Border Models 1/35 WWII German Tank Desant Troops Review

[Mike]

I received these figures for Christmas from my Father and I looked them up on YouTube but only found one short review which only went over the parts and didn't show any assembly or painting. I guess this means either no one cares about these or they're just that new.

If you care about packaging there's nothing too special about these at all. Just a 3D render in greyscale on the cover. Some color renderings of these would be nice. 

Border Models 1/35 Panzer Troops by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 Panzer Troops by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

The figures themselves are 3D printed from those renders and the details come through like crazy. Every buckle, strap, and button is represented and I didn't even paint all of them as they are so tiny I didn't see them without magnification. The detail level is insane.  
The only thing that bothered the hell out of my is that there are seam lines! I can't understand why there are seam lines on a 3D rendered and printed product, but I'm fairly ignorant of 3D printing. They were obvious on the boots before painting and I easily eliminated them. There are others though on the legs and the arms and they're so small they didn't show up until I was adding washes. Talk about frustrating! 

The face sculpts are on the soft side and don't take a wash very well. I went over them a few times but the wash would just run down to the figures neck, even after hanging them upside-down once. The hands took a wash like a champ though. The details on the equipment is high, but kinda soft on the weapons, which is weird to me. You do need to take extra care with the rifle barrels though. Cutting them from the sprue block is hair raising and I broke it the first time. The second time was because I was trying to straighten it out later.

I've included pictures of the one figure I completed. Its not my best work as I should've tried a little more with the face and it was a bit rushed by my standards. Also, please excuse the stupid, aggravating, and super irritating tiny hairs of dust that keep showing up from literal thin air. I have a serious dust issue in this old home and pictures make them super obvious every time.

The pieces are keyed and fit perfectly! I will highly recommend painting every piece separately before assembly or a lot of the painting will be difficult. With this figure I assembled the head and arms before painting just see how they fit and it made some of the painting very difficult to do. There's just sooo much detail on these figures. Loads of it!

Now, Pics or it didn't happen, right?

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

The weapons are molded to their hands so you don't have to worry about any floating fingers. Just some seriously tiny brushes lol. This allows you to paint the sleeve cuffs separate and definitely adds to the realism of the figure.

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

The Gas Mask, Canteen, Water Bottle, and Shovel are all separate pieces and Border supplies two of each for every figure so if you make a mistake you can try again. Again, all buckles and straps are present on each piece. I had to look up the real equipment just to know what I was painting. lol!

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 German Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Everything is well detailed you can even use the correct finishes on each item. I personally like to use a satin coat on the weapons, but this time I added it to everything that should have a touch of shine to it except for the leather straps. I might do that later but my eyes can only handle so much lol.

Happy New Year!

IMG_20231231_193320671 by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

And HAPPY MODELING!

[stikpusher]

The pose and box art reminds me of the ancient Tamiya 1/35 Panzer Grenadier figure set… but wow for the difference in level of detailing. Thanks for the review of this figure set Mike!

[Mike]

Hey, no problem. There seems to be a lack of info on these at the moment and since I happen to have a set it felt like something I could do.

I have to add a few notes to the review though, as these figures appear a tad bit smaller than the rest of my 1/35 figures. Also, I think I know why there are seam lines when there shouldn't be and it was kinda obvious from the beginning.

I still don't like the fact that the face sculpts a so soft that a wash won't pick up any detail. When I spend more time later going over this figure again I'll have to force some detail into the face with trickery. There are literally no eyelids to speak of, yet they managed to get the nostrils sculpted just fine. The mouth is another area that's really soft and I'll have to paint that up differently to make it show up better.

The face sculpts aren't hopeless, they're just weak. There are tricks for that and I'll have to work my magic. Challenge accepted.

As I go over these pictures again I can see just how unforgiving Macro shots can be. You can see how I rushed this example and it bugging me a lot.

[stikpusher]

A good size comparison photo with some “mainstream” company similar types might be helpful. Say perhaps Tamiya, Dragon, Alpine, etc.

Interesting that the face is not as well detailed in relief molding/printing as the uniform or equipment.

[Mike]

I can get some size comparisons for ya. WHat I did do just now was to go with easy first, which was to add a stronger wash to the face and hands. I've gotten into the habit lately of thinning down my washes so they don't overly contrast and force an unnatural appearance and I think that was the problem. There's still no eye detail but I believe that's due to the 3D renders being accurate in scale when they were made, but it just didn't scale down. So as I said, I added a stronger wash to his face and hands over the flat finish instead of a satin one, which helps concentrate the wash along the detail edges better... usually. The details have to be present for this to work and these face sculpts are just too soft for that. So I'll chalk that one up as my mistake.

After a stronger wash around his eyes, mouth, and then overall he looks a bit better, but lighting deepens the shadows and that's what I was trying to avoid initially.

Border Models 1/35 Panzer Trooper by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 Panzer Trooper by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Border Models 1/35 Panzer Trooper by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

As you can see he does indeed have a mouth. His eye sockets lack any detail though and just sucked up the wash around the bridge of his nose casting a weird shadow and clouding the pupils I added in the beginning. I have some Alpine heads which I don't think will work with these, but I'll check. I'll also dig out some other figures for size comparison.

[Mike]

Okay, the heads are definitely on the small side. I have a comparison shot with an Alpine head (left) and a Valkyrie head (right) and the Border head is closer in size to the Valkyrie head, but still a touch smaller.

IMG_20240101_114113419_HDR by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

For body scale I have a MiniArt figure (left) and an old Italeri Panzer 1 figure (middle) and I think now that it's just a trick of the eyes because of his pose and the tiny head lol.

IMG_20240101_114027160_HDR by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

I also think I figured out why there are seam lines. These figures may be 3D rendered and Printed, but that was just the original copy. Some enterprising soul decided to resin cast these figures in silicone molds and these seams are where the molds have been split. I guess they didn't want to 3D print thousands of these things. So be mindful of the seams. But because silicone molds only have so many uses before you have to replace them I'm quite sure quality will have a range from excellent to almost awful. That ensures that you'll never get a consistent product every time. It will all depend on how often they replace their molds. Otherwise, these are fabulous figures. I hope Border Models just starts producing these figures on a 3D printer as I can't imagine resin casting and silicone molds are a more cost effective process when you can 3D print multiple pieces on the same print tray. Maybe their process will change later?

I have a friend who 3D resin prints her own figures all of the time. There are enough little bits you have to trim off without having to worry about seam lines from a broken silicone cast.

But hey, I've been up all night and I'm probably overthinking this lol.

Feel free to ask any more questions. I'll do my best.

[Mike]

Eyebrows! That's why he looks off to me! That's been bothering me and I didn't know why.

Must. Fix. Eyebrows.

Lol. I'm tired.

[stikpusher]

Yeah, he does look on the smaller end of the 1/35 range for figure size.


Get some rest before you take on those eyebrows

[Mike]

Too late for that, Carlos lol! I just got up for the evening and the eyebrows were fixed hours ago.

The wash pooled around the bridge of his nose bothers me, but I think I'd better leave it be. There's no details to fix there and I'll just end up with a repaint that won't solve the problem at this point.

[M1Carbine]

Mike - nice review. All in all they seem to be a nice set from what I can see here.

-Bob

[Mike]

Jan 1, 2024 21:51:45 GMT -5 M1Carbine said:

Mike - nice review. All in all they seem to be a nice set from what I can see here.

-Bob

Yeah, Bob, they're really nice despite the small flaws. The parts are extraordinarily detailed and the fit is excellent. The small stature of this particular figure could just mean he's about 16~18 years old and small for his age and you can kinda get away with it lol. One of the other figures looks like he's a bit taller and maybe not as small looking. I'll know for sure when I paint him up.

The reuse of broken silicone molds will probably be an issue for QC so I can't vouch for consistency.

Will I recommend them? Yeah. Aside from some funny mold lines and the lack of any eye detail these figures are amazing. I really want to finish the rest of them and see the whole squad assembled behind my KT. I'm really sure they'll look absolutely awesome together!

[deafpanzer]

+1 karma for you for posting excellent product review!!!

I didn't even know that Border is doing figures too! So thank you for taking your time to post and I really enjoyed it. Yeah it drives me nuts when the faces lack details especially the eyes if i want to paint them well. I painted first 3D printed figures recently but they were 1/48 so I wasn't impressed. Good idea about replace heads with resin heads from Alpine. I have a huge stash of resin heads by Hornet so it may help. For sure I really like the details on the uniforms that you have shown us!

[Steve Zuleski]

Hey Mike, I'm late to this party, please excuse my tardiness.

Border Models figures; leme tell ya my interp, if I may. Once their Submarine set with figures arrived the first thing I noticed was the size. They are shy of 1/35th by quite a bit IMHO, but still usable, with a BM kit, per se. I was not impressed with that size, but the details are decent.

The figures you have look pretty detailed, minus the face, mine are that way too. It's not something that will be a "kill joy", just a bit more work. I gather from your writing that you're an acrylic guy. If I'm wrong, sing out, but I'm an oiler, so my advice only goes so far. Those facial details can always be painted in, just takes a little bit more work. Your progress looks great, so I'd say this set works. Remember, a sign of a good carpenter is knowing how to hide his mistakes, same for "paint sniffers", HA! It ain't as bad as, "Fake it till ya make it", but there are more than 1000 ways to skin a bald cat, right?

Keep us posted on the progress, all is looking good from here.

Cheers, Ski.


P.S. We're almost neighbors, I'm 90 miles north of Spokane, in the bush!

[Mike]

Jan 8, 2024 18:40:10 GMT -5 Steve Zuleski said:

Hey Mike, I'm late to this party, please excuse my tardiness.

Border Models figures; leme tell ya my interp, if I may. Once their Submarine set with figures arrived the first thing I noticed was the size. They are shy of 1/35th by quite a bit IMHO, but still usable, with a BM kit, per se. I was not impressed with that size, but the details are decent.

The figures you have look pretty detailed, minus the face, mine are that way too. It's not something that will be a "kill joy", just a bit more work. I gather from your writing that you're an acrylic guy. If I'm wrong, sing out, but I'm an oiler, so my advice only goes so far. Those facial details can always be painted in, just takes a little bit more work. Your progress looks great, so I'd say this set works. Remember, a sign of a good carpenter is knowing how to hide his mistakes, same for "paint sniffers", HA! It ain't as bad as, "Fake it till ya make it", but there are more than 1000 ways to skin a bald cat, right?

Keep us posted on the progress, all is looking good from here.

Cheers, Ski.


P.S. We're almost neighbors, I'm 90 miles north of Spokane, in the bush!

I am an acrylic user these days, but I use oils as well. They blend so much better.

I spent a month over in Colleville and fell in love with the area. Not so much the locals who congregated and blocked store isles for gossip sessions while giving me the evil eye, but I did love the rural spaces.

[Steve Zuleski]

Jan 26, 2024 0:50:33 GMT -5 Mike said:

I spent a month over in Colleville and fell in love with the area. Not so much the locals who congregated and blocked store isles for gossip sessions while giving me the evil eye, but I did love the rural spaces.

Man, you nailed it Mike, they do block the isles, HA! When we first came up here on a house hunting trip we ran into the same thing. The realtor said everyone lives so far away from each other the local Wal-Mart or grocery store becomes the gather and meet place, lol. The price we pay for livin in the boonies, and yes, it's gorgeous up here.

[Mike]

Jan 26, 2024 10:07:07 GMT -5 Steve Zuleski said:

Jan 26, 2024 0:50:33 GMT -5 Mike said:

I spent a month over in Colleville and fell in love with the area. Not so much the locals who congregated and blocked store isles for gossip sessions while giving me the evil eye, but I did love the rural spaces.

Man, you nailed it Mike, they do block the isles, HA! When we first came up here on a house hunting trip we ran into the same thing. The realtor said everyone lives so far away from each other the local Wal-Mart or grocery store becomes the gather and meet place, lol. The price we pay for livin in the boonies, and yes, it's gorgeous up here.

I've always wanted to move to that region, but the taxes and politics in this state have just become to radical for my liking. I had plans to move to Montana last year, but a lot of personal issues within my marriage have ruined that plan.

I'm in a place right now that would be hard to replace financially. So here I am for now.

I've got more minor work done on this kit recently. I'll post some progress when it builds up enough to be relevant.

[moparmadness]

Looks wonderful! That old Italeri figure brings back memories!

[Mike]

Updated face!

Pesky Grenadier by Mike Brindos, on Flickr

Now I need to paint up the other four.

[Steve Zuleski]

Hey, that's lookin good, excellent!

[Mike]

That did make quite the difference, didn't it? lol. Funny how I couldn't see how to make it better at that time. But five minutes of time totally changed how he looked.

[Leon]

You really did a nice job on the painting Mike!

[deafpanzer]

Lovely work on the soldier! I like what you have done to the base.

[Mike]

Jul 3, 2024 5:18:08 GMT -5 Leon said:

You really did a nice job on the painting Mike!

Thank you! When I rushed this figure to the finish line for this review I really didn't think I could do a better job on him. But then I just decided to fix his eyes and it just worked. So I was wrong lol.

These figures might be small for 1/35 but I can't deny that they can paint up with the best of them.

I have been slowly picking out little details since I fixed his eyes and he just keeps getting better. But you definitely need a magnifier! Last night I picked out the details on his bayonet and I can actually tell the difference now and see that it exists instead of just blending into the shovel lol.

Just picking out a few straps and things brings more life to this figure. The depth of details is just amazing.

[Mike]

Jul 4, 2024 10:47:19 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Lovely work on the soldier! I like what you have done to the base.

Thank you. It's literally just a bit of card stock I slopped some mud and grass onto to keep him upright. He wouldn't stand up on his own so that's just temporary until he finds his place.

I can honestly say I would recommend these figures. Their small stature just means you have to play with a bit of forced perspective.

[buddho]

Good looking figures...nice painting!