Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

il you scare me! :lol:

@moralecheck:

I’m afraid to ask if the factory finally answered Jeremy’s emails…. :oops:

Yes they did get back to me.  There was a small problem that they are fixing… Not a big deal.  I will explain later (I am currently away on Business Trip)

Just another delay…  But not a Big one.

I will keep you posted and give you more information soon.

So is the 20th still a good date, or will it be a little longer yet?

I know this is ahead of schedule, but I saw an idea for a Soviet artillery piece.  The other day I was watching some footage of when the Russians were attacking Berlin and saw a unique Soviet artillery piece.  It looked like an artillery piece set on tracks.  No chassis or armor, just a gun sitting on a set of tank tracks.  Unfortunately, I only saw the one shot of it firing so I don’t have a lot of details about that particular piece.  I just thought it looked pretty neat.  Anyone else see that piece?

Knp I saw it too and was thinking the exact same as you. I don’t know what it is called but it would make a SWEET piece.

Do you guys mean this beast?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/280_mm_mortar_M1939_(Br-5)

Was it the 203mm ?

another pic

Coach once again your’e all over it. That is exactly what I am talking about.

WOW!  Cool pics guys.  I didn’t realize it was so big.  Like I said, I only got a brief look of it blasting something on a Berlin side street, but that may be the very piece that I saw.

Is this monster motorized or does it have to be towed?  If towed, then why the tank tracks?

Wouldn’t this be a cool Soviet artillery piece for FMG’s Russian set?  OR, if FMG doesn’t want to make it the regular Soviet artillery, perhaps Coach could make it as a Soviet Heavy Artillery piece in his Russian supplement set.

It was not motorized.  It was mounted on a common agricultural tractor frame.  This was done because:

A: They were already mass producing the chassis, so its use was fast and economical rather then designing and making a multi-axle chassis from scratch.
B: The tracks helped when towing its bulk thru snow and mud.

It was dismantled in several pieces for long transport.

Is this monster motorized or does it have to be towed?  If towed, then why the tank tracks?

CUZ THE WORLD AINT MADE OF ROADS SUN!!

Gents, I have 4 of the Russian 203mm Artillery from Davco.  They are metal and add a aspect to a battlefield that can be fairly impressive.  You can’t move them on their own it takes Kosmolots tractors to move them around.
http://www.o5m6.de/b-4.html
Russian 203mm Howitzer M1931 B-4
Developed in the early 30’s, the B-4 Heavy Howitzer was widely used throughout the Great Patriotic War.
It saw service during the Moscow counterattack, the Stalingrad offensive, the Crimean liberation and in almost every severe street fighting.
With a combat weight of 17,700 kilogram the B-4 Howitzer could launch a 100 kilogram HE projectile over a distance of 11 miles.
A crane attached to the side alleviated the loading process.
During longer movements, usually accomplished by tractors, the barrel was dismounted and transported on a special wagon.

FMG:

Once available will the Italian units be automatically shipped if they we pre-ordered?  (I preordered 2 sets a while back)?

Just want to check if I need to do something to trigger the shipment once you have stock.

Thanks!

@Monroe:

FMG:

Once available will the Italian units be automatically shipped if they we pre-ordered?  (I preordered 2 sets a while back)?

Just want to check if I need to do something to trigger the shipment once you have stock.

Thanks!

That is correct.  As soon as the First batch arrives, Pre-orders will ship.  All the “CALL TO ARMS” Pre-orders will ship first, followed by current Pre-orders.  If there is anything left, they will be available FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVE.

First Production Run is only 1000 sets, and 250+ have already been sold as pre-orders.  I am sure once we send out our Newsletter and the word gets out, they will move fast.

So please ORDER NOW to make sure you get a set!

Sounds like we’re close.

Hey Jeremy,

I was just thinking the other day… do you still intend to make all future COMBAT UNITS tank sculpts with moving turrets? Or was this a novelty idea that has possibly proved to be too complicated to implement at the factory production stage? I personally like the idea of tanks/other armoured vehicles having revolving turrets, but to be honest I would be just as happy without. What are your thoughts on this? Would designing standard pieces be more cost effective to you (and therefore to us) as well as being easier to produce? Just wondering… What do the rest of you people think about this?

Thank you for listening.

Lozmoid,
Pretty sure they will all have moveable turrets.  A while back, Jeremy showed a pre-production pic (the white plastic pieces) of two of the King Tiger pieces and their turrets were moveable, so that at least includes Germany as well as the Italian pieces.
Now, if FMG decides this factory is too unreliable with all the missed dates and goes to another factory, which was suggested after Germany gets produced, then that may change.

As for my own opinion, I think having moveable turrets is a really cool and novel idea.  However, it is not a necessary thing for these gaming pieces and if it would help defray some cost or speed up production a little, then I would be fine with fixed pieces.

Tomorrow is the 20th where do we stand on these pieces.

@Lozmoid:

Hey Jeremy,

I was just thinking the other day… do you still intend to make all future COMBAT UNITS tank sculpts with moving turrets? Or was this a novelty idea that has possibly proved to be too complicated to implement at the factory production stage? I personally like the idea of tanks/other armoured vehicles having revolving turrets, but to be honest I would be just as happy without. What are your thoughts on this? Would designing standard pieces be more cost effective to you (and therefore to us) as well as being easier to produce? Just wondering… What do the rest of you people think about this?

Thank you for listening.

YES…  The Turrets move.  See this picture from our site: