Guideline Publications- Military Modelcraft International- January 2025

MMI is starting the new year with a bang with a January issue chock full of excellent articles and reference material. After a full year of continuous 100 page issues, editor David Grummitt promises another 1200 pages for 2025- and spends some time in his Forum article thanking some of his team and contributors who have helped make these big issues the high quality publications that they are. This issue is heavy of more modern pieces- including some interesting small scale builds and more modern works from the Cold War to the War in Ukraine.

News at the Front include releases from ICM, Miniart, Inside the Armour3, FC Modeltrend, as well as more in-depth previews of a Flyhawk 1/72 Panzer IV Ausf. F2/G from Alex Clark, Resin Tech Models products and Rye Field Models King Tiger kit from Rob Riviezzo, and a build up of the 3D Gizmo Humber Scout Car and Bomb Damaged Building from Paul Bennett. On the Bench this month features a braille scale build from Rob Riviezzo again as he builds up Magic Factory's Sd. Kfz. 234/2 Puma. Three pages of Quartermaster's Stores closes out the introductory section.

"Small-Scale SEP" shares Rafał Lebioda's build of Meng Models 1/72 M1A2 SEP Abrams, and he shares his painting and weathering techniques for an excellent finish.

Max Lemaire is up next with his Verlinden Productions V100 Cadillac Gage in "Vietnam Commando". Max went through some pretty extensive work and it pays off in the finished piece.

David Grummitt writes this month's Armour in Profile- "The Myth of the T-80" and how at the time, the secrecy behind the tanks introduction into the Soviet arsenal was shrouded in misinformation and dread. Going to school in the late 70s and 80s, this article brought me back to when the Cold War was at its most tense moment in my mind growing up.

"The Wages of Sin" ties into the prior article with Chris Meddings' destroyed T-80U from the War in Ukraine using the Rye Field Model T-80U and some extensive 3D designed aftermarket bits he created for the burnt out interior.

Łukasz Orczyc-Musiałek is back this issue with Part 2 of "Front Disco" and his extensive late war diorama. This part provides an in-depth look at the Tamiya Kubelwagen he built for the piece, as well as his work on the railroad base.

"Rattenkrieg" shows another excellent WWII diorama- this one featuring Kristof Pulinckx's build of the Dragon Panzer IV Ausf. J. The article continues next month when Kristof explains how he did the groundwork and tied it all together for the diorama.

The last build article features Ramón Segarra Guerrero's build of the Hobby Boss 1/35 "Delta Force FAV".

I was thrilled to see the At The Bench feature back again this month and with one of my favorite modelers to boot- John Rosengrant. John is a legend in modelmaking for movies and creator of the well loved Grogu from The Mandalorian series.

The issue closes out with Words & Pictures showcasing new books from Osprey Publishing and Tankograd Publishing.

Conclusion

If this issue is any indication, 2025 is going to be an amazing year for those, like me, who thoroughly enjoy every issue of MMI. I am at the point where my 2024 builds are finished and I pretty much have a clean bench awaiting my choices for what to start building in 2025. Reading Chris Meddings' T-80 article and the Armour in Profile piece, I am inspired to start the Trumpeter T-64BV kit in Ukrainian livery. To subscribe to the magazine, 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 .

Highly Recommended for Beginner to Advanced builders.

Thanks goes out to Guideline Publications for this review sample.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves, AMPS Albany

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