Zvezda - News for March 2013

[Jerzy]

http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/welcome.asp

[Peter]

One big box announced of.............German infantry

Very original

[MABO]

Where are the Napi Sets , that should come??

[David O'Brien]

Thanks Jerzy
Apart from the German set
I notice the Russian/Soviet medical personnel and casualty are early war with the fall collar.
David

[KenzoSato]

Excellent wwII german infantry

[Martin]

I thought that there was enough choice already.

[MikeRC97]

BAZINGA! i've been waiting for news of this set ever since the accompanying Russian set 8077 came out last year, for anyone that missed the CAD pics when they came out here's a link to the pic:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/avse.jpg/sr=1

I'm hoping for a couple of additional poses, the CAD image has 14 poses while set 8077 has 16. Based on the cover art the classic MG34 gunner firing over the loader's shoulder is in! I love that combo even if it probably never happened in combat. The other soldiers on the cover all match up to figures from the CAD image (I'm assuming the NCO with MP40 is the second figure from the right on the top row).

Between this set and the Art of Tactic minikits I'll have beautiful (albeit slightly oversized 1/72) Zvezda figures for all of the elements of an early/mid war German infantry battalion (HQ, rifle companies and MG company) plus light infantry gun, anti-tank gun, AA gun, Sturmpionieres and artillery OP. It's not that I mind combining figures from different manufacturers (I love my Airfix and Caesar WW2 Germans), but the Zvezda figures are much bigger than those others. Based on the PSR review of set 8077 the figures in this set are similar in size to the Art of Tactic minikits, so I expect the same with set 8078.

[Ben Bob]

Did anyone else notice that their new "Kursk Soviet Platoon" contained left and right handed guys
I can't say I have seen that before. The German unit sounds interesting.

[zzed]

I'm glad that they will be finally available 2+ years after the announcement, in Europe probably in February. As for the number of poses, it seems there will be 35 figures in 14 poses.
And if I understood well cossacks - hopefully Platov's, Russian jagers and French line infantry will be made in big boxes after all.
If I can make a wish, I would like a big box of german late infantry after that

will buy some small boxes aside

[Kekso]

Sorry if this is "off topic" but I was wandering did you notice something about Zvezda's old big sets (1/72 off course)?
Is it just me or Zvezda really stopped to produce their existing big sets? I noticed on few webshops that they do not
restock Zvezda 1/72 figures. When I asked in one of this shops why is like that I got reply that they can't restock
because their supplier (Zvezda) doesn't provide them with this sets.

[MikeRC97]

I'm glad that they will be finally available 2+ years after the announcement, in Europe probably in February. As for the number of poses, it seems there will be 35 figures in 14 poses.
And if I understood well cossacks - hopefully Platov's, Russian jagers and French line infantry will be made in big boxes after all.
If I can make a wish, I would like a big box of german late infantry after that

will buy some small boxes aside

Do you know this for sure? It makes sense, there were 14 poses in the CAD image. In set 8077 there are 16 poses, 38 figures: 11 poses x 3 sprues + 5 poses on the command sprue. I can't work out a combination of 14 poses, 35 figures that makes sense unless the command sprue only has 2-3 poses? Possible, but seems unlikely.

More importantly, where did you come by that information about the Napoleonic sets? I thought they were downgraded to 6xxx series which are the minikits? I would love a Zvezda French line infantry big box to go with my Zvezda and Italeri French Nappy cavalry, the Italeri "chinless" infantry and the Hat chubby bubble gum figures just do not work for me (I have both and after painting a few decided to put 1/72 French Nappy on hold for 28mm instead).

EDIT: Please don't take the above as me questioning the validity of what you posted - I'd like to know more, I'm not "flaming" your post.

[zzed]

Do you know this for sure? It makes sense, there were 14 poses in the CAD image. In set 8077 there are 16 poses, 38 figures: 11 poses x 3 sprues + 5 poses on the command sprue. I can't work out a combination of 14 poses, 35 figures that makes sense unless the command sprue only has 2-3 poses? Possible, but seems unlikely.

have a look at the last sentence http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/p ... id=ZVE8078
so far descriptions were always correct

More importantly, where did you come by that information about the Napoleonic sets? I thought they were downgraded to 6xxx series which are the minikits?

I red some discussion some month ago in Cyrillic on some 'wall', I can understand written Russian to some point, and I saw these 8xxx titles at the end of the list with remark 'big boxes', behind modern and ww2 minikits. However, I don't know if they are really going to produce them, it is up to them. I can only hope they will.

EDIT: Please don't take the above as me questioning the validity of what you posted - I'd like to know more, I'm not "flaming" your post.

no problem I would ask the same

@Kekso - Samurai infantry and cavalry are coming back http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/p ... tlcode=ZVE

probably the others will follow
if they sold out their stocks, there is no sense not to produce them again

[MikeRC97]

have a look at the last sentence http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/p ... id=ZVE8078
so far descriptions were always correct

D'oh!!! In my excitement at this release I didn't even notice that. In that case I think that there will be at least one or two repeat pose on the command sprue much like there are on some of the minikits, but I guess we will have to wait until the first sprue pics show up on the internet to know for sure.

Well I really hope 8078 is not the last Zvezda big set and that they do return to Napoleonic.

[T. Dürrschmidt]

You can´t have enough WW2 Germans.

Beside this, all of my favourite poses are included. The officer in cap with binoculars, the prowned grenade thrower (I think this was done for better range) and last but not least.......the guy firing his machinegun from the shoulder of his comrade, with the nozzle 10 cm away from his ear.

I know, there are photos showing this pose, but some say this was mostly for propaganda purposes. In practical warfare this was a very unpopular way of firing the light machinegun. Especially for the guy who had to hold the bipod.

I am really a big fan of WW2 sets. But I understand people saying....."it´s enough now".

[steve_pickstock]

Sprue - from Zvezda via Facebook about 10 minutes ago.


Command sprue

[zzed]

looking really good

can't wait to get them in my hands

if only they make one day late war infantry too

many thanks for the info

[MikeRC97]

Great catch Steve.

Looks like the pose where the landser is standing upright and firing is the one that is repeated on the main sprue which is how they got 35 figures from 14 poses, meaning there will be 6 of that pose. It makes sense that they chose a firing pose but I wish it had been a different one as that pose is essentially the same as the one from the first german infantry minikit.

Yes I know crying about choice of poses in the 1000th WWII German infantry set produced is a bit ridiculous, but like the man said, you can never have too many of ze germans.

I'm seeing a lot of easy conversion posibilities with this set and the minikits.

I really hope this isn't the last Zvezda big set.

[David O'Brien]

Like the so natural boot pose bottom right, the chap with the fly swatter and the invisible man looking through binoculars .

OK
Some good crouching poses but bolt upright firing poses are ten a penny and have poor conversion possibilities but fine for firing squads. Some of the other poses are very good but sadly less abundant.

It would be nice if these were glueable like the mini sets (which they may be) for ease of conversion and permanence. Some of the little bits and their glossiness/slipperiness would be asking a lot of push fit technology.

David

[Ben Bob]

Here is the photo from their Facebook. Looks like lots more assembly

[KenzoSato]