Superior Models 1/108th scale Tanks and AFVs

After several years of searching, I finally secured a couple of WWII Russian tanks from Superior Models. They are 1/108th scale (1 inch = 9 feet) so pretty much 15mm (which is 1/107th scale). They go back a long way, originally created under the Comet brand during WWII as identification models for the U.S. military. Comet sold the molds to Superior in 1962, and then Superior sold them to Custom Cast sometime in the 1970s. Quality Castings picked them up in the 1980s, and sold them to 19th Century Miniatures in 2002. Whew! You can still buy them from 19th Century here, but they are newer, refined versions of the original castings. Plus you can also buy post-WWII AFVs if that's more your speed.

First up is the KV-1b (5200). The T-34 usually gets all the attention when it comes to WWII Soviet tanks, due to many factors: ease of production, speed, armor, and firepower. Early on, the KV-1 was more than a match for the German light and medium tanks with their small caliber and short-barreled main guns. In the end, the T-34s advantages (half the weight, twice the speed, same or better main gun, lower cost) doomed the KV series. But they served their roles well, and should not be overlooked.

Next is the T-34/85 (5206), which was very poorly packed for mailing and did not arrive intact, with only a small piece of the main gun barrel rattling around in the box. I'm going to attempt field repairs in my depot and replace the missing barrel with small brass tubing. I'll post that as a follow-up once it happens. When the Soviets upgraded the main gun from 76mm to 85mm, the T-34s could now engage Tigers and Panthers from the front with an increased chance for success. The German tanks still had the advantage of range, but if you have the numbers, speed, and maneuverability of the T-34, you can close the gap and overwhelm your foe.

And this is what they look like side-by-side. I'll have to dig through the lead pile for some Heritage Panzertroops 15mm tanks and take a comparison shot.

Background information was obtained from the following sources:
Alnavco's History of Superior Models (PDF)
87thscaleinfo's Authenticast page (has the Superior product list and codes)
TMP's info pages (Comet, Superior, Custom Cast, Quality Castings, 19th Century Miniatures)
19th Century Miniatures (their Quality Castings 15mm AFVs)

Happy New Year!

So 2014 is almost done and I'm totally ready to dive into 2015. The year ended on a bit of a high note for once, as I squeezed in a fun-filled FR campaign session (recap pending), my birthday, and I finished two giants and entered them in the Reaper Miniatures Forum's Year of The Giants painting contest. Whew!

You can see the two threads by following these links:

Reaper Giants

Non-Reaper Giants

My entries are under TollHouseGolem. The cyclops is just a very nice piece of old school lead. It was my first serious attempt at NMM, as I was going for an aged bronze look. The end product looks more like worn leather, to be honest. I don't think it is orange-y enough. Oh well, it still came out pretty nice overall, and I am pleased.

My Reaper entry is an Ettin by Jason Wiebe (DHL 02479). This is a super fun and super busy mini! The overall sculpt is very nice, and I really like the way the right head is thrown back - it gives the pose a little oomph in my opinion. And there are just so many freaking details, it really gave me fits. Piercings (both metallic and bone), a piggie, and a child's doll just add to the overall flavor of this beast. I missed a major mold line that ran up his left side, but oh well, this is for the gaming table and not a display case. And my friends think it is all that and a bag of chips.

So there you go, proof of finished minis! I have no expectations on how my entries will fare in the contest, because it was really more about finishing them and getting them entered than any potential prizes.

I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year and a great 2015. Thanks for stopping by this past year.

Tom

Catalogs, Rulebooks, and Posters, Oh My!

The latest additions to my non-lead collection of mini-related ephemera make me happy both from a collecting standpoint (great artwork) as well as my bottom line (most were downright bargains, if not very affordable).

First up is a copy of the 1980 DragonTooth catalog. OK, so it is more of a pamphlet or flyer, really, given that it is digest size and consists of two folded pieces of paper for 8 pages total. Still, the black & white illustrations are lovely (most are by Mike Gilbert) and it does list available models and prices, so a catalog it is.

Next up is a Ral Partha poster featuring the artwork of Dean Morrissey. You might recognize the image from the Best of Ral Partha boxed sets (10-300 through 10-303). It measures about 25 x 22, nearly square. Too bad it was stored folded, but it is in great shape, creases aside. I read that having it linen-backed might help deal with the creases, so I'll have to take a closer look at that method. And I received two of them, so I have a copy to spare if you are interested. Looking for other mini posters or Superior Models catalogs, among other things.

Erol Otus is one of my favorite fantasy artists, like many gamers who grew up with his work burned into our retinas by hour upon hour of reading and re-reading various D&D books. So when I saw this Alma Mater poster I had to have it! It was only $3.50, so I couldn't say no at that price. It measures 22 x 17. You can read an Alma Mater review on RPG.net and an entry on Grognardia.

And rounding out the quartet is this smashing copy of Naval Battle Group by Superior Models. This was the most expensive acquisition of the four at $25, but I haven't seen it move for less than around $50 or so, which is too much for me.

The booklet is in outstanding shape - great color on the covers, no staple rust, no writing inside, and all the inserts and sheets are present. It is only 12 pages of text (16 total including covers) so it looks to be a fairly simple set of rules. I need to sit down and give it a thorough read one of these evenings. Now I just need to find myself a copy of Starfleet Wars that isn't grossly overpriced...and yes, I realize it is available from Monday Knight Productions as Galactic Knights.

More New Old Dragons

 Superior Models FA-49

 Superior Models WL-137 (?)

Superior Models FA-36

I was fortunate enough to pick up a new batch of old dragons recently. The lot in question caught my eye because it was heavy on Superior dragons, two of which I already have and two that are new to my collection. And then there was the dragon second from the right on the listing picture that sure looked like a Dragontooth D79 Large Dragon, but I wasn't 100% sure. Turns out I am now 100% sure. And for good measure there was a Grenadier Brass Dragon (2504 or 9303), as well as a sculpt that could possibly be a Minifigs Large Dragon from Auroela Rococo (it is stamped ARM 1 on the bottom, far right on the listing picture).

 Dragontooth D79 Large Dragon

What I really was after was largest beast in the lot (second from left in the listing pic) that is FA-49 Tiamat, The Dragon. There were also two copies of FA-36 Puff the Dragon, and one I believe to be WL-137 Dragon with Crystal Ball on Treasure (even though it's sitting on a rock and not so much a treasure pile).

Minifigs Large Dragon (?) ARM-1

I'll have to snap some pics this week, but needless to say I am happy to have some cool new old dragons in hand and for only $10 each!

Grenadier Brass Dragon

King Arthur's Court in 90mm

There are no Connecticut Yankees in this king's court...

Here's the next installment in my Superior Models 90mm series (I kicked things off with Elfquest back in July). Pictured in the group shot above are 5 of the 6 personalities available - I am currently missing FA-32 Morgan le Fay. Please note that the names are spelled as per the Superior catalog designations, so bear with me in that regard.

King Arthur


Everything about this Ray Lamb sculpt smacks of royalty, from the dragon on his helm down to the spurs on his feet. Arthur is clad in head-to-toe chainmail, has Excalibur strapped to his left side, and carries a large shield (not pictured). The shield has a beautiful relief of the Virgin Mary (I think), but the previous owner of mine seems to have filed or routed off 95% of the image. Bummer. The detail on his tunic is quite nice, including the three crowns on his chest and the border at the bottom of the tunic.

Merlin


Merlin stands with his arms folded, owl perched on his shoulder, wearing robes and a pointy wizard's hat covered in mystic runes and symbols. He has a component pouch (?) on the right side of his belt, and a sheathed dagger to the left. I would call this sculpt the iconic Merlin, as opposed to Excalibur's Merlin.

Guinevere


This lovely lady is wearing a simple dress, crown, and cross around her neck. There is a lot of fine detail on her sleeves and chest. I imagine it would look awesome to paint this as sheer fabric, so I might need to practice that technique if I ever have a go at painting her so. The delicate belt should be a challenge as well.

Lancelot


Lancelot has something of a faraway look in his eyes - the sort of look that comes from being torn between loyalty and love, I suppose. He embodies the look of a knight of the court, wearing a mix of chain and plate. The devil is in the details, of course, from the unicorn and fleur-de-lis on his tunic to the ultra-fine detail on his scabbard. I'll need to hone my NMM skills to do his armor justice.

Mordrid


OK, yes, his helmet makes him look like the silly French knights from MP&THG. Other than that, I think Lamb captured the subtle sneer that one pictures etched on Mordrid/Mordred's face (including the man-child Mordred from Excalibur). I'm rather fond of the griffin/eagle on his chest, and like the fact he's armed with both a mace and a sword.

The four male miniatures all have flagstone bases, so it's not hard to imagine them in or around Camelot. All in all, they are five wonderfully sculpted miniatures, each one rich with detail yet the balance between simple and gaudy is spot on. Until next time, happy collecting!

New Arrivals and some WIPs

Check out what I got in the mail the other day:

That's right, an OGRE! As in Mk. VI, and not as in Shrek. I believe it is an OGRE Mk. VI by Steve Jackson Games. When I first spotted it, I knew that it was an OGRE. What I didn't know was the type or manufacturer. A little detective work sorted that out.

The pic on the left is the Mk. VI (hull pieces sitting on treads, no guns or tower attached). The pic on the right shows scale: OGRE Mk. VI (approx. 3.5" long); Superior Models MAATAC Terran Federation Cyclops Medium Tank (1:285); GHQ T-72 (1:285).

I've been on the lookout for a Mk. V and/or Mk. III for a while now, so I had to snap up the Mk. VI when I saw it. I'm thinking it is going to require a high-visibility "look upon me and fear my armored wrath" sort of color scheme.

Next up are some minis to reassure my DM that our stable of D&D critters is indeed getting some love. Lots of unfinished love at the moment, but hopefully that will see a turnaround in the coming weeks and months.



Here's a gaggle of giants. That purple Reaper frost giantess will eventually look like the Ral Partha frost giant. The purple is the base color, gradually lightened up so that the purple is barely visible. At least that's the look I'm shooting for. And the green Superior cyclops in brown armor is going to be my first attempt at bronze NMM, so wish me luck on that!



That's Reaper's Boneflail and a Superior ogre that I'm thinking looks a bit more like an ogre-mage with the poleaxe and pantaloons.



Lastly we have a GW Mordheim vampire (sans sword) in some classic vampire colors. His face is totally washed out, so hopefully when it's done I'll take a better pic that shows off his pale, gaunt features.

That's it for now. Time to stop reading and start painting!

The Battle of Hampton Roads in 1:1200 scale

Back in June, I acquired a lot of six Civil War ironclads in 1:1200 scale, produced by Superior Models. At $5 per model (with shipping), it was a pretty modest expenditure. I have seen a fair amount of Superior ships come and go on eBay, but this was the first time I had ever seen Civil War-era naval vessels in the familiar plastic baggie with paper insert setup.

The only reason I picked these up is because they are Superior Models miniatures. I don't play any Civil War games of any sort, much less 1:1200 Civil War naval battles. But I must admit, these were just too compelling to resist! As a history buff, of course the Monitor vs. the Merrimack (I know, I know, the Virginia) is well-known to me. The introduction of ironclads into naval warfare was a game-changer, as evidenced by the launch of the HMS Dreadnought in 1875.



The ships shown in the above photo are (according to the packaging) the Monitor, the Merrimack/Virginia, and the Canonicus in the bottom row, and the Atlanta, Arkansas, and Huntsville in the top row. If I understand correctly, the Canonicus (or Cannonicus) is not a ship name, but rather a ship class. I don't know how many ships are in the Superior ironclads series, so if any Civil War/Superior Models naval buff stumbles across this entry, I'd love to know more about these little beauties!



Finally, to put scale into perspective, here's a shot of the Monitor and Virginia in front of the Scharnhorst (obviously sans its big guns). All three ships are Superior minis in 1:1200 scale. The Scharnhorst is just a tad over 7.5" long (19cm), while the Virginia is almost 2.75" long (7cm), and the Monitor is a mere 1.75" long (4.5cm).

Cutter & Leetah in 90mm

I must admit, I'm not an Elfquest fan by any stretch of the imagination. But as I pursue my collection of Superior Models minis, I find myself investigating some of the subjects that comprise both the 25mm and 90mm product lines. Elfquest, of course, is a long-running and well-regarded fantasy world, as are the creators, Wendy and Richard Pini.

For several years now, Elfquest collectors have thwarted my efforts to acquire this pair of beautiful Ron Spicer sculpts. I was finally able to snag this set because they were not labeled properly in the auction I won, which was great for me as I picked them up for a lot less than they typically sell for (usually in the $20-30+ range, if not higher).

After removing the old paint (not a bad job, just kind of old and glossy), the picture above shows Cutter and Leetah in all their 90mm glory. They top out at just under 3" tall (70mm), still on the short side compared to human-sized 90mm minis. I love the detail and expression captured by Spicer in these sculpts. For comparison, the 25mm Wizards & Lizards versions of Cutter and Leetah are just under 1" tall. I should post a side-by-side comparison picture. The minis are almost identical, save that the 25mm Cutter has a bow slung across his back.

I'll be posting more of Superior's 90mm Fantasy line in the future so you can enjoy Conan, John Carter, King Arthur, and Lord of the Rings personalities in 90mm.

Treasures Unearthed

I was able to swing by American Eagles again today for what is probably my last run there before the doors close on April 9th. My goal was to pick up some items for fellow collectors over at acaeum.com and see if there was anything for me. I am SO glad I went! And the fact everything was 40-70% off didn't hurt either.

Now that I have recently completed my collection of AD&D Birthright adventures and accessories, I can now focus on the miniatures, novels, and PC game. Sitting on the top shelf of the paperback rack were the four BR novels - Greatheart, The Hag's Contract, The Iron Throne, and The Spider's Test. Sweet!

Had to grab a copy of Raid on Rajallapor. Why? Well, I don't play Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, so I guess it's because the module was produced by Grenadier Models Inc. That little bit of shrinkwrapped goodness set me back $1.98!

I was trying to take my time, poke around, see what I could find. Sure enough, in a bin with some small stuff like Gamescience Federation Tugs were a couple of packages very familiar to me - little plastic baggies with red paper inserts bearing the Superior Models Inc. logo! I scored a four-pack of WL-130 Ninjas, and something I have never seen before: WL-151 Sorceress with Crystal Ball in 40mm scale. She comes with a small crystal ball that appears to sit on her bosom, and a small crystal star that I think sits on top of her crown. This one needs a picture, so I'll get going on that and post one ASAP.

Two small white boxes also caught my eye, and sure enough they also contained minis by Superior Models: two copies of WL-152 Dragon on Rock/4, a dragon perched on a rock with 4 gems that fit in the base. Sadly, both dragons are missing a wing, but I'll take what I can get.

Perhaps the most bittersweet purchase was my very last plastic model from Eagles. I was hoping to go big, say a 1/48 Mosquito or something along those lines. They were pretty well picked over at this point, so I went with a time-tested standard for me: the 1/76 scale Stug III Ausf. G by Fujimi. It will eventually take a place next to my Tiger.

I wish I had gone in much earlier since my last visit. I wonder if I would have had a shot at one of the three TSR bookcases they had sitting out? The ones with the SOLD tags on them. Oh well, coulda, woulda, shoulda. I still came away with some nice things. As an added sentimental bonus, the BR novels have American Eagles price stickers on the back, so I'll always know where they came from.

Thanks again, American Eagles.

New additions to the lead family

It's been a busy week on the painting and collecting front. I've made significant progress on my DA scouts, and they are nearing completion. Overall, I'm very pleased with the results to date, and I'll even give Devlan Mud wash a try. Pics of the final product to follow in the near future.

Two boxes arrived in my mailbox bearing newly-acquired lead. The first one contained four minis from Superior Models: WL-71 Surtur the Fire Giant, WL-78 Sitting Griffon, WL-102 Dragon Warrior, and WL-103 Dragon Mistress. I already have Surtur, but this new one came with wings, which I did not have on the first one.

The Griffon is a sweet sculpt, even though it is not a dynamic pose. The feathers are nicely done, and should show a great amount of detail when painted up. I also like the large eyes, which just scream character, so I hope I do a good job on them. The dragons for 102 and 103 are the same, but the riders aren't. Just need the Dragon Master (WL-100) round out the trio of dragons and riders.

I was quite happy to pick up all four for just under a total of $21. As a plus, all four models came with their original packaging! Big thanks to eBay seller basementblowout48723 for superb customer service and a flawless transaction.

The other box held a Ral Partha Stone Giant (11-403) and a pair of LOTR minis from Heritage: 1760 Troll of Moria, and the Balrog from 3000 The Mines of Moria Paint'n'Play set.

The troll I wanted because I remember it from back in the day - can't say for sure if I previously owned one or not, but I remember his ugly, snaggle-toothed face for sure. And the Balrog - well, what's not to love about a LOTR Balrog? The unique thing about this one, though, is his size. He's barely bigger than a human-sized Heritage mini! I wonder if the sculptor had to make him that size to fit in the set.

Big thanks to fellow eBayer selmanvandrake for a fast and excellent transaction.

Wrapping things up, my boys wanted to take some pics of their minis. Here are some from Frodo (age 8):

and Taz (age 6):

Frodo shows more interest in painting than Taz (as evidenced by his collection of over 200 minis compared to Taz's 20 or 30), but it's fun to see them busy painting. Chips off the old block, or something like that.