So why 2 boxes of 1/72 Samurai in my last
shopping spree I hear you all ask. Well the answer is, why not? For one, I wanted to see what scale 1/72 is. I mean, for sure I can go on to
wikipedia, and read all about the different modelling scales, but there is no better way to learn than through experience. So, 1/72 is supposed to be somewhere between 15mm and 20mm. Well, I have some small-ish samurai models I bought a long time ago, so lets see how they match up. Also, there was no way to look into any of the boxes, and these two were amongst the cheapest that fit into an era of my interest.
So, what did I get for my $5 (each), well, first off, some snap fit models that are apparently expansions for a game called
Art of Tactic (although the website only contains information on their WWII game). There's some nasty translation from the Russian going on there, but I'll let that pass. There are 5 Ashigaru to a box, and 2 mounted figures. They seem clean models, with no flash, and easy enough to take off the sprues. You can use the snap together system, but I found it made a cleaner join if I just cut off the little plugs and glued the parts together. Once this was done, they went together really cleanly.
 |
| back of the Ashigaru box |
The boxes also contain a card for each of the units for use, I assume, in the game. There are only numbers and pictures on the cards, so I guess they'll work for any language (currently only Russian and English seem to be supported). The box also contains 5 of each red and yellow flags (sashimono), and neat little decals to assign the troops to either the Oda or Takeda faction. These I do like, and you get extras, so I can use these elsewhere. I do like decals.
 |
| Back of the Mounted Samurai box |
Can I use them? Well, unlikely that I will buy into Art-of-Tactic as a game, considering these were the only two kinds of mini available, and their site doesn't support the Samurai version of the game (not to mention I doubt the translation from Russian to English for any rules I'm likely to find will no doubt be terrible). Also, they are far too small to be used with the other Samurai figs I have, which are at least 25mm, so no. They're not likely to see the table top any time soon, but I do think they are kind of cute, and may very well paint them up, at least as a test for my painting for this scale. And although I have yet to put them together, the mounted Samurai do look to be just as cute. What I did learn here though, is that if I do want to get into 15-18mm Napoleonics, as this scale seems to be more 18mm than 15mm, to play, for example,
Napoleon at War if it catches on in my gaming circles, then I know exactly where to go to buy my minis in bulk.
 |
| Size comparison. Nope, too small! |
|
So, what did I get for my $5 (each), well, first off, some snap fit models that are apparently expansions for a game called Art of Tactic (although the website only contains information on their WWII game). There's some nasty translation from the Russian going on there, but I'll let that pass. There are 5 Ashigaru to a box, and 2 mounted figures. They seem clean models, with no flash, and easy enough to take off the sprues. You can use the snap together system, but I found it made a cleaner join if I just cut off the little plugs and glued the parts together. Once this was done, they went together really cleanly.
Its interesting to note that knowledge of 1/72 is not universal, I assumed it was common knowledge within the war gaming community, 1/72 is really 24mm but can range anywhere from 20-24mm and is way over scale compared to 18mm, they look a lot smaller then the metal 25mm because they lack the bulk of metal figures, I would not recommend using them with 18mm, they will be to large, my knowledge of 1/72 comes from how I entered the hobby, I and I imagine many of my generation of gamers (40-50 year olds) were introduced through plastic Airfix, matchbox, and Esci figures as kids.
ReplyDeleteOh and by the way, these Zvezda figures are way over priced, I would imagine that is because they are designed for a specific game, plastic 1/72 usually come 40 to box and usually cost anywhere from $12-$20, incidentally zvezda has other 1/72 Samurai which are more towards the 40 figures per box, not sure how much they cost though.
DeleteCheck this site out
ReplyDeletehttp://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Index.aspx
Thanks for all that. You see, this is why I have avoided this scale, any time I look into it, the answer seems to be "it's complicated". I agree that it depends on your entry point to the hobby. Mine is through RPGs and GW, with early dabbling in DBM, so 25-28mm and 15mm, I have no issues. I guess I'll have to check out each brand before I buy if I want to use this place to stock up on figs.
DeleteI agree that the price point per mini may have been high, but it was the lowest price per box, which allowed me to see what was in the box.
Ok, I'm slightly (more) confused, if I go to this site, it states that these Samurai figs are 24-25mm, and yet the larger samurai I have in the pic is 25-28 mm. There's no way these two scales are measured the same way, even if I take into account the Ashigau I chose is kneeling.
Delete