AK Interactive Tanker Extra Armour Magazine

[JeroenPeters]

Tanker Extra Armour

Techniques Magazine Issue 02

 

Publisher: AK Interactive

Chief Editor: Kristof Pulinckx

 

Available here from AK Interactive for € 9,-

 

 

What we have here is a mix between the typical modelling magazine and a ‘how-to’ book, bounded by a niche concept amongst armour modelling subjects: Added Armour. AK Interactive are really bringing these magazine technique titles to a higher level, by means of well known and respected authors that contribute, appealing topics and well executed design and printing quality. They’re easier to pull out when starting a certain project, instead of rummaging through a thick bible and trying to place it somewhere on the bench.

 

Added Armour

Exotic Armour Conversions are a thing of all times, but lately we see a rise in apocalyptic subjects, fluently blending in with WW2 and modern subjects. Perhaps spurred on by series like ‘The Walking Dead’ and movies like ‘Mad Max’. Figure brands like MAIM, Not-Yet-Dead and even Master Box are jumping on the wagon and provide us with half rotting plastic and resin figures.

But zombie apocalypse field modified vehicles are not the only armour that apparently needed added armour. This title also features modern and WW2 vehicles with bolted and welded on plates of steel. This magazine teaches us how to work the surface of these plates in order to make it look rugged and life-like, how to paint and weather it and how to add some convincing battle damage.

 

The magazine:

Let’s take a look at this title article by article and see if it’s worth getting (and worth the 9 euro’s). The first thing I check when flipping through a magazine in the local hobby shop is how much of the paper is wasted by adverts… Well, these are kept to a bare minimum in this case. 8,5  out of 102 pages are used up with ads for mostly AK Interactive products. So all is fine in that department.

 

Another thing to look at is the paper it’s printed on. This is a glossy, heavy paper magazine with a glue bound back. Definitely not something to shove in the kitty litter box when through with reading. And it will survive a couple of builds on the bench, which is a good thing, since that’s actually what it’s designed around.

 

The introduction is written by well known modeller Kristof Pulinckx who has some wise words about the theme J. The next pages add a little more history to the topic and elaborates on the beginnings and development of added armour.

 

This issue has no less than 18 articles varying from Mad Max, Zombie, Ukranian, modern and ww2 armour. All with one thing in common: Heavily used and battered and all upgraded with extra steel.

 

The first article is written and modelled by Lukasz Orczyc-Musialek who build an Ukranian BMP-2 in diorama setting. This vehicle has added armour in the form of tree trunks and side impact armour covering the road wheels. Most of the modelling steps are covered. From primer, chipping medium, pigments, dry brush, oils, punch and die, and so on… Of course mostly AK products are shown in these steps, but I appreciate the fact that these are not used exclusively, as everyone knows modellers almost never use just one brand. Glad to see Lukasz in keeping it real .

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same goes for 2 builds down the mag. Martin Red Kovac builds a very heavily up-armoured Jackson and paints and builds it with MIG, AK, Tamiya, Life Color and Wilder Pigments. Almost every step in his painting and building process is photographed elegantly and the result is hard to beat. I guess the best result a magazine like this can obtain is letting us use and experiment with new materials. Stepping out of our comfort zone.

 

 

Contents:

As said this magazine offers 18 articles:

• Battlefield Taxi BMP-2 (by Lukasz Orczyc-Musialek)

• Up Armored Krupp Protze (by Kristof Pulinckx)

• Serbian Jackson (by Martin Red Kovac)

• Lebanese M-113 Field mod during “Nahr El Bared” Battle (background info by Samer Kassis, model by Imad Bouantoun)

• Zombie Slayer , diorama with Hummer and Zombies (by Kristof Pulinckx and Roberto Ramirez)

• Buick Max Apocalypse (by Ricardo Chust Roig)

• Marder on Steroids (by Sven Frisch)

• Uparmoured Vehicles Refences. Photographic reference for modern US softskins (by Ralph Zwilling)

• Painting Impact. A how-to tutorial on how to create convincing battle damage.

• Sandbags with Magic Sculpt. Another tutorial on how to create your own sandbags.

• School of techniques. This chapter continues to teach us how to create impact, cast turret textures, solder large pieces of brass and how to create your tool to replicate screws in the armour texture. But also how to modify your plastic cement in order to fill small gaps and create weld seams with putty.

• Gallery: The magazine closes with a 5 page photo gallery with amazing up armoured models to spark the modellers mojo if that hasn’t happened already. Very cool stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least

The final pages of the magazine are taken up by no other than David Parker. He shows us his bench and talks about his passion. A pretty neat insight into this skilled and prolific modeller.

 

 

 

Verdict

If you’re into armour or just dipping your toes into the ‘dark side’, then this might come in handy. As said before, these magazines tend to pull you out of your comfort zone and make you experiment with new materials. It’s not just a shopwindow for AK Products, and I think that’s a good thing. A magazine worth keeping at hand and it should proof a 9 euros well spent.

 

A big thank you to AK Interactive for the review sample.

 

Jeroen Peters