MWANers will know that I am highly impressed with the wargaming accessories available from TCS, PMB #155, 545 Newport Ave., Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (phone: 401-437-9820; e-mail: leowalsh@aol.com). I have had many dealings with Leo Walsh over the years and he has always been extremely helpful. I contacted him regarding TCS items which would be appropriate for 20mm Europe, 15mm Spanish Peninsula, and 15mm Russia (Russian Civil War and WWII) and, as usual, he went out of his way to identify such items for me. Leo's catalog may not be fancy, but it contains a virtual plethora of wargame accessories which can do wonders for your table! I've gone through and categorized the TCS items according to the periods I obtained them for.
First of all, I was interested in finding some 20mm European buildings for my 20mm Seven Years War and Franco-Prussian War projects. Aside from plastic kits, it can be a little difficult to locate 20mm period buildings. I was surprised to note in his catalog that Leo had a range of 20mm buildings. These are all hollow-cast, resin buildings. ER76 is a stucco and wood city house ($15) with separate roof. This is more of an English "Tudor" style two-story house with the second floor jutting out over the first floor in front. It has a nice shingled roof and measures 4 1/2" high. ER6 is a two-story stucco chapel ($16) that is just great! The roof is thatched and could be used for Europe as well as the Peninsula. It has a bell tower and in back, there is a one-story section jutting out.
ER31, 32, 33, 55, and 56 ($8 except for ER56 which is $9) are thatch and stucco cottages in different styles; for example, ER33 has a very nice large stone chimney in back, while ER56 is a more elongated structure. Nice buildings! They will be quick to paint up and will look great on my table once I get these two periods painted up! I should add that the majority of buildings from this series are available as stated as well as partially damaged and totally destroyed.
I've been picking up 15mm Peninsular buildings for some time and looking for more. From Leo's 15mm ER Mediterranean-Italian series I have ER45 large multi-family 3-story building with shutters ($8); ER43 city 3-story house w/shutters ($7); and ER42 city house ($7). These three have tiled roofs with different doorways, windows, balconies, etc. Some have bushes as well.
ER75 is a smaller two-story stucco house ($6). These four would be perfect, as Leo states, for "Mediterranean-Italian" buildings, but I see them as being very useful for Spain as well. Very attractive structures!
Also from the ER series are ER47 ($5), 66 and 70 ($6) which are one and two story (ER47) flat roof (raised sides) stucco structures with a variety of windows and doors which would fit for Spain, Egypt, the Sudan and Spain.
The last group I obtained for the Peninsular are ER20 small Spanish style church ($6), 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, and 64 - which are "A" frame stucco one-story buildings with titled roofs ($6 each). They are long, narrow 15mm structures with differences in doors, windows, and length. They can be used for "city", "village" and/or farm buildings. These would be very quick to paint and have enough variety so as to give a very pleasing appearance. I don't know if you have noticed, but it is difficult to find 15mm Peninsular buildings applicable for the settings just mentioned. These will work great!
Russian 15mm buildings are not always easy to find; TCS offers a number of them. The following buildings, except for the large church, all have thatched roofs. ER10 ($6) is a small cottage with a wing in back; ER13 large stucco church with thatched roof and domed bell tower ($8; a real buy!) is a beauty(!); ER16 small wooden barn ($4.50) could easily be used for Europe as well; ER17 small log/thatch church ($6) with small dome on top is ideal for a "country" church as is ER18 which has a tiled roof ($6) - I should add that these buildings would, I believe, be appropriate for Polish structures as well - ER25, 26, 27, 28 and 36 ($6 each) are log and thatch cottages varying in size; ER30 wooden barn ($5) has a wing off on one side and could easily be use for Europe; ER40 (two for $5) is interesting in that it is an "arched" roof thatch house while ER41 (two/$5) is an "A" frame structure; ER52 ($7) is another arched roof structure, but is listed as a meeting lodge and is very large. Lastly, ER72 ($12) is a small stucco cottage with walled stucco yard, wooden gate, and tiled roof. This can be used for Europe as well. Excellent series of buildings!
I already have many of the TCS European buildings but picked up two that I didn't have: ER22 is an excellent stone cottage in one corner of a stone walled square with wooden gate and has three trees at the other corners. The roof is tiled ($12) and the base is 4" X 4". TCS makes a number of these "based" buildings with walls and I really like them. I also like the trees and bushes they have on many structures and walls. ER51($7) is listed as a Mediterranean stucco country cottage but can easily be used for Europe; there are wings on each end of the tiled roof house as well as a number of bushes.
Lastly, TCS has so many terrain accessories in addition to their fine buildings. In 25mm #134 is a wooden fence with dirt base 3 1/2" long ($3.50/4 sections) and a real bargain. The wooden boards are upright with a supporting board running across the back of the fence. #134B is the same, but with "battle damage" (same price/4 sections). #134G has a wooden gate. I have a number of these painted up for my 25mm WWII Eastern Front villages/farms and they look terrific!
I got three bridges: #121 small arched log bridge ($4.50) is correctly listed as a 15mm bridge (1 1/2" X 4") and I have one of them already done up by Andrew Doyle of 3-D CONTOURS on one of his stream sections for 15mm use. However, I wanted another one for my WWII Eastern Front in 25mm to be used as a "foot" bridge. #160 is a small stone bridge ($5.50) for 15mm (1 1/2" X 4 1/2") while #173, also for 15mm, is wider (2"/$5.50). The only "negative" remark I can make about everything in this review is that both of these bridges are "filled in" with resin where the river/stream goes through. The 133 series stucco wall sections ($3.50 for four 4" sections with nice base) are ordinary (but what else can you say about a stucco wall section?); #133 is a straight section, 133G is a pack of four corners, 133D are "battle damaged" and 133G has a wooden gate. These are listed as 15mm and my intention is to use some of them as village or town walls for my 15mm European setup. #131 stucco medium walled yard ($6/5" X 5") is on a base with wooden gate and can be set up either with a building inside of it or used as an enclosure for animals.
The 213 series are one of my favorites: heavy brick/stucco low wall ($4.50 for four 3" section) is a "thick" (almost half inch) wall section; 213B is battle damaged; 213C are corner sections; and 213G has a wooden gate. These are listed as 25mm though again, I plan on using them for 15mm wall sections for villages and towns. Excellent walls! They would be ideal for 25mm Wild West, Peninsula, Sudan, Italy, and Europe. Lots of uses here! I already have a number of TCS entrenchment pieces - #104 is a 15mm curved plank and earthwork piece ($3.50) which can be used for any period of history. Last of all, the 127 series - metal stone and wood picket fence (four 4" sections/$5.50) and 127B battle damaged. These are great for 15mm villages and town scenes!
You will find many line drawings of some of these items in this review, however, they don't do justice to the real items! These resin structures would paint up quickly (and well!) with a black priming and drybrushing technique. I've urged you in the past to get a TCS catalog and take a look for yourself at the wide variety of wargaming accessories. I should add that many of the buildings I've mentioned, as well as others, come in "damaged" and "destroyed" versions. In addition, they are available painted, usually for about double the regular price. I haven't gotten any of these, but I suppose I should as a ruined building here and there really makes a table look better. If you are into WWII 15mm gaming, as I hope to be, you can use lots of damaged and destroyed buildings, can't you! If you can't tell by now, I can highly recommend all of the TCS items - they are really one of the "unknown" wargaming companies and do a fine job! Outstanding stuff, Leo - my congratulations and thanks for making these products available to us at great prices!
Back to MWAN #106 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com