New Model Army( formerly British Commando) has Pictures! (1 Viewer)

I look at the figures and say, there nice, but I would say its true there isn't much to set them apart and make me want to buy them, that's what a new company needs, an identity.
I am a little disapointed in the attacks, copyright infringement? come on,
I am not sure I would pick a armor subject thats already been done as my first issue, but do you think they could possibly look simular because they are both accurate representations? Are we going to condemn Britians because they also produced SS figures?
I will give them breathing room, lets see what you got, thats only fair, it doesn't change a thing from my present collecting habits and I don't really think we need to be over the top about defending the 500 lbs. gorrilla in the room. K&C seperates itself with every new issue.
 
Why did we cheer him on and then punch in the stomach as soon as he puts his foot in the door. :confused: According to the list I see several alternative and unique pieces. Ana make sure you wear your body armor when you annouce your Honour Bound line.

1. Sd.Kfz.222
2. Marder 3
3. Wespe
4. Sturmtiger 38cm
5. Sd.Kfz 251/1 Rocket launcher
6. German MG infantry set
7. German Assault Squad A - 4 Figures
8. German Assault Squad B - 4 Figures
9. German Flamethrower squad - 3 figures
10.German mortar set - 3 figures
11. German Military Policeman - 1 figure
 
First, Alex. You're confused because we welcomed him and then criticized NMA. I was eagerly awaiting this but expecting some originality. I'm not seeing it. Therefore, the criticism. Yes, that's a nice list but why not start with something that hasn't been done by Andy? Like the rocket launcher, the Marder, the Wespe.

Ray, first all, let's get our terms straight. This is not copyright infringement because there is no copyright here. In another realm, this would be more in the nature of patent infringement. I work for a company, which had this happened in that realm with one of our products, rest assured we'd be heading for a place that starts with c and ends with t. Your point would be more valid about being valid representations if they weren't exactly the same even down to the driver. And do you really think Britain's could be considered competition. They're not even in the same size class. So that analogy is misplaced.

I would hope that in the future we see originality from them. But this is not a question of defending King and Country but of objecting to an out and out copy in my view. You don't see me criticizing a company like Figarti, whose Honey I will probably purchase, or Honour Bound which looks like it could be something special. Competition is good. Let's just have some.

The question still is why buy a copy when you can buy the original?
 
jazzeum said:
First, Alex. You're confused because we welcomed him and then criticized NMA. I was eagerly awaiting this but expecting some originality. I'm not seeing it. Therefore, the criticism. Yes, that's a nice list but why not start with something that hasn't been done by Andy? Like the rocket launcher, the Marder, the Wespe.
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I see. You are under the assumption that this will be their first release. Its not stated anywhere that this is their first release. It could be the Marder or the Motar team which I want for a diorama.
 
Alexdakar said:
I see. You are under the assumption that this will be their first release. Its not stated anywhere that this is their first release. It could be the Marder or the Motar team which I want for a diorama.
Click to expand...

I hope you're right. I'd like to see the Marder but it doesn't stand to reason that they're going to release pictures of something that's not their first release.

Interestingly on Toy Soldier Chat, one of the posters said that "They look like larger version of Conte pained by the same painters for King and Country."
 
I think that it is far too early to pass judgment on The New Model Army based upon a few photographs that Peter has acknowledged as samples and “not finished products.”

Alex, I salute you more having the moral courage to formulate and communicate your own opinions.

Semper Fi!
Rick
 
Mr. Gamble,
From the pictures posted of your unfinished prototypes, I salute your a fabulous first effort, I look forward to seeing your products in the future.
Good luck,
Ray H.
 
These are not actually John Gambale's. Mike at NMA had sent him pictures for posting. Notwithstanding my criticism, I hope that the views expressed here will eventually lead to something very special. I just don't think we've seen it yet. I expressed a few months back the same hope for ONTC.

BTW, the NMA website has more pictures and Mike on Toy Soldier Chat has indicated that these are samples not the final product. However, the poses in the additional pictures do show some passing resemblence to Conte.
 
I just had a look at the photos on the website of NMA and the figures are more close to Conté ones than K&C.

So, I agree with Brad, why buy a copy when you can buy the original?

On the other hand, I understand Alex as more and more soldiers and vehicules in the 60mm scale will make him happy as he is purchasing them for his dioramas, especially if they are cheaper than K&C.

We can look at NMA products as art ones and see, undoubtly, that they are inferior to K&C or as consommation ones for the purpose of creating dioramas or playlets and see, undoubtly, that they will be great as complementary with K&C figures or even subsidiaries to them.

Pierre.
 
I like the way Alex posted it, first we cheer them on (new companys) then we criticize them.
How can we tell from a few photos of an unfinished product the quality, we can,t.
Not for one minute do I consider the new products copies of K&C, similar poses, yes, but not copies.
In absolutly no way will these new people affect my K&C purchasing habits, K&C first, then with my spare change, if quality is there, I,ll supplement.
All I,m saying, lets encourage these guys, what do we have to loose, nothing, what we have to gain is more quality soldiers. That,s why we are on this board 4 or 5 times a day, to talk our hobby.
Gary
 
Brad,
I stand corrected, that scout car IS a K&C piece, a repaint at best, surely he's not trying to pass that off as his own? Now I'm left scratching my head on this one.
Ray
 
Hi again,
I have seen the photos at the NMA website and compared them with K&C's WS sets, at least those available here at Treefrog and I have to say I see no copies at all ( I disagree with Brad on this copy thing, with all due respect ). But it is a fact that Waffen SS are not a very original offering: Conte has done it, K&C too. And the way I see WW2 collecting, if I find the same military forces/battle fronts done by K&C or anybody else I choose K&C for a simple reason: they are better ( on this part I fully agree with Brad ). For example, we have Britains Eastern Front sets coming up, and they look fine, but I have read K&C will do Eastern Front in the fourth quarter of 2006, so I'll wait for K&C's Eastern Front. On the other hand I like the British Paras and I found no recent ones by K&C so I bought some of Conte's paras and some Conte SS to fight them... K&C is the undisputed leader but I always like to watch other manufacturers, especially if they have something different. Let's keep in mind though that we only have a few early photos here and that K&C took years to reach their present wonder status. I guess good competition doesn't frighten Andy and it can be good for the consumers: I believe general quality might rise, although I can hardly see how K&C can improve a nearly perfect product. On fidelity, at the moment the highest I have is for this wonderful forum, many thanks Treefrog, this is truly one of your treasures.

Happy collecting,
Paulo
 
I don't blame any company to produce Waffen SS, they are the most colorful and desired by buyers. Also there always be some similarities, the camo and other gear should be the same if all the companies are getting it right. And the poses are in action, how can that not be copied somehow? I think we should wait and see the final product, I can always use new figures and vehicles with my K&C as long as they are the same scale.
 
Guys

To add my two penny!

I have some similar concerns here.

I think if i am not mistaken (Brad, louis may help here!) but not only do i see some copies of K&C, ie same winning range! but i see some direct mould copies with a few changes to try and make it look origional? ie scout car.

Again i salute a new contender to the market (if my wallet can take it), BBBuuut is the idea not to take something and make it better or take an idea and move on.:confused:

i as a collector for many reason am also concerned about the market when a very similar collection is put out there, and as mentioned some time ago by NMA they will be a lot cheaper. Especially with the types of people flogging on e-bay for silly prices and now there could be some good mixups.

I guess its like going to the markets and getting a copy of your teams favourite soccer shirt for $20 opposed to getting the real thing for $40. You either 'support the team or you dont! i for one support the team and will carry on collecting K&C.:confused:

Maybe Andy may go back to the old days with not only stamps but maybe K&C imprints on th ebottom of the figures. I know in HK you can get anything copied if you want, trust me i have done it. as Brad says its upto you if you want the real thing or not.

I cannot stop going back to the pictures and looking at what has been done! :rolleyes: i do not collect Figarti but have seen the figures close up. But i applaud them for joining the market and offering something different, those guys have come into the WWII market and done their research. NMA have taken the fast easy route and taken what they like and copied (with a tweak)

I am sorry i have left this thread to see what goes on and i do not applaud the entry of this company and as much as i do not aim to do any stomach blows!!! (as it is a toy soldier business we are talking about) i do not intend to buy.

Enough said:eek:
 
I am not seeing "the copy thing" in those photos, similarities yes, but since they are waffen ss, they should be similar. Actually the faces on the soldiers look very detailed, maybe the best I have seen, can't tell absolutely until I see them in person. I don't own any other toy soldiers except K&C, for the same reasons as most, the quality. I am not opposed to another company coming along to show what they can do. If they bring us new German vehicles, maybe even a kubel wagon, or some new U.S. stuff, and the quality is even close to k&c, I won't lie, I will buy it. Like Gary said, K&C 1st, then with spare change we can see what else is out there.
 
While NMA's Sd.Kfz 222 looks very similar to K&C's Sd. Kfz 231 (down to a commander leaning forward though the arm positions are reversed), I do not think people should conclude one way or the other that NMA's vehicle is a direct copy without actually seeing the two pieces in person and comparing the two. Form your conclusions then. Mike of NMA stated that the pictures are of samples and not the finished product, so we also should not conclude that they are inferior in workmanship or painting. Furthermore, NMA did a different model, a 222, not a 231; but I am not familiar with the differences (if any) between these two models and whether one is just the command version of the other. Hopefully, a forum member who is more knowledgeable can point out any distinguishing features between the two besides the antenna I see on the 222.

After hearing Andy's talk about production times for his vehicles, I speculate that NMA will launch their line at the London Toy Soldier Show on March 25th. Hopefully, a forum member who attends that show can see the NMA vehicles and tell us his opinion. Since Andy usually attends that show, we may also hear Andy's opinion on whether it is a copy -- he being the most knowledgeable about his own products.

Brad has asked the question, "Why buy a copy when you can have the original?" He asked this question with the conclusion that NMA's 222 is a copy, and I will answer it based on that supposition. Someone would buy a copy if they wanted a 1/30 WWII German scout car like a Sd.Kfz 222 or 231, and the original K&C WS32 was retired and only occasionally available on the secondary market at several times the original list price or the list price of the NMA set. I am, of course, assuming this someone does not want to collect all the retired K&C WWII sets, is not concerned about the future appreciation of his collection, or is not willing to pay a premium to get the retired WS32.

Extrapolating some of the comments made on this thread, those manufacturers who answer the call to match K&C's 1/30th scale should not do any vehicle already done by K&C -- no Tigers, King Tigers, Jadgpanthers, Shermans, etc. If done in polystone and to the same historical accuracy as K&C (i.e. the dimensions are the same, and every feature that is integral like wheels, hatches, viewing ports, towing eyes, etc. is in the same position as a K&C vehicle), their efforts could be seen as "copies" of K&C products with loose details like helmets or sacks just moved around; and with people stating they would never buy these "copies" and possibly scaring dealers from carrying the product. The safest thing for these companies is to produce less well-known (and less popular and marketable) vehicles that differs markedly from any K&C vehicle. As a result, I am glad Honour Bound did a Panther first and posted pictures of the master being developed. Since K&C has not done a polystone Panther yet, there can be no improvident conclusions that these Honour Bound products are "copies" of anything.:eek:
 
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May as well add another UK view.

I don't think these new figures are too bad, for me the only problem with them is that they seem a bit "ho Hum". There is nothing about them that stands out.

They certainly aren't better than K&C but then who really expected them to be? It's their first release after all.

The problem seems to be that they are covering an area already covered so well by K&C. As Monty said it's kind of like buying an inferior product that doesn't manage to be as good as the top of the range model.

The SdKfz 231 seemed ok but looked more like an inferior version of K&C than the figures did. There's nothing there to persuade me to buy it instead of the K&C upgunned SdKfz 234/3 Puma i intend to buy next.

On the subject of the company name i definiitely prefer British Commando to New Model Army. It's more dynamic but i understand that British Commando may not play as well with a worldwide audience.

Still i think it would have been much better if NMA had opened their range with the British paratroopers thay had mentioned. That is a subject that is crying out for attention in this scale. Especially now that Andy has (Really unfortunately) postponed the K&C Pegasus Bridge series.
 
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There seems to be confusion of what model armoured car NMA have produced. It doesn't look like a 222 model because it has 8 wheels. Only the 231, 232, 233 and 234 models had 8 wheels.

The picture isn't that clear but it looks like a 231 model like K&C's retired piece to me.
 
Just for the record Steven, K&C did a polystone Panther in three paint Schemes: original, winter and ambush. It was, however, one of the earlier polystone vehicles, and rather roughly sculpted, so unlikely to be mistaken for the competition's nicely detailed effort.
 
I am very intrigued by the armoured vehicule of NMA. Is it possible for somebody to tell me to wich era of WWII the colour scheme of the said vehicule correspond?

Thanks for the reply.

Pierre.
 
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