Empress Miniatures 28mm new releases.

Very, very nice, full of that distinctive ARVN character!

Got mine last week, really nice details on all of them.

Todays release is some 28mm ARVN Paratroopers for the Vietnam range.
Tow of these chaps have helmet covers.

https://www.empressminiatures.com/arvn-republic-of-south...

It took real commercial courage to invest in a range that I have been calling for, for ages. VN without ARVN is like Alamein with only Afrika Korps to the west of the wire barriers. There was much suggestion that no-one wanted them. Everyone wants Marines and ACAV or SFs.

I always said I wanted little skinny guys, but dwarfed by their helmets and weapons, overalls/trousers tailored much too tight and Asiatic features. These are great. Wish I was not so distracted right now by 20mm (not my scale remotely) Prussian and recently French cavalry for a National Army Museum exhibition display.

My congratulations to Chris Hicks. These are almost as good as his Saxon Cuirassiers (the best figures ever cast). The medic with the IV and dying Marine, on the back of the tank, is in another league completely of course.

Liam

Happy Birthday Mr. Empress! Cheers to you from FOF!

BravoSix wrote:Happy Birthday Mr. Empress! Cheers to you from FOF!

Cheers mate

Deadhead wrote:It took real commercial courage to invest in a range that I have been calling for, for ages. VN without ARVN is like Alamein with only Afrika Korps to the west of the wire barriers. There was much suggestion that no-one wanted them. Everyone wants Marines and ACAV or SFs.

I always said I wanted little skinny guys, but dwarfed by their helmets and weapons, overalls/trousers tailored much too tight and Asiatic features. These are great. Wish I was not so distracted right now by 20mm (not my scale remotely) Prussian and recently French cavalry for a National Army Museum exhibition display.

My congratulations to Chris Hicks. These are almost as good as his Saxon Cuirassiers (the best figures ever cast). The medic with the IV and dying Marine, on the back of the tank, is in another league completely of course.

Liam

Thanks for that. The physical size thing is actually easy to do. If you make the figures physical size accurately all the kit simply looks big as it did in real life. The good example of this is the M1 helmet which only came in one size fits all.

I will send your congratulations to Paul Hicks.

SASR

The Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) is a Special Forces regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions of the Australian World War II 'Z' Special Force commando unit, as well as the Independent Companies which were active in the South Pacific during the same period. It is based at Campbell Barracks, Swanbourne, Perth, Western Australia and is a unit of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps, part of the Australian Defence Force. As with the British SAS, the regimental motto is 'Who dares wins'.

The SASR's participation in the Vietnam War began when 3 Squadron deployed as part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in April 1966. The SASR's role in Vietnam was to act as the 'eyes and the ears' of the Australian Task Force through conducting reconnaissance patrols throughout 1 ATF's area of responsibility. As in Borneo the SASR operated closely with the New Zealand SAS, with a New Zealand SAS troop being attached to each Australian Squadron.

SASR Squadrons rotated through Vietnam on one year long deployments until the last Squadron was withdrawn in October 1971. During its time in Vietnam the Regiment was extremely successful in the reconnaissance role. To their enemies members of the regiment were known as the 'phantoms of the jungle' due to their fieldcraft.
The Australian and New Zealand SAS killed at least 492 and as many as 598 and losing only two men killed in action and three fatalities from friendly fire. The last remaining Australian soldier who went missing in action in 1969 after falling into the jungle during a suspended rope extraction was found in August, 2008.

Australia's SASR also worked with U.S. SEAL Teams and U.S. Army Special Forces, and provided instructors to the LRRP School. Some members also served with the highly secret MACV-SOG Units.
ANZ7 SASR

Australian SAS were, like their British counterparts, famous for wearing what they wanted to get the job done. Obviously there were limits but these figures are based on photographic and verbal evidence. Much kit and uniform was standard issue although invariably altered to suit the wearers wishes. Added to this were locally purchased items made to the wearers specifications.

This style was also common with the weapons used. SLR’s M16’s and M60’s were all altered and usually cut down to both reduce weight and sometimes length. As action was expected to be close range this had not effect on the accuracy of the weapons. Grenade launchers of various designs were added to both the SLR’s and M16’s.

SLR’s were usually cut down and wooden grips removed usually replaced by foregrips. 30 round magazines were common and the SLR could be changed to fire on full automatic. By reducing the length of the barrel the rifle would fire both loudly and with a ball of flame thus occasionally being mistaken for a 50 cal. This alterations earned such modified weapons the name ‘The Bitch.’

Figures from left to right;

SLR with 30 round magazine and UGL.
M60 LMG cut down.
M16 with UGL.
M16 with UGL.
SLR with 30 round magazine.

ANZ8 SASR

ANZAC SASR also used the British Stirling SMG with a suppressor for close kills.
Figures from left to right.;
SLR with 30 round magazine and carrying a US issue AN/PRC25 ‘Prick 25’ radio.
SLR with 30 round magazine
Stirling sub machine gun with suppressor fitted.
M60 LMG cut down.
M16 with jungle mags and carrying an M79 Grenade launcher ‘blooper’, ‘Wombat gun’.

https://www.empressminiatures.com/anzac-forces-110-c.asp

What great research has gone into these figures and their modified weapons. I will admit I thought the chap with the Sterling SMG would end up with a burnt left hand, even with the silencer over the vented casing, but no, I now read this was correct and that holding the magazine risked ammo jams or even separation. Nice one yet again

Liam

Deadhead wrote:What great research has gone into these figures and their modified weapons. I will admit I thought the chap with the Sterling SMG would end up with a burnt left hand, even with the silencer over the vented casing, but no, I now read this was correct and that holding the magazine risked ammo jams or even separation. Nice one yet again

Liam

Cheers.

Lovely figures!!

Coldm2231 wrote:Lovely figures!!

Thanks for that

Absolutely superb work. I do 15mm and 20mm NAM, but I think I am going to end up folding in the near future and snacking a squad or so for each nation from Empress. They look like so much fun to paint.

Let me try to encourage you. 15/18mm have the great advantage of the smaller footprint and, in my favourite era, the Napoleonic Wars, probably the best figure poses to be found. 28mm allows you to shade, paint faces, add detail and each figure is your personal masterpiece. I recently gave away my entire collection to fund Waterloo Uncovered, as they were sitting in the attic in boxes.

I did a series of dioramas of Hue, largely in Gringos40, but I did have some Empress figures serving bravely at the Dong Ba Tower. Paul Hicks is an incredibly talented sculptor.

I am now, like so many others, working on a massive remodelling of Waterloo for our NAM (that is not where you think, it is the National Army Museum in London) but it is in 20mm or 1/72 depending on your point of view. Not my choice but.......

28mm would still be my choice for display, if not wargaming (no idea, never did get started properly there).

Liam

Deadhead wrote:Let me try to encourage you. 15/18mm have the great advantage of the smaller footprint and, in my favourite era, the Napoleonic Wars, probably the best figure poses to be found. 28mm allows you to shade, paint faces, add detail and each figure is your personal masterpiece. I recently gave away my entire collection to fund Waterloo Uncovered, as they were sitting in the attic in boxes.

I did a series of dioramas of Hue, largely in Gringos40, but I did have some Empress figures serving bravely at the Dong Ba Tower. Paul Hicks is an incredibly talented sculptor.

I am now, like so many others, working on a massive remodelling of Waterloo for our NAM (that is not where you think, it is the National Army Museum in London) but it is in 20mm or 1/72 depending on your point of view. Not my choice but.......

28mm would still be my choice for display, if not wargaming (no idea, never did get started properly there).

Liam

Yeah, I love 28mm. I have a load of 28mm napoleonics, dark ages, old west, etc. I went with 20mm because Elheim has excellent figures and I like to play very large multiplayer games. The limit for table size for me is 8x5 which isn't always available, so I had to collect with a 6x4 in mind. 28s are just too big for the games I really want to play. However, for small and detailed skirmishes, they are perfect. Thankfully most of my terrain is serviceable in 28mm (jungle at least), so I am encouraged to pick up some Empress at one point.

Must haves indeed