To celebrate last year's 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Federal German Defence Force, Kosta Heristanidis has designed some 28mm Bundeswehr troops to add to our Moderns range.
You only need a passing interest in 20th Century history to understand why the Bundeswehr has been confined to domestic defence and Cold War duties for most of the last fifty years. However, since German reunification, the Bundeswehr has been allowed to demonstrate its versatility, and readiness to answering the call for peace enforcement and peace support when NATO, the UN, or the EU calls. Recent deployments have included peace keeping duties in Bosnia, Kosovo, and overseeing the first multi party elections in the Congo since 1960. Units of the Bundeswehr are currently serving in the north of Afghanistan, and although this is for aid reconstruction work rather than full combat operations they will undoubtedly give a good account of themselves if any lead starts flying! Lots of contemporary gaming scenarios are possible, or alternatively these models lend themselves to plenty of sci-fi or near-future games with the futuristic appearance of much of the Bundeswehr's current equipment.
In keeping with the style of previous releases in our 28mm Moderns range, a full section of gasmask-equipped troops are available, as well as helmeted but unmasked troops suitable for most tactical situations. They are armed with the futuristic-looking 5.56mm G-36 assault rifles, Panzerfaust 3 antitank weapons, and the 7.62mm MG3 machinegun. All are dressed in the camouflage uniform introduced in the 1990's, with the gasmask troops wearing the new modular combat vest, and the other soldiers wearing the older webbing. These are the first German troops to wear all German-designed equipment since the Second World War.
And while these blokes are at the sharp end, we've taken this opportunity to add some "guys in the rear with the gear" to our Moderns range – seated military support staff designed to go with our popular Office Furniture set (100MOD08). So in keeping with the information age, your force can now have an HQ staff - crucial for waging war and sifting through the digital information available to today's modern armies. Or they could just be ordering pizza (each figure comes with a telephone).
In developing this range, Kosta made some stripped-down (equipment wise) versions of the Bundeswehr figures in gasmasks. Although not accurate enough to be included in the Moderns, range we thought they were too good to waste - so we have made them available as a set in the 28mm Movie Monsters range – as a Zombie Containment Team!
Here are the catalogue details for the new miniatures:
28mm BUNDESWEHR (MODERN GERMANS)
Variants in parentheses. Variants are supplied randomly.
100MOD09 Seated military office worker, with phone – to go with 100MOD08 (3)
100MOD10 German Bundeswehr, with G-36 Assault Rifle (8)
100MOD11 German Bundeswehr, with MG-3 Machine Gun (2)
100MOD12 German Bundeswehr, with Panzerfaust AT Rocket Launcher (2)
100MOD13 German Bundeswehr in gasmask, G-36 Assault Rifle (8)
100MOD14 German Bundeswehr in gasmask, MG-3 Machine Gun (2)
100MOD15 German Bundeswehr in gasmask, Panzerfaust AT Rocket Launcher (2)
For a strictly limited time (until our next new release), you can obtain the following new release special-offer squad sets:
NEW RELEASE SPECIAL OFFERS
BUNDESWEHR SQUAD
A complete set of all eight variants from 100MOD10, plus two MG-3 machine guns (100MOD11) and two Panzerfaust 3 rocket launchers (100MOD12) – 12 figures in total for $27.50 AUD (normally $33.00 AUD).
BUNDESWEHR SQUAD IN GASMASKS
A complete set of all eight variants from 100MOD13, plus two MG-3 machine guns (100MOD14) and two Panzerfaust 3 rocket launchers (100MOD15) – 12 figures in total for $27.50 AUD (normally $33.00 AUD).
- OR –
THE "I WANT THE WHOLE BUNDESWEHR" DEAL
Both the above special offers for just $50.00 AUD (normally $66.00 AUD).
Price excluding shipping (and 'Goods and Services Tax' payable by Australian customers only)
These miniatures can also be ordered in the U.K. from Fighting 15s, and in the U.S.A. from Eureka Miniatures U.S.A.