Review - Incursion Models from Grindhouse Games

September 20th, 2010
Review - Incursion Models from Grindhouse Games

Incursion is a board game set within the Secrets of the Third Reich skirmish game universe from Grindhouse Games. While Incursion lacks actual 3D models in the core boxed set (they include cardboard stand-ups), Grindhouse Games does offer a line of white metal 30mm scale models for it. Today I'm here to review a variety of Incursion models, all of which can be used for Incursion, or any other skirmish/wargame where you think they'd fit in.

Gretel Von X

This is one of the Von X family sisters from the Nazi SWD faction. There's Gretel Von X and Ilsa Von X, and to make it simple, Gretel is the one without a mask. She comes as a single cast model, so there's no assembly to speak of at all, outside of gluing her to the included 30mm round lipped display base that's included. Clean up wasn't too complex, as there's a few mold lines to tend to, but nothing show stopping.

She's armed with a sub-machine-gun, and her little dominatrix-like whipping stick. She's wearing what appears to be lingerie, with a corset and some stockings with a garter belt contraption holding them up.

Yet she's also wearing a tie, and the upper half of her upper torso is wearing a dress uniform-like shirt, complete with an officer's hat of some sort, but with little pig tails sticking out from each side.

The model is also posed with one foot standing on a gas can. It's a unique model to say the least, and in the game Incursion she's one of the commander-type models, and is quite useful gameplay-wise. It's a really playful piece, with a lot of character.

She's quite unique too, as I can't remember the last time I ever saw a hot Nazi chick in 30mm scale. I'm sure she could be useful in a variety of other weird/alternative universe WWII games outside of Incursion based on her looks alone.

Bomberzombies

This is a set of 2x models. One of the models is crouched down a little, while leaning forward. The other model is standing upright with both fists clenched, looking like maybe he's ready to explode. These are zombies, which essentially have had naval mines surgically implanted within their bellies. The detail is pretty impressive on these models too, because the mines can be seen from the front, back and sides, and it truly does look like it's ripping the skin to fit the mine in place inside each torso.

One of the models has a metal skullcap, and both look like some scary brain-eating zeds, but with some cybernetic, or metal parts Frankenstein-ed in. These are quite cool, and both pieces are single piece castings, so there's no assembly work to speak of, outside of gluing them to their 30mm bases. Clean up wasn't very involved, as there's a few mold lines to tackle, but nothing out of the ordinary to report there.

In the game of Incursion these are one of the fairly standard troop models, who just happen to act like suicide bombers with big naval mines in their gut waiting to explode. It's a nice set for sure, and the details are quite crisp and pronounced. I'm sure these could be of use in a variety of different games as well, because I didn't see anything on them to identify them as Nazi or German troops.

Slugger Murphy

This is one of the larger models available in the Incursion model line. Actually all of the US Lucky Seventh models are large, because they're all wearing the APE (Armored Personal Exo-Suit) armor.

In the Incursion world, the Detroit automotive industry helped to build the US military technology, including these APE suits, which are rather large diesel-powered exo-skeleton suits of powered armor.

So Mr. Murphy here is a multiple part model, which is made up of six parts in all including the 40mm round lipped display base. He comes as a main body, arm with revolver pistol, arm with baseball bat with spikes sticking out of it, head, backpack and base. Cleanup didn't require any monumental efforts, although there's a few mold lines present that I had to remove. Assembly isn't very complicated either, because all of the pieces fit together rather snug.

This model isn't so big that pinning is required, but if you're the extra careful type, you might want to consider it. I didn't pin this one, because everything fit so well, and the pieces that glue on aren't heavy. Once assembled this is really a nice looking model. Slugger Murphy calls his pistol Bambi, and his bat Thumper, so he's really got character wielding those two weapons, while in such a big suit of armor chomping on a cigar. In the game of Incursion he's a very useful model to play as well.

HMG APE

Lastly we have the HMG APE. This is essentially the heavy machine gun wielding version of the APE suit. This is also a multiple piece model, and he comes in seven pieces, including the 40mm round lipped display base. He comes as a main body, head, HMG arm, close combat claw arm, backpack with built in ammo can, ammo belt and base.

Clean up again wasn't too tough. There's a few mold lines, as expected, but that's about it. Assembly for the most part is simple, except getting that ammo belt to line up perfectly between the HMG and the backpack ammo box is tricky. It's not as frustrating as some other models I've had to deal with, but it will take a minute or two just to bend the belt just right, so that it fits like it should.

This is the model with the most character, because while this guy is inside some heavy armor, heaving around a huge machine gun, complete with a monster claw contraption on his other hand... he's also chewing bubble gum, blowing bubbles, and wearing a baseball cap. The bubble really puts this model over the top too, as I really thought that was a nice touch. This is definitely my favorite model of the four included in this article. In the game of Incursion he's also quite useful for the US Lucky Seventh side.

Conclusion

If you have the Incursion board game, these models are truly a must have. They're really detailed, and definitely as good as any other white metal models out there from the likes of Privateer Press or Games Workshop in terms of the sculpts and the visual impact. Cost-wise they're really not priced that bad either.

I honestly expected that they'd cost more, especially the APE models, because they're quite large models, as they're almost the size of a newer plastic GW Terminator armored models. I've seen Slugger Murphy selling for as little as $12 USD online, and the HMG APE for as little as $11 USD. Single APE Grunts are roughly $10 USD. Gretel Von X has been spotted priced as low as $7 USD, and the set of two Bomberzombies were found for as little as just $8 USD online.

Granted that's not super cheap, but that's far from expensive either. I've seen lessor quality models, made with much less metal selling for more than that these days elsewhere. There's also Starter Set deals to be had. I've spotted the US side Starter set which includes 1x of each of he APE models (Grunt APE 1 & 2, APE Sarge, Slugger Murphy and APE Blazer) for as low as $60 USD online.

The German SWD Starter set comes with 12 models total, which includes Ilsa Von X, Gretel Von X, Hans, Blitzhund, all six of the variations on the Sturmzombie models and the two Bomberzombie models for $60, depending on where you shop. There's also an all new set of British MI-13 models for Incursion available now for roughly $40 USD.

You can also purchase any of the models, or the game of Incursion itself direct from the Grindhouse Games Incursion website, and just as I write this before posting this review they started a pretty crazy sale. To gather some cash to fund the next Grindhouse Games project they started what they're calling Stupid Good Sales.

Stupid Good Sale #1 includes both the US and German starter sets of models (6+12 models), plus the Incursion board game boxed set for $100 USD! They also said that the first 25 people who jump on that deal will get an extra full set (all 6) sturmzombies, plus an extra set of Bomberzombies (2 models). Stupid Good Sale #2 includes the Incursion board game, plus 2x Sturmzombie models and a Gretel Von X model for just $30.

I can't stress enough how insanely good a deal those are. Even though the company direct online store is usually a few dollars more than other online retailers, these deals blow away the very best deals you can get anywhere else online at the moment, and those two sales are running only until October 2nd.

Even if you don't play Incursion, these are really nice models to use in most any other weird and alternate universe WWII games system, where their own specific models aren't called for. I can see these being a lot of fun in Fear and Faith even, or quite possibly with a little modification in Mutants and Death Ray Guns as well.

However, if you play Incursion these beat the heck out of the cardboard stand-ups they include with the core game. I think what I enjoy the most about these models is that they really have character, and they're very impressive models overall. Best of all, you don't need to take out a 3rd mortgage to buy a set of these models, because even the budget minded model enthusiast shouldn't complain too much about what these models cost.

Stay tuned for more on Incursion. If all goes as planned my in-depth review of Incursion the board game should surface before the week is out.

Incursion Website

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