SCALE MODEL NEWS

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE A NEW MODEL MAGAZINE, so we are pleased to see the latest from Guideline Publications, the fascinating  Fantasy Figures International  which is in stores now. Mat Irvine:  Figure modelling has always been popular, whether the subjects are fact or fantasy. The US publication  Amazing Figure Modeler  has been produced for many years, and I reckon that a new British magazine could well emulate the success of its US cousin. The first issue of  Fantasy Figures International  ( FFI ) does basically what it says on the tin, featuring a cross-section of articles that deal with various aspects of figure modelling. For example, there are two articles on Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K), pages on figures and machinery, and a look at figure painter Mark Taylor. The Safest Place  is an article that takes a black-humour look at a post-apocalyptic scene – which happens to be set in a bathroom. There are also features on more traditional subjects,...

A NEAT TWIST ON THE MA.K science fiction line, these so-called ‘capsule’ models are packed randomly in boxes of twelve. SMN report:  Kow Yokoyama's legendary future-war Maschinen Krieger mechs, robots, and spacecraft have now joined the Japanese capsule craze. These excellent 1:35 scale models from Japanese manufacturer Kaiyodo feature fine detailing, and buying a dozen at a time means you can assemble a platoon of science fiction warriors in short order. There are three different types of mechs available in this capsule series, each type coming in any of the four shades shown. Note that these Ma.K figures are conceived as trading items, so are individually sealed, then packed in boxes of a dozen by the manufacturer. Once opened, they lose much of their trading appeal, but where model makers are concerned, this doesn’t really matter, as you will instead have a squad of power soldiers that can be placed in any diorama situation you like. Assembly is easy, although cement will be req...

MASCHINEN KRIEGER, Ma.K FOR SHORT, IS A LONG running Japanese sci-fi saga of the future. Hasegawa regularly releases kits based on the Ma.K combat universe, such as this Type MK44 robotic power suit to 1:20 scale. This particular kit rejoices in the title, Robot Battle V Maschinen Krieger 44 Type MK44 Limited Edition. Kinda long-winded, but it looks great when assembled and fully finished, which is the important thing.  Weathering fans can look forward to plenty of satisfying work, as the MK44 is a subject that really benefits from the application of grime, oil, dirt. Do all that and you get the tired look of hard working combat gear in a war-torn world of the future.  Logo ( below ) is applied across the range. This should give you a taste for the future-noir plotline of these kits: "In the dark, futuristic world of Machinen Krieger, most of Earth's population was burned to ash by World War IV. As life returns, war erupts. The power-suited soldiers of the IMA struggle against...

Hasegawa’s take on the Ma. K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama, is steadily growing, with new figure sets now available to 1:20 scale. The latest kit is the Limited Edition 1:20 scale Mk 44 (header) for which Hasegawa is taking orders. It looks an interesting addition to the Ma. K universe, of which the blurb reads, "In the dark, futuristic world of Maschinen Krieger (Ma. K) most of the Earth's peoples have been burned to radioactive dust and ash by the world-shattering nuclear exchanges of World War IV. However, nothing is forever, and as life returns to the globe, discord also reappears, and warfare erupts in its wake. "Among the Ma. K combat scenarios, the power-suited soldiers of IMA forces struggle against the roving robots of the SDR, making innovation and adaptation keys to an IMA victory.  "New on the field of battle are two weapons, a sophisticated smart-gun and a fixed arm-gun, both designed...

A realistic-looking 1:20 scale walker bot stalks the surface of our neighbouring Moon, while back in the service bay, a same-scale figure set maintains the equipment. The Hasegawa 1:20 scale Luna Tactical Reconnaissance LUM-168 Camel is one of many futuristic war machines that feature in the Japanese Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K) science-fiction series. This new-tool kit features 225 components and includes multiple decal options. It looks great as is, but if you’re not so keen on the Ma.K universe, or you simply wish to make a kit-bashed version, then you can customize it how you like. The Ma.K series makes a useful change from Star Wars and Star Trek, the machinery looking just that bit different to the tech that features in either of these long-running movie franchises. It’s perhaps a pity that the 1:20 scale is a bit of a one-off, or at least not a standard kit scale such as 1:24/25. Having said that, Ma.K fits nicely (well, near enough, anyway) into the diecast standard scale of 1:18, ...

SMN REPORT: Here’s a tasty variation in big 1:20 scale kits for military modellers - it’s a Fine Molds model of a quarter-ton US Army Jeep, the original 4x4 that was jack-of-all-trades for Allied forces in World War II. Fine Molds company Jeep The Fine Molds kit represents the slatted grilled version, and indeed it’s based on the vehicle that bears the FM logo, as owned by the company. There are plenty of goodies included with this latest variation, including new tyres, clear components, and a nicely produced manual, with plenty of detail pix of the company vehicle. Detail-up set That’s not all, as there’s a beautifully-produced metal-etch set available (at extra cost) for the Jeep - though really, anyone who is going to buy the 1:20 scale kit is almost certainly going to this set, so a pity that it’s an extra-cost item. Still, the separation of kit and photo-etch does at least allow the modelmaker to make a choice, so we won’t be too harsh on Fine Molds for this. Plenty of parts The ...