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November 2nd, 2010
Review -Tengu Models  Today I'm here to talk about a new small company from the UK that goes by the name of Tengu Models. They specialize in 28mm scale metal models. Tengu also has quite an informative website too, because they have a little section on “basing our models”, and the “our models” section details a photo of their models next to a ruler showing scale. It's nice to see a site ran by a gamer/collector of models, for gamer/collectors of models.
First Contact First up is a set called First Contact, which is Tengu's take on Roswell-like aliens, or as they're commonly refered to, greys. This is a 5-piece set. There's a leader model wearing a space suit of some sort, holding his helmet, and the other 4 models are unique poses of naked greys. Honestly I'm just not a fan at all of greys, or the traditional little green men type of models, but there's something sorta cool about these ones. I think it's that the facial expressions found on the face of each one is unique. They have character, as they're all not the same body with a different head, or the same head with a different body. Each of the sculpts are totally unique. All of the models in this set are single 1-piece castings, so there's no assembly to speak of. Clean up didn't require anything out of the ordinary either, as there's mold lines to tidy up, but no flash. Z-Chicks This next set is called Z-Chicks, and as the name implies this is a set of four zombie women. There's four totally unique sculpts in the set. What I found most interesting is that there's a black zombie woman sculpt included. That's pretty awesome, because I don't recall seeing very many, if any ever black people zombie sculpts in 28mm scale models before. The other three models in the set are sculpted in unique zombie-walking/stumbling poses. One is lurched forward almost in a lunge. Another is almost pigeon-toed walking all messed up staring up at the sky, and the last one is rather average looking, mouth gaping open, with arms outstretched in a stiff moving pose. There's random wounds to be found all over each one, and black one has a rather large bite mark on her cheek even. Like the First Contact set, these too are single piece castings, which require very minimal clean up. About 5 minutes with a hobby knife and file to flatten up any mold lines and they're ready for some paint. No Time To Dress This last set of models is a set of completely naked zombies, and why not, because there's always one or two of these in every zed movie right? This is a 4-piece set, and like the other models above, these too are single piece castings. There's three females and one male model. The male model is anatomically correct too, right down to the dangling willy and testicles, complete with pubic hair sculpted even. I like the fact that the facial expression is so crisp too, and that's a strength of all of these models, because they all have character. One of the female models isn't completely nude, as she's wearing a pair of panties, and is still wearing her knee-high socks, in a unique stumbling and falling all over the place sculpt. The other two female models are completely nude, complete with sculpted pubic hair. There's various wounds or bite marks to be found on each one too, although I can't help but think how much cooler they could have been if one was missing a hand, or part of a leg. What I really like about these female models is that they're average breasted women, they didn't go overboard and sculpt them with big balloon-like fake stripper boobs. I guess the same could be said of the male model too, because it certainly looks like he's been in the swimming pool if you get my drift. Conclusion
One of the things I like about all of these models is that while they do come on an integral base, the base is so tiny and so thin, it's like there's nothing there. It can be cut away with a hobby knife, or used as is, because it's only about 1mm thin. You can put these models on most bases, as they are, and once you add basing you'd never know there's even an integral base there. Tengu Models also offers free 25mm round slotted bases with each model, but you have to add them to your cart, otherwise the models come without bases. That's a nice touch, and it's something that I wish many other model producers should do as well. One more thing I should mention is that Tengu Models does state that their metal may contain traces of lead. Combine that fact with the subject matter of most of the models they produce, and it becomes very clear that these are definitely not for kids anyway. Each of the sets above are the same price, which is 8 GBP, or $13 USD. That's puts them in about the same price range as the all metal model sets of zeds that Studio Miniatures offers, only they offer sets of 8 models for 15.99 GBP/$24.99 USD. So cost-wise I think they're priced reasonably, especially considering these are really nice models. At their website they clearly show the models as being 28mm or close to it next to a ruler, but when put up next to the Studio Miniatures 28mm scale zeds and a Reaper 28mm scale zed hunter... most of the Tengu models look a hair smaller. Personally I'm cool with that, because people are all different shapes and sizes in real life, but the scale prudes may not embrace that issue as willingly . I like that Tengu wasn't afraid to do some things not many others were willing to do as well, like the naked zeds and the black female model. That's what I think sets these models apart from most of the other competition, and at the same time I think it's what sets them right up there coolness-wise with the zed models from Studio Miniatures too. There's a variety of other models available from Tengu as well. Be sure to check out their website for the others. If all goes as planned I may be covering few of the other models here before long, because the very latest releases were out of stock when I inquired about reviewing them. So stay tuned for more on Tengu Models. |
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