1:32 Vietcong Infantry with Heavy Weapons

The Viet Cong with heavy weapons in 1:32 scale

This set from the Ukrainian brand MARS Model is devoted to the guerrilla units of the Vietnam War. By its name it aims at the crews of heavy weapons, that is, at figures tied to a firing position and to equipment, not merely at ordinary riflemen. The plastic castings in 1:32 size come entirely without paint.

Guerrillas in the delta and in the jungle

The armed forces of the National Liberation Front operated in South Vietnam above all as light infantry that leaned on knowledge of the terrain, tunnel systems and the support of the rural population. A civilian or semi-civilian look was characteristic - plain clothing, a conical hat or a cloth cap, sandals, a simple harness with cartridges. Heavier weapons, whether machine guns or recoilless arms, were carried in pieces and set up in positions prepared in advance. The set thus offers a subject that differs distinctly from regular armies.

Painting and placing in the terrain

The palette here is deliberately sparse, and the shades matter all the more for it. Avoid a uniform black; rather, layer a dark blue-gray and brown so that the cloth has depth. Wash the castings before you start and clean up the seams. Test the glue on a sprue offcut; with figure plastic super glue tends to be more reliable. Finish the muddy terrain with pigment on the legs and on the lower part of the clothing, as that is exactly what is characteristic of the delta and the rice paddies.

Meant above all for

• modelers with an interest in the Vietnam War
• builders of dioramas from the jungle and the rice fields
• collectors of guerrilla and irregular units
• completing scenes around vehicles in 1:32 scale

The figures are supplied unpainted; the finishing materials are up to you to obtain.