Photos of the new sculps

[CWO Marc]

@wittmann:

Wonder if it is a European problem!

It’s ironic that the Europe game is so hard to find in Europe.  Unless perhaps the problem is confined to Britain for some reason (maybe something along the lines of that proverbial British newspeper headline “Heavy fog in Channel; Continent cut off”).

[Witt]

Unfortunately we have a tunnel connecting us to Europe, so we can no longer hold off the hoardes.
Off to Florence on the 7th, so am less bothered now. Will look again when I am back on the 14th.

[WARRIOR888]

Gentlemen,

Did any other scuplts change in the Pacific 1940 Second Edition besides the ones mentioned already?  My copy is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday this week.

WARRIOR888

[CWO Marc]

@WARRIOR888:

Did any other scuplts change in the Pacific 1940 Second Edition besides the ones mentioned already?  My copy is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday this week.

The Russian AAA gun change is the only one I’ve caught so far, but I’m still in the process of reorganizing my sculpt inventory and I’m not yet at the stage where I’ve looked at each old-versus-new pairing closely to see if they can go in the same tackle box storage compartments.  I just happened to notice the Russian AAA gun because it’s a new sculpt category, introduced only a couple of months ago in the 1942 game.  Last evening I also had a quick look at the US and UK AAA guns from 1942 and 1940, but those ones seemed identical.

[LHoffman]

Did the British Lancasters change?

If I recall correctly, the ones in A&A '41 (2012) are a different mold than any previous. I didn’t know if these were used in G40 (2nd Ed.) too.

A&A '42 (2012) supposely uses a Handley-Page Halifax, but I thought that all previous UK strategic bombers were Lancasters.

[CWO Marc]

@LHoffman:

A&A '42 (2012) supposely uses a Handley-Page Halifax, but I thought that all previous UK strategic bombers were Lancasters.

It’s the other way around.  The standard A&A British bomber has always been the Halifax.  The Lanc is a one-off special in the 1941 game.

[Witt]

The Lancaster is in 1941.
Far as I can see original Bombers have always been the Halifax.

[Witt]

You and me Marc. One day!
Funny how makers did not choose Lancaster for UK: it symbolises Bomber Command for most people. And are still some flying!

[CWO Marc]

@wittmann:

Funny how makers did not choose Lancaster for UK: it symbolises Bomber Command for most people. And are still some flying!

It’s not alone in the odd-choice category.  The US carrier sculpt has always been the Wasp, a one-ship class whose design was severely compromised by the fact that the US had very little unused construction tonnage left in its treaty allocation after it had spent most of it on some more capable carriers.  It was under-powered (and under-everything-elsed, as I recall), and I don’t think its combat record was particularly notable.  I’d have picked the Enterprise as an early war design or the Essex as a later one.

[LHoffman]

@wittmann:

You and me Marc. One day!
Funny how makers did not choose Lancaster for UK: it symbolises Bomber Command for most people. And are still some flying!

Couldn’t have said it better.

[LHoffman]

@CWO:

@wittmann:

Funny how makers did not choose Lancaster for UK: it symbolises Bomber Command for most people. And are still some flying!

It’s not alone in the odd-choice category.  The US carrier sculpt has always been the Wasp, a one-ship class whose design was severely compromised by the fact that the US had very little unused construction tonnage left in its treaty allocation after it had spent most of it on some more capable carriers.  It was under-powered (and under-everything-elsed, as I recall), and I don’t think its combat record was particularly notable.  I’d have picked the Enterprise as an early war design or the Essex as a later one.

Yes, I noted that same issue in the “if you could choose one new sculpt thread…”

Same goes for the P-38.

[WARRIOR888]

Gentlemen,

I agree they should have chosen the Essex or Enterprise for the US carrier.  I am toying with modifying some of the Wasps into Essex class carriers by simply adding a new flight deck using old credit cards to the exsisting flight decks.  Till FMG or HBG comes out with an Essex it will have to do.
If this works I will post a picture ot two.
P-38 was used in all theatres of the war, but they could have given us a real carrier fighter such as the Hell Cat or Corsair instead for use in carrier operations.

WARRIOR888

[CWO Marc]

@WARRIOR888:

they could have given us a real carrier fighter such as the Hell Cat or Corsair instead for use in carrier operations.

Fortunately they did give us an F6F Hellcat fighter in the original Pacific game and in Guadalcanal, but sadly in no other game since then.

[LHoffman]

@WARRIOR888:

P-38 was used in all theatres of the war

Used in all theaters yes, but when you think of the prototypical or generic American fighter of WWII, do you immediately think of the P-38? I doubt it.

That is how I rationalize choosing a particular class of vehicle as a sculpt: how popular, iconic or representative it was. P-38 may win in some respects as representative, but I do believe most people think of a single fuselage aircraft such as the P-51, F6F or even P-40 before they think of the P-38.

I think they got it right with choosing the B-17… I think that is what almost everyone sees when they here WWII American bomber.

Just sayin…

[Witt]

Corsair would be nice. Always loved it. Have never liked the P38.
Do not like putting them on a carrier.

[LHoffman]

@wittmann:

Corsair would be nice. Always loved it. Have never liked the P38.
Do not like putting them on a carrier.

Same. Which is one reason I bought some Corsairs, Warhawks and Mustangs from HBG. Plus I do have Hellcats from Guadalcanal. Being an American, I know all the different plane types and like having that variety, even though in the game a fighter is still a fighter. Now that I am painting them, I will have some options and can put Corsairs and Hellcats on carriers, Mustangs in Europe, a Warhawk in China and P-38s wherever else I want.

Did you see that there are P-40 Warhawks as the Allied fighter sculpt in the new AA '41? I like them better than the HBG P-40s because they are a good deal larger and match up to the size of other fighters in Axis & Allies. They are even decently detailed; wheels on the bottom and aluminum plate grooves.

[Witt]

They are, yes. I think it is a good sculpt.
1941 has some very good planes (and 2 tanks).
Just for us, I think.

[LHoffman]

@wittmann:

They are, yes. I think it is a good sculpt.
1941 has some very good planes (and 2 tanks).
Just for us, I think.

Well it does seem like the detail quality has improved, so somebody must be listening.

[WARRIOR888]

Agree,

We have some really nice new units to game with.  Still would like to see a HMS KGV for a Battleship instead of a Royal Soverign.
What do you guys think of the HE-111 as a new unit for Germany?  I think it is a decent sculpt.

WARRIOR888

[LHoffman]

@WARRIOR888:

What do you guys think of the HE-111 as a new unit for Germany?�  I think it is a decent sculpt.

I love it, personally. As is to be expected, the molding detail is average, but I don’t mind too much. When you are painting them, you can add more detail yourself and what is or isn’t there already is less noticable.

Honestly, I was just thrilled to get a new sculpt for the German bomber, and even happier seeing that it was an He-111. Much more representative of a German strategic bomber than the Ju-88. Same for the new Tiger tanks… Not that they are more appropriate as an overall unit choice than the Panther, because they aren’t, but they are going to look really bad ass when painted up and on the board. If they don’t actually matter to the game mechanics, at least you will have a psychological advantage knowing your tanks are better than the enemy’s. Gotta be worth something… I mean, “so many positive waves maybe we can’t lose… you’re on.”