Panzer Lehr Review

This article originally appeared in issue 465 of Miniature Wargames. You can pick up your issue of the magazine here or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

The magazine (Miniature Wargames magazine, which you can pick up a copy of by clicking here) has been sent some advance sprues of the next set from Wargames Atlantic. These are in advance of their actual release but – having stuck a few together – it was too good not to share. 

These are the second set in their World Ablaze WWII range and represent the elite Wehrmacht unit, formed late in the war from veterans who participated in the fighting on the Eastern Front, North Africa, and Sicily in the latest equipment. They took part in some of the heaviest fighting in France in 1944 until their eventual surrender in April 1945 within Germany. 

Each six figure (one kneeling) sprue has a large selection of bits: 14 heads (helmets, bare and caps some plus headphones), MP40s, Kar98s and MG42s plus the odd pair of binos and so forth and lots of water bottles, breadbags and more (Lugers, grenades, panzerfausts, ammo boxes, a rather large jerry can etc). It also includes arms and bits to convert them into regular tank crew (hence headphones). This is a 30-figure set and they make up into what I’d call  ‘classic, late war German Army types’ without being cartoonish: these stand about 31mm to the helmet top (no I’m not going to measure ‘to the eye’) and are proportionately aimed at those gamers who want to buy figures that might actually fit into scale 1/56th vehicles. They are dressed in short, battledress style tunics and the shorter boots. I know I said this about other figures in their range but they remind me of larger models (say Tamiya 1/35th) in the poses and the way they go together, which I think is a good thing.

Recommended.