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So when I took delivery of this recent release from Hobby Boss, I planned to do my normal strict kit review. but as I went through the contents of the box I realised that this new kit has pushed plastic ship kits to the verge of a turning point.
Let me take you through the kit and explain why I think this kit highlights an oncoming change for the ship kit industry.
Seydilitz is a German battlecruiser from the Great War period, she has some credit for dishing out some serous damage in her life time before scuttling along with the rest of the grand fleet at Scapa Flow, only to be raised and scrapped.
I was really excited when this kit was announced because she has quite an unusual look to her, almost destroyer like, but with port and starboard turrets and a very spacious deck, an unusual but grand looking warship.
Hobby boss released this kit at the back end of 2017 and it retails for around £90 which is the higher end of the 1:350 scale kit pricing but certainly not an expensive kit as you will see.
The Box art work is really good, showing her plowing through the sea at a rate of knots, with her red funnel standing out against the grey. Seydlitz actually has two funnels but only one painted red. Photo 1 & 2
Upon opening the box your greeted by the the instructions that are typically Hobby Boss/ Merit/ trumpeter with a single colour sheet for the paint guid. Photo 3 & 4. I have to say I am not a fan of the one sheet paint guid that this group uses, it lacks the detail you get from other manufacturers who hi light paint instructions as part of the build. I know that typically a warship of the 20th century will be uniformly grey in the main but there are lots of colours to be picked out that the model builder may miss.
Under the instructions are the two hull halves sat on card divider to prevent them damaging the fine parts of the kit underneath, (photo 5 & 6) a good idea, but with card about to go up as much as 10% over the next few weeks, possibly a costly one.
There is no waterline option, this may disappoint some. The scuttles are deeply cast, easy to drill though if you wish. I could not see any shape distortion that sometimes happens due to the shape of the hull and the limitations of the folding process, the eyebrows are very finely cast, hardly visible but under paint will look spot on, now need for lots of etched scuttle rings! photo 7
Removing the card divide uncovers a number of sprue all individually wrapped, one also wrapped in from for protection. the Box is crammed so there is very little movement going to occur. photo 8
The next part out of the box is the bow deck and lower forward superstructure, photo 9. The detail is outstanding for the scale. first observation is no moulded on chain, the kit comes with real chain photo 10, The deck plank detail is superb as fine as a laser overlay would achieve, it only lacks a bit of detail around the deck fittings. the deck fittings themselves are very fine, it is not that long ago that detail this small would be just a moulded block that an aftermarket etch part would be used to give some detail, not needed on this kit though. photo 11
The next sprue is unwrapped from its foam armer to find some of the more delicate parts, yard arms, flag staff parts etc, photo 12, it also has the ships boats.
The boats are interesting as they are another step forward in their design. 3 or 4 years ago a ships boat at this scale was a one piece moulding bereft of any real detail, more recently kits have started to se them become two pieces hull and upper works to help with the increase in detail. In this kit we take another step forward, the roof of the cabin is now separated. to allow better detailing and recessing of the windows, it also creates an opportunity to open them up, this is a really nice touch. photo 13 & 14.
Generally the level of detail in the casting is the best I have seen to date. the rivet detail captured on the gun turrets is very fine and looks the part, gone are the over sized rivers we used to see, this has a level of detail only resin used to capture, photo 16. There are parts that are so tiny that previously they would have been over scale or omitted waiting for the etch detail aftermarket set to capture, photo 17,
The gun barrels are nicely created with open muzzles. removing some of the smaller gun barrels can be problematic from a clean up point of view which is why brass replacements are often sought, but with some care the brass replacements could be avoided as the moulding is good. Photo 19.
There are two small bags that contain loose superstructure parts, funnel bases and vents for example. photo 21 the detail level is good, especially the wheel house which has open windows some fine more folding and all on a very small part photo 22
Next out of the box are the two remaining deck parts. The centre piece shows of the unusual port and starboard gun positions. photo 23. a closer look and there is some very fine detail, intact a wood overlay is likely to drown the detail interlay in some places photo 24. the little indents visible are to locate etch boat chocks. The deck will look perfectly adequate under paint, its quite some time since I did not consider adding a wood veneer.
In the bottom of the box is a small set of decals. name plate, bow coat of arms and turret top markings are included, but disappointingly no hull depth markings. photo 26
Then comes the etch 4 sheets of it. photo 27.
Lets just consider the etch for a moment. Etch has been an increasing feature of ship kits over the last 10 years or so. to begin with railings, the obvious replacements to the plastic ones that looked like you had put shutters around the deck! while companies like WEM covered the finer detail. This kit however is taking on much of that. four sheets of etch is the same amount I have in a 1:200 scale kit and the included etch covers fine detail that is usually the preserve of the aftermarket suppliers such as the funnel rails, boat chocks and even some superstructure parts.
I am not saying there is no need for additional etch, there is but much less of it is required than a few short years ago. and this is an important point. this Kit is the first ship kit I have bought in many years where I am actually questioning if I need to but any aftermarket update sets!
one look at the instructions and you can see etch required in many of the build steps.
With advances in the ability to mould fine detail and the expansion of the use etch we are, in my view, beginning to edge towards a tipping point in the ship kit industry, the point where the kit in the box is all you need. not there yet but ever so close. it does mean the cost of the kit is slowly going up but the cost of building an accurate detailed kit is coming down, let me demonstrate.
In 2010 Trumpeter released a 1:350 Prinz Eugen widely seen as the new benchmark. Its a larger kit than this one as its a bigger ship but nearly half the price at £50. Although the detail is superb the deck is not good enough and replacement decks cost me £30. although some etch was in the kit mainly covering the railing the less sophisticated moulding requires a fair amount of etch to ad the detail. the comprehensive flyhawk etch set cost me £60. but not everything was covered so I chose to also get the WEM etch thats another £50 all in to build an ultimate print Eugen £190 £110 more than than Seydlitz
A bit more etch and I mean just a bit more even if it added £20 to the price would be Wirth it and that is the way I think the manufacturers os the base kits are pushing. it has been noticeable over the last 2-3 years that increasingly the aftermarket etch is replacing the kit etch. yes it often has more finesse or allows for an alternative fit to be modelled but it is becoming harder for the aftermarket suppliers to justify the huge outlay.
Summery
Hobby Boss have done an outstanding job, the kit is excellent and I cannot recommend it enough. absolutely no need for deck overlays, which ironically at the time of writing is the only update set available for this kit.
I am sure some aftermarket etch is just around the corner, and I will likely still by in, but I will look very hard it it to see if it is worth it.
This is a pretty ship that built straight from the box will be stunning.
Jase
jase attached the following image(s): “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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 Rank: Super-Elite        Groups: New Members, Unapproved Joined: 11/11/2009 Posts: 3,432 Points: 10,280 Location: Colwyn bay
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One omission from the kit is there is no stand....
I would prefer putting wooden decks down which are already available.but don't think there will be much in terms of PE, its not such a well known ship.
Is this one that will get built or stashed be it the unstarted or started. On the bench 1/350 Revell Tirpitz Platinum Edition (Pontos PE and Wooden deck) plus extra Eduard PE set and extra MK1 door sets.
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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Must admit I prefer a wood deck option as your never going to get a plastic deck to resemble real wood.
In terms of box art, I prefer to see a photo of the actual model rather than an art drawing, I just think it’s a lame cop-out to expect you to buy into a kit based on a drawing rather than of the actual finished item, where you can actually see the detail that you get for your hard earned money.
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Rank: Administration  Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,301 Points: 23,991 Location: East midlands
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Think they took a wrong turn.  Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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magpie1832 wrote:One omission from the kit is there is no stand....
I would prefer putting wooden decks down which are already available.but don't think there will be much in terms of PE, its not such a well known ship.
Is this one that will get built or stashed be it the unstarted or started. I am sure somebody will do something with additional etch, granted unlikely to be Pontos.
you are right about the stand omission which is definitely curious!“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Tomick wrote:Must admit I prefer a wood deck option as your never going to get a plastic deck to resemble real wood.
In terms of box art, I prefer to see a photo of the actual model rather than an art drawing, I just think it’s a lame cop-out to expect you to buy into a kit based on a drawing rather than of the actual finished item, where you can actually see the detail that you get for your hard earned money. I agree on the box art always good if there is a pic of the finished kit, but cannot think of many companies that truly do that, fortunately plenty of people doing kit reviews to help out
Generally I agree on the wood deck front, but I have seen some that are woefully inaccurate both in the pattern and the scale, increasingly have to be carful with some of the newer brands. I think sometimes they can look a bit new especially on older ships, although they will hold a stain.“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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delboy271155 wrote:Think they took a wrong turn. Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek)
Hi Derek,
Not sure what you think you can see on the hull, but there is no issue with it I can see. All the individual parts and there is only a small umber are quite unique so no issues identifying them.
won't be seeing this for some time not in plan for the next 18months thats for sure“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Rank: Administration Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,301 Points: 23,991 Location: East midlands
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jase wrote:delboy271155 wrote:Think they took a wrong turn. Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek)
Hi Derek,
Not sure what you think you can see on the hull, but there is no issue with it I can see. All the individual parts and there is only a small umber are quite unique so no issues identifying them.
won't be seeing this for some time not in plan for the next 18months thats for sure Hi Jase, Your review and your pics. What I`m seeing is attached below. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) delboy271155 attached the following image(s): COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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I can see why you might think that is a major fault Derek, it does look like a ridge or fracture in the plastic, but I think it is merely a trick of the light catching what is just a flow line within the plastic? A result of the plastic flowing into the mould and swirling during the casting process.
Used to see a lot of that in the old Airfix aircraft kits that were moulded in a silver plastic?  
Kev 
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delboy271155 wrote:jase wrote:delboy271155 wrote:Think they took a wrong turn. Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek)
Hi Derek,
Not sure what you think you can see on the hull, but there is no issue with it I can see. All the individual parts and there is only a small umber are quite unique so no issues identifying them.
won't be seeing this for some time not in plan for the next 18months thats for sure Hi Jase, Your review and your pics. What I`m seeing is attached below. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) Aahh its just patenting in the plastic, no surface imperfection at all Jase “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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ModelMania wrote:I can see why you might think that is a major fault Derek, it does look like a ridge or fracture in the plastic, but I think it is merely a trick of the light catching what is just a flow line within the plastic? A result of the plastic flowing into the mould and swirling during the casting process.
Used to see a lot of that in the old Airfix aircraft kits that were moulded in a silver plastic?
Kev Spot on, think the camera flash has picked it out. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Rank: Administration Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,301 Points: 23,991 Location: East midlands
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Happy that`s the case as it did look a bit naf on the pic. Crack on when your ready, not out to spoil the trip. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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 Rank: Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 07/07/2015 Posts: 1,292 Points: 3,928 Location: Allentown PA
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Tomick wrote:Must admit I prefer a wood deck option as your never going to get a plastic deck to resemble real wood.
In terms of box art, I prefer to see a photo of the actual model rather than an art drawing, I just think it’s a lame cop-out to expect you to buy into a kit based on a drawing rather than of the actual finished item, where you can actually see the detail that you get for your hard earned money. I have to agee with you there. One reason I like Bandai boxes. They have beautiful artwork on the cover but the sides are covered with real photos of what you get in the box.
DeAgostini kit builds:
Millennium Falcon: 18% Complete
Shelby GT-500: 28% Complete
Thunderbird 2: 13.75% Complete
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delboy271155 wrote:Think they took a wrong turn. Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) If you take a close up look of the stern shot you will see what I mean about the deck veneer, the deck detail is lower than the deck! “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: New Members, Unapproved Joined: 11/11/2009 Posts: 3,432 Points: 10,280 Location: Colwyn bay
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jase wrote:delboy271155 wrote:Think they took a wrong turn. Your pic 7 shows an awful fault in the hull casting. Then so many parts not on a sprue must mean a part search to find what you want. Should you want a wood deck then one left here: Wood deckWish you luck with this one. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) If you take a close up look of the stern shot you will see what I mean about the deck veneer, the deck detail is lower than the deck! Nahh, that veneer looks amazing, Love the different colour planks where as painting will never replicate this. It looks a hell of a lot more realistic. Pity they don't do one for my 1/200 Missouri and Iowa the Pontos set I have has the decks but it has etched planks all one shade. On the bench 1/350 Revell Tirpitz Platinum Edition (Pontos PE and Wooden deck) plus extra Eduard PE set and extra MK1 door sets.
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I built the Hobby Boss Black Widow a while back now and what a nice kit it was too build they even provided pre shaped nose weights in the kit, link below:- http://forum.model-space...spx?g=posts&t=21340
It looks like Hobby boss has pre drilled the portholes for you as well?. Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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It looks like Hobby boss has pre drilled the portholes for you as well?.[/quote]
Hi Andy, not quite they are deeply recessed though
Jase“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
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