"What goes with Victrix 12mm" Topic

So, the analysis paralysis is over. I'm jumping into the world of 12mm.

I've read that the Victrix 12mm line of tanks will match the newer Pendraken armor.

I'm struggling to find US sources of Victrix infantry. Are there other US sources of 12/10mm infantry that match well with the Victrix line?

Thank you

Look for Perrin Miniatures. Think The Last Square carries them.

I have to order straight from them. I know other stores carry them. I see them at booths at shows frequently. You might check Sherwood games out of Louisiana.

Dark Horse Hobbies has an excellent selection and restocks regularly. They also carry Pendragon.
Pendragon is a rough match. Separate they are good, but you have to squint a little. I use them for vehicles Victrix doesn't have (self-propelled Flak, for instance).
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Noble Knight also carries Victrix. They also carry Perrin 10mm. Perrin's infantry strangely match Victrix stuff, but the poses are "different". And Perrin seems to focus more on Africa.
Model Warehouse.biz is a great source for exotics, yet does not over charge on prices!
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Lastly, Hobby Bunker has great prices on Victrix and seems to keep up with stock.
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I've gotten great service from all of these stores. I wouldn't recommend them otherwise!

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The Perrin infantry seem "off" compared to Pendraken, so I'm sticking with Victrix and Pendraken going forward. What Victrix doesn't have, Pendraken does.

Armies in Miniature (AIM) will be releasing their initial 20+ offerings on/about 21 May of 1/144th scale (12mm) vehicles thru Dark Horse Hobbies. They are 3D prints and they will have stock on hand and ships the next business day.

As mentioned above, they carry the Pendraken line and Victrix. They are in the USA (Kansas) and services the USA.

Captaincold69: Great choice!

Dye4minis : I really like the scale. Easier on the eyes than 6mm and still smaller than 15mm with still a good level of detail.

Hard call, but probably 10/12mm. 3D printing has revolutionized the industry; if a company doesn't commercially make something, someone probably offers 3D prints of whatever you are looking for.

Between Victrix and Pendraken I think they have all the armor you'll ever need.

A lot of the Pendraken vehicles and guns are smaller than the true 1/144 stuff, and even the newer ones look slightly "off" when mixing them. The solution to this is to get all Pendrakens or all Victrix for any given chassis/gun, e.g. all Shermans from Victrix, all Stuarts from Pendraken (because the Victrix Stuarts are reportedly agonizing to build).

I have found that any of the true 1/144 models mix pretty well: Victrix, Takara, F-Toys, Pegasus, 21st Century Toys, Anschluss, BPM, Kamiya (eBay only), Arrowhead, and a few I'm now forgetting.

I also have a lot of vehicles 3D printed from m_bergman STLs, sold by various sources. These do not mix well with the same models from other manufacturers, because of some conspicuously exaggerated features (esp: tree trunk gun barrels), but when I can get them dirt cheap I get them in droves because they're "good enough".

A few of the 3D print manufacturers are either using m_bergman STLs, or similar proportions. I can't remember which ones anymore. I really need better notes about this topic…

- Ix

I don't know of any 1/144 or 12mm WWII infantry that mix well with Victrix.

I have a lot of Pendraken infantry, and it looks decidedly small and disproportionate in comparison. I would suggest going all-Pendraken or all-Victrix for infantry, but use only actual 1/144 figures inside/riding Victrix AFVs.

The Minifigs 12mm figures are closer to Victrix, but not quite compatible. You could probably mix them in a unit or even on a stand with an appropriate attention to aesthetic compensatory measures (foreground/background, painted details, pose mixture, etc.).

@Yellow Admiral

Just bought some American and German Victrix infantry, so I won't be mixing there. I'll probably stick to Victrix for infantry as they have Brits and Russian.

For AT guns I'll use Pendraken.

Good to know about sticking to one brand for each vehicle type. I bought some Victrix Shermans and MK IV's, so I'll stay with them for other Sherman variants.

I'll probably stick with Victrix for all their ARV options, and if I go Pendraken, I'll make sure it's Pendraken only for that specific AFV.

The Victrix Stuarts are great! I was able to make a couple of Stuart Recces by leaving off the turret (the hull has an open turret ring) and populating it with extra machine gunners from the halftrack set.

Yellow Admiral, Dragon CanDo and World Tank Museum (WTM) can be added to your list. :)

I knew I was forgetting a few.

(Though to be fair, there were two "World Tank Museum" lines I know about, one by Takara, one by F-Toys, so technically I think I covered that one…)

What's the quality of paint job on those F-Toys/Dragon CanDo and WTM? Pictures can be misleading :)

I would call CanDo and 21.C Toys "wargaming standard".

Also note that some CanDo AFVs are sold as unpainted models.

I consider both good enough for wargaming, but not as good as Takara or F-Toys pre-paints. F-Toys and Takara were pretty good.

The big disadvantage to all of these is that the camo pattern is identical across all tanks. That looks a bit unnatural if you get a full platoon or company on the table.

Just bought some American and German Victrix infantry, so I won't be mixing there. I'll probably stick to Victrix for infantry as they have Brits and Russian.

For AT guns I'll use Pendraken.

This is basically the pattern I've been following – Victrix for whatever I can get there, Pendraken for what I can't. But there are more exceptions than rules:

I like the Victrix infantry so much, and the other options so little, I'm just admitting ahead of time that I'm eventually going to have an all-Victrix infantry collection, and I'm waiting for Victrix releases.

I can't resist the Victrix tanks, but honestly there just aren't that many I need, given all the pre-built, pre-painted 3D printed 1/144 models I have already acquired.

I have bunches of the 1/144 WTM guns and I love them, but that's only a few of the more common WWII pieces (6-pdr/57mm ATG, 25 pdr, 75mm Pak 40, 88mm Pak 36/43, 76.2mm crash-boom), and no crews. I bought some Pendraken crews for them, but I'm ambivalent about the castings. I also turned to Pendraken for AA guns, but they're a tad underscale for 1/144 and I can't get everything I want, so I'm eventually going to have to turn elsewhere. Some of my SP guns with open tops came with crew figures I was able to glue in, but I bought Pendraken crews for the rest, because I think they look like creepy ghost tanks without crews.

I haven't even looked at the medium/heavy artillery options yet, but sooner or later I'm going to need the big stuff (105mm, 150mm, 155mm, 120mm, etc.).

Pedraken also makes some cool stuff that will be useful and might never come out in plastic: occupied foxholes/trenches, seated truck/jeep drivers, seated infantry for halftracks and open trucks, boats with oarsmen, an entire V1 rocket pad, and so on.

- Ix

One item I bring up from negative experience: I now avoid tanks with rubber-band style tracks.

I have multiple boxes of the F-Toys Battle Tank Kit Collection tanks that are basically junk, because I find them completely unbuildable. See this old TMP discussion about it. It's too bad, because the paint jobs are amazing, especially those Panthers with the polka-dot tricolor camo.

I'm also selling off some Dragon StuG model kits because I don't want to deal with the tread assembly.

I would respectfully disagree Yellow Admiral. I rank Dragon CanDo as well above "wargame standard". Invest in some decals and can get around the repetition in turret numbers as well :)

The new F-toys armored vehicles are pretty good but their older stuff was pretty mediocre painting wise.

And I tend to stay away from any kits. I do have some CanDo ones unassembled. The ultimate in picky are the old Popy kits. I believe it was their SdKfz 222 which nearly drove me mad, though I did end up ultimately assembling and painting it. If I remember they had some SdKfz 250 which were not near as fiddly to assemble.

We at AIM are trying to offer stuff that Victrix hasn't got around to yet. Our initial releases had to slip to 21 May thanks to UPS. After paying for second day air (with arrival date of Wednesday) we got an email from them that delivery is now scheduled for this Friday! Ratz!

We at AIM are trying to offer stuff that Victrix hasn't got around to yet. Our initial releases had to slip to 21 May thanks to UPS. After paying for second day air (with arrival date of Wednesday) we got an email from them that delivery is now scheduled for this Friday! Ratz! All made in the USA.

@Dye4minis

what items is AIM making?

Hi, Cap'n. All are 1/144th scale and are 3D printed except as otherwise noted. We are generally focusing upon the North African Theater. We are stocking these with Dark Horse and are NOT printed to order so you should not have to wait.(As of now, only available in the USA and are made in the USA.) They ship the next business day. Our initial Releases below:

German:
Kubelwagon Open top
Kubelwagon Closed top
SdKfz 250/3 (can be used as /5 also)
SdKfz 9
German Ford 3000 S Open and closed bed
PzKfw IIIM (Next month we will release PzKfw III E/early F; F, G and H in metal)

British:
Humber AC
SAS Jeep
LRDG Chevy Truck
M-3 Honey
Matilda II
Valentine II
(M-3 Grant next month)

Italian:
CV 35L3
M-15/42
M-42 Carro Commando
M-42 Semovente

US:
Jeep w/ 50 cal
Jeep uncovered
Jeep Covered
M3A1 Stuart
(M-3 Lee next month)(Will be offering Lees and Grants with the longer M2 gun and the shorter 75mm so you can order your choice)

There are a lot more needed and will gradually catch up before moving on to other theaters. We suggest to get Victrix for more models as we are trying not to do much duplication so you can build your forces faster. I personally am excited to get some their new British 8th Army figs when they are released.

Thanks, Cap'n for asking. Pictures should be up on Dark Horse's site over the weekend (fingers crossed). There are also Ancients and Samurai up there. ACW will be next in the re-release of the AIM figures.

Ohhh….Italians!! You'll be getting some cash-o-la from me!!!!

Trying to obtain files for a true M13/40 and the Sarasissima (?) AC so the Brits can have some competent Italians to face off against the SAS and LRDG. Arguably some of the better trained and led Italian units.

Thanks, Cap'n.

Tom,

This looks like a great lineup of complimentary desert models of armor and softskins!

Is there any chance you could offer the Marmon-Herrington SARC Mk.IIs and/or Mk.III ACs? These would have reach backwards towards Op. Crusader and earlier, and also still right for much of your N. Africa coverage here?

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(likely not big sellers, but these were operationally ubiquitous throughout the campaign)

US only for AIM. That's a shame for us Brits…

Hi, Fly, I will certainly look into the MH II and III. Indeed, used in our target area and time frame. Currently looking into obtaining the Italian Sahariana for SAS and LRDG Desert Duels. It has the potential for several variations of armament.

Hi, Marc. Currently that is true. Decision to sell to any retailer/distributor world-wide remains with Dark Horse Hobbies. Appreciate your comment. If you or anyone has recommendations for potential retailers, please contact Dark Horse Hobbies. Thanks!

Fly X Wire: If you had your choice, which MH II or III?

Tom, the Mk. IIIs would fit better into your current catalog lineup I think.

The Mk. IIs (and their modified, up-gunned variants) would be great for up to 1941+, with the Mk.IIIs becoming prevalent in 1942.

Interesting comments here, with a section on Tactics:

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"Squadrons were usually supported by attached AT portees (Deacons were especially effective in Tunisia), RHA, and Motor riflemen. Typically a "Jock Column" had a squadron of armoured cars, a a Troop of AT guns, Troop or Battery of field artillery, and a Motor Company of riflemen in 15-cwt trucks. Jock Columns were widely used in early-mid 1942, when there was something of a mania in Eighth Army for splitting up formations into small combined-arms "penny packets". But while, once Montgomery took over, much tighter control exercised, Jock Columns continued to be used, and columns of armoured cars and riflemen led the pursuit of Rommel across North Africa. No armour should be fielded with a Desert Rats armoured squadron. (In British doctrine, the tanks are for the decisive action against the enemy main force, and not for "swanning about" on recce with armoured cars!) Breda portees equipped 106th Royal Horse Artillery in 1940-41, and some of these were briefly attached to 11th Hussars – but that is the only time Breda portees were used with armoured cars"

Good article in the old AFV-G2 magazine; "Swanning Into the Blue" -

PDF link

WOW! AFV G-2! I wish I had kept all of my copies! A real Blast From The Past! Mk III it is. I think I can get it by next month so check back at Dark Horse in a few weeks.

Thanks for sharing! PM me if you can pass along the AFV G-2 on-line presence/ can get digital copies from.

I have a rather large selection of AFV G-2. At hand I have volumes 2-4 and with a little digging can unearth other volumes I am sure (still not totally unpacked from our move).

And here are a bunch online:
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Thanks, Marc! VERY much appreciated.

Fly X Wire: Am planning on releasing the Marmon Herrington Mk II ME armored car in our June releases. It was the one sent to the North African theatre as the MFF remained in South Africa and middle East (my sources say). In any case, it adds one that is not readily available.

Under the "I can't believe I missed it" category, the Semovente 75 L18! Should also be releasing that one is June also.

Added to my research on Italians over the weekend with 5 more books! Lots to read about!

Tom, it'll be very exciting to see the MH Mk. IIs available here in the USA in 1/144th scale!

I will be placing an order for a couple of troops-worth (2X 4 car troops each……if not more).

At the time of the Gazala battles, 12th Lancers, The King's Dragoon Guards, and the 4th South African Armoured Car Regiment were all operation Marmon-Herringtons (many being Mk IIIs).

Did you say Semovente……

@FlyXWire…..Where can those be had?

CC, have you checked out Tom's (Dye4minis) 1/144th scale AIM line now being offered on the Dark Horse Hobbies website -

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Now currently, the Semovente M42 '75' model listed and shown there looks like the 75/32, or even 75/34 model (these longer gun variants were used late by the Italians in 1943, and as captured equipment by the Germans).

Tom has mentioned above, that he has the Semovente 75/18 model employed in N. Africa coming to the DH website in June. That assault gun variant (along with a Carro Commando – command version) are what I have pictured above.

I got these off of ebay, but I'd wait for the AIM model(s) to become fully available from the linked website here, as they're coming from a domestic USA supplier, and that's a nice development for us N. American collectors/gamers.

Excellent video series – Pasta/Spaghetti Stugs – on YouTube
YouTube link
YouTube link

Thanks, Guys.In addition, our M-3 Lee and Grant will be released at the same time. I am elated on the quality of the prints so far. Made in the USA is also very nice.

FOr my own armies, I have been waiting over a month from an un-named ( no I will not name and shame them) UK firm and have had zero communication from them! If s company is experiencing problems , it should NOT take over a month to communicate with the customer. I chose Dark Horse Hobbies to be the sole distributer because you can see how many they have in stock at the time you place your order. (You can also request an email when restocks arrive- you don't get charged until your order ships.) We are not going to be Print on Demand. We are gamers, too, and realize we are an impatient lot (for the most part). Thanks to all for your support.

Well, Tom….shall I just give you my bank info now? :)

HE-HE, Cap'n! Just give it to Dark Horse. Thanks for your enthusiastic support!!!

For one, I like Tom's style, and he's engaged here on our forum……and geez, he's actually asked what us customers might want.

That's pretty rare IMO.

Looking forward to improving my North Africa forces. Now if we could talk about a nice M4 with sand shields………. :)

Marc: I have committed to doing the Shermans (or "Shermies" as Ian Armstrong like to call them in the UK) in metal. He did our (yet to be released) pZKfw III E, early F, G and H in metal. I have the masters and molds but need to send to my caster. (I sure miss having a spincast and vulcanizer machines at my fingertips). I have been discussing doing an M-4A3 with sandskirts with my partners, in resin 3D prints, but we won't see them till July at the earliest. If fact, having a few models offered in both 3D resin and metal may not be a bad thing? Metal designs cost way more to have designed and cast than 3D prints. (Our M-3 Lee and Grant can be done in 3D with the standard 75 or the longer barreled "2" one. Not sure how our STL guy is handling it. Possibly two hulls and 2 turrets.

Tom, are you considering the M4A1 for those skirts too?

Not to be ungrateful for sure but with FlyXwire we need the earlier M4A1 for North Africa :) But looks like plenty to keep us busy until they come out especially with the Lee/Grants coming.

Sorry for seemingly cutting mt last post short. We had 1.75 to 2 inch hail storm last night. Sounded like a train (first thought tornado)- The sound of large hail pounding everything it it's path. Lucked out with minor damage, dents in cars, son's windshield badly spider cracked, leaves and branches, etc.

I will see what I can do to get out an M4A1 with side skirts on 3D prints first. Since we had Ian do our PZ IIIs, might as well have him do Stugs since we were on that chassis…

Appreciate your feedback- all of you. Makes my job easier when someone asks for something we CAN do for new releases. Thanks, fellahs!

I can confirm the Marmon- Herrington Mk II ME A/C will be a June release. The test shot looked really good. Also coming to June's line up will be a Styr Command car (with covered top) and the same Styr with a KwK 30mm AA gun; SdKfz 10 with covered cargo area and an open version; Lee and Grant- both version will be available with the short(er) 75mm M2 and longer 75mm M3; Semovente M-42 L18. (WE ERRERONIOUSLY LISTED THE M-42 L-34 as the L18 in our list- now fixed (OOps moment!) So we have now 3 versions for the Semovente. Still working to get an M-4A1 (VVSS with return roller on top of stack vice attached w/arm to the rear of the VVSS stack) in sand skirts. BTW, for the Italian gamers, Helion's "Steel Centurians" and "Luck was Lacking, but Valor Was Not" are excellent reads. Lots of "in the weeds" details that puts to bed the "only dropped once" label for the Italians.

We are still waiting on foam inserts for our clamshell packaging. They have been shipped and hope to start using them next week. This style of packaging will do wonders for ensuring that the delicate parts arrive without damage. "I" personally have experienced broken parts from other 3D prints I have ordered and want to take positive action to ensure you don't experience the same from us.

(We really ought to start a new thread on the Message board?)

Hope this helps a bit in showing we care about what you guys want. Can't always score but we sure give it a try. Thanks for your support!

Tom, a most excellent communiqué!