Re-release of Pz.Kpfw.Ⅱ Ausf.L | Armorama™

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Asuka Model re-released their model Pz.Kpfw.Ⅱ Ausf.L "LUCHS" (LATE VERSION) in 1/35 scale.

This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/re-release-of-pz-kpfw-ii-ausf-l
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A great kit. I loved building mine. By all accounts, it is a far better kit than the more recent Border release.

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How so?

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Long ago, I built an ICM Luchs and have a Tasca Luchs in the closet. The Tasca Luchs looks nice in the box but comes with soft plastic tracks so I never built it.

The Border Model Luchs also looks nice in the box and comes with link and length tracks. There are some really nice builds online.

I tried to find out what is wrong with the Border Model Luchs but only found gossip. Any useful comparison will be buried in some forum, as usual.

Scale Hobbyist already has the Asuka Luchs for $28.49 US. If you do not mind soft plastic tracks, that seems like a really good deal.

Unfortunately, replacement tracks cost more than the model.

Edit: Oh, hey. Turns out someone on eBay was selling an old set of Techmod Luchs tracks at a decent price. They are good enough for me so…finally get to build my Tasca Luchs after 15+ years. Yay, me.

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Dan, having seen the Border kit, the detail is quite chunky, lacking Tasca’s finesse. The engine grills, jerry can rack, etc are all way out of scale thickness. From build reviews and observations from one of my club mates:

  • Road wheels are a sloppy fit, and can easily be set out of alignment.
  • Tracks are poorly defined, simplified and have the inevitable ejector pin marks
  • One of the PE screens provided is too long and screens are over scale.
  • Wooden stowage boxes should have dovetail joints, not box joints.
  • You get 5 jerry cans, but 6 are referred to in the instructions.
  • poor placement of ejector pins and resulting marks throughout
  • Possibly ( I can’t recall where I read it), Border’s is over scale in places
    Then on the annoying side of things, there are numerous errors throughout the instructions.

If memory serves me right, the only issue with the Tasca/Asuka Luchs is there are 5 bolts per side that are missing where the upper hull meets the lower.

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Good to know, thanks

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Thank you. That is really useful information. All I could find was the problem with the one engine screen.

Edit: The Border Model Luchs comes with significantly more brass parts if you enjoy that sort of thing. The instructions uploaded to ScaleMates only call for 5 gas cans–two on the turret and three on the tail plate. One engine screen is definitely too tall and will require some very careful surgery to fix–looks like three cuts and some very careful filling. There is no way to fix an over sized screen pattern without going outside the box. Road wheels attach using poly-caps which may account for the slop. (Not a fan of pol-caps and always replace them with tube stock.)

Asuka/Taska Luchs tracks have soft detail and injection molding pocks on the inner face every few links. There are beautiful 3D printed Luchs tracks available for anyone wanting super detail in that area.

Asuka/Tasca Luchs does not come with the wooden boxes for the rear fenders, gas cans for the tail plate, or various stowage items in the Border kit.

Asuka/Taska Luchs is significantly cheaper in the United States.

This is a really fun vehicle in World of Tanks. :slightly_smiling_face:

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The Border kit also comes with the detail seen under the larger vents upper rear.

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I bought the Academy Luchs to compare it to the Border and Asuka kits. In reality, it’s just a re-box of the Asuka kit with two figures and all the parts to make both versions of the Luchs previously released by Tasca/ Asuka. I got the kit for $19.00 (US) and was very pleased when I opened the box.

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The Luchs is such a cool vehicle and the Asuka kit definitely tops the list.

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Heres a nice walk around- Panzer II Ausf. L Luchs - RecoMonkey

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Sold! Thank you, Matt.

I don’t have a Luchs of any sort so that will probably be my March kit purchase.

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You’re welcome Wade. You won’t be disappointed.

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I recently read an interesting article comparing the Luchs to the M3 Stuart. They were essentially designed for the same sorts of missions. According to the article, the M3 is superior to the Luchs in almost every respect. It would be fun to build one of each and put them in a comparison display, perhaps adding a Russian T-26.

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Yes, maybe, but the Stuart looks like a toaster and the Luchs looks like a Porsche.

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Oh. I agree. I also suspect a Luchs with more armor and a pair of Ford V8 engines would kick butt.

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