Zvezda Elephants

**MAGNA** · January 21st, 2009 7:03 AM

The ancient elephant set comes with two elephants and some spearmen to put in the howdahs.

it isn't the soft figure plastic that you usually expect and it isn't hard plastic either. Sort of in between.

Really well moulded for 1/72 stuff.

Here is one of the elephants with driver and the two spearmen who usually go upstairs. The paints used on this lot are acrylics (water based), Humbrol enamels, and for some parts of the uniforms - tube oils which really stand out well.

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The models.

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A bit of a background in Photoshop.

**Geek44** · January 21st, 2009 7:10 AM

Love the photoshop mate

.
They look pretty cool. I wonder about Zvezda, they do kits as well as I'm sure you're probably aware. Some are pretty desirable too if your tastes run to Soviet aircraft as mine do. I beieve they do an La-5 which has a pretty detailed interior which appeals to me greatly but I don't want to shell out for something that is badly moulded and fits badly.
I'm kinda confused by what appears to be a stone castle on top of that elephant. One would have thought wood more appropriate but that could be just me. I have no idea of its historical accuracy.
I really like the gold effect on the 'saddle cloth' mate...it looks like gold but not 'cheap' gold like some paint can...you know, too gold. What kind of paint is that?
Peace.

**MAGNA** · January 21st, 2009 7:37 AM

1. The gold. That's Humbrol. They do a really good range of gold, bronze, and aluminium colours. These are the ones that don't like flat oil based varnish as it makes them run so be warned. They are fairly thick on the brush and they cover very much like tube oils.

2. Zvezda kits. Wouldn't have a clue on that one sorry. I've only dealt with their Napoleonic, Medieval, and Ancient figures. If the kits are as good in detail and fit as the figures you would be very happy I'm sure. Maybe it's worth a go.

**Geek44** · January 21st, 2009 7:46 AM

I suspected Humbrol...I have a few of their metallics. I even had my Dad's old 'Gold' that he must have bought in 1969 for years. It was fine to use until the lid got caked with dried paint the way only Humbrol metallics do.
The Zvezda kits are mid priced so I guess I should have a look. They have some nice looking Soviet ground personnel in 1/48 as well as Luftwaffe figures too. I've seen their range of Ancient and Napoleonics on the shelf too. They look pretty cool.
Peace.

**MAGNA** · January 21st, 2009 8:10 AM

oops. Forgot the 'stone castle' on top. These were wooden structures painted to look like stone. The elephants were used as shock weapons and anything that made them look more solid was a bonus. Some were plain wood too. You can just see the brown on the inside of this one which shows it is wood. These are good to paint - something different I spose.

**Geek44** · January 21st, 2009 9:50 PM

Cool. I wonder how they knew that...these things were used a couple of thousand years ago eh? Nice fact though.
Peace.

**Panzermacher** · January 22nd, 2009 12:56 PM

I have built a few Zvezda Kits. I was impressed with their level of detail, but be forwarned, the earlier kits they ran had lots of fit problems. They also used a very brittle styrene, ie many small parts were prone to breakage. And some were broken on the sprues, so check the plastic bags and box real well. The more recent kits seem to have identified those problems and fixed them, but I have noticed now, many 'scale' problems in their moldings. (Huge bolts on armor, armor plating that doesn't seem to be in scale, etc.) They are challenging kits and they 'were' decently cheap. Their figure kits have taken a sharp turn for the good too. The do alot of Soviet infantry, from WW2 to modern. Their early ones were worse than the old Tamiya figs., but they seemed to have made them just a bit better than the old Tamiya now.( Interestingly they produce a line of Afghan rebels and Soviet Infantry from Afghanistan, which I hear are pretty decent kits. A Modeler I know used the Rebels for a modern Iraq diorama. He was impressed with the detail on the figs.)

In my opinion the ICM kits were a little better than the Zvezda.

**Geek44** · January 22nd, 2009 5:47 PM

I've heard similar about ICM versus Zvezda. Thanks guys.
Peace.

**Maglar** · January 27th, 2009 5:39 PM

Interesting, I might give them a visit, my HUB for minis is tamiya right now

**Frizzenspark** · February 24th, 2009 9:19 PM

Originally Posted by MAGNA

oops. Forgot the 'stone castle' on top. These were wooden structures painted to look like stone. The elephants were used as shock weapons and anything that made them look more solid was a bonus. Some were plain wood too. You can just see the brown on the inside of this one which shows it is wood. These are good to paint - something different I spose.

The "Howdah" could also be covered with hides; this kit would represent an Alexandrian Army or later Successor armies (Antipatros, Seleucid, Ptolemaic, etc).

I enjoy Zvezda because they make excellent ancients and the plastic they use holds paint a better than other soft plastics and they make better command figures. I tend to fill my ranks with HäT miniatures.

A good place to get info on plastic miniatures from all periods is the site listed below:

Plastic Soldier Review - Redirect