Reviews of products for scale figures and diorama models.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
October 14, 2023
Company
Green Stuff World
Scale
22mm
MSRP
$5.10

Green Stuff World is a recent addition to IPMS’ review line, and it is welcome indeed. They make amazing modeling tools and products to aid you with your models and dioramas. In the case of this line, there is a vinyl sheet full of these tufts. I am reviewing the three here:

  • Burnt
  • Dry
  • Beige

There are also Light, Winter, and Dark varieties.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
October 13, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
N/A
MSRP
$24.95

Anyone familiar with my modeling work is aware of my aversion to water-based paints. When acrylic paints first came on the market, I tested several types and found them indifferently opaque and tending to extreme fragility. As a commercial figure painter, I simply didn’t trust them to stand up to the rigors of customer handling.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$79.99

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the Civil War era, as this is the period in history that my father taught at the university. ICM has really delivered in this area, offering no less than four different infantry figure sets, each with a superb sprue of associated equipment, making it very easy to convert these figures as you choose.

ICM has now taken this a step further in introducing a full set of all four kits along with their associated gear for a total of sixteen figures and four equipment sprues. As you might guess, this is a real boon for figure modelers and certainly guarantees a good number of modeling nights in the garage for this particular enthusiast.

Review Author
Peter Bucher
Published on
September 7, 2023
Company
Green Stuff World
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$19.47

I received the Liquid Pigments Earth set from Green Stuff World (GSW). They are pigments formulated in a liquid form. The six colors represent various types of earth colors and are Desert Earth, Ochre Earth, Light Earth, Medium Earth, Dark Earth, and Burnt Earth and you receive 6 bottles of Liquid Pigments - 17 ml. in each bottle.

Upon opening the paint, I found they are very thin and watery but also very opaque. Each bottle has a shaker inside to help you with shaking and evenly distribute the pigments in the liquid.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
August 10, 2023
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1:4
MSRP
$32.99

Atlantis Models gets credit for another Tom Daniel classic save by resurrecting the Glowing Ghost of the Red Baron kit Atlantis M6742-Model Kit. At 1:4 scale it’s easy to work with and It’s a great kit for beginners too.

Attesting to its popularity the kit’s been re-released a few times in various versions as well as, but this fresh new 2023 offering by Atlantis Models is the first reissue in decades.

Originally released as kit #PC220 in 1969, and according to Tom, “I thought we could do something fun with the chrome helmet again (at the time) and sketched out this skeleton "ghost" design on a place mat at a Mexican restaurant.”

Also included is a beautiful new waterslide decal sheet featuring the Iron Cross markings from WWI and a rubber band to activate the “bobble bone” and invoke the jittering eyeballs.

The original, “far out” instructions now printed in red and black, detail the 10,740 steps required for construction.

Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
August 2, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$24.99

No one can argue that being a war correspondent is anything but dangerous work. Journalists who choose this branch of their profession face death, kidnapping, torture and more on a regular basis, as well as dealing with the repercussions this activity can have on their family lives back home. All of this is especially true in this age, where the “Press” label affords far less protection than it has in the past.

ICM is no stranger to controversial or challenging subjects, and this package offers a selection of figures that can be utilized in a wide variety of contemporary settings, not just the Ukrainian conflict. This set includes a camerawoman, a video cameraman, an interviewer with microphone and a standing Ukrainian soldier. I believe the journalists are supposed to represent international correspondents (rather than Ukrainian) as the PRESS markings are in English on both their helmets and vests.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
July 26, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$26.00

ICM continues to announce new models despite the ongoing Russian initiated war in Ukraine. While most subjects released by ICM are welcome, the current conflict subjects are even more relevant and welcome. When anything military engineer-related hits the market, I am intrigued; this kit is a double hit for me.

Unexploded munitions, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), booby traps and mines are hallmarks of modern warfare. Breaching obstacles and cleaning up battlefields often fall to sappers and combat engineers. This fantastic ICM kit begs to be opened upon arrival. Upon opening the colorful lid and cover of the typical sturdy ICM box, there is a reinforced white inner box that does a good job of protecting the single sprue containing the three Sapper figures and dog, along with an advertisement folder for ICM acrylic paints.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
July 22, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$28.20

ICM continues to pump out interesting new kits and paint sets despite being in a brutal war that has lasted 487 days as I sit here typing this review up. The subject here is one in a growing line of 1/16 scale figure kits- Soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Highly praised by military experts around the world, the Ukrainian army is now considered to be among the best trained and skilled in the world thanks to its experience fighting modern combat.

What’s Inside the Box

The kit comes as the standard ICM kit does—with a colorful box top that slides off of an enclosed cardboard box with flap. Parts were packaged well and details were crisp with no flash to speak of.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
July 16, 2023
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.80

Hauler is a Czech Republic company that produces high quality resin & photo-etched sets for AFVs, airplanes, cars, railway vehicles, accessories for dioramas and resin kits. Their products are available online or in the US from UMM-USA or from Stevens International through your local hobby shop.

The military provisions set includes various food supplies including wine bottles, several crates with various vegetables, a sack of potatoes, several wicker baskets, several bread loaves, cheese loaf, a ham, and several meats & sausages. The parts are crisply molded in resin with very nice detail. All the parts are attached to pour blocks that will need to be carefully removed with a razor saw.

Review Author
Peter Bucher
Published on
July 16, 2023
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$16.18

I received the Mig Ammo Dio Drybrush Paint Rust Color set. The Clear plastic container contained four bottles of what Mig refers to as Dio Drybrush paint. The four colors represented the various stages of rust from a dark brown old rust color to a light orange fresh new rust color. Upon opening the paint, I found they are thick and creamy and not a thin liquid like the average paint. No shaking or stirring was needed to prepare them.

When using the paint, they did dry brush and cover very well. If you are familiar with the slap chop method of dry brush painting, they are perfect for that style of dry brushing which uses a wet heavier style of dry brushing.

Cleaning up was very easy because they are acrylic-based and not enamel or lacquer-based paint.