Conflict Miniatures released new set of figures and a bust depicting Long Range Recon Patrol from Vietnam War.
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/lrrp-vietnam-war-from-conflict-miniatures
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/lrrp-vietnam-war-from-conflict-miniatures
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Looks the part and pretty unique.
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They look excellent
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And I was wondering who the idiot was who decided a LRRP would go around with dog tags dangling outside his fatigue jacket and a carton of cigarettes tucked into his boonie hat foliage loops.
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Good point, I would think not outside the wire anyway but back at base camp. Good for a photo op but then put away.
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Both good points, after I read them I went upstairs and dug out my 55 year old (issue) bush hat. The loops simply are not big enough for a pack of cigarettes. I was never a smoker, but some guys did carry theirs in the helmet cammo band. I never thought wearing a red & white box on my head in a combat zone was a particularly good idea, but it definitely was done. As for the dog tags, can’t imagine why I’d want them hanging outside my uniform (might be seen or snag something)…who knows.
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I had brought several of those issues up when these figures were being 3d Modeled. I offered a lot of advice about how LRRPS would actually look and how they operated, but was told that the 3d Artist wanted things to look interesting rather than historically accurate. I explained how the belts were set up, and gear was packed and stowed. I also sent photos of actual boonie hats that showed that the web band did not have space to carry anything on the hat nor would someone trying to remain camouflaged would cary colorful cigarettes in the hat band. My input was acknowledged by the company owner but not the 3d model maker. At least the modern equipment was changed to closer to period equipment. So this is what the result was. Only a few things I mentioned were changed or were incorporated into the final figures. These figures apparently are not originally intended for dioramas but for figure only displays.
The set is well painted, though.
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such a shame that they didn’t follow your advice as most people look for historical accuracy.
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does Conflict Miniatures have a website?
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Not sure if their website is up yet, but they do have a FB Page. There will be a lot of interesting modern subjects in the pipeline.
The owner of the company is a good guy and he welcomes the input about uniforms and equipment, but the guy he has making the 3D models of the subjects seems to get butthurt when corrections are mentioned. The way I got involved was when Calvin Tan was painting one of the FAST Platoon Marines from Panama. The woodland camo pattern he painted was excellent, but the ammo pouches weren’t even attached to the belt as they were hanging way too low. I mentioned that on his FB post and he put me in touch with the company owner. I sent him photos and tried to explain how Marines really operate, how during that time the platoon had high and tight haircuts, that there is a Marine specific first aid kit (that never made it to the final rendering of the figures), how Americans arrange their equipment and why, and how it attaches to belts and packs, but he was having difficulty getting the 3d modeler to implement many of the changes. It is like beating your head against a wall sometimes.
Besides the exposed dog tags, packet in the band of the boonie hat, and equipment being on the sparce side, there is also a piece of tape on one of the ammo pouches that serves no purpose securing anything (the tape doesn’t even cover the grenade that it could further secure, but instead is just placed over the front of the pouch), not to mention that the likelihood of a LRRP using a machete during a patrol is just about nill because the noise would negate the stealth that they are trying to employ. I was also told that in order to make these figures interesting and marketable, historical accuracy is not as important as it once was as the primary market target audience is the figure modeler/painter and it is more important to see colors and camo patterns as artistic representations rather than how things may actually were.
The quality of the printing is pretty good, though. The parts line up quite well and detail is present. I just wish these figures were more accurate.
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These figures were intended to be showcase single or double figure display figures for figure painters. When I brought up and explained how American LRRP and other Reconnaissance type personnel were dressed, equipped, and how they operated and why, I was told that even though the packet in the loops of the boonie hat, the tape on the ammo pouch (that doesn’t secure anything because it was just placed there for “interest”), and the dog tags may not have been something that real LRRPs would do, they were retained on the final version of the figures because they added a colorful and artistic interest to the figures. That kind of illustrates the difference in what is important between armor and diorama modelers and that of figure painters.
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Spalah Models in Ukraine might be interested in your information as could Speria Miniatures.
Several online figure companies overseas are actually 3D printing their own figures now.
H3 Models also does 3D printed Vietnam War figures in various scales.
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My first thought when seeing these was the dogtags.
However, I’m not too worried about the cigarettes in the boonie hat - all you have to do is take that big honkin’ Camillus and cut the stitching between two of the loops. Problem solved.
Neither am I worried about the “loss of camo” with the cigs. The first thing anyone is going to see is that big white face.
BHWM
(Boonie hat wearing mofo)
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Interesting comments, I did go look at my bush hat, and yes, with some careful knife work you could cut the stitches in order to carry cigarettes on the hat. I just wouldn’t go through all the trouble of covering my (very light) face with cammo sticks and then put something red and white on my headgear. That said, troops in RVN tended to put everything but the kitchen sink in their helmet bands, and stuff on their bush hats, but they were usually not LRRP’s who were trying not to be seen.
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I’m really sorry to hear there were attempts to correct the issues with the gear the figures are wearing which were ignored by the figure sculptor.
I think there are those who prefer ‘colorful’ and ‘visually interesting’ artistic style over historical accuracy in all modeling genres, not just in figure sculpting and painting. I guess it is a product of a world we live in today… a shame really.
Mario
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Some things were corrected, but not all. I think the sculptor realized that there were too many corrections to make to increase authenticity and did not want to put more time and effort into the figure. I also think that the subject, and others, were not adequately researched or understood in regards to various nuances common with US Forces. I think future releases from that sculptor from this company will be a bit more cognizant of these things. There are some really good subjects on the horizon and the quality of the printing of the figures is very good. In regards to this set, not many people are really going to know the difference, only Vietnam modeling weirdos like me who are passionate about this subject or those who have some knowledge of the subject are going to notice the small things right away.
I have seen that efforts towards historical accuracy have been decreasing across the various modeling genres and I agree with you that it is a product of the world we live in today. History doesn’t seem to matter to younger generations.
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I hope they do some MACV-SOG figures but they would need to be accurate for me to purchase them.
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Converting/ correcting figures can be challenging and sometimes a downright PITA at least for me anyway. I’d probably cut off the machete with the hand as well and do something else there and I’d probably carve off the dog tag. I’ve never painted a figure with camo face paint before so there’s that too.
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Yes it all depends on what the modelers goal is true.
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