemble it as it was getting late. It was simply the motorcycle, sidecar, driver, gunner, rider on back, the MMG, handlebars, a side pouch, cloth roll (perhaps a tent or bedroll) and a spare tire on the back.

The finished model, based and ready for action. The third rider was left off the picture to get a feel for how it looked without him.

Overall, the model is great quality and has lots of detail on it. The mold lines was clean and most of the work was making the join to the bike/sidecar fit and it was off to the races! The rest of the kit went together quick. I am unsure if I will leave the third rider on or not until I have time to think about it.

The worst part of this kit is the driver, the handle bars and his hands don't match up well. I had to resort to bending the arms down to get close to the handlebars to get something that looks decent. I am not 100% happy about it, but it is just the way it is without me having to do something drastic and take more time with it. Personally, I just want it to look decent on the table and have fun with it. It's not going to win any awards and if someone studies it closely yea, the hands and steering kit will be slightly off. Meh!

As usually Black Tree ships via this magic portal via the Postal Elves (actually we both are near hubs so it goes via plane from Texas to Florida)  still, I ordered Thursday night, it was here Sunday. BLAM! That's fast. My only complaint and I plan to write the company about this is that I was charged $5 shipping but it cost less than $2.50 to ship. Yes, I know the Postal Service is increasing their rates, but really? This is a high shipping fee that really should not have been charged.

Well, going to bring both of these with me to the Bolt Action gathering I put into the works about a month ago. Maybe I can slip them into a game and try them out!

Last, here is a shot of my Heer army in the works so I don't have to play the FJ all the time.

The painting tray.

Wish the Germans luck tomorrow! I know the British and Ruskies will be there waiting!