Picked up the new 3 ton Opel from 21CT

Law · Post by **Law** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:41 pm

Went to my friendly local hobby shop today and picked up the Opel Blitz 3-ton truck and the halftrack variation on it from 21CT, along with another set of the new Conte GIs.

I'm really happy with all three purchases. I just finished painting my first set of the new GIs, and they look absolutely amazing. My paint jobs aren't that great, but the figures are so well-sculpted, and posed so dynamically, that they just look spectacular anyway. I'm looking forward to the new stuff -- I got the set with a lot of casualties in it. (2 dead, 2 being shot) Just watched Saving Private Ryan again last night, really put me in the mood to paint casualties.

The 21CT stuff is really some of their best stuff yet -- superb detail, nice use of die-cast, and appropriate moving parts, like the removeable seats and canopy (on the Opel Blitz, anyway) and the opening hood etc. The driver is even somewhat easy to "install"! The paint on both versions is crisp and well done, too -- as always, these aren't models, the accuracy is going to be limited compared to higher-end items, but they are nonetheless extremely well-executed for $20 toys (and die-cast toys, at that!)

My only real complaint is the scale, esp. with my new Conte purchases. It sorta drives me crazy that "1:32" is a somewhat catch-all scale for people, especially when 1:30 and 1:35 are also pretty popular scales. It's bad enough that I can't mix my 1:32 stuff with a lot of quality items out there without things looking wonky, but I can't even mix all my 1:32 products, what with Conte's figures leaning more towards 1:30 and the FOV stuff frequently leaning towards 1:35. The Conte GI's look almost absurd storming the 21CT 3-ton truck, and the FOV accessories I've accumulated are going to look out of place with them as well. It's just such a shame, though I suppose there are worse ways for the hobby to go wrong -- so many high-quality products, with compatibility being the only serious drawback....

Law

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:54 pm

Law, I got both trucks a while back and you are right - they are really very nice pieces.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:01 pm

The trucks are excellent pieces, and a great way for 21c to get two vehicles from one mould. I only got two of the trucks, one of which I converted into a custom project, the other I kept intact. It looks great filled with a bunch of the FOV and Build-a-Rama 1:32 crates and accessories

blurx7 · Post by **blurx7** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:11 am

I also have both the truck and Halftrack you mention, and am very pleased with both. Some of the nicest pieces 21st C has made I think.
I acquired the truck in the kit form and was very pleased at how easily it went together.

Regarding the issue of different scales within "1/32" you are right, and it annoys me as well. I find mixing FOV and 21st C works quite well, but Conte just looks too big. If you really want a laugh, try mixing Conte with figures from 1/35 model kit.

Flak Happy · Post by **Flak Happy** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:47 pm

I also got the halftrack from BCA, just gave up trying to find it at my local wallys. One thing I noticed though when I ordered it, the pic show the halftrack with a full tarp cover kinda of like the 3 ton Opel. Well when I recieved it, it only comes it closed (stowed). Are they all like this?

blurx7 · Post by **blurx7** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:52 pm

All the halftracks I have seen came without the cover.