Scaling It Down - Part 1 AB Figures

What is all the fuss about?  Why is this scale so good for wargaming? Are AB Figures Really that good? The curiosity got to me.., and yes, AB Figures are that good!

Inspired by the Battlegroup ruleset and the quest to get more on the table without it looking like a crowded space I have taken the plunge.  Really I had no excuse not to test the waters with 20mm figures and the 1/72 scale.  Being Australian I have an advantage with regards to 20mm wargaming and that of AB Figures, they are locally produced right here in Australia.

Setting the Theme - Panzer Lehr Operations - Normandy, France, June-July 1944.

I embarked on a project to do 28mm Panzer Lehr.  There is only one problem... there is bugger all available in 28mm for the Panzer Lehr.  I have read a couple of books now about the Division and their conquests and defeats in the Normandy theatre of operations post D-Day.

20mm is the perfect scale to do the Panzer Lehr in.  Why? Adler Miniatures have recently released some beautiful sculpts for the Panzer Lehr and are releasing more soon.  Elhiem Figures is re-doing their 20mm Panzer Lehr range and Wartime Miniatures (another Aussie Company) is branching out with some more Panzer Lehr soon.  Compare these ranges to 28mm and the decision was obvious.

I am holding out on getting my Panzer Lehr miniatures as I want to see what the above mentioned companies release in the hopefully not too distant future.

One of the Panzer Lehr's enemies in Normandy was the British 7th Armoured Division and I have decided to go with them first.  I won't go into too much information regarding this Division but I will be focusing on the 22nd Armoured Brigade and the fighting around Tilly-sur-Seulles and Villers-Bocage.  Combined with my new 3D printer I have loads of nice 3D terrain to print to suit my theme.

Lets get on with it.

AB Figures British Infantry on Patrol AB-INB09 with a Bonus figure they sent me

Painting 20mm miniatures eyes - why not! AB figures are fully detailed

My infantry will be painted as 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade

A British Patrol clears a derelict French Garage

A note on Painting...

AB figures really are excellent sculpts.  I decided to paint the eyes, some people do not like this but I really like it.  It is more than possible in 20mm and gives the figures a little more character.  Not sure if I can achieve this in other figure ranges but I will have a crack!

Anyway I intend on doing Part 2 soon... not sure if its going to be a look at 1/72 vehicles or 1/72 3D printed terrain.  Stay tuned.

Dont forget to check out 100 Days of Hobby... why make a lousy pledge to get one thing done when you can get many things done instead!