Contents of “Battle” Model Box | Jason Weiser

I received my first box, themed “Battle”, back in February of this year. Unfortunately, I was so-so on the contents. The Chindit personalities from Warlord were “meh” to me.  But the unique British soldier in resin and the and Bad Squidoo Games Soviet Female Sniper team? Those were awesome! I don’t do 28mm World War II, but I liked the Sniper figures so much that I’m going to figure out how to make them sci-fi looking for my ongoing Stargrave project. What I really liked was the inclusion of the barbed wire from Warlord. The wire is high quality and I will be happy to use it in many projects to come. Additionally, the Vallejo paints were also very nice! I have a ton of the stuff; but more Vallejo is never a bad thing.

Contents of “Crusade” Model Box | Jason Weiser

The box for April, “Crusade”, was a real treat for someone who is building a Frostgrave force but would also be a boon for anyone doing anything medieval at all. The Footsore Arab Heavy Infantry was nice, and I loved the Essex Crusader Knight. I also liked the custom wounded Knight Templar, though for Frostgrave, I will probably modify the figure a bit and remove the arrow. I was also happily surprised with the Instar Paints Soap and Conditioner set. I can’t wait to use it on my brushes after a painting session and see how it stacks up to my current Master’s brand I got from Pearl Art Supply so many years ago.  Finally, they included some nice tufts and modeling sand from Serious Play Scenics. All in all, I was impressed again. 

What I appreciate about Model Box is that they go out of their way to find smaller companies and highlight them in their shipments. They also always throw in a bit of candy as well, and sampling British candy is a definitive plus, for me! Thanks for last month’s Pixie Sticks!

What’s the downside? Well, I do have a minor, but important, pet peeve. Not everyone games in 28mm. I’m not saying they shouldn’t do 28mm ever again, but wouldn’t it be nice to give 15mm, 20mm, or even 6mm some love? It would broaden the appeal of the product and I am certain there are more than a few miniature manufacturers out there who don’t work in 28mm who would love to appear in this subscription product.

My other small but niggling pet peeve is some figures, like the Chindit personalities, are of limited utility for the tabletop. I know; General Windgate is beautifully sculpted. But let’s be honest; in historical wargames, especially World War II and onward, if a General is on the table, then something has gone very wrong for that side. And the other two personalities have great sculpting, but you can’t use the figures anywhere else besides late war CBI. I wish they would give us some Germans in snow gear or late war uniforms - perhaps  a brigade out searching for our Soviet Sniper Team? 

But, all in all, I am impressed with the product, and the company does offer affordable options for the box plans. I would personally recommend the annual plan, but either way is a cheap option for a cheerful surprise in your mailbox each month. Even considering the pet peevesI mentioned, I would heartily recommend this to wargamers of all types. There really is something in this box for everyone and it certainly merits the 4 out of 5 stars I am giving this product.  What’s more, the company is very responsive and answered the one question I had within 24 hours, via email. They also have a Facebook presence and are, again, involved with their customers and fans . 

Well worth your hard-earned gaming dollars! 

And, as always, to everyone; Good Gaming. 

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At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.

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