Red October Factory

Scenic Effects

Reviewed by Craig Martelle

Red October Factory and extras, from Scenic Effects. Scenic Effects, PO Box 70332, Point Richmond, CA, 94807, (510) 235-1955.

The Red October Factory (WB18) came extremely well-packaged in a nice big box (and who doesn't like to receive big packages?). The base of the model is 23"x16" and the detail is super. It is resin and fairly light weight. There is a significant amount of girders, machinery, brickwork, and craters to hide behind / in / around. There's even a tunnel going through part of the more heavily rubbled section! This is a real tunnel; I had to look a few times because of the flash to see that it was really there. This isn't a drawback, the flash provides for the opportunity to leave the tunnel hidden, or it can be easily cut away, exposing the black hole. There are five wall sections that need to have the flash removed, once again a fairly simple and easy process. I personally have a Dremel tool with about a thousand attachments for this purpose and I also use a heated X-acto knife for the really fine detail. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment, almost like you're sculpting, after just a few minutes of touch up time. The walls marry up nicely with the abutments of the base unit. Now for playability...

The factory is plenty large to support a 20mm or actually anything from a 15mm to 25mm figure standing upright in the trenches. I have 20mm figures and consider the factory perfect! The figures, mounted on half inch x half inch movements stands (see Wargame Accessories ad on page 49) fit in all areas of the factory without leaning at precarious angles or having to be wedged in. The size of the factory makes it suitable for a complete game, say a skirmish over lunch. Once assembled, it can be easily transported and setup time is zero. I consider this the epitome of playability and suitability. It looks realistic, is fairly lightweight, and won't be difficult to paint after a nice black priming. I see using silver, steel, pewter, some other metallics for the detailed work on the rubble, a few reds and dark dirty browns in a thorough drybrushing of the rubble. Then it will be ready.

To complement the factory, I also bought the Commissar House (WB5) and the Stalingrad T34 OP (WB17). The Commissar's House is two story, with a removable roof and second story! The detail on the inside is very realistic, to include having a corpse in the temporary jail on the first floor. There was very little flash on this building and was ready for immediate painting. This is a bonus piece that could steal the show, especially when gamers take it apart for true skirmish-level wargaming. The knocked-out T34 OP is a one-piece model with no flash and ready for immediate painting. It has super detail that portrays ingenuity and reality. A number of timbers shore up one side of the tank, making an impromtu entrance into the safety behind the armor. The walls surrounding the tank are what you would expect from Scenic Effects, superb quality!

I like the resin that Scenic Effects uses. It keeps the models lightweight and retains all the detail. These pieces are the kind of models that make you want to expand into another era of history. You could use these as the cornerpiece to a diorama or as the foundation of an Eastern Front game, played again and again. Scenic Effects offers models like Chateau Hougoumont as a 15piece complete set for you Napoleonics fans out there (for only $165 fully assembled - measures 36"x23"). What about a Mediterranean Village, measuring 24"x16"x5" (for only $80) for a different WWII (maybe SCW?) game. Drop Scenic Effects a line for more details or a complete listing of their offerings.

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© Copyright 1997 by Craig Martelle Publications
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