MILITARY MODELCRAFT INTERNATIONAL

The 100 Page April Issue - 2024

Well....well.....well....the new MMI is now out!!!  Just like clockwork, the April issue is out and it's a doozy!!  Military Modelcraft International is the world's leading English-language military modelling magazine. Each month it is packed with step-by-step build articles and this month is no different.  It has exclusive reference material, and the latest news and reviews from across the hobby. In each issue they bring you the very best armor modelling from across the world, with informative and accessible text and high-quality photography helping you to improve your modelling skills and get the most from your hobby. Military Modelcraft International boasts over 60,000 followers on Facebook and its international print and digital community is ever expanding, making Military Modelcraft International the world's number one name in military modelling. At $15.00 USD, it's a good buy as far as I'm concerned.  You get a lot in the issue every month. 

MMI is also number one for news and reviews, bringing you in-depth box reviews and 'on-the-bench' builds of newly released kits and listings of the latest products from manufacturers big and small. Illustrated throughout with the crystal clear photography and accessible step-by-step features, MMI is the indispensable monthly magazine for all military modelers.  The new products section alone is one vital reason for including this magazine in your arsenal of important publications to have.

David Grummitt, the managing editor, has put out the April issue of MMI and it's yet again, another great issue.  This month's lead off article on page 28 is an on the bench special covering the DEF Models German Panzer 739(f) S35 by Rob Riviezzo.  Rob is here with his "naked" 739 in all it's splendor pin-up glory with bare plastic exposed for all to see!!  After that, the hits keep coming.  Peter Hano debuts in MMI on page 32 with a "A Hail of Death and Destruction" article that shows off impressive battle damage and how it makes the vehicle look extremely lifelike!  Then Erik Gideonse debuts on page 38 with a awesome Operation Market Garden Diorama effort.  On Page 45, Tomasz Basarabowicz covers the ever expanding Polish Armored forces fleet through a modernisation effort in real 1:1 vehicle coverage.  Follow that up on page 58 with an article by Chris Johnson in building Rye Field Model's/Border Model Kodiak AEV.  Page 66 has an outstanding article by John Hale about a lesser known Sherman variant.  Impressive on the bench coverage by Kreangkrai Paojinda starts on page 74, followed by the awesome article by Daniel Brooker on page 80 on a what-if King Tiger during the Autumn of 1945.  And at the very end of the issue, Theodosis Giannakidis presents his IDF -themed diorama on page 88.  

The contents in the April issue are:

I love the breakdown in this magazine that offers information and insights as to what might be going on with some of the major vendors that contribute to our hobby.  This example is a section devoted to what Miniart has for new release and in some cases, offers a brief product description to the viewer that really helps with determining if the product is a great addition to any armor project that might be either already started or just in the planning stages.  I often look at these announcements and say to myself, wow, that would be a great addition to that kit I just purchased, I should plan on getting this to enhance that project.  I know we all do that to a certain degree but sections like this allow us to see what could be coming out and how best to anticipate it's arrival and when we can make a purchase and how and where to make it.  That is what MMI offers the most.  It's really awesome we have this.

Here is a full page of new product announcements that I was mentioning in the previous page.  The products are clearly mentioned, with the stock number for the items along with the website address for the manufacturer.  This leaves all the guess work out of what is available and how to reach out to inquire about ordering it.  This is a nice touch for MMI and really helpful to those that want to know more!!

It is fitting to me to see this article about Rob R's work hitting the pages of MMI.  Rob has been dazzling a lot of us here in North America for years now with his personal Facebook page displays for his projects.  Rob's sense for the camera and how the subject is viewed and what makes his project interesting to the viewer all tie in with what he's working on and it's effective!!  It is personally satisfying to see this project in MMI and I hope this is the first of many.  Nice article Rob!!!

This is an excellent article on a battle damaged/destroyed armor vehicle.  The builder goes through great details in how he has achieved this result and well worth the read.!!

Erik has graced MMI with a great article on how he did his Operation Market Garden diorama.  He did quite a lot of work on repositioning the figures and goes into how he did that.  There are nuggets in this article for those that want to try a diorama that may not have the confidence in pulling it off.  This was a good article written for those that might be on the fence in putting forth that effort.

In the ongoing war in Ukraine by the invading Russian forces, Ukraine's neighbors have sought to help support that small nation against Russia's onslaught in ways that were unimagainable just a few short years ago.  In some cases, countries have sent their own armored forces vehicles to the Ukrainians in an effort to provide Ukraine's forces with badly needed hardware.  This article goes into the details of one country, Poland and their efforts to bolster the Ukrainian armored forces.  It is a well written article with great photographs and some color call out sections for camo.  It is a good "real world application" article.

John covers a Sherman variant in this MMI issue that belonged to the 706th Tank Battalion.  It is an interesting article on how he built this rare Sherman, covered with excellent photography and text in the article which will tell how this vehicle project was brought to the point of perfection.

Kreangkrai visits MMI for this month's At the Bench.  I have to say, he's been busy and it shows in his works that are on display.  You can get some major inspiration from seeing his line-up.  I don't know if he models full-time for his job but he's one extremely busy builder!!!

Daniel models the King Tiger in a "what if" scenario in this issue of MMI.  Daniel takes the King Tiger on a journey, relatively short one, from the production line and straight into the nearest battle to shore up Germany's defenses on the home front in this article.  He goes to great lengths to show what a "rushed" King Tiger would look like if that were to have happened.  The part of this article alone in how his roadwheels were painted and weathered makes this issue a really good one.

Highly Recommended for Beginner to Advanced builders.  My recommendation is to purchase this magazine at $15.00 US Dollars and add it to your collection.  The articles are spot on and are well written.  Plenty of how-to's and this-is-how-I-did-that type stuff in this month's issue of MMI.  The photography is sharp, the colors seem to be accurate and the articles are written in a way to easily follow along.  It is worth the purchase price.!

If you think about it, make the purchase while they last and enjoy it. As always, here is a link to the Guideline Publications website www.guidelinepublications.co.uk and US customers can subscribe to MMI and pay in US dollars at www.guidelinepublicationsusa.com .

Thanks goes out to Guideline Publications for this review kit.  It is always a pleasure to review this fine Armor related magazine!  Thanks David for the review sample!

Reviewed by GLEN MARTIN

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