Review of FMG Italians and HBG Axis Minors

I’m quite sure my comments in future years to come will be looked and and people will chuckle at my concern about the pricing, especially if the carro armato reaches five dollars a pop.
   I was on Larry Harris’ design forum last nite and was browsing through the posts for the Axis and Allies Anniversary post circa November 6- 26 2008 and just see we can all take things in the right perceptive regarding us taking things for granted now that we have two marvelous sellers to buy different pieces from.  Back then we didnt have that luxury. Here are  a couple of posted that really got my attention.  The first is from a guy who just got up after reading Larry’s description regarding what is new for the AA50 and decided to just go to the nearest hobby shop and pick up one or two. lol. The other post had to do with a person who wasn’t too happy with the color of some of the pieces in AA50.

Here is on excited person that can’t wait to go out and buy his copies of Axis and allies Anniversary Edition after reading Larry Harris’ forum about what’s new in the set.
Off to pick up my copy (or 2 if they have them)…can’t wait!!

proud owner of not one, but two sets

"checking things out now, but I have to run back to the store and pick up some cold ones to celebrate.

Interesting that the back cover does not show the new units."

This post is truly ironic because the person assumes that the Anniversary Edition will have a later edition to address an issue that he has with the color of the tanks.
I bet he regrets he didnt just go out and buy ten more copies.
Post subject: Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:37 am

Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:28 pm
Posts: 1445
Location: norway  The sad thing is, I cant use the Europe tanks because the colours are slightly different.

But, I wont buy more copies until they fix the tank molds.

Post subject: Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:37 am

bOY, i BET HE REGRETS NOT PICKING UP TEN MORE SETS.

One thing I didn’t see in the reviews is the hardness of plastic. In A&A Inf is medium and other units Hard. In these sets?

@greo:

One thing I didn’t see in the reviews is the hardness of plastic. In A&A Inf is medium and other units Hard. In these sets?

FMG plastic is a little softer than OOB and HBG is hard plastic for every piece.

@Tigerman77:

@greo:

One thing I didn’t see in the reviews is the hardness of plastic. In A&A Inf is medium and other units Hard. In these sets?

FMG plastic is a little softer than OOB and HBG is hard plastic for every piece.

Which takes us to the next question: how will the units hold up to painting them?

@militaryman077:

@Tigerman77:

@greo:

One thing I didn’t see in the reviews is the hardness of plastic. In A&A Inf is medium and other units Hard. In these sets?

FMG plastic is a little softer than OOB and HBG is hard plastic for every piece.

Which takes us to the next question: how will the units hold up to painting them?

FMG’s takes to acrylics just fine, I know this firsthand.  I haven’t tried painting any of HBG’s, but I think some others on here have.

Guys,

I’ll let you know in about 2-3 weeks when I get my FMG Italian Rifle Infantry back from “Allworkandnoclay” about how well the paint “sticks”.  He’s painting them in his “Desert Drab” scheme.  I’ll post some pics then.

“Tall Paul”

Yes, Paul, the units in caps lend themselves very well to “Afrika Korps units”.  The ivory color would do well.

Doesn’t Allwork… use a primer before painting?  Another idea is to paint the pieces and then spray a coat of Dullcote to seal it in.

That’s what I should have done with my Pro-Axis neutral pieces.  The paint started to chip off of the gun barrels.  I want to see FMG’s Germans to see if they are dark enough to be distinguishable from my Pro-Axis neutral pieces.  If they are, I can simply retouch the color I already used.  If not, then I have to choose a lighter shade of grey.

KNP,

You can read about “Allwork’s” methods on painting in his thread.  He’s very talented and thorough like a professional should be.  He’s also a nice guy to talk to.  His thread is in the “A&A-Global area” and of course he’s the originator.

“Tall Paul”

I painted mine.  Primed then first and painted them in an acrylic.  Holds up just fine.

Some pics:

More:

More:

Nice turn-out with the avocado - and the BB mods look smooth.  8-) You sticking to the OOB infantry?  Or using them as a different unit?

Which takes us to the next question: how will the units hold up to painting them?

FMG’s takes to acrylics just fine, I know this firsthand.  I haven’t tried painting any of HBG’s, but I think some others on here have.

HBG’s pieces paint well, i use tamiya acrylics, have just invested in some vallejo, will see how they go. By the way, my son beat me to it, he has already painted 1 set of the axis minors, and is using the vallejo paint, he thinks there cool  :-D

I love the carrier and the subs

@Viracocha:

Nice turn-out with the avocado - and the BB mods look smooth.   8-) You sticking to the OOB infantry?  Or using them as a different unit?

I do not plan to switch out all my pieces from OOB to FMG, so I’m keeping the OOB inf to stay consistent with the other inf (not that you could tell on the board anyway).  For mec, I used Table Tactics half tracks.

Are table tactics halftracks still available?== because they did come with the now defunct “Central Powers” expansion set.

I don’t know if you can still get them.

I have recently just gotten HBG’s pieces.  I have now switched out the Table Tactics mec with HBG’s trucks, which I will now be using as motorized inf (mec).