Hello all. I started building models when I was about 7 or so. Kept it up until about age 16, when I discovered cars, girls, a job, etc, and moved on from staying at home finishing models. Well, fast forward about 15 years, and I got the itch again to start building again. Anyway... I've been searching around the site for the last week or so, and going around to my local hobby stores and playing around online.

I want to do a medium size diorama as my first project coming back. I'm fairly well set on starting with Tamiya's Pz.kpfw II Ausf.C (Sd.Kfz.121) - Polish Campaign, kit 35299 as a base. It provides a relatively small amour kit, includes some figures, and should be fairly straight forward.

Of note, I don't have an airbrush anymore, so a single color tank is kinda where I want/need to start. If I make it all the way to going through with the diorama build, I'll get myself an airbrush. The single panzer grey color of the early campaigns therefore would be beneficial, as I can just spray it with Tamiya spray, and to my weathering, and details by brush.

Anyway, reading the various reviews, it seems there's some negative sentiment towards Tamiya's figures. That said, the figures in the above kit aren't the most exciting things I've ever seen, but they do convey the theme I'm going for, which is basically the initial invasion of Poland in '39.

As far as the diorama goes, I've got all sorts of ideas...

1. Do the kit out of the box, and add a few more figures in combat poses. Possibly in a semi-urban setting. Suggestions for additional figures?

2. Do the kit in more of a moving convoy type setting, and maybe add to it an early German armored car or half-track, and some troops either riding or walking along side the column. Add to this some of the various refugee figure sets I've seen moving the other direction. This however seems maybe a bit too aggressive for a first kit/diorama in 15 years.

3. I can't decide if I want to do more farm country, or a town/village area. Seems like MiniArt has some suitable small buildings/farmhouses/etc that I could use.


So shoot out your ideas, suggestions, what TO do, what NOT to do, etc. I want some comments.

Thanks guys!

Welcome back to the hobby jesse. Only advice I will give is to look at MasterBox and MiniArt figures if you need more. Why they are good quality and getting better with each new offering, plus the price does not give the wallet a heart attack.

Thanks Darren. I looked around at their stuff, and it gave me some ideas. That said, maybe I should try to simplify as much as possible.

Searching around more....

*THIS* looks like a nice possible diorama base. It would let me stay with just the single Panzer II and figures, and should remove a lot of work besides paint/weathering.

I could not see the size of that base which would enable me to give any advice, There are however a lot of very good diorama builders here who I am sure will help. You will need to know that I have found the most posts seem to occur on Mondays and slowly decrease over the week. Stats may tell you otherwise, so don't dispair if you don't get many answers today just bump the post tomorrow with some more ideas or questions.

Thanks for the info about how traffic typically comes in here.

I'm judging the size of the Verlinden diorama base upon the mock-up they've got on the site. The Panzer II was a pretty small tank, so if the 251 half-track looks well sized on there, I think the Panzer II will be similar. Thinking 2 of the figures by the Panzer II, and maybe 1 in the doorway of the building.


Still open to thoughts. I won't be buying anything for about a week anyway. Lots of time for ideas.

Hi Jesse, welcome back to the gluesnifferscommunity!!

My advise; start simple!!
Do your Panzer II and the figures that come with it. Make sure that you get the hang of it again, befor you move on to extra figures, after market, diorama and such.
Don't bite of more than you can chew. It might spoil your appetite for more!

Hi Jesse!
I think Ron makes a good point here, perhaps try to keep this one small(ish) so you don't lose interest halfway through. I has happened to me many times before
If you're unsure if you want to tackle an urban area, then something more rural might be a good idea. It all depends on your skill level.
look forward so seeing you start!
Luke

I think a Mk I or Mk II would be an excellent choice to start back with... perhaps even a Marder II.
Good luck,
razorboy

Welcome back. Your story is a simiar one to many.

You're starting well - Plan, plan, plan.
One thing I would offer is that the mini-art buildings should be saved or a second diorama. The vacuform style can be a bit challenging and will require extra time technique and tools. Check some of the reviews in the armorama review section on mini-art before you move forward on the buildings.

I was thinking the urban setting might be a little simpler, only due to the fact that I can basically get an off-the-shelf city corner. No messing with ground cover, vegetation, etc. But yes, I think Ron and yourself have a good point. I need to keep it small so I don't lose interest. I know that's what happened to me when I was younger... but I was hoping some of the adultness of my age would help in that area!





From my basic research, the Marder II didn't see the Polish campaign. While I'm by no means someone who will trace down the very last accuracy detail, I do think I want to see vehicle(s) together that make sense for theme of the campaign.




Also... since my logical side tells me to start small, BUT my creative side says to go bigger... the Panzer II kit has decals for 2 different tanks in the same outfit... tanks 03 and 05. And the figures have some variations for weapons loads, arms, etc. I could build 2 of the kits!

I tend to agree with the other guys about keeping it simple. It's so easy to let these things take on a life of their own. I know that all too well. I'd start with the Panzer II and a basic base. You can always upgrade and expand the diorama. Maybe add some figures and vehicles later on. You never know what ideas may pop in to your head six months from now.

Ola Jesse

Welcome back to the hobby. I more or less returned as welll not too long ago after a much smaller break (1 year) everybody here has a valuable point but I also tend to lean to the more simplified solution. You could do it in sections approaching every part of the dio as a separate project. Start with the tank... built it. Paint it. Weather it. Then onto the groundworks... Make something that is just a bit bigger then the tank but try to make it look as natural as possible. Then onto the figures. Assemble them, paint them and when all is finished you put everything together.
as for figures.. I haven't used a figure from Tamiya for years. Main reason is quality of details. The newer companies like Masterbox and miniart produce really nice figures which are usually already a dio in the box. Just add vehicles and groundwork and you are set to go. Also Dragon has some nice German tankers early war with the panzermutze. They even do some poland sets which would seem to fit your ideas perfectly.

Looking forward to your dio progress.

How about just a street corner that the Pz. II is rounding; maybe add a couple of Infantry using it for cover; and the rest of the squad coming up behind; so you'd model the street; and a knocked out Pz. I down the street that, after hit, ran into a shop window; and some Polish troops and civilians hiding in the buildings; and a Polish ATG down the other end of the street; with the rest of the ATG detachment coming up from behind; and thy're being flanked by the rest of the German Infantry company; with a command detachment in their midst; and a Stuka for close air support; and the Schleswig-Holstein pouring another broadside into the Westerplatte... or just the the tank.

Ok...

So yeah, I need to keep my goals simple.

That said, I finally found some '39 Polish troops. Here's the vendor's page: About half way down.

I'll build the Panzer II, and then we'll see where I end up. Went to the local hobby store today and order the kit, and picked up most of the supplies I'll need to start back up.

Good luck with your build Jesse, and don't forget to keep us updated with your progress.

Progress... at least theoretically. As some of you may have seen, I've been asking a bunch of questions on the forum. I've sketched this out, but here's the current "plan". This is the end view of the plan, as this will be a work in progress for awhile I think.

Anyway...

Tamiya's Panzer II Polish Campaign. (this is already mostly built, awaiting painting, to begin tonight)

Master Box's Tankers playing Skat http://www.ecomodelismo.com/ECO_imgArt/MBOX/MBOX-3525.jpg

Dragon's German Warriors http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/article_images_month/2009-12/6574%20poster.jpg

4 of these figures can be used as is to represent Polish campaign soldiers. The middle dude, with the ankle boots will either be converted to some leather marching boots, or just stashed into the spares box. I really like his pose, so I'm thinking about trying to convert.

Dragon's Germania regiment. http://www.modelsforsale.com/listphotos/DN6281.jpg
Just switch some weapons around, and this should fit in well with the other Dragon set.

Diorama as follows.

Rural setting, dirt path/road diagonally across the base. One one side, the tankers are sitting around resting. On the other side, the infantry are preparing and organizing getting ready to head back out on patrol. Eventually, I want to add a second Panzer II, the same Tamiya kit, since it supplies decals for 2 tanks in the same squad from the campaign. That will also explain why there's 5 tanker figures, but only a single tank with a crew of 3. 4 tankers playing skat, 1 tanker from the Dragon set getting getting dressed, and then the supplied tank commander from the Tamiya kit.

Other thoughts include MasterBox's wagon with injured soldiers heading the opposite way down the road headed to the rear.

OR, adding a german softskin, because from my limited research, the mechanized infantry didn't have enough half-tracks to go around, so most of them were carried by truck.



Anyway, feel free to add your thoughts, suggestions, complaints, whatever.