For years now, I have felt that 15mm was the right scale in which to wargame W.W.II. Twenty millimeter was just too big (and too expensive) for anything but skirmish gaming. Microarmor, while great for big tank battles, was too fragile for my tastes (especially late W.W.II when the tanks get long guns), and the infantry always seemed to get lost in the terrain (true story - after getting his butt kicked attacking a town with tanks, I asked a player why he hadn't sent in his infantry. He told me he forget he had any.)

With 15mm, one would be able to see the infantry, and the tanks would be a reasonable size. But the problem was that the 15mm figures that were available weren't very satisfying. Quality Castings had some decent infantry, but their vehicles were rough. Yucca I just didn't like.

Then came the Old Glory 15mm line. The infantry was just great, but the tanks - well, let's just say they don't fit together very well. I also discovered Peter Pig, but again, the infantry was great but the vehicles were lacking (too big and too expensive). Then I discovered that Quality Castings had started to re-do their vehicles, and the results were very satisfying. At this point, my disposable income became history.

Recently, while reading a news group on the Internet (rec. games. minatures. historicals) I came across a posting that mentioned a new line of 15mm W.W II vehicles from Military Miniatures in New Zealand. I ordered some, figuring that I would spend some money to assure myself that I wasn't missing anything. Boy, was I wrong.

I ordered a Sherman, a Marder II, an Sdkfz 250 halftrack, and an Sdkfz 222 armored car. When the order came, I discovered the proprietors had thrown in a US M3 half-track for free. Which was nice, but the quality of the models was enough to sell me.

These models are cast in resin, with fittings (track assemblies, guns, wheels, etc.) made from lead. This is nice, because it you've ever lugged around a bunch of 15mm lead vehicles, you know that they can get heavy in a hurry. In scale, these models will fit best with Quality Castings, meaning that they are true 15mm (Old Glory and Peter Pig make their vehicles a little bit over-sized, on purpose I understand).

The casting quality is excellent, both on the resin hulls and the lead fittings. There is practically no pitting in the resin parts. The parts fit together without a lot of re-working, which I have always found necessary with other makers' models. I have heard that the release of some of their new models was delayed because the owner wasn't satisfied with the quality of the molding - how often do you hear of that happening?

The models come with a lot of external stores (boxes, bedrolls, etc.) cast on them. Their listing says that their Shermans have a variety of these, and unless you specify otherwise, you get a random mix. Darn, that variety might just add some character to my units.

The M3 halftrack was practically covered with bedrolls and packs, no doubt to give it the 'gypsy caravan' look of US armored infantry units that Frank Chadwick alludes to in his Command Decision rules. The German 250 half-track comes with both an MG and a 37mm gun (both very nice) so that you have the choice to make it a regular troopcarrier or a platoon leader's vehicle.

On the down side, some of the lead fittings can be a bit hard to figure out. The Sdkf7 222 seemed to come with 2 different kinds of wheels (or were they just different casting batches?), apparently for front and back, but I'm still not sure which is which. A sheet of instructions would be helpful. The track assemblies for the Sherman seem a bit squat - the vehicle doesn't seem as tall as it should be. The American half-track came with two right side track assemblies instead of a right and a left, but since it was free, who am I to complain?

At this point, the biggest weaknesses of this line are its limited scope and the fact that you have to call or write New Zealand to get them. The first problem is simply a matter of time - the line is new and is growing. Right now they have early war French, a selection of lighter German vehicles (light tanks, half-tracks, SP guns and armored cars), and about 13 different kinds of Shermans. Their up-coming releases include real German tanks (Mark Ills and IVs) and early war Russians. They seem committed to offering a complete selection, and I guess the limiting factor is the designer's time.

The second problem (getting them from New Zealand) may not be a problem much longer. I took these kits to Fantastic Games in Lynnwood, and they are working on arrangements to carry them at the store. John Fisher says they hope to have some in time for ENFILADE, so you can check them out for yourselves there.

These vehicles cost $7.50 each. Which sounds expensive, until you realize that the price is in New Zealand dollars, which are worth about $.68 US. So the price works wt to roughly $5.25 US - about the same as a Quality Castings vehicle, if you buy them in the Value Packs. At this point, we consumers are in a good position - these two lines are comparable in quality, size, and price, and so far, they make mostly different stuff. If you can forgive the Kiwis for beating the U.S. in the last America's Cup series, I suggest you look into this line.