Why does TSSD do ZERO prone/crawling poses? (7 Viewers)

[CrawlingGuy]

A Tarawa playset and not a single Marine is prone (on his belly)?

Japanese (specialists at cover/concealment and presenting the smallest target possible) and not a single pose is prone?

OK, we are soon to have a Custer's Last Stand? There was ZERO cover (less dead horses/comrades) , zero concealment. Will not a single American Indian or trooper be prone?

Prone is the safest, prone allows the best shooting, prone is consistent with hundreds of wartime picture of Marines (as just one example) storming a beach or under fire.

"If it can be seen it can be killed."

Come on TSSD! Please give us some prone figures! Iwo Jima with NONE of the Marines on their belly! Unpossible!

The US Army course of fire/USMC/Camp Perry REQUIRES an entire segment be done from the PRONE position. There is a reason for that.

Looking back over my plastic collection, TSSD has done things that will live in the Hall of Fame of plastic figures. However, after my stint in the Army and looking at THOUSANDS of combat photographs, soldiers under fire HIT THE DIRT!

 

[Scott]

I think the two Pacific sets were ment to be in mid-Banzai charge and defense. A problem most plastic makers have is not looking at the tactics and nation of the wars they are trying to portray. You get Civil War and Rev-War figures in WW II like poses instead of the liniar tactics drill postions. You could E-Mail TSSD. The folks that run it are really nice and may have further WW II sets in the works.

 

[binder001]

I think that the PERCEPTION may be that prone figures are less "exciting" to the buyer. I fully agree that when stuff goes through the air most troops hit the deck and go prone. I have done several GI conversions of the few Conte prone figures to get some variety on the firing line. Conte's prone light machine gun team are still some of my personal favorite plastic figures. Looking at TSSD's offerings, either Nick or his sculptor prefer "action" poses to any casual poses or "plain" poses. I would like to see more prone figures from all the sets, GIs, Marines, Germans and Japanese. Maybe someday? I also wish TSSD would do more "follow on" sets for WW2. We have 4+ sets for Civil War that can be used together, but each WW2 sets stands alone (or against ONE set of opponents). C'mon Nick, we need some expansion sets for previous releases.

Still some VERY nice figures!

Gary B.

 

[eborris]

It just may come down to the difficulty involved in sculpting a prone pose and then making a mold. Of course in todays world a number of the plastic figures are molded in separate pieces so one would think it's easier to do a prone pose now as opposed to the past.

 

[Scott]

How do you like the "authenticity" of the WW II figures. I have some complaints with the 1st two CW sets with equipment missing or on the wrong side and waaaaay to many infantrymen with pistols. I still have about 100 of them. The Winter Union CW set is much better for equipment with the Cavalry and artillery sets even more. One flaw of the winter set is the non-existant 4-banded rifles on two figures. (Easily fixed)

The WW II sets look OK, I'm not a buff of WW II. I wonder if Russian female snipers stood up and wore no caps. (Great little figure for conversions though. I have a bunch that I was able to get separately) All the TSSD figures have conversion possiblities but making a prone figure has to be tough.

NOT a "diss" in anyway to TSSD if they are reading. Nice people, good products getting better.

 

[Scott]

You'll notice that a couple of the wounded CW artillerymen are cast separately from the base. I imagine a prone figure on a base is possible for WW II.

 

[binder001]

How do you like the "authenticity" of the WW II figures.

As a "GI freak" I think the original set of GIs are the best US troops. The "winter" Fire Support set is good but the helmets are not nearly as nice as the first set. The Fire Support set is great for conversions as several of them are multi-part versus the solid casting of the first set. The equipment is generally good except for the riflemen's ammo belts - the different versions of the rifleman's web belt all had TEN pockets versus the six pockets on most TSSD guys. The BAR belts do appear to have the correct six large pockets. I'm less impressed with the scuplts on the Marines, detail seems soft and some weapons are poorly defined. The Germans seem good. The convert easily. Some of the weapons in the newer "Elite Germans" set seem too large (the MG42 is almost K&C scale).

Overall, a good value for the dollar. For conversions they mix well with Conte parts.

Gary B

 

[Scott]

"(the MG42 is almost K&C scale)"

I thought that weapons was large-ish and I'm no "expert." You have to do some work changing the Civil War gear on the horses included for the German cavalry.

Off topic but I'd like to see some 1800s wagon train civilians to fight the new TSSD Indians. Not cowboys! If suggested to TSSD that they make a set of extra heads for all their sets although it is easy to swop them around.

 

[jac28]

I think the two Pacific sets were ment to be in mid-Banzai charge and defense. A problem most plastic makers have is not looking at the tactics and nation of the wars they are trying to portray. You get Civil War and Rev-War figures in WW II like poses instead of the liniar tactics drill postions. You could E-Mail TSSD. The folks that run it are really nice and may have further WW II sets in the works.

I would suggest that the lack of prone poses may have to do with the need for a lot of them.. Let's say you have 2 prone poses in an 8 pose set... so for every 8 figures you get you have 2 prone.. and lets say you get 48 figures in a playset - 12 figure will be in the prone position..I would rather have more charging, firing, etc figures... That's my opinion - but I could be wrong

Jim

 

[Scott]

When TSSD came out with their first figures there was some mention of avoiding "lame" poses with prone figures being included. They're mostly useless for CW. I agree with your ratio statement. Musicians, officers, and wounded get pretty old after multiple sets.

 

[eborris]

I prefer my prone guys to be dead, but that's me.

 

[Ragnar]

I prefer my prone guys to be dead, but that's me.

Good one!

 

[CrawlingGuy]

Good one!

 

[Shiloh]

I have to disagree with civil war not needing prone figures. There are countless examples of troops fighting from the prone position. Irish Brigade at the bloody lane, Prentiss division at Shiloh the sunken road, Pickett troops took shelter among the dips and hollows at Gettysburg, 20th Maine at Fredricksburg just to name a few, where whole units fought this way. If you read the detailed accounts there was a lot of fighting done from the prone firing position and countless examples of men sheltering in this position. Not to mention skirmishers and guerillas favored this tactic.

 

[Scott]

You are correct about real CW soldiers taking the prone position in such situations. You also had the Mississippians holding up the New Yorkers at "Burnsides" Bridge at Sharpsburg/Antietam. I've walked on the gound and you HAD to be prone.

The issue for me is that so few sets do correct CW marching, advancing, loading, and firing poses that one figure out of eight poses for TSSD CW takes away the more common poses that could reflect a wider range of CW combat. A set with Firing and loading with both front and rear ranks, advancing at "right shoulder shift", and charging with the rifle in the correct postion as opposed to the stabbing round the corner Union figure would help. I'd buy many MORE sets if their were some of those poses as I like Masses of troops.

There is one "dead" figure in the US CW Winter set that is useless after a few sets as are multiple officers from the other two CW sets.

For WW II a prone figure works.

 

[Ragnar]

You are correct about real CW soldiers taking the prone position in such situations. You also had the Mississippians holding up the New Yorkers at "Burnsides" Bridge at Sharpsburg/Antietam. I've walked on the gound and you HAD to be prone.

The issue for me is that so few sets do correct CW marching, advancing, loading, and firing poses that one figure out of eight poses for TSSD CW takes away the more common poses that could reflect a wider range of CW combat. A set with Firing and loading with both front and rear ranks, advancing at "right shoulder shift", and charging with the rifle in the correct postion as opposed to the stabbing round the corner Union figure would help. I'd buy many MORE sets if their were some of those poses as I like Masses of troops.

There is one "dead" figure in the US CW Winter set that is useless after a few sets as are multiple officers from the other two CW sets.

For WW II a prone figure works.

Could not agree more with your choice of poses.....A rifle over shoulder running or walking.
I could use a few hundred of them...Conte did one in Confedarate set 2.
Do like TSSD however...but cant realy double up on them.
yes prone guys maybe there should be more....dead or alive.

 

[Scott]

Frustrating that Conte did a running Iron Brigade figure at "shoulder arms", which is a marching position, which it really hard to do, and incorrect as the manual had you go to "right shoulder shift" at the "double quick." "Shoulder arms" is a marching position.

I like the Confederate "right shoulder shift" figure to.

 

[eborris]

Could not agree more with your choice of poses.....A rifle over shoulder running or walking.
I could use a few hundred of them...Conte did one in Confedarate set 2.
Do like TSSD however...but cant realy double up on them.
yes prone guys maybe there should be more....dead or alive.

Like in Wanted Dead or Alive????

 

[Fubar]

Frustrating that Conte did a running Iron Brigade figure at "shoulder arms", which is a marching position, which it really hard to do, and incorrect as the manual had you go to "right shoulder shift" at the "double quick." "Shoulder arms" is a marching position.

I like the Confederate "right shoulder shift" figure to.

Yes, and he's an NCO too.
Maybe they've come to a halt, back to shoulder arms and he is posting on the double , moving 5-10 feet while still at shoulder arms. Who knows?
I put the right shoulder arm from the reb set on him, painted on the piping and buttons on the sleeve. Looks better.

Now, an entire set of LOW, Prone figs might be very authentic, neat stuf for ACW. Problem is the makers needs to sell alot of them to even break even.
ACW enthusiasts might say, oh neat, very cool and buy maybe 1 set to add to their existing collection.
So, the plastic dept leans towards more action and exciting poses, even if some are rather odd, missing an essential piece of gear as mentioned ect.
They'll simply sell more of those , and have funds to do another set.

WW2 prone, hunkered down, LOW poses? Same thing I guess.I'd be more inclined towards ww2 for that look anyway.

More acw troops marching right shoulder shift would be a good idea.
HMMM?
FUB

 

[Scott]

Yes the Union Iron Brigade figure could be mid-arms changing. One figure is good but I have about 20 of the pose and I wouldn't show them to my picky fellow reenactors who know the drill. The Confederate is in a better pose for multiple figures. The TSSD winter Union troops really have hunkered cold look AND a pretty good right should shift figure advancing.