Regular readers may remember some coverage on a previous WW2 3D print Kickstarter by 3D Breed (here if interested!). Their series is known as ‘March to Hell’ and has thus far delivered a range of Early War (UK, Japanese, Marine, French, Russian) as well as D-Day forces, Market Garden and Battle of the Bulge (alongside a range of winter troops). This time 3D Breed is taking us to North Africa.
Breakthrough Assault was sent the ‘press pack’ for the Kickstarter campaign last week, just ahead of its launch on Sat 15 Oct 23 (for full disclosure. I have also personally backed the campaign; I want the stretch goals!). In it we got all the items in the initial pledge to try out.
I immediately fired up my Saturn 2 and got to work printing some items. Here are the results.
All the infantry come in 15mm & 28mm and are pre-supported. The vehicles are not pre-supported but I just used Lychee auto supports and it went great (top tip: use light supports for the bikes). I printed at 0.03mm layers and got everything done in less than 7hrs.
I have drybrushed up the models in the picture to show just how sharp the detail is. The British jeep is especially impressive and I am enjoying painting it up with vallejo and contrast paints at the moment. You will notice the infantry is rather chunkier than some other manufacturers, although more similar to the newer BF thermoplastic for proportions. This can look a bit odd close up, and also seems worse in renders than real life, but I find, once based, they tie together really well. The effect also means the details is very defined and easy to paint, i.e. stuff never gets lost after a undercoat and multiple coats.
The actual Kickstarter has already been funded and, as I write this 4hrs after launch, it has already unlocked almost all the stretch goals for the UK and Afrika Korp company. Judging by their previous campaigns I have no doubt they will unlock all the stretch goals. They also dropped a cheeky little bonus when they were fully backed, with SAS troops and jeeps.
While the initial pledge doesn’t have that much use to a FOW player (Kubelwagons are a command card in the Easternfront books), I think the stretch goals are immense. If all unlock, you will get the core forces for a UK and Afrika Corps (Riflemen, SMGs, HQ, Mortars, HMGs, AT Gun) company as well as similar for French (Foreign legion and Senegalese troops) plus Italians (inc Blackshirts and motorbikes!). Its a very impressive list and also includes a range of EW and MW vehicles.
The campaign combines well with the original ‘March to Hell’ Campaign which also featured some desert forces including the Italians. Bits that are missing here (eg Medium and Assault Mortars) can be purchased (currently at discount) from their website. Cleverly, anything bought on the website while the kickstarter is on also helps to unlocked more stretch goals.
The whole package (all Stretch Goals) is currently on a early bird special for 35 Euros so best to get in quickly. When you consider this will likely give you four armies worth of troops and some cool novelty units which are OOP with BF (eg Italian motorbikes) I think it’s well worth it, if printing is your thing. You can get your pledge in here.
Too bad the Germans have yet to see a motorcycle unit in any era or list when they used them more than any other army.
Now that BF aren’t selling desert infantry at all this sounds like a cool way to actually be able to play the MW desert lists.