New Kugelpanzer

I'm proud to present you a new range of weird, futuristic and/or unusual WWII vehicle model kits, born as a collaboration project between Minairons miniatures and ResinLab models. By this agreement, our brands are going to develop jointly that new range - keeping ResinLab for itself the original 1/35^th scale version, while Minairons is to commercialize as own its 1/72^nd version.

As a first result of such collaboration (ideally involving soon a third brand and a couple of scales else), I'm happy to show you our first joint release: the quite mysterious Kugelpanzer, a small spheric German AFV - only one sample of which is known, captured by the Red Army in Manchuria and currently kept at Kubinka Museum. Here below you have one such 1/72 Kugelpanzers masterly assembled and painted by HeresyBrush:

Both ResinLab's 1/35 and Minairons' 1/72 versions can be found at Minairons' website.

First Galleon, ready and shipping!

I'm excited to announce that the first model belonging to our new 1:600 scale Age of Sail Ships range is right now available and ready to sail toward ignote seas. As a matter of fact, some are already sailing toward some trusting in advance customers' harbours, while a handful else are on the way to Scale Creep headquarters too.

As you can see by the picture above, model can be considered as a 'fast build' one, because it consists of a maximum of 15 parts --some of which are optional, as stern lanterns and mast tops. Most of parts are white metal --except for hull, bow and mast tops, that are high quality resin cast. And last, model kit is complemented by a sheet with ensign, mast flags and jack for a Spanish Treasury Galleon --with several other, alternative flag sheets already available at our website, and many more on the way.

Please have a glance on a built sample, masterly painted by Julián of Model J Ship (worth to point out he chose a fore mast rigging option, with fully unfold sails, differing from the one actually in kit):

We're planning to expand this new range as fast as possible, with a second Galleon release next month, as well as a Man-of-war on workbenches right now. Besides, we've met an agreement with Skytrex Ltd. to retail their Triton 1:600 scale ranges (Armada, Renaissance Galleys and possibly Ancient Galleys too), that are going to add to our current availability of Peter Pig ships.

Tokens suitable for Chain of Command

Minairons Miniatures is going to carry some else of the innovative products from Caliga Accesorios, who are already our plastic stands supplier. I'm pleased to show you a first range among those --a wide collection of tokens and markers auitable for Chain of Command (CoC) rule set.

Each set comprises 11 plastic tokens (6 x 50mm round, 4 x 25mm round and 1 x 20mm square) and a stickers sheet with markings for making 6 Patrol Markers, 4 Jump Off Points tokens and 1 Morale marker (all them two-sided).

Stickers are self-adhesive and conveniently pre-cut, so you only need to peel these off and apply them on each side of the corresponding plastic token. For durability, it is advisable to paint token edges the colour of your choice before applying the stickers. Not compulsory, but some varnishing afterwards would be a good idea too.

Those sets currently listed on Minairons website are SCW Republican and Nationalist, Italian and Abyssinian, Soviet, Finnish, German, Polish, British, French, American and Japanese only. In spite of this, virtually ANY other set of WWII Nation markers can be done (if not already existing). Just ask!

(The token sets here shown are just a likely accessory to Chain of Command (CoC) wargames rule set, created and owned by Too Fat Lardies. Such rule set is needed for playing CoC, and can be purchased at their toofatlardies.co.uk website).

1:72 Wine Cellar released!

This year, the Alpha-ARES veteran wargaming club has merged its prestigious yearly show into the larger format DAU Barcelona event, that is sponsored by Barcelona municipality to promote gaming habit among population. Historical wargaming will have its room there, next Saturday 18th; and, as it couldn't be otherwise, Minairons Miniatures will be attending to it once again.

Next to our stand, a group of gaming friends from AJJRR Reus town gaming club will hold a gorgeous 1938 Gandesa battle scenario using 1:72 scale (20mm) miniatures from Minairons and other makes. The spectacular scenario shown is going to incorporate the first ever assembled and painted model kit of our long since announced Wine Cellar --a large scenery piece reproducing an architecural feature common to many villages in southern and central Catalonia. Model kit is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, that also serves as a central core around which the rest of building components are assembled.

As said, this is a large scenery piece, likely to capture watchers' sight not less than a cathedral. The whole boxed kit weighs around 0.59 kg and, once built, building model size is to be 26.5 cm long x 16 cm wide x 16 cm high approximately. It is already available on Minairons website at the price of €59.95 --however, during DAU Barcelona event only we shall retail it at a 15% discount, as a promotion. Don't miss the chance!!

New website Section and Range

Minairons had got so far known primarily for its range of Spanish civil war miniatures, mainly at 1/72^nd scale, but also to some extent at 1/100^th and 1/56^th too. However, I am writing these lines to formally start a completely new range of model kits, dedicated to a totally different period and on a different scale.

So, while a professional artist begins to give color and volume to our first model of such new range (a large Age of Sail transoceanic Renaissance galleon at 1/600^th scale, that can be watched in the photo above), please allow me to introduce the new section we have just open on Minairons website:

Awaiting the release date of such first model, our naval collection already consists of a dozen sheets of ensigns and naval flags of XVII and XVIII centuries, complemented by the complete Range 18 from Peter Pig, consisting of sail ships and various accessories (crews, cannons and rowing boats). As you can see from the attached photos below (taken on models from my own collection decorated with Minairons flags), there is a high compatibility between both brands' products:

Our current schedule can be checked on our blog's Pipeline page, while a wide selection of sail ships, as well as 17^th and 18^th centuries naval flags sets are awaiting adhesions in our website Wishlist page.

Upcoming 1/72 scenery range

I believe this will be exciting news for all 20mm SCW wargamers: we at Minairons are about to start a new 1:72 scale scenery range, specifically intended for re-creating the common (and not-so-common) Spanish landscapes of those years.

True that some first timid attempts were performed not long ago, by creating a couple of battlefield scenery pieces (a bailed out command Panzer and a downed I-15 fighter), that have proven to be successful enough to encourage us to try and expand the range with a new series of elements --either large buildings or simple widgets.

So that, taking advantage of the mutual trust arisen after our retailing partnership with Surus Creations (by which we became a vendor of their Belchite 1:100 scale SCW scenery), we alongside met a further agreement with them for a similar 1:72 scale range to be made in exclusive for Minairons, under our own make.

Little afterwards, work started on a first project --under some kind of deliberate news blackout, admittedly: a modernist style Wine Cellar, inspired on the numerous cooperative farming facilities built between 1914 and 1925 by the Commonwealth of Catalonia, a semi-autonomous government institution of these years.

Despite work on masters is well advanced now, so that some preliminary pictures might be already shown, we've preferred to let the whole prototype be finished before sharing with you. Pictures will follow in few days, I promise. meanwhile, I've thought you would like to take a glance on the thing plans, so as to get a first taste on the thing:

Front view

Side view

Architectural detail

Some kit elements (such as chimney, for instance) have been devised as optional, depending on whether the user plans to build an industrial factory in an urban background, or as an oil or wine cellar for his countryside settings instead.

As said above, work on this superb building masters is well advanced now, so that we'll be able to show you pictures of it in not too many days' time.

New 1/100 building from Surus

We've just added to catalogue a superb new piece of scenery at 1/100 scale from Surus Creations. This cowshed (or goatshed, or sheepshed) of Aragonese inspiration can hold two or more 32 x 50mm bases in each room --except for the smallest one. It is suitable for any Spanish Peninsula setting ranging from Renaissance to Modern.

All its sides have openings of some kind from which to watch and shoot.

This new scenery element retails unpainted for EUR 20.50. You can check it at this page of Minairons website.

New SCW Buildings

I'm delighted to announce the agreement just met between Minairons Miniatures and Surus Creations, by which we start retailing now their "Belchite" range of Spanish Civil War 1/100 scale scenery. This particular range of multi-part resin buildings from Surus is intendedly suitable not only for SCW, but also for any 15mm 19th or 20th centuries wargame set in Southern Europe or Northern Africa.

But this is far from being it all, because our agreement includes good news for 1/72 scale SCW gamers too!

Under the terms of our recent agreement, Surus Creations is committed at creating a similar range of Spanish Civil War 1/72 scale scenery items closely similar to those above. Such new range will probably be christened as "Gandesa" so as to be distinguished from its 15mm sister range, and will be worldwide distributed by Minairons Miniatures --so that all our international distributors/retailers are able to offer it to you SCW fans! Development of this new 1/72 range will start pretty soon.

You'll understand now why I am so happy today!

Stands, Magnets and Trays

It's time for one step forward - so we've ventured into a partnership with the recently born Valencian brand known as Caliga Accesorios, so as to retail their wide (and ever growing!) range of PVC plastic stands, movement trays and base magnets --and hopefully to distribute them abroad too.

Their current ranges include round, elliptic, hexagonal, square and rectangular bases ranging from 15 to 120mm size, always made of 2mm thick white PVC plastic, as well as matching magnets made of flexible, autoadhesive magnetic sheet 0.75mm thick, and movement trays (either rectangular or "warband" style) for the most common wargaming rulesets.

While awaiting first orders to come in, we've already started introducing this new range in our Website (Other Stuff/Accessories Section). In the next few days we'll have it all inside. Please take a little patience with us!

Renault TSF Tank available

Accordingly to our expectations, it is now available our second Interwar range AFV at 1/72 scale - the Renault TSF command tank. One of these tanks was purchased to France by Spain, to be used as company command vehicle in the Rif War.

Model itself is quite simple, for it essentially consists of four hard plastic parts gently provided by HäT, complemented by four parts else in resin, these latter reproducing this version's fixed casemate. Set is completed by a decals sheet with markings for SCW Basque and Communist, both WWs French and VBCW Anglican League service.

Our new kit has been given reference 20IGV004 and can be purchased in our website at €10.95.

20mm Republican AT guns

I'm proud to show you the result of a collaborative work between us and The Plastic Soldier Company consisting of a hard-plastic & white metal combined set, that comprises two Soviet 45mm AT gun sprues along with their Spanish Republican crews.

The new set includes two of such sprues, so that a small 2-gun AT battery can be built from a single box.

As for the accompanying figures, they consist of 6 crewmen and a leading officer, all them unique and different to each other. Figures have been superbly sculpted by Xan as usual.

This is what this our new set looks like once painted and depicted by HeresyBrush. An enviable job indeed, don't you believe?

This 20GEF004 - Republican AT guns set is already available from our website --and it's priced at € 15.95.