3D-printed reinforcements...

To augment the GHQ Micro Armour I picked up at Crisis last week, I placed an order at Shapeways... For those who aren't familiar with this company, they offer a wide range of 3D-printing services... Primarily, you can get your own designs printed, but you can also order prints from their well stocked store (filled with products from various designers)...

In the past I have purchased several 15mm vehicles for my FoW Late War Germans, but these were the first 6mm miniatures I ordered...

While not cheap, these small models are a lot more affordable when compared to larger scale printed miniatures... Due to the difference in cost, I will only use 3D-printed miniatures to get my hands on vehicles that are otherwise unavailable...

First on the list was a mixed set, containing two of each: Dicker Max and Sturer Emil...

The 3D-printed miniatures in their delivery form...

Dicker Max...

Originally designed as a bunker buster to tackle the French Maginot line, it later served as a tank destroyer... Armed with a 10.5 cm cannon it is a fearsome weapon.

Sturer Emil...

And when the 10.5 cm cannon of the Dicker Max isn't enough, there's the 12.8 cm gun of the Sturer Emil... Both of these vehicles were built in very limited numbers. In fact, only two were built of each type.

I also purchased a set of 8.8 cm (SFL) auf Zukraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz 8), better known as the Bunkerflak or Bufla...

One of the more interesting vehicles of the period, in my opinion...

The 3D-printed miniatures in their delivery form... 

The Bunkerflak, as the name suggests, was originally designed to tackle bunkers, in particular the Czechoslavakian border defenses. As these were bypassed without any real fighting, the vehicle later also served as tank destroyer. Most German anti tank guns of the time had little to no success tanking on the heaviest enemy tanks like the British Matilda and French Char 2B. The mobile 8.8 cm had no difficulties with those targets...
By no means a small target, these pack a serious punch... While they have little to no defensive capabilities (the halftrack is only lightly armoured and the gun's crew is very exposed indeed), offensively they can take on anything the enemy has to offer, be it bunkers or tanks...

Speaking of the enemy... For my battle buddy I ordered a French Char 2C...

Bigger than a Tiger II (but slightly lighter), with a crew of 12 or 13, depending on the variant...

While these saw only very limited, if any, use, this tank is too cool to pass up... A product of the First World War, only ten were ever constructed. These landships were, and still are, the biggest tanks ever built!
All were destroyed by the French to prevent them from falling into German hands...

The Char 2C in it's delivery form... 

The 3D-printed models are as crisp as I expected them to be from my previous purchases. They might be more expensive than GHQ metal models, but it's the only way to get these less mainstream vehicles... And when ordered in small numbers I can still get away with it...

The miniatures are nicely detailed but lack the finer touches that can only be achieved in metal casting. Even so, this is the first order of many, I suppose... There are a lot of other, less used tanks and vehicles I want to add to my collection...