Thursday 14 June 2007

Review of new Brigade releases

Its always an exciting time when a package arrives, its even better (IMHO) when its from Brigade Models!


Anyhow, as I went to open it I noticed that fellow Wine Wine Saucer Zophiel was online (on messenger as 'Major Magik'), so here is the text of the first (recorded) web-live Brigade model opening and review! Typos left in to embarras the typing challenged (me!)

Paul says: OK, time for live opening and review of Brigade purchases!
Major Magik says: woot

Paul says: I'll have to put this on the blog!
Paul says: OK - first thing plain white envelope...nicely weighted!
Major Magik says:heh

Paul says: Inside - minis all in a plastic ziplock, not the usual video or plastic boxes or blisters.
Paul says: Lots of goodies in here...
Major Magik says: heh

Paul says: OK I couldn't wait any more, contents are all over desk in small zips. Taking them 1 at a time...
Major Magik says: heh


Paul says: First, the Aerial redoubt:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-510.html/
Very crisp and clean, no flash at all. Lovely detail.

Paul says: Next, Aerial Battery:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-509.html
Again very crisp and clean, but a little bit of flash (minimal though) some of the barrels are slightly bent but fixable. 3 of these guys.
Major Magik says: nice

Paul says: Turkish War Balloons:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2012.html
Major Magik says: I got 5 of those.

Paul says: Again 3 of them. They are quite a bi smaller than the Aerial batteries - the platform is about half the size. A little bit of flash on the balloons but again the detail is very crisp. These will look great in a bright colour with some Turkish decals
Paul says: Next- fighters and bombers> Turkish Kindjals (the ones that look like Taubes)- 2 packs, very clean. Love the look of these, they are just dying to bepainted up in bright colours like a German WW1 'Circus'
Major Magik says: heh, yah.

Paul says: Now I have 2 packs of generic fighter and 1 of bombers. I dont remember ordering those!
Major Magik says: heh.

Paul says: I'll have to check my order. No doubt they'll come in handy somehwere anyway!
Major Magik says: truly.

Paul says: next: 4 engined bombers 92 packs) - these are awesome and HUGE compared to the ohers
Major Magik says: I haven't gotten any of those yet
Major Magik says: 92 fighters?! that's a lot of planes

Paul says:(2packs) rather!
Major Magik says: ah, k.

Paul says: Top wing comes seperately but minimal issues to fit it. Waist guns are very clear, these will paint up nicely
Major Magik says: woot

Paul says: Pack of US single turrets for conversions - nice. 12 of them on sprues of 3 each.

Paul says: Onto the Nefs, Russian Strashchni class Destroyer:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-511.html
2 of these. Lovely little ships, guns everywhere including fore and aft twin turrets. The detail again is very crisp (one of the benefits of getting models from new molds I guess).

Paul says: Turkish Sakarya class Destroyer (x2):
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2011.html
Major Magik says: yah, those are sweet.

Paul says: these are bigger than I thought they would be, a full 6cm from stem to stern. A little more flash but not much and again very crisply detailed
Major Magik says: yeah, they're bigger than they look in the photo.

Paul says: Yeah, It'll be interesting to match them up to other DDs, especially the German Dig ones
Major Magik says: when does LI launch? I suspect that new nef will appear after that.

Paul says: Next: Turkish Muin-I-Zaffer class Dig Cruiser (x1) - smae as my last one, but this time destined for my Russian Far East Fleet as a captured vessel pressed into service:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2003.html
Major Magik says: heh.
Major Magik says: I'm eager to see some new ones, like a Chinese ship.

Paul says: Not sure yet, Wessex Steve is still sick so its on hold for a bit. Cant wait to get my hands on some of those LIs!

Paul says: AH Huszár class Destroyer:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-707.html
Looks really nice, and will be the Leader for my small AH Squadron. I use a small AH escort type flotilla as the fast element for my slower german Dig Fleet., Again crisp and with barely any traceably flash at all.

Paul says: Brazillian Júlio de Noronha class Cruiser:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-806.html
Lovely ship, great lines, very sleek and lethal looking. More in line with the French style if you like. Dunno whose fleet of mine it will join, but I love the model!
Major Magik says: nicely designed. I might have to get a Brazilian fleet going once there's more in the range

Paul says: Turkish Gemlik class Frigate:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2009.html
Very much in the German style, about half the size of the DD we mentioned earlier. I have some other Sth American vessels, not becasue I have fleets, but because I like the models. my Aerial Pirate cabal might end up with them
Major Magik says: I have at least one of every Turkish thing they make. I'm waiting on the release of that twin-dig thing.

Paul says: The Twin Dig BB? Me too!!!!
Major Magik says: it looks fantastic.

Paul says: sure does!

Paul says: Turkish Turgut Reis class Cruiser:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2008.html
Again in the German style but large for a cruiser, more a battlecruiser type size. No flash even visible.

Paul says: French Fléche class Light Raider:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-416.html
No pic on the site
so I have been very keen to see what these are like.
Major Magik says: I won't order one if there's no pic
Major Magik says: a quirk of mine

Paul says: Very much a smaller version of the L'Eee with a large turret on the Forcastle and a few smaller side batteries. neat light cruiser sized vessel.
Paul says: I dont usually either, but then Ive yet to be dissappointed by a brigade design too. I ceratinly wouldnt buy from a new company without pics
Major Magik says: right.

Paul says: second last: US Twin-turret pack (it was hiding under th last behemoth...) very crisp and again 12 turrets on 4 sprues of 3 turrets each. These wll be great or conversions
Major Magik says: I want the turrets for other nations.

Paul & Lynette says: All in good time!
Major Magik says: "good time" would be sooner.Paul says: hehe.

Paul says: Last, is a Turkish Abdul Aziz class Dig Battleship:
http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Frames/VAN/Items/VAN-2001.html
Major Magik says: love that one.

Paul says: It's a monster, but the important bit is that about 18 months ago I bought th Turkish Fleet pack when it was released, like many others who had been waiting!
Paul says: I looked at it, said 'sweet' and got on with thatever I was paintign at the time. About 6 months later when I got around to my Turks, I realised by Dig BB was missing. Brigade Steve was great (as always) and offered a replacement, which I said could wait until my next purchase to save him the shipping. Well off back to sea I went and forgot all about it until last month.
Paul says: He honoured our agreement without a word or batting an eyelid even though it was well over a year later. THAT'S customer srevice for you!
Major Magik says: wow, a missing BB.

Paul & Lynette says: No longer!
Major Magik says: That's something I think I'd have noticed right off.

Paul says: Of course, I was waiting for you to let me know what shipping was costing so I could insure I paid you fully.
Major Magik says: You were lucky in the response.

Paul says: Truly.
Paul says: Having checked my order, I now realise the 'extra' fighters were Japanese Shinden Fixed Wing Fighters. Should have known that!
Major Magik says: ahh.

Paul says: well there you go, our first 'out of the box' Brogade Aeronef review!
Major Magik says: woot, that was fun.

Paul says: I'll clean it up and post it to the Blog
Major Magik says: very nicely done.

Paul says: Overall, another nice package of goodies from Brigade, but exceotionally good casts this time, because they are all new models I think. not that the usual Brigade stuff isn't good, but this is exceptional.
Major Magik says: The war balloons are special.
Paul says: Oh yeah - awesome!

Paul says: OK mate, you to bed and me back to Real Life and essays etc
Major Magik says: take care, my friend
Paul says: Ciao.

3 comments:

Paul O'G said...

Tony from Brigade had this to say about this post:

That's a novel way of doing a review ! Reads well tho', I guess you two have better typing skills than most people I converse with on IM !

Quote:
The detail again is very crisp (one of the benefits of getting models from new molds I guess)

The reason is that we've been steadily replacing our old moulds with new style ones on all models. There's been a transition period where there's been a mix of moulds and anyone ordering was more than likely to have received models from both, and it was pretty obvious (to us at least) which models came from which . However, we've pretty much finished (on Nef at least, I think there might be one or two models left to do) so if you were to go back and order older models you will find that they are up to the standard of the newer releases. One achievement Phil's very proud of is the new production moulds for all of the British capital Nef - we can turn out Benbows, Agincourts etc by the dozen and all perfect castings !

Thanks for that Tony! Good news for all 'Neffers :-D

MaksimSmelchak said...

Hi Tas,

I fixed some of your coding and URLs. Some of the lniks were corrupted.

Cool post!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Paul O'G said...

Thanks mate! Appreciated :-D


An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!

An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!