Mars news 2020 - 2023

[Peter]

For the most part I can only agree with the review, we are left wishing ,if only. The Bar gunner thing is subjective being a lefty myself , doing things right handed is like asking a right handed person to do things left handed, so if you are a lefty you are going to use the weapon that way, you shoot straight ,load quicker etc, so the pose works fine for me.

Using the weapon that way has nothing to do with you are left or right handed. I'm a right handed person but I shoot left. Why? Because my master eye is left and so I can see the target much better.

PS: I had almost 37 years of military service.

[Peter]

There is a little trick to find out what your master eye is. Make a circle with your thumb and pointing finger and take an object and hold it in that circle. Then you close your left eye and after that you do it again but you close your right eye. With one of the eyes you will still see the object in the circle. That is your master eye.

[Graeme]

That's really interesting Peter.

I'm right handed but I always used things like two handed axes, Cricket bats, golf clubs (if I was ever tempted to), etc, left handed. I believe this is because my backhand is stronger than my forehand, I'm controlling the implements with my favoured right hand but a backhand swing feels more comfortable. A backhand cut feels more comfortable with a Highland broadsword too but I probably shouldn't be volunteering that information.

I tried Your master eye test and, indeed, my left eye is my master eye but I always used a rifle right handed, firing left handed would just feel wrong. Strangely though I think I sighted with my left eye, I don't currently have a rifle to test this but when I adopt a natural shooting pose, my head is leaned over the imaginary stock so that my right ear is pressed against my right shoulder in order to bring my left eye in line with the sights. None of this is done consciously, I never thought about it until I read your post. Let me know when you see a figure that looks like that.

I'm sure soldiers used weapons in whatever way was comfortable unless there was an issue with the way spent cartridge cases were ejected. Regarding the comment in the PSR review:

" but at a time when left-handed people were generally told they should do things like a right-hander, we worry if this sort of figure is likely",

Well that may be OK for a drill sergeant on the training ground but on a battle field, where the bullets are flying, do you really tell a man armed with a BAR that he's holding it all wrong?

I wonder if the lack of detail mentioned here might be a result of the soft moulds used. As I understand it one process makes moulds in silicone and then galvanizes them with a copper coating to make them more durable. This will inevitably cause some rounding of the details which will be more obvious in 1/72 than in 1/32. Details could be sculpted sharper in the first place but that assumes they are purpose made as 1/72 figures. If they are pantographed down from 1/32 sets then perhaps some loss of detail can't be avoided. In which case I'd say if you like the sets, buy them, and live with the slight loss of detail. or else you'll have to wait for one of the companies that uses steel moulds, like HaT, to make the figures... You might be waiting a while.

[Bluefalchion]

Poses are pretty good. Those faces, though...

[zulu`s 1000`s of em]

Graeme I when playing Cricket bowl left handed and bat right handed, never understood why ,it just feels right. Some tools are designed for right handers ,like chainsaws, and being a lefty who uses one regularly you really do need to concentrate , not that you don`t when using one anyway. But back to the Bar guy , quite right he would in the field used it "his" way, I own both a WW1 and 2 vintage Lee Enfield rifles , I shoot left handed , I can aim fire and work the bolt as fast as a right hander, it just looks so wrong to an onlooker.

[zirrian]

Might be a stupid analogy, but when I played paintball and laserfight (not sure about the correct English term) I frequently swapped arms for shooting when I had to fire from behind cover as I couldn't do it right-handed. As there's not bolt on the BAR that needs to be pulled back, I think this could work here - granted I don't know how adamant the US army was on using guns right handed.

I would have went with a right handed BAR gunner to be honest, but eh, it is what it is. Still nowhere near the best winter gunner made by Revell, so doesn't really matter.

[Erich von Manstein]

Two further sets of WWII US soldiers seem be available soon now. The 1/35 figures on the box look promising for this potentially very useful sets. Lets hope the 1/72 content will be just as good!

[Xantippos]

I like the US ranger with the explosive charge . The first US ranger pose, what is he carrying? poles for measuring, some kind of rocket launcher?

[Bluefalchion]

They might be a stack of three bangalor torpedo tubes. They assembled to make a long metal pipe for the explosive to travel towards to reach the target.

[Peter]

I tried Your master eye test and, indeed, my left eye is my master eye but I always used a rifle right handed, firing left handed would just feel wrong. Strangely though I think I sighted with my left eye, I don't currently have a rifle to test this but when I adopt a natural shooting pose, my head is leaned over the imaginary stock so that my right ear is pressed against my right shoulder in order to bring my left eye in line with the sights. None of this is done consciously, I never thought about it until I read your post. Let me know when you see a figure that looks like that.

I will Graeme!
Must have been an uncomfortable postition to aim like that. But I believe we could change the bolt from side what was better for reloading. Look at the gun here, in my opinion for a left eye sharpshooter:

[Erich von Manstein]

Preview of WWII Commonwealth Infantry 1944/45, 8 poses as usual.
This 1/32 figures look ok, lets hope for appropriate 1/72 versions.

[zulu`s 1000`s of em]

If they go to 1/72 they are a must buy, superb poses, they actually look the part unlike most6 WW2 Brits.

[raph86]

Good evening, it's a pity that they missed the modelling of the Lee Enfield N°4 MK1 by putting the rise like on a N°3 MK1 called pig nose.

N°3 MK1



N°4 MK1




But many people won't even notice and the poses are great

[zulu`s 1000`s of em]

Given the history of British rifles on Esci/Airfix and others in the past, this looks live a very good effort to me, certainly better than most.

[Londoncopper]

They look very nice, certainly better than the recent set from Airfix turned out!
I hope that the 1/72 come soon and without the loss of detail that the smaller scale seems to suffer from.

[zulu`s 1000`s of em]

To Mars , I have purchased the Rangers set, along with others from Model hobbies, there were a number of loose figures that looked to have come off the sprues. Only today on looking more closely do I realize the guy with the Thompson is missing from all four sprues and random other figures from other sprues are in the box. If you are reading this please send the correct figures ie four guys holding the Thompson.

[Erich von Manstein]

Mars next 1/32 set, which will very likely also be released in 1/72 again.
WWII German Tank Hunters late war 1944-45
Most probably 32 to 40 figures in 8 poses.

[PaulRPetri]

Like you Hodude I am looking forward to the British infantry. But as I have commented before with Mars products the great looking 1/32 figures loose something in the translation when they shrink down to 1/72 scale figures. Here is hoping they have mastered the shrinking process and the "Flash" issue is resolved.

[Erich von Manstein]

WWII Soviet Border Troops
Good looking 1/32 figures of a rather unusual subject which will be released in 1/72 next year.

[zulu`s 1000`s of em]

What would be great to see are some sets coving D-DAY British/Canadian , Pegasus do a superb set of GI`s and Mars sets have complimented that, But Brits totally neglected.