BMC is a company that caters to the young collector, or in other words, that sells toys. Some of their figures are not the best sculpted or more detailed, but as far as price goes, they are quite affordable. So if you want to get your child some guys to play with or if you are looking to add volume to your ranks, these might be for you. Once you paint them they improve a bit and blend better with your other troops. Besides soldiers, BMC has also produced a few interesting vehicles, like Amtraks, Landing Crafts and a Sherman. They also offer a few other sets outside of WWII.
BMC German Infantry - Part I
These BMC guys are definitely not my favorite. Their heads are elongated and their helmets are not really sculpted like the actual German helmets. I have these guys in the collection mainly for completeness. The officer might be the best one in the set, although he lacks intensity. The man firing from the standing position is very stiff and the mortar man handing the shell has such an awkward posture. the other mortar man could be OK if we could find a mortar for him. The casualty figure and the man firing while kneeling are acceptable, if you ignore the headgear. The grenade man's redeeming feature is that he is aiming - maybe even firing his sub MG while on the go to throw the grenade.
BMC German Infantry - Part II
This machine gun team was cut from the ones I painted. I already had 10 prone figures and these were the least well sculpted of them all. Even to take this picture I had to find an angle that would make them look a bit better.
BMC German Infantry - Part III
At the time I painted all the other German figures I thought that there was not much use for a dead guy on a war-game. Since I started working on this blog however, I have come to realize that these poses would make the posts with battle scenes more realistic. I might come back to him at some point.
BMC British Infantry - Part I
These guys look more like British 8th Army Infantry, but I think that they can pass as regular British infantry. The set contains 8 poses. Their sculpting is not the best, although this set may be slightly better than that of the other BMC sets. The kneeling man is probably the best guy from the set. The guy next to him with the Bren gun could have been better but there's something very odd about how far forward the the butt stock sits relative to his right arm.
BMC British Infantry - Part II
These other 6 poses are a notch below the first 2. The prone man could be OK if they had just given him a rifle that is the right size. The running guy on the right is also carrying an undersized gun. The other 2 running poses have properly sized weapons, although the shovel that one of them is carrying looks more like a big spoon and the guy with the pick axe, why does he have such a skinny right leg? Then we have the guy in the middle who is standing with his arms wide open as if he is trying to herd cats, or calm someone down. Not the most useful battle pose. The bag piper is probably the best pose out of these 6, but I would rather have combat poses.
BMC British Infantry - Part III
Here's how they might look in a more arid setting.
BMC British Infantry - Part IV
Those shovels and picks look like they could come in handy in the rocky, craggy expanses of the North African landscape.
BMC Japanese Infantry - Part I
I was very pleasantly surprised with their Iwo Jima figures, both the Japanese and the Marines. They are very well made. Superior to their price point. Somebody told me that the used molds from King and Country for these figures. I have not verified that, but it seems possible as the difference is noticeable.
BMC Japanese Infantry - Part II
The figures are a bit on the larger side for 54 mm, but still a very good set. Can't wait to see how they look once they are painted.
BMC US Marines - Part I
BMC released these marines as part of their Iwo Jima set, along with Japanese figures. They were made around the time of the movie Flag of our Fathers, when some interest in the Pacific war started to take place. They are a bit on the larger side for 54mm, but they are very well made.
BMC US Marines - Part II
As you can see, the men are depicted in nice action/fighting poses which look quite realistic. One thing to point out is that the left most man's bazooka can be removed and it requires a couple tries to set it back in place properly. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.
BMC US Marines - Part III
These guys are already primed as I will be painting them soon. Their original color is a light, creamy green. Also with this set you get a flag raising team modeled after the famous photograph, and also a Higgins boat coxswain. The flag raising team is made in a smaller scale as the rest of the figures, and the coxswain has an unusual base that makes him stand about 1 inch taller than the other guys, hence I am not including them in the figures I'll be painting.
BMC US Infantry - Part I
Definitely not my favorite figures, Their most annoying feature are the helmets which sit very high on their heads. Or maybe their heads are too elongated? And then they are also very skinny. The most interesting feature in this picture are the handles on the BARs. I don't know if I've seen it in any other figures.
BMC US Infantry - Part II
Here are another 5 poses. The prone guy with the flame thrower is a good addition. The machine gun team is also OK. I am a bit on the fence about the officer with the staff. did they really walk around with such walking aids in the field? The mortar guy without a mortar seems kind of lost.
BMC US Infantry - Part III
These are the rest of the BMC guys who did not make the 'paint cut'. The guy on the right throwing the grenade has arms so short that he reminds me of a T-Rex. The guy next to him dropping the mortar shell into an imaginary mortar looks more like he is ready to dive into a pool. The third guy from the right is actually not so bad. I actually like how he is leaning back a bit. The fourth guy could be useful for a scene at Omaha beach when they are using the bangalore torpedoes to open a gap in the wire in order to exit the beach.
Click here to see more Japanese Infantry
Click here to see more German Infantry
Click here to see more US Marines
Click here to see Marines and Japanese Infantry in action
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