Hannants of the UK is announcing that French Old Guard is one of Mars future set. The box will have 15 figures with 8 different poses.
Mars Old French Guard Poses
Figure Poses are as follows
- Drummer
- Standing right hand reaching for ammo
- pioneer
- Kneeling firing
- Advancing with bayonet rifle
- An officer with sword upraised
- Flagbearer
- Standing firing rifle
There is no date on when they will be out. Hannants also lists the Mars Pirates with no date on their release.
I guess these 1/32 in scale. I wonder if they are the same size as Airfix figures. They look nice. I hope the pirates are released soon.
Depend who is sculpting then ,so far last japanese and german are horrible.The pirates samples looks great but just prototype figures .Will have to wait and see the real figures .
The choice poses in this set is very alike Airfix/ESCI
And also no more left handed shooter please as other maker.
best
Erwin, I think you are being overly negative.
I just received the MARS set of WWII Japanese from Kent Sprecher of Toy Soldier HQ. They aren’t “horrible” at all. They fit in very well with the Marx WWII Japanese.
Surely you can find a way to say a new product isn’t your favorite, or that you don’t care for it, without attacking it with such ferocity that it is horrible or worthless or a total waste of money.
I think a little more balance, with a little less invective, is called for as you react to new products.
Don if you look at comments there was a comment of short bayonets on the rifle of the Japanese. I have to agree on the quality of the Germans and Japanese is not good. Erwin is very passionate about figures. Especially when you see the Mars pirates prototypes. Each of us has our own opinion.
But obviously, Paul, if all Erwin had said was that he thought the bayonets on some of the MARS WWII Japanes figures were short, I wouldn’t even have responded.
But since that original post, Erwin has periodically continued, in other posts, to attack these figures, in what I would characterize as an unbalanced tirade on the subject, as though the figures were worthless, and any opinion to the contrary could have no validity.
Of course Erwin is allowed to have an opinion, as am I. I said simply that I think Erwin is being overly negative when he labels the figures as “horrible”.
I know you are good friends with Erwin, and you may feel compelled to jump to his defense on this. I hope you can look past your friendship and concede that possibly there may be some validity to what I’m saying.
Don ,don’t be so dramatic and let along defense x one maker.we all can say what we want and my opinion against one maker base in their sloppy job not only my opinion but of many others is nothing to be with Paul been my friends or not but to remain you that you speak as if x all and my opinion as a lonely one point .
Not quite .
i will repeat my answer i give to you before in other post you did in case u had not read it well.
here is
Don “Can we”!?- sounds to communism, we are individuals’ humans and like things different not in masses and combined preferences unions-accords. Likes and preferences are personal desires and that is reason we got choices and we are individuals.
I don’t even mention the word hate, so I don’t know why you bring yourself so high for others opinion.
Neither I’m strict historical. Just simple. These figures are bad done -period.
You go over limits labelling me when is not. Don’t be extremist. No need.
I’m pointing the fact of so bad quality product that let less to show of what they can do with simple molds as other had made.
I like the Napoleonic set made(by Other Russian maker) with wrong left handed firing position but unfortunately I may get only one set as I can play with some left handed but not entire line of course ,yet that other new maker least got figures with better detail where you can see faces ,no need trim entire figures, long finish ballonets and price same or close to this as cheap -18-20 .00 for entire set least
These MARS -Short ballonets, waste mold excess, bad detail that make looks bad are wrong bad finish products in my views and others as well in the japanese.Read some of others comments who got then and see their opinion.
Mars should know this first hand.
Some of many brands you mention before were made as toys x children back when accuracy and history was not a main point.
Yet Marx,LIDO,MPC (“TOY FIGURES”)are far better in historic by simple sculpt and cheaper around ,least Marx that had been reissues and MPC as well as I import then from Peru in 90s in silver and gold color So they are cheaper to get ,same in DGN and Hing Fat pantograph poses set from ESCI molds where you can tell are clearly Japanese least .
I got all those and any one could get then cheap too.none with excess plastic ,blurry faces as these MARS .A defect that by today technology even the worst sets from BMC eradicate it
CTS and BMC are cheap too manufacturers and sets very economic, they did not come with those defects in first sets.CTS got better and better after few sets.
Mars so far went down in last 2WW2sets
Airfix been recast and Britain too but those are more toy soldier model line and I won’t use then as references, neither TSSD and others were figures are 2.00 or more each per set
AIP made very cheap sets far better mold and detail with no defect, so HAT and ACTA as well. Where you can get an array poses figures for low price to build armies and detail is much better plus finish mold cast too
MARS start making few modern wars sets with simple crude detail THAT WAS PASSABLE. But when they did Germans they mess up and as admin mention why they had not improved if even show a big difference with their pirates sets, they announced before!?
Unless their pirates are not that well done and was just a prototype.
Even yourself got surprise when pirates announce and call then” best sculpt so far from then”!Wish we had not seen yet
http://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=13174.
But if they go so far much better with those pirates than this why produce a set of so bad done quality figures after!?
They got the tools, just simple sloppy job done now.
Why!?
They have the potential, simple did not produce then well and got a finished bad product, in fact the worst from them.
Who here will buy all that come in pipeline to support the hobby !?That is unrealistic as different collector eras likes and preference and few with so much money extra to spend on this.
You can, go ahead you buy it. I don’t like I say my opinion and dislike as many times because is my opinion and personal individual right to choose and I bet many are same as me.
you like then ,great for you .
I don’t ,i say my expression as i like.
period.
Good for you and good for me. To everyone his own.
Best …
I agree with Don, Erwin seems to have a bad image of Mars. The WWII Germans were made from pictures right out of Osprey books. They are well sculpted and acurate in detail
The German poses were taken right out of the pictures in Osprey books. Erwin’s review is inaccurate in all ways. I have sold a lot of both sets and only have one complaint. The detail is very good on both sets and the only complaint that is accurate are the short bayonets in the Japanese set. I am amazed at Erwin’s completely wrong revues. These figures are great and you will like to have them in your collection.
Kent unfortunately I must express and comments against you in the best peaceful way as I can, so I do not hurt your feelings.
First but not all I want everyone here to think that for God Sake these are toy figurines made of plastic, in many cases recycle plastic. Wow!!
Defending then so passionate as if were your family, political part or else may go past the ridiculous and hilarious.
Yet I understand your position as you are a dealer/sale and as I say before you may think my comments and that of others (I’m not along in this). Will affect your sales.
It will not as most buyers will look at figures closely enough to decide first in general. Yet there some who will buy and become disappointed after. Others who not matter what will buy then as not that specific in detail at all.
And is their choice, same way many boughs and still but the horrible BMC Germans, early odd CTS sets that were not correct done in disparity body sizes and poses as well and DGN Chinese made “Germans”) that sale good even so they look all but Germans.
No need.
I’m not along in this. Like me are plenty others disliking the Mars WW2 sets, the Germans and the Japanese.
If follow this same blog.
Here will see comments where it shows how others see the so call well done Germans you say they are.
By the way if Marx see Osprey books, they need rename the set as there was no such thing as Elite.
http://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=11106
Also, as we all know MARS had been making cheap crude HO sets in past and these 1/32 sets appear to be just simple pantograph of then.
A review in exact set HO in same exact poses literally criticize all I say. It is done by one of the Best experts in the HO blog community.
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/review.aspx?id=2643
In general, the German were the worst. No only anatomical wrong but sloppy pants, Russian style thick boots (not German boo). Officer hat wrong done hat that looks clear as if has a British officer hat, poor gear, poor detail in weapons. Tunic poor done and helmets poor lined.
Japanese all come with over excess detail, poor crude done and short ballonet. A huge mistake for such iconic weapons of the IJA
The Japanese officer have a pole instead sword and grabbing it very wrong. The shoes look like boots as not able see if puttees over shoes are unless using a magnifier.
But once again here are some comments of others, not me in which you can see what they say.
http://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=13499
So once again I’m not along neither only one disliking then.
In fact, here is other that receive then and says this.
Let’s hope they end up being better than the 1944-45 German Elites. Those were absolute garbage. Calling them 1/32 scale was also insulting.
Or can read more here in this link.
http://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=13174
I can feel this post and other with other bloggers in other forums comments but x now I must let go and continue my daily task. If got time I will post more unless admin close the post as to avoid more not need arguments x simple figures or attacks in the freedom of expression in a simple blog of toys where our opinion should be respected and accepted as same way we do when we choose what to eat, like or buy.
Hope you understand the facts and not the passion overcome you Kent Sprecher.
I know you as honest plain dealers and critic of hobby.
Nothing more.
Best
But Erwin, don’t you see that you yourself are doing what you accuse others of doing — namely, becoming so passionate about your attack on something that you resort to absolutist terms like “horrible” and “garbage”, as if there were no position in between?
The post depicting the WWII MARS Japanese came out a couple of weeks ago. Everybody had their say. But since then you have gone back on the attack against them in unrelated posts, as if you won’t stop until everyone admits that your position on the subject was correct. Haven’t you ever heard of letting someone else have the last word on a subject occasionally?
I myself didn’t purchase the MARS WWII Germans because I didn’t care for how they looked in the photos I saw of them. But the WWII Japanese from the same company I thought looked OK. When I got them, I found them to be perfectly fine, quite compatible with the Marx, TSSD, and CTS which I already had.
I don’t have a connection with anybody in the Ukraine, or Russia, much less MARS itself. I just don’t believe a constant drumbeat of “horrible, horrible, horrible” is fair to them, or to toy soldier hobbyists who are considering their product as a reasonably priced alternative in a market which has become quite expensive.
Erwin, I know you are a very knowledgeable, dedicated toy soldier collector. I myself have learned a lot from your postings on this site. I appreciate your input, and most of the time I find myself agreeing with your observations. But I think its time to end your comments on this subject.
And just to show you that I’m willing to practice what I preach, I’ll let you respond to this, and then I myself will NOT respond to what you say, regardless of how misguided I may think your response is. And that way, you will be able to have the last, final, completed post on this subject, without having to answer any more posts from me out here in the State of Indiana.
The Mars figures are affordable and are not bad and do not have the poorly sculted bodies some BMC & early AIP figures have. The Germans are direct copies out of Osprey book pictures and include a boy (Hitler Youth) shooting a Panzerfaust. A midwest toy soldier dealer came by a month or so ago when he was on vacation and said he heard they were bad, but once he saw them (hey they are not bad” he bought a set. They retail for 30.00 but I sell them for 25.00 = 1.67 per figure. Yes Plastic Platoon is superior but they cost 8.00 a figure. So you could spend $100 and get 12 Plastic Platoon or 60 Mars toy soldiers
I agree that everybody should be free to like and buy new product as they will. Because of a core loyalty to the Marx figures of my youth, I am pretty much exclusively focused on 54mm figures, which saves me money. I am agnostic on the Mars “Elite” troops which left me unmoved when they appeared. I’m not sufficiently differentiated in my games that I need SS anyway. Instead, I delightedly picked up some of Jeff Imel’s VictoryBuy reissues of the Marx Russians and Japanese. At my local hobby shop I recently bought a couple bags of the Sunjade clones of Airfix Afrika Korps. At 8.95 for a bag of 20 of these I am quite happy with them; the plastic is a lot more sturdy than the brittle stuff used in the last Airfix reissue. So I say go for whatever makes you happy, whether the gorgeous but expensive Plastic Platoon figures, Mars figures, or the inexpensive reissues and clones that I cheerfully grub around with. It looks like Airfix is going to reissue a lot of their 1/72 WWII sets this year. Maybe they will do the same with their 1/32 sets and, if they do, hopefully with a more robust plastic!
Kent
First, you are a major dealer of Mars so you will defend it.
Second, when I sold new stuff there were figures I sold that I thought were horrible but they sold.
Third, it is usually the maker that get annoyed when negative is made on their figures. This is old news
The Bottom line just worries about the sales. People who like them will buy those who don’t will not.
I am very dissapointed to see French Guards as the next MARS choice. I doubt they sell well in the USA. Pirates or more WW 2 I think would go over better. If they insist on making Napoleonics, we could use British Line Infantry in the War of 1812 and French Line as Mexicans in 1836.
I agree, Mike, that Napoleonic British Regulars and Napoleonic French Line could both do good double duty at the Battle of New Orleans and at the Alamo, respectively —- especially since MARS uses a 54mm scale which is compatible to the Barzso New Orleans figures, and the Marx Alamo Mexicans.
I suspect they are on their way. In their Vietnam series, MARS started with Viet Cong, then added NVA, U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, Green Berets, and then ARVN. And when it comes to Napoleonics, the French Old Guard is so iconic that it becomes a convenient starting point for at least the four sets that Airfix did: Old Guard, French Regulars, British Regulars, and British Highlanders. The British Highlanders also become useful for Battle of New Orleans scenarios.
But I think MARS knows what every other European producer of toy soldiers knows — that in Europe, Napoleonic armies are highly popular, even if less so than in the U.S. In Europe, recreations of Waterloo are as popular as recreations of the Alamo are in the U.S.
And like some others on this board, I’m looking forward to those MARS pirate figures.
They look lovely will be getting four sets of these. I have bought all their other sets. I am well happy with them. Maybe if they made Alamo and American civil war figures you would change your tune.
My brother has a huge collection of Napoleonic figures but I’m sure he won’t be particularly excited about these. Bearskin grenadier caps are over-represented for the Guard. Aside from that, there are several far more pressing sets when it comes for the Napoleonic era. Ex Force is making much more noteworthy sets for the Napoleonic era and that makes these figures even less desirable. They are still neat but really cannot compare to what Ex Force is doing.
I agree.It looks like napoleonic wars where only from 1812-1815 and french grenadiers /light and line are only plus british guard,line,scots and light only fought .
Only Italeri and Hat did cover other early periods army .
Russian only light and line plus late grenadiers,
No early armies or mitre guards made either .
Austrian Empire fought way more battles wars against napoleon than britain and their armies poor represented
The set poses illustrated in box have very alike if not almost same poses as Airfix 15 poses and ESCI 7 poses grenadiers -guards .So not impressive in choice poses .
No one do a sapper in action either but PH old vintage set .
best
Expeditionary Force is the greatest, no doubt about it!
I just have to make one more comment on what Mars has been doing and I am by no means trying to take a side here. I purchased two sets of the Mars ‘Elite’ German infantry (44-45) as WWII is my primary soldier collection (among several other smaller collections). I bought them in the hopes that they could fight along side the excellent Conte Waffen SS sets (3 and 4). Upon receiving them, I was incredibly disappointed with the lack of detail, the color, and the size (calling them 1/32 was pushing it as they were only slightly larger than the Esci 1/35 sets that I got when I first started my collection. They are so poor that I don’t even really want to use them as elite troops in my historical setups. I suppose what I am driving at is that Mars needs to stick to making conscript and line troops because they really do a poor job of making elite troops. I don’t have the Japanese yet but I was reluctant to buy them after how shoddy the Germans were. Disappointed does not even describe how I felt. I would have been furious if not for the fact that I purchased them at the absolutely lowest possible price (Rebelalpha on ebay). Had I paid $27 a set like CTS and other companies sell them for, I probably would have flipped out; and this is coming from someone who cherishes most all figures that are made (even the cheaper and less detailed offerings).
I agree — the MARS WWII Germans didn’t look from the photos as good as I thought they should, so I didn’t order them.
But I did order the MARS WWII Japanese, and thought they were just fine as a supplement to my CTS Iwo Jima Playset. I found them to be not as well done as the TSSD WWII Japanese, but still quite compatible, as well as compatible with the Marx and CTS versions. When I received them I took them out, looked at them, and cheerfully found just enough room in my CTS Iwo Jima Playset box to add them in with the others.
I understand it may be difficult to set aside your disappointment with one particular MARS set to the extent you can go ahead & order a different set from the same company. But if you’ll give the MARS Japanese figures a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Although I collect WWII, it sounds like I don’t specialize in it to the extent you do, so I may not examine WWII figures with quite as discerning of an eye as you do. But I found the MARS WWII Japanese to be well within the parameters of good, decent, reasonably-priced toy soldier figures.
While I myself have placed several orders for things, particularly the Chintoy sets, from Rebel Alpha, this particular MARS set I ordered from Kent Sprecher’s Toy Soldier HQ, since I was getting a few other things at the same time that only Kent had available.
Don, after hearing what you said about the Mars Japanese I am definitely going to get a couple sets. I am also extremely excited about the possibility of Austin Miniatures putting out their Japanese set.
Alex, the upcoming Austin Miniature WWII Japanese may very well be the best ever, and fully satisfy everyone’s expectations.
I have to agree with several of you that I would have preferred another choice for Napoleonics than Guard in bearskins – I already have full contingents of HaT figures as well as a large number of Airfix in both original and recasts waiting in the queue perhaps one day to be painted (the old Airfix grays cry out, “Paint me! Paint me!” even though I shudder at the thought of painting old originals), I even bought a couple sets of the ESCI figures but they’re too small for me to mix with the other sets and not enough figures in each pose to outfit a formation of just them – as beautiful as they are.
But the Guard did comprise about a third of Napoleon’s Army at its height. They could still be useful to compliment what’s already out there if they’re not too out of scale – the sculpts DO look nice so I’ll give it a shot, I think. I have to admit Mars has a record of screwing up some great figures with flaws and poor molds – but their quality has improved to the point here lately they’re worth a shot. I’m with Alex, there’s no way I would go the full SRP for them, but for what Scott is able to sell them for I think it’s worth a shot – even if a couple figures are fit only for the spare parts pile.
I’ve looked at the pics of the Japanese and really see nothing in the set that can’t be used or fixed with a little imagination so when I’ve recovered from Christmas I expect I will pull the trigger on them.
I’ve been looking at their German “Elites” {a PC dodge for “SS” I suspect) and trying to figure if I can use them as Romanians or even Italians. They might fit in with my CTS Italians and Romanians.
I’m also looking forward to a set or two of their pirates – my Barzso Schooner and other ships need crews.
The final thought for me on the subject is Mars has long been on the bottom rung as far as quality goes – particularly in 1/72 scale – but it appears their quality, like another 1/72 scale company, Strelets, is improving by leaps and bounds and deserve as much support as we can give them – within reason. I never suggest buying trash – my hobby money is too dear and I’m sure it’s the same with you all – but I’m willing to give a set the benefit of the doubt and see if a set is usable and affordable. JMO
So far the early Mars sets were more decent .The others nice were former Orite brand mold Napoleonic russian 1805 infantry redone by then with one revised pose leg changed and the best as not Mars made or designed at all.
.Yet the pirates showed did surprise me and i had doubt if are done by Mars but more possible other mold/artist maker .What surprise me is that generally as far you advance you get better not worse.Mars had show the last .
I got two early sets and were passable ,a third vietnam come with mold defect in two repeated poses plus a lot excess .I open three cases to review same set off hobby store i was with owner permission.All had same issue..Long after i pass and review in person the germans -I say no way ,these are crude wrong ..I can buy many other cheap production without need curt or shave then .AIP and BMC ,plus chinese Hing fat,DGN are good example of it .
My money go for else .Like me many had expressed in actual same odd discontent about those two last set.
I wish they develop better in future.But so far no.
I had not see these napoleonic yet.I will like see if they improve least and yes i can buy direct near me if they did improve .Even after being a overdone army unit set in very alike same poses or direct copied poses of Airfix ,ESCI else.
French 1810-1815 Grenadiers,old guard and young guard had been done so far in or by Britain(3 poses),ESCI(7 poses),Airfix(15 poses) ,AIP5 poses counting artillery crews,Dulcop 4 poses counting horse poses ,DSD argentina 6 poses and EXF will do soon some more of course .Blue Box metal plastic 2 poses and Reamsa 2 poses plus nice done Supreme Sunjade chinese made 2 poses out 16 poses set only
Total 37 poses in 1/35-1/30 scale.
Not counting Jecsan recast 6 poses off 12 poses set ,Starlux and other makers in vintage range of course .
Yet i may get one set mars if they ever improve .
best
Hannants has added another MARS set to the future releases.
32014, German Elite Troops in winter troops WWII
https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MAR32014
Thanks for the news. I looked at the photo and they look interesting. I will have to wait until I see the final product.
Just had a look around on the internet and the only companies that do French old guard are Airfix and Timpo. You get bits and pieces with others but that’s about it so it is nice to have someone else make them. Hope they make other Napoleonic figures in the future.
Timpo are bad done .they looks more swiss grenadiers guard as uniform is bad.
ESCI did 7 poses.
AIP did artillery set 5 poses.
reamsa did 3 poses
Britain did 3 .
DSD DOD a set 7.
do far all those are abundant.
best
O.K. I haven’t read all of the posts. However, Erwin may have a point.
Mars has bad reputation for pirating other companies. And doing it very poorly.
If you go to Plasticsoldierreview.com and look at Mars, especially their early sets, you’ll see what I mean.
Erwin and I don’t agree on a lot of things, but I do agree with him, that a figure should be well sculpted and some attention paid to the details.