Alternative SG II APCs

Hi all,

For those SG II players like me who like to use APC but hate to paint
them
here is another source of pre-painted APCs.

I just picked up a Galoob Battle set M113 APC.	however, it is not a
M113,
it is an 'Amtrack' marine amphibious APC (I've forgotten the correct
name
for this APC).	Pics available on Galoob's site.

The APC is mouled in greeen plastic, not too gfarish, however,	a wash
with
dark ink/paint won't hurt it too much.	Detail is excellent for a toy,
it
is around 5 inches long by 3 wide by two and a half/three high.  I could
go
on abit here but considersing this is a toy Galoob have pulled out all
the
stops here, upper deck detail is crisp and plentiful.  The driver turret
opens, as does the turret (the turret mounts an auto grenade launcher
and
SAW, plus a rather oversized GMS (actually you get a red plastic missile
to
fire from it, no arguments about line of site there !).  the rear dorsal
hull hatch is moulded in one pice and opens, as does the rear drop
downhatch, interior detail is fine too.  Overall detail is crisp and
surprisingly good foa  kids toy, Presonally i think this is begging for
superdetailing, perhaps using the half turret crew and kit from Geohex,
plus some parts from a 1/32 kit for interior detail.

As for relative scale, the interaior is scaled such that a GZG 25 mm fig
would have plenty or head room, a Grenadier FW troper also can stand
upright, i think a GW fig may scrape its head and have to stoop a
little.

Critisiscms:  It comes with whells which elevate it slightly above the
tracks, however, as the thing is screwed together these are no problem
to
remove.  The paint job could have been better, however, as this is a
kids
toy I guess I cant be too picky.  No other real problems with it.

Cost: the best bit ! I paid ten buck for mine at Toys are Us.  If you
can't
get one locally Galoob do mail order in the US.

Conclusions:  For me there are not enough tracked APCs in GZGs repetiore
so
this is ideal, especially as it is very 20th C so it can easily
represent
older technology (I'm curently planning to use mine as a Colonial Marine
transport which has been superceded by the M577 APC.  The tracked
carrier
looks more able to carry something really heavy like my heavy PA unit,
or
even as a mortar carrier as the top hatch opens up).

BTW I am not a Galoob salesman, but as anyone who has seen the Aliens
APC/dropship will know Galoob seem to have hit upon the ideal scale to
get
into the market for little soldiers APCs.  As an aside, I can't help but
wonder what the folks who buy GW Rhinos, and the like, will think when
they
see these at half the price of the GW stuff, plus they are 'painted',
plus
they are more detailed, AND they don't look like a shoebox on tracks !

Enough rant,

Stuart.

Stuart Murray

Department Of Molecular Genetics
Albert Einstein College Of Medicine
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Bronx
New York 10461

Tel: (718) 430 4289
smurray@aecom.yu.edu