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Awesome!

ETA on seeing some other Japanese previews???  Or do we just need to be patient?

@coachofmany:

Japanese Paratrooper with Type 100 Submachine Gun.

Very Nice!

@LHoffman:

Awesome!

ETA on seeing some other Japanese previews???   Or do we just need to be patient?

Have you seen all the ones on FaceBook?  :wink:

Is the Kate going to have a torpedo under it?

@Variable:

@LHoffman:

Awesome!

ETA on seeing some other Japanese previews???   Or do we just need to be patient?

Have you seen all the ones on FaceBook?  :wink:

Oooooh, no I have not. Let me check.

Checked…

Very nice. Couple questions though:

Are you (Variable) personally designing these pieces? I assume that is Solid Works… Are you creating from scratch or are you using some kind of template?

Second, is there any way to have the pieces turn out are crisp and solid as they look in the preview photos? I am not sure if you are using a higher grade plastic for the prototypes or if the molding process is just more precise, but it seems like the previews are… more solid and cleaner. Perhaps they are molded/printed with a different method than the production run?

As someone who paints the pieces, I would love to have a color option the same as in the prototype pictures (white/cream or flat gray), which I assume is simply the plastic’s natural color. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, since they will be painted, but for some reason I really like the color/feel in the pictures below.    (I bought 2 German sets in gray, which I still like, but they don’t seem quite as uniform in composition and structure as in the pics below.)

LHoffman-

Let me explain a few things about our process and the pics you have there…

First, I am not the designer, drafter, or sculptor. Coach pays to have the pieces professionally made.

The “Solid Works” looking pics you see here and on FB are scratch made by a professional that HBG contracts. Every detail is verified by Coach before he gives the okay. As of yet though, no final pieces have been made from this process although all of the “Amerika” game prototypes we have shown you were printed from these files using a 3D printer. Final pieces will be injection molded as before.

The pics you show of the grey Seydlitz carrier and off-white Germans are the last of the hand-sculpted prototypes. We used to contract with a sculptor to hand make each piece before a mold was created and then injection molded. HBG has shrugged off this old-style method for a more uniform and clean CAD modeling system. The Japanese sets will be the first ones produced with this new system.

Finally, the reason for variation to a certain degree in your Germans vs the ones seen here is the injected plastic is much different than the clay or prototyping plastic. This will be better controlled when the 3D models are used for the injection machine’s mold.

I hope this helps!

@Pacific:

Is the Kate going to have a torpedo under it?

Probably not, but we will try. More important to have it sit flat on a carrier without falling off.

@Variable:

@Pacific:

Is the Kate going to have a torpedo under it?

Probably not, but we will try. More important to have it sit flat on a carrier without falling off.

Variable,

If you suggested to the piece designer that the torpedo have a flat bottom and possible landing gear you might be able to have it sit flat on the carrier.

@Variable:

LHoffman-

Let me explain a few things about our process and the pics you have there…

First, I am not the designer, drafter, or sculptor. Coach pays to have the pieces professionally made.

The “Solid Works” looking pics you see here and on FB are scratch made by a professional that HBG contracts. Every detail is verified by Coach before he gives the okay. As of yet though, no final pieces have been made from this process although all of the “Amerika” game prototypes we have shown you were printed from these files using a 3D printer. Final pieces will be injection molded as before.

The pics you show of the grey Seydlitz carrier and off-white Germans are the last of the hand-sculpted prototypes. We used to contract with a sculptor to hand make each piece before a mold was created and then injection molded. HBG has shrugged off this old-style method for a more uniform and clean CAD modeling system. The Japanese sets will be the first ones produced with this new system.

Finally, the reason for variation to a certain degree in your Germans vs the ones seen here is the injected plastic is much different than the clay or prototyping plastic. This will be better controlled when the 3D models are used for the injection machine’s mold.

I hope this helps!

That is an excellent response! Thank you Variable.

I am just very curious about the process and it is nice to know a little of what has gone on behind the scenes. I understand the situation much better now.

I hope with the Japanese set and HBG’s new production methods, that there will be more consistency with the shape and size of infantry pieces.

HBG has produced some excellent infantry pieces (the Early War German and the US Airborne, as examples), but some other pieces have been less excellent  (the very skinny German Fallschirmjäger and the hefty US Marine), or even unusable from my perspective (the gigantic Early War Russian).

However, I really appreciate the consistency HBG has applied to the poses (paratroopers/special forces, for example), and applaud its continuance with the SNLF unit.

I’d like to chime in with the suggestion that HBG add two more infantry poses:

1. Kneeling with caps or slouch hats (no helmet) for Irregular/Guerilla units - like the Fortress America partisan unit.
2. Brandishing pistols for Commander or Police units - like FMG’s Italian commander unit.

Glad you offer your products - look forward to future purchases!

Hot off the presses! Pre-Order is up for the Japanese Supplement Set! Be sure to click on the Image Gallery for a look at all the pieces.

http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/HBG-Battle-Pieces–WW2-Japan-Supplement-Set_p_729.html

Some new sculpts for Pacific War!!  Finally, Japan will have a proper light carrier.  :mrgreen:

AWESOME. Very impressed, especially with Kaga and the G8N… if their detail holds up in production like it is in the samples, well look out!

Will be placing my order shortly.

@LHoffman:

AWESOME. Very impressed, especially with Kaga and the G8N… if their detail holds up in production like it is in the samples, well look out!

Will be placing my order shortly.

Moving to 3D modeling will help out a lot. After seeing the detail that can be achieved with the Tiger I from the German Expansion set, we knew we had to spend the extra money and do it. We will be able to control sizing, shape, and proportions so much better now. We only lack one model to have the second Japanese set ready for sculpting.

I figured that the Tiger was made using that process.

@coachofmany:

Moving to 3D modeling will help out a lot. After seeing the detail that can be achieved with the Tiger I from the German Expansion set, we knew we had to spend the extra money and do it. We will be able to control sizing, shape, and proportions so much better now. We only lack one model to have the second Japanese set ready for sculpting.

That is great to hear Coach. As a customer, I am honored that you guys at HBG desire to provide the best, highest quality product you can, even at a little extra cost. That is why I will continue to purchase from HBG. Excellent job all around.

Looking forward to Japanese Set 2. As always, well worth the wait.

“Coach”

That is great to hear Coach. As a customer, I am honored that you guys at HBG desire to provide the best, highest quality product you can, even at a little extra cost. That is why I will continue to purchase from HBG. Excellent job all around.
Looking forward to Japanese Set 2. As always, well worth the wait.

––I completely agree with LHoffman and I’m glad I can now Pre-Order some sets.
––Three more cheers for “General Doug of the Big Green H Division”, a.k.a. the “Coach”.
Hip, Hip, Hooraah!,   Hip, Hip, Hooraah!,  Hip, Hip, Hooraah!

p.s.–Will there be very much delay between when the Japanese sets are released and when you make the units  available for individual sale? I’d like to add some additional numbers of specific units to my sets.

“Tall Paul”

Great news Coach can’t wait on these.

Just being curious here…
What is with the fascination with armored cars lol?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the OOB units first(INF MECH ART ARM AAA FIG TAC STRAT SS DD CA CV BB TRN), in new sculpts and colors?

So we could add whole new nations while still using OOB rules
I would love to replace every France unit with unique sculpts,
And would love to have a complete Japan set in red

Plus armored cars just seem silly to me “3rd armored car division is advancing on Keiv”

Coach if you secretly pleasure yourself to armored cars, it’s ok. Happens to the best of us. :lol: