Minifigs

12mm WWII Armor

Review By Bill Rutherford

Here are several more samples of Minifigs’ WW II 12mm range, including 12022044 LVT4 Buffalo, 12022045 LVTA(1) Buffalo with 37mm gun, 12022046 LVTA(4) Buffalo with 75mm gun, 12022047 LCVP (landing barge), 12026001 Japanese Infantry, 12026002 Japanese Support Weapons, 12026017 Type 97 Shinhoto Chi Ha tank, and 12026012 Type 95 Ha Go light tank. The three Amtraks are all based on the LVT4 hull and differ mainly in the upper decking and turret installations. I don’t have good plans for them but they look good when compared to photos of the prototypes. The LVT4, of course, is open-topped with a separate rear ramp and three MGs while the LVTA(1) has Minifigs’ M5 turret and a pair of machine-gunners to the rear and the LVTA(4) has Minifigs’ M8 HMC turret and a slightly different (later) deck without MGs (The LVTA(4) had a larger turret ring that overlapped the former MG positions). The Ha Go’s good overall though the turret’s seems just a bit too narrow-looking, from the front - compare it to any photos of the type...

Both Japanese tanks will likely take some camouflage during painting, though, and that will do much to hide any discrepancies in the Ha Go’s turret contours. The infantry is quite nice, as one expects after their previous infantry releases. The infantry pack includes a couple of advancing infantry, a prone shooter, a fellow waving a hand-grenade, and an officer advancing with raised sword. The infantry support troops include a two-man mortar team, an antitank rifleman, a two-man prone MG team, a flame-thrower carrier, a knee mortar gunner, and a few advancing infantry. All wear field gear and the riflemen have bayonets fixed. The casting was extremely clean throughout, with virtually no clean-up required! The infantry all weigh in at about 11M Barrett, by the way.

All in all, I was quite happy with these troops. They give one the ability to game island wars without being so small as to be invisible or so large as to require a big room for the island! If you game in 10mm/12mm/N scale and are interested in the Pacific War, you should take a look at these…(ED NOTE: Don’t look too closely at the landing craft - I think I asssembled it wrong! Dick Bryant )

The LVTs are $4.50 apiece, the LCVP and the Japanese infantry packs are $6.95 apiece (you get 36 infantry to a pack), and the Japanese tanks are $3.95 apiece. They should be available from your local game shop, or failing that, directly from the US Manufacturer at Game Figures Inc., 538 Olathe St. Unit E, Aurora, CO 80011 (ph 303-361-6465). You can see a full catalog of their 12mm wares at http://www.minifigs.co Recommended!

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