Tuesday, April 30

Preview: 35th scale Heer & Waffen SS Panzer Commander set from Alpine Miniatures

Talk about putting your heads together! Alpine Miniatures have two new WWII German tanker figures almost set for release that feature all the normal features of Alpine's releases, but with a special twist of head choices that make them either SS or Heer tankers. We look at them in our preview...

Preview: 35th scale Heer & Waffen SS Panzer Commander set from Alpine Miniatures

Heer & Waffen SS Panzer Commander set.
From Alpine Miniatures
Sculpture by Taesung Harms
Two figures, sold as singles or a pair.
Both figures come with two head choices, one Heer, one WSS.
Figure no's #35315 & 35316
Normally Alpine miniatures provide a resin figure with a choice of two heads for the modeller to change the look or feel of the scene. This time, Alpine's Taesung Harmms has innovated smartly with something different. Each of these figures can bus made as an SS or a Heer tanker with the simple change of the supplied head gear. 

Shown below - one of the figures each in light grey resin wearing one choice of head gear...
The figures were designed in such a way that the clothing suits either forces of the Germans through WWII. We look at them both in our preview with the bare resin and box arts painted up by the dynamic duo,  Dr. Jin Kim who painted the Heer panzer commander, and Mr. Toshihiro Sano, who painted the Waffen SS tankers below. 

We will look at them both now, with the single figures, and the n the set o two figures together

SS / Heer Panzer Commander
From Alpine Miniatures
1/35th scale
Figure No #35315
Sculpture by Taesung Harmms
Box Art by Dr. Jin Kim (Heer) & Toshihiro Sano (WSS)
1 x WSS head, 1 x Heer head included with the figure
This week we saw the first photos of this figure in the "raw", with the pose of this German tanker of mid-late WWII shown with two head choices - the tanker wears a captured French uniform rabbit fur-lined jacket over his roll neck jumper and pants. His Zeiss opticals on his chest are the 6x30's and he has the 

The figure in raw resin below, with both peaked cap M43 (SS) & the officer's traditional style cap (Heer) represented...
Around his throat and on both headgears this figure is wearing his earphones or "cans" and throat mic for communication. These cans sit prominently on top of and push down the servicemen's caps they are wearing. The throat mics are also pinched slightly at the neck just above this figure's collar...
This kit was designed not just smartly with head choices, but in poses, that he can fit both the Tiger II or the Panther cupola ring...
The Heer panzer commander head choice wears the Panzer Officers Visor or “crusher” cap. Notice how it is sculpted in a flattened and beaten up fashion as was common with the tankers of the time.
Views from a few angles of him painted show you the lining on the jacket, the wrinkles in the thick line pants and jacket and those very thick gloves...
The second choice in headgear makes this figure into an SS tanker. With the M43 peaked cap sporting the death’s head of the SS tankers and German national symbol on it. 

He also wears the Bergemutze M-43 field cap which has a flat and broad brim to it.
I like the lifelike effect the painting and the sculpting by Taesung Harmms has achieved here. The almost look of distain on his face is palpable to me. I have seen many companies not giving much expression tot he faces of their figures, but this guy looks a little impatient!


SS / Heer Panzer Commander
From Alpine Miniatures
1/35th scale
Figure No #35316
Sculpture by Taesung Harmms
Box Art by Dr. Jin Kim (Heer) & Toshihiro Sano (WSS)
1 x WSS head, 1 x Heer head included with the figure
The second figure is also a choice for the modeller. With one head from a Heer tanker, and the other with the SS man's headgear choice. He is a full figure, but  much of it will be inside the cupola. A shame, as some of the detail here is exquisite. 
You can see him below, with the Heer headgear of the M43 The reversible parka is thick, lined and the knees are slightly padded, you can see the front of the jacket is less wrinkly than the rear of the jacket as the rear has the pleats that make it a fitted style.
The SS panzer commander choice is seen wearing the "Feldmütze", the German garrison (side) cap, of which the much more popular M43 was intended to (and essentially did) replace.

M-43 Field Cap Feldmütze below..
You can see him below, and you might tank not of both the painted version and all that can be achieved, as much as the unpainted version, where the sculpt of Taesung Harmms stands out. Look at the folds in the reversible parka, where as the pants are lined and thicker at the knees and do not have the wrinkles, the back of this tanker's jacket is seen hanging and sagging wherever gravity takes it.
 Look at the soldier's hand on his knee, and how the weight of it sinks into the padding of the pants, the fingers are delicate and I can even see the veins or bones on the man's hand. Amazing in this scale people!


German Panzer Crew Set (2 Figures)
From Alpine Miniatures
1/35th scale
Figure No #35317 
Sculpture by Taesung Harmms
Box Art by Dr. Jin Kim (Heer) & Toshihiro Sano (WSS)
1 x WSS head, 1 x Heer head included with each of the two figures in this set.
These two are sold together as a set of two figures, and they are both provided with either the SS or Heer head choices, two for each figures. You can display them as either, depending on your wishes. I think this is a great innovation from Alpine miniatures. It won't be long before other companies copy this move.

These two figures in singles and a set will be available on May 6 from Alpine Miniatures Online Store or their distributors worldwide. If you are in the USA, you can now purchase Alpine products directly from their online store with free shipping (within the US) on all orders.