Reviews of products for scale figures and diorama models.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
ICM
MSRP
$29.99

ICM has been releasing quality kits, figure sets, and recently paints to support their vast library of releases. Today we see the second of a set dedicated to Wargaming paints. These are water based acrylic paints that can be brushed as is or airbrushed after thinning with either distilled water or ICM brand thinner. They come in screw top bottles that are wide mouth and not dropper bottles, so I used my handy pipette to dole out smaller quantities for testing.

What’s Inside the Box

This set includes six 12mL plastic bottles featuring the following colors:

Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$26.00

Concrete anti-tank obstacles, also known as ‘Dragon’s Teeth’, were first used during World War II. They are believed to have been invented in Finland as a means of defense against the armored vehicles of the Red Army. The purpose of these obstacles was not only to stop tanks and other armored vehicles but also to direct their movement into areas where they could be targeted by fire. These types of obstacles were widely used by all participants in the conflict, including neutral countries. For example, Switzerland also used similar obstacles, referring to them as Toblerone fortifications, due to their resemblance to the shape of the famous chocolate bars.

Review Author
Tomasz Menert
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$12.99

In the Box

The ICM Afrika Korps acrylic paint set contains six bottles, 12 ml each. The paints are water-based. The box contains these paints:

  • Middle Stone (1060)
  • Offwhite (1028)
  • Leather Brown (1053)
  • German Field Grey (1070)
  • Silver (1024)
  • Green Ochre (1059)

Application and Experience

The following instructions on how to use the paints can be found on the side of the box:

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$29.99

ICM has been releasing quality kits, figure sets, and recently paints to support their vast library of releases. This is a new sort of release for me as included in the card stock envelope are sheets of decals that the modeler can use to add unit patches, shoulder boards, and ribbons to your Ukrainian 1/35 figures, as well as digital camouflage for the Kozak-2 models in their line. The cover art of the envelope lists the set has 468 combat unit patches of AFU, 56 patches of AFU, 34 shoulder boards, and 2 sheets of decals for the Kozak-2. For a little bit of bling, the set comes with a Ukrainian patch as well.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1:160
MSRP
$24.99

This review covers the Lighthouse 1:160 Scale Atlantis L70779. Its 22 pieces are molded in white and clear and has a battery (Two CR2032’s) powered light that fades at the top of the tower.

This kit’s scale, Aka "N" scale, is meant to be displayed separately or with numerous N scale ships and model railroads. This kit was originally released by Lindberg in 1969 and most recently re-issued in 2023 by Atlantis Models. Finished dimensions are~ L-11.5”W-6.5” H-10.5.”

Overall, it’s a nice level 2 snap kit but adding some glue in places is really a good idea, and we’ll show where to do that. There is also a leftover error that must be addressed for realism. Detailing the base is mandatory and the use of washes will really make details stand out. Rigging the poles is tricky but a product called EZLine makes it simple. The use of clear tint on the beacon’s lenses will enhance the kit for that extra touch.

Review Author
Phillip Cavender
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$30.00

The description below is taken from ICM’s product website.

Hot, delicious food on the front line plays a far more crucial role for soldiers than civilians in peacetime. Regular meals during wartime not only maintain combat readiness but also have great moral significance. World War II's standard US field kitchen could serve 150–180 people. These kitchens were part of a company’s structure but often combined into larger battalion kitchens. They were typically located away from direct combat lines, deeper in the rear, which eased the supply of provisions. Food preparation relied on M-1937 field stoves, which ran on liquid fuel. These versatile stoves allowed for frying, baking, or stewing various dishes—even pies. Cooks strived to provide soldiers with hot meals at least twice daily. While most food was hearty and calorie-rich, American soldiers occasionally enjoyed treats like roast turkey when possible.

Book Author(s)
Mat Irvine
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Crecy Publishing, Ltd.
MSRP
$34.95

This is a good introduction book to the world of dioramas by author Mat Irvine. His English roots are evident throughout this amazing book, and it is great to see his perspective across multiple genres of modelling, and not just fixated on one sub-genre. While some want dioramas for a specific style, this book does a great job of covering dioramas from basic to movie sets and museum displays. I also appreciate the author’s Dedication page to Andrew Yanchus before the table of contents. Andy worked for Aurora, a “colorist” for Marvel Comics, and as an advisor for the newly formed Atlantis Model Company. He was a friend of author Mat Irvine for almost 50 years and was a “highly knowledgeable historian on all matters to do with model-making, and I still often think, when tackling a particular problem: ‘Ah, Andy would have known.’” It is in this vein that the book is written.

Mat Irvine’s introduction starts with,

Book Author(s)
John Franklin
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$52.95

This new book by Pen and Sword explores a lifelong passion for collecting traditional toy soldiers, offering insights and anecdotes, with over four hundred color photographs that showcase a sixty-year journey of dedication and expertise in the hobby of toy soldier collecting, most specifically the famous Britain's range of hollow-cast lead figures dating from the1870s to the 1960s.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$31.00

I continue to be amazed at the capacity of this Ukrainian stalwart company to release new and interesting kits monthly it seems without skipping a beat despite the involvement in a long tedious war. The field kitchen in the kit is identical to the one released in ICM’s recent AHN ‘Gulaschkanone’ kit. Unlike that kit though we get a crew of 4 cooks that would rival anything Gordon Ramsey could cook up.