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Vehicles / Sci-Fi - 6mm to 49mm
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Displaying Reviews: 1 - 1
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The Martians are Coming!
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Reviewer
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Reviewed by Antar (Editor) (info@totalmodel.com) February 05, 2006
As editor of TotalModel.com I have a pretty good vantage point from which to survey the constantly unfolding landscape that is the world of models and miniatures. It seems to me that there has never been a better time to be involved in the hobby - especially if you actually want to produce the stuff. New materials and tools are becoming more and more accessible - as are the techniques that follow them. What's more, freelance sculptors and casters are popping up all over the place. For a price they can turn your pen and paper concept into a white metal and resin reality.
Mike Lewis of Black Hat Miniatures is a man with a vision. He wanted to create a world set in the grim, industrial age of Victorian Britain, when every decent fellow was off fighting in Johnny Foreignland trying to claim it for Queen and Country. Nothing new there, you might say. The only difference is that in Mike's world, the object of colonial conquest is the planet Mars! Think of it as a sort of pseudo HG Wells meets Heath Robinson universe with a sprinkling of Jules Verne thrown in for good measure!
The range is called Martian Empires which is produced in 18mm scale. At the time of writing it features a line-up of figures and vehicles for both Martian and British forces. Other nations are set to join the fray at a later date. A set of game rules is also in the works. This is a review of a small selection of vehicles, namely a British Heavy Steam Hover Tank and Cavor-Smythe Steam Walker, plus an Imperial Martian Scout Flier. Click on the thumbnail image above to take a closer look at each item.
The first subject under the microscope is the tank. This is a rather large, boxy affair, vaguely reminiscent of the French St Chamond behemoths of World War I. The only difference is that this is a hover tank. The model consists of a single resin casting and a small pack of white-metal accessories. The casting is an absolute delight to behold and no wonder. When Mike set out to create his range his employed some of the finest talents in the industry. In the case of the vehicles it was Jez Plumridge from Old Crow Models - a small company with a big reputation (and one which we have singularly failed to get to appear on TM!). The body of the tank measures almost 75mm in length times by 45mm wide - which is quite a lump in 18mm scale! Although the design is not over heavy on detail, what is there is beautifully rendered and has an extremely crisp finish. The white-metal components include two chimney-like exhaust stacks and the main cannon which pokes out through a hatch in the glacis plate. There's also a pair of small caliber gun barrels which project from sponsons mounted on either side of the body. Once assembled the tank is extremely pleasing to the eye - though to my mind a beefier weapon configuration would look even better.
The second item is the Martian Flyer. Compared to the tank this is an extremely simple-looking model. It consists of nothing more than a slab of resin and a two white-metal components. The first is the aft propeller, which slots into a small engine at the back of the vehicle, and a cannon which is fitted to the nose. There are also 3 Martian crew figures. The figures from this range will be reviewed elsewhere but for now suffice it to say they were created by Alan Marsh, who also sculpts for Eureka amongst others, and are of the highest quality. As this is a flying vehicle the kit also includes a plastic flying base. To be honest, that's about as much as there is to say about this item. The shape is pretty uninspiring and is unlikely to win many prizes at the Martian "Flyer of the Year" awards show! As with the tank, however, the casting is excellent. I was particularly impressed by the relief detail on the nose of the vehicle which I assume is some sort of Martian war pattern.
The final vehicle in this review - and my undoubted favourite - is the Steam Walker. This is composed of a resin body mounted atop 3 spindly white-metal legs. Other adornments include a chimney and the almost ubiquitous Gatling/Mini gun weapon system. Once assembled the entire contraption (and this truly is a contraption) stands almost 12cms tall! This kit has more white-metal than the previous two put together - much of which has been invested in the legs. These are nicely detailed with chains and pistons which manage to convey a nice sense of "klanky" Victorian age motive power. The bodywork is also pretty neat and relief features such as the heavy metal banding, perforated with hundreds of rivet holes, is sure to give painters plenty to do.
I really like these vehicles - especially the tank and the walker. Certainly, in terms of production, all 3 score very well. The castings produced by Jez Plumridge are excellent. Indeed, I would be hard-pushed to find many blemishes on any of the vehicles. If I have any reservations about the range they are purely from a design angle. For me, a world that mixes a newly industrialised age with science fiction is a very appealing proposition. Sadly, these vehicles somehow fail to grab my imagination. What I can best describe as the boiler-bursting "Fred Dibnah" element is missing. I think it's because the vehicles - apart from the walker - just don't look clumsy enough. For me a Victorian tank should look more like a Trevithic pump house on wheels, grinding across the battlefield, than a sleek, shoebox floating around on some hover drive! To be fair, Black Hat recently introduced a set of caterpillar tracks which can be fitted to this and other tanks if fans want a more traditional look, but I wonder if that's enough?
As mentioned earlier, I also feel the models are a little light in the weapon department. I find it hard to believe that the engineers of the past/future would go to such lengths to create a steam powered walker and then arm it solely with a single cannon? Back in the 19th century warships, in particular, were bristling with guns to maximise both offensive and defensive capabilities. I would like to see a bit more of that design philosophy reflected here.
These are early days. Mike and Black Hat Miniatures have set out a very impressive stall and I'm sure there is plenty more to come. Even as I write this review, Mike and his colleagues are busy putting the finishing touches to the Martian Empires game rules and these could yet take the figure range on to new and as yet unexplored heights. I, for one, will be watching closely.
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8
out of
8
people found this review helpful
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