The Modelling News: Mantis Miniatures' new November products: bushes, fauna, stowage & two crew for your AFV in our preview...

Mantis Miniatures is a favourite model maker of this site for good reason, they seem to turn out new models of interesting subjects that are connected to a model rather as well as something to place in a diorama. This month Mantis has a bunch of figures, accessories and extra stuff to add to your Sd.Kfz. 222, plus some more animals & a bit of bush! See what we mean in our preview...

Mantis Miniatures' new November products:

Mantis Miniatures has several products that have just been released to the public. A few to suit your dioramas, and several to mate with your 35th scale German Sd.kfz.222 or any other AFV kit for that matter! e thought we would show you them all in our preview...

German SS AFV Commander, WWII

Kit No #35117

1/35th Scale

Sculpted by Helder Agostinho / Painted by A.Miniszewski

price 14€

This SS AFV commander is in fairly plain gear - but the Death's head skull and crossbones on his visor cap denote him as an officer of the SS Panzer Korps. These soldiers had the "Waffenfarbe Rosa" pink piping on their hats to denote the armoured corps servicemen.

Either sitting on the rear of the tank hatch or as shown here leaning on something like a 44 gallon fuel drum, this officer sports the clothing of a light reconnaissance officer - the high leather boots and cavalry breaches, the pistol holster to his left for self defence and the casual light shirt to be worn inside the warm tank.

German SS AFV Officer, WWII

Kit No #35118

1/35th Scale

Sculpted by Helder Agostinho

Painted by: A.Miniszewski

price 14€

This officer of the SS (he could well be just a Wehrmacht officer if you like) is seen looking at his map while he stands a little back from the pages - maybe he's a little shortsighted?

You can see here that he has the early war style tall cavalry boots and breaches, the regular cotton shirt and the overseas M40 foreign cap on his head. Pretty standard for an officer inside a small vehicle like the Sd. 222. Hist pistol holster on his left hip tops off the figure quite nicely.

German SS AFV Crew, WWII

Kit No #35119

1/35th Scale
Two figures in one box

Sculpted by Helder Agostinho

Painted by: A.Miniszewski

price 26€

These two figures are sold together in a set at a slightly cheaper price if you like the look of both of them...

This set could be mounted on or off the vehicle as shown in the picture below

Accessories Set for Sd.kfz.222

Kit No #MAC18

scale 1/35

(Dedicated to Tamiya kit)

This accessory set for the Sd.kfz.222 includes five clusters of resin, firstly the soldier's backpack, with blanket flask and canteen and pot. The second is a "jerry" can with some cloths draped over it, the next is a soldier's bread bag-satchel with a water flask, canteen, helmet all sitting on a box. The fourth is a metal box covered with chains and an oil container and wooden box, with lastly the covered tarp tyre of the Sd.kfz.222. these can be used singularly or together depending on your taste of course and I can see these used on other, similar vehicles.

German SS AFV Commander & accessories set for Sd.Kfz. 222

Kit No #35120

1/35th Scale

Dedicated to Tamiya kit.

The same Accessory and AFV commander set we have already looked at, but bundled together for those who just want these two at a slightly cheaper price point.

New diorama materials from Mantis

Animals Set #33

Kit No #35121

(Scale 75 - 90mm / 1:24 - 1:18)

Sculpted by P.Szymczyk

Painted by: A.Miniszewski

price 14€

A close up of each of the animals in this set - looks pretty good to us for an aquatic or riverside setting...

New accessory from Mantis - "Branches"

The branches are handmade in two options, leafy and pine tree. They are built and painted, ready to use on a model, dedicated to 1/35 scale. The box contains about 10 branches in a different size, I try to pack so that there is diversity.