September is nearly over and while it has not been as busy as August for releases, plenty of other things have been going on!
Border Reivers Show
We were at the Border Reivers Wargames Show at the start of the month and it was a roaring success. Even our little stand was very busy all day and we absolutely loved it and will be back for more.
If you’re in the North East and missed us though, you can also catch us at…..
That’s right – we loved the BRWD so much we have signed up for the Battleground 2024 show a the end of November. So, if you want to get some pre-Christmas bargains (there will be a show discount on the day) come along and check it out!
We have also been continuing to expand our range and have recently agreed a license with Counlane Models. This small French studio turns out some absolutely amazing French and German vehicles, and is also branching out into US tanks as well. Watch this space for more updates, but we should have a good few released at the start of October.
Today also sees the introduction of our new “Unit of the Week” feature. Each week we will take a single unit and focus on it in more detail in the product listing and also discounting it by 10% for the next week! The first of these is the might StuG 33b, a powerful German SPG. Check out more on the StuG 33b page.
Finally, we have not only rounded out our Japanese forces with a medic and AT rifle, but also updated the Army Builder so that a full 28mm army can be had for only £100 – including a free tank!
Further Army Builders will following, starting with Soviets in the next week or so and then the others after that.
Well, as you can see, September has continued to be busy for us and it will only get busier as we head towards the end of the year – we’ve got more new releases (at least 200 at last count! :O), prep for another trade show and there is even more designing going on in the background towards a new Kickstarter for 2025!
Thanks for your support and check us out on Facebook and Instagram for more frequent updates
If you’ve been following us for a while, you may have heard rumblings about something big coming – well, today it has landed!
Over the last month we have been working diligently in the background to tweak the website and add a massive range of new products – including a huge amount from a new designer!
There have been many changes, and rather than making everyone traipse through the site seeing what’s new, here’s a full summary…….
New models!
Firstly, we have to tell you about the new models. We are always looking to expand our range with awesome new designs and this time around we have an absolute corker of a collection from RKX Miniatures, Comprising the entirety of RKX’s various Kickstarter campaigns, MarDav can now offer all manner of Canadian and US troops, Fallschirmjager and Commandos including such gems as the Kettenkrad, Long Tom and Sexton!
New Prices!
Additionally, we have revised our pricing structure, which means a lot of models are now actually cheaper than before! Also, due to demand, we have added more scale options to virtually all models, allowing almost everything on the site to be purchased at 54mm/1:35, and many vehicles at 15mm, 1/87 and 1:48 (always a good thing for some of the 28mm tankers among you 😉 )
New options!
As a good number of our range also had many available options – I’m looking at you StuGs, PzIVs and Churchills – we have split them into their own products to make navigating easier. You can now simply search for “StuG III” and see all available options instead of scrolling through menus.
New images!
Now, adding all these new variations with painted images would be a mammoth task, and even as Dav badgered away on the website, there was no time for Mar to keep up with the stream of new models (he tried, but his brush nearly caught fire!), so with some of the new releases we are using renders for the time being. Ultimately we would still hope to supplement as many as possible with more lovely painted models, but it will take time.
As you can see, there has been a lot going on, but this is just the start. There is a whole bunch more terrain on the way, including two entire new village bundles; many, many more vehicles and options to add, and a swathe of new Army Builders and Platoons over the summer so that everyone can get some even better deals on the new models!
After a good few months prep and research, our first Kickstarter is now live. “Wheels of Steel” is a project featuring a collection of British and Commonwealth WWII armoured cars. The initial core set is 8 vehicles (plus a free Dingo) with up to an additional 20 vehicles already listed as stretch goals.
In order to support as many of our followers as possible, the project rewards are available as both digital files and physical printed models.
CORE FILES
Daimler Dingo MkIA (this will be available during the project as a free sample file) AEC Armoured car MkII Daimler Armoured Car MkII Humber Armoured Car MkIV Humber Light Reconnaissance Car MkII/III Humber Scout Car Lanchester 6×4 Armoured Car Morris Light Reconnaissance Car Rolls Royce Armoured Car 1924 MkI
STRETCH GOALS
Fox Armoured Car Morris CS9 Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Indian Pattern Armoured Car Humber Light Reconnaissance Car – two additional variants Staghound Armoured Car – two variants AEC Armoured Car – two additional variants Daimler Armoured Car – three additional variants Humber Armoured Car – four additional variants Marmon Herrington – four variants
As well as the core files pretty much done and in the process of being test printed and refined currently, we also have a basic stretch goal list put together and it can be seen further down this post.
The details will be finalised ready for the full launch of the project (beginning of September), but the general idea is that it will be available as two options – either stl files or physical. This is so that we can accomodate as many of our followers as possible.
There will also be addons of various other models we have designed as well. The core files and basic stretch goal list is currently as follows:
CORE FILES
Daimler Dingo MkIA (this will be available during the project as a free sample file) AEC Armoured car MkII Daimler Armoured Car MkII Humber Armoured Car MkIV Humber Light Reconnaissance Car MkII/III Humber Scout Car Lanchester 6×4 Armoured Car Morris Light Reconnaissance Car Rolls Royce Armoured Car 1924 MkI
STRETCH GOALS
Fox Armoured Car Morris CS9 Otter Light Reconnaissance Car Indian Pattern Armoured Car Humber Light Reconnaissance Car – two additional variants Staghound Armoured Car – two variants AEC Armoured Car – two additional variants Daimler Armoured Car – three additional variants Humber Armoured Car – four additional variants Marmon Herrington – four variants
Further updates before the full release will be available via the Facebook page
As you will have noticed we now have regular releases, approximately every two weeks. This has given us time to work on our own designs. More information will follow at a later date, but for now, this is the plan…….
Fiat 621 truck available in 15mm, 20mm and 28mm scales for wargamers and modellers. Model is 3D resin printed. Ships worldwide.
New vehicle releases!
This batch of releases is a range of vehicles from different nations. The aim is to expanding recce and transport options, with an assortment of transports (armoured and softskins) and armoured cars.
As always, here’s a little background on the various units…..
British and Commonwealth
CMP F-60
During World War II, Canada used industrial capacity to produce military vehicles that were supplied to Britain and the Commonwealth. In total over 850,000 vehicles were manufactured. More than 800,000 of these being trucks and similar utility vehicles rather than armoured vehicles.
The CMP (Canadian Military Pattern) F60 was a 3 ton 4×4 truck made by Ford. There were a number of variants including the F60S (short wheelbase), F60T (tractor unit) and F60L (long wheelbase).
30 CWT truck
The Chevrolet 30 CWT truck was a 4×2 truck produced in Canada and the US. It principally used in the campaigns of the Western Desert. Usually seen in a cutdown variant and as the main vehicle of the LRDG, it was also used as a general transport and cargo vehicle.
Indian Pattern Armoured Carrier
At the start of World War II, Britain was unable to supply sufficient equipment to support the Commonwealth nations. This led some to develop or adapt native vehicles. One of these was the Armoured Carrier, Indian Pattern. This was an armoured car developed in India and based on imported Ford and GMC CMP truck chassis. Armament usually consisted of a Bren LMG and a Boyes AT rifle.
Otter
The Otter Light Reconnaissance Car was manufactured in Canada for the Commonwealth and British during World War II. Based on the Chevrolet C15 CMP chassis, it was usually armed with a Bren LMG and a Boyes AT rifle, though some variants used 20mm cannon or .303 Browning MGs. Primarily the Otter was deployed by Canadian forces in the Italian Campaign and Northwest European operations
Marmon Herrington Mk.II
The Marmon Herrington was a project by the South African government to locally produce an armoured vehicle from imported parts. The US company Marmon-Herrington won the contract and supplied a vehicle of its own design. It utilised an inhouse transmission system, but Canadian Ford chassis and engine, and with a British armament.
The Mk II was armed with a turret mounted Bren LMG and a Boyes AT rifle.
SAS/LRDG truck/jeep crew
As with their trucks, the crew of the LRDG and nascent SAS did not always adhere to standard battledress regulations. They would often wear a mix of clothing and equipment more suitable for the desert environment they operated in. This collection includes two separate drivers as well as a passenger and various gunners, all in different combinations of SAS/LRDG clothing.
US
M3 Scout car
Initially designed as a reconnaissance vehicle by the US, the M3 Scout Car was a lightly armoured 4×4 vehicle. While not a bad design, it did have poor off-road performance and was not always viewed favourably. The M3 was also exported to Britain, the Soviet Union and the Chinese Nationialist Army, as well as being used by Polish, Belgian and Free French forces. The M3 was usually armed with a Browning .50 HMG and a pair of Browning .303 MGs and was used in a variety of rules including armoured truck, recon, ambulance and command post.
Poland
Fiat 621 truck
The Polish Fiat 621 was an extensively adapted licensed copy of the Italian Fiat 621 2.5t truck. The 621 was the principle truck of the Polish Army in the 1930’s and captured examples continued to see use with the Wehrmacht after the invasion of Poland.
Japan
Type 1 Ho-Ha halftrack
The Type 1 Ho-Ha was a Japanese halftrack of World War II. It was generally armed with 3 Type 97 LMGs with differing fields of fire and saw limited use as APCs were considered inferior to trucks due to speed issues, despite the additional protection offered against small arms fire.
Italy
47/32 Anti-tank gun
The Cannon 47/32 was a WWII Italian artillery piece based on an Austrian design and produced under license. In addition to its use as a dedicated anti-tank gun, it was also the main gun of the M13/40 and M14/41 tanks and 47/32 SPG.
Performance wise it was comparable to the British 2pdr or German PaK36 guns, though unlike the 2pdr it could fire HE rounds. However, the lack of gun shield and inability to be easily towed were major drawbacks, and due to a lack of more powerful alternatives, the 47/32 continued to be used long after it should have been replaced.
So, quite a few varied vehicle releases this time around, hopefully expanding our range in new directions in advance of the British Army infantry releases next month. Further updates are also available via our Facebook page and all new releases will be showcased on our Instagram page.
