This is a relatively new sculpt from Battlefront, and honestly it's one of the best pieces I've ever purchased. Cleanup was a cinch, and the detail level is just right. I had a blast painting them, all the while making little engine noises. I really have absolutely zero complaints about these sculpts- everything is great from the tracks to the small remote-controlled machine guns. Seriously phenomenal sculpts- if you've been on the fence about picking these guys up, trust me and take the plunge!
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I knocked these guys out relatively quickly, and didn't have a single problem. After spraying them black, I base coated the vehicle in Dunkelgelb (Vallejo Middlestone). After that, I did a google search for Hetzer Camouflage and found a great modeling site to use as inspiration for my camo. I didn't tape anything off or anything like that, just painted carefully by hand, planning ahead. I did the green first (Vallejo Olive Camo Green) followed by the brown (Vallejo Flat Brown). After that it was just a matter of picking out the details and applying my divisive blacklining techniques using a Pitt/Faber-Castell Artist Series Superfine Pen.
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Sd.Kfz. 138/2), later known as Hetzer ("baiter"), was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) chassis. The project was inspired by the Romanian "Mareşal" tank destroyer.[1][2]
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) was intended to be more cost-effective than the much more ambitious Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger designs of the same period. Using a proven chassis, it avoided the mechanical problems of the larger armoured vehicles.
It was better armored than the lightly armoured earlier Panzerjäger Marder and Nashorn with a sloped armour front plate of 60 mm sloped back at 60 degrees from the vertical (equivalent in protection to about 120 mm), carried a reasonably powerful gun, was mechanically reliable, small and easily concealed. It was also cheap to build.
Hetzer. (2011, December 8). In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 13, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hetzer&oldid=464803439
| Name weapon | Mobility range | Front ROF | Side anti-tank | Top Firepower | Equipment and Notes |
| Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Hetzer) 7.5cm PaK39 gun | Standard Tank 32" | 7 2 | 2 11 | 1 3+ | Overloaded. Hull MG. |
31 comments:
Wonderful work on the hard edge cammo.
Thank you sir!
These look awesome! Dang it! I might have to get some of these afterall!
I was very close to ordering a whole company's worth, but scaled back at the last minute. Seeing them done makes me rethink that decision.
Dude, these are a sexy looking tank destroyer. I love tank destroyers !
They do look to be phenomenal sculpts, Steve. but you have certainly done them justice with that very fine paint job. A whole company's worth would be a sight well worth seeing and very impressive. Also, please keep up the awesome work on the podcast - it's going from strength to strength!
I really like your recreation of an authentic, but rarely-seen-in-gaming camo scheme. Great job!
Not only is tha an impressive paint job, but the photography is also first rate. Many years ago, I started writing a play about mid life crisis, titled "Three Men and a Hetzer". I'll send you the joke page from it when I find it.
hahaha thank you sir!
Three Men and a Hetzer would be a hit!
These models are looking too cool to pass up. I now have justification for buying some as I've got a Hungarian Rohmaygus Uteg with Zrinyi II's, and I can sub in Hezters in larger numbers.
I think I see my next company to build. Perfect complement to run against my Canadian 4 Armored Division.
Those look great! Well done. I can see "Haus auf Hetzer" competing for my membership with the "Brotherhood of the Panhard" !
What's in a name? That which we call a StuG, would by any other name smell just as sweet.
So Hetzer would, were he not Hetzer call'd
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.
Very nice. I do like the hard edged camo.
Excellent painting, whatever time you put into the camo pattern - every minute was well worth it ;-)
Thanks guys!
@Anatoli- you know it really wasn't all that bad. I mean, extra time for sure, but not nearly as much as I thought it would be.
@Mike: I can't join membership in Haus auf Hetzer until I have all 14 done. I am too busy joining the Worker's group of the Heavy Assault Guns right now!
The most beautiful small buggers throughout the war...
I do love Hetzer's. I have got to ask, how do you do your german camo? It looks so good but at the same time I get the feeling you have found a nice simple way of doing it (please don't take offense if it's not simple!).
Thanks Ben
Honestly for this hard edged camo I just used the Mk I paint brush. No tricks or anything fancy, just drew the outline of the pattern then filled it in.
For other, non hard edged camo, I do a variation on what Dirty Jon does in this tutorial: http://www.wwpd.net/2011/06/german-camouflage-tutorial.html
Great stuff. I haven't seen the pen used like that before. How well to do those pens hold up?
I use them on every single tank I paint. My current pen has lasted me for a while. I've done a lot with one pen: http://www.wwpd.net/2012/01/zvezda-shturmoviks.html http://www.wwpd.net/2012/01/british-honey-stuart-swarm.html http://www.wwpd.net/2011/12/setting-bar-british-armoured-regiment.html
I'm now using it for my Armored train but it's starting to get worn out. Still, for a few bucks they last quite a while if you remember to keep the cap closed!
I've never given these guys much thought, but after seeing some painted ones, I'm definitely going to pick some up as a support option. Awesome job!
Sorry to be a pain again, but do you just spray your tanks Dunkelgelb (Battlefront Spray), then paint Reflective Green and Flat Brown sections?
Followed by a dry brush of something and then black line the whole tank?
Not a pain at all!
I didn't actually spray these guys, I brushed on the dunkelgelb, but the spray should work the same for you.
On these tanks I didn't drybrush anything over the camo paintjob, but usually I drybrush dunkel back over it to get it all to blend.
Then I drybrush the flat earth for weathering and then black line it. Lastly I pick out details like shovels etc
Thanks I'll give that a go as I currently hate painting Late War German Armour but I love the lists!
@Scary "Haus auf Hetzer", hilarious.
Those look great! Man, you are a prolific painter. Do you sleep?
How come the Germans have the coolest tanks? Is it me or do the Americans have the least coolest?
No way, Yank Tanks are awesome! M4A3E8 HVSS look so cool!
I just find every spare minute to advance my projects :)
@Scary
Sorry to be a German nerd, but if you're trying to say that it is a "house made out of Hetzers" it should be "Haus aus Hetzern"
These are gorgeous. A friend has already laid claim to the Hetzer list in our neck of the woods so i might pick up a few just to have while he paints up the company.
Chicks dig 'em
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